Resources for Parents of Gifted Children

Parenting is never easy, but parenting a gifted child can be especially challenging and often requires different strategies than what works with other children.  The reason?  Gifted kids simply are wired differently.  They see and experience the world differently than most people.  While gifted children are capable of exceptional intellectual and creative thought, some may exhibit greater sensitivity and intensity in how they relate to the world and other people.  In some ways they think and act well beyond their chronological age, while at other times they may act exactly their age or struggle with things that for most people come easily.  Asynchronous development is typical of gifted children and can make it challenging to find the right school environment in which to nurture and support their intellectual, social, and emotional needs.

It is also important to understand that "gifted" quite often does not equal "easy" or "perfect".  Gifted children are not automatically good at everything, including having success in school.  Some things do come easily to them, but they can also struggle with things that most people take for granted.  Parents of gifted children may feel confused about how to understand their gifted child, or how to get others (teachers, adults, or other children) to see that their child may think, feel, and act differently than other kids.  Some parents of gifted children may feel like they can't talk about their parenting questions because other people just don't know what it is like.

Once you discover that your child is gifted, you may wonder where to start or where to seek good information.  The good news is that there is a community of people who do understand gifted children.  Here are links to some websites and organizations that support gifted children and their families:

www.hoagiesgifted.org Hoagies' Gifted Education Page

www.iagcgifted.org Illinois Association for Gifted Children

www.nagc.org National Association for Gifted Children

www.sengifted.org Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted

www.ctd.northwestern.edu Northwestern University Center for Talent Development

www.centerforgifted.org Center for Gifted

www.davidsongifted.org Davidson Institute for Talent Development

www.tip.duke.edu Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP)

www.2enewsletter.com Twice-Exceptional Newsletter