Gifted children often say “I’m fine,” but that can mask a need for support. Professionals working with gifted and twice-exceptional kids warn that abilities don’t negate the need for compassion, encouragement, and guidance—offering unconditional support helps them thrive despite outward appearances.
Summer offers gifted children and young adults a necessary break from academic demands. Parents should create opportunities aligned with their children’s interests so they can relax and enjoy downtime. College students likewise need respite; summer can provide restorative time away from increasingly busy schedules.
A gifted student once said that being forced into opportunities can be worse than being denied them. Gifted children often pursue achievement yet also need quiet and unstructured time. Balancing drive with solitude supports personal growth; giftedness is an identity, not merely actions or accomplishments.
Mental health professionals often lack training specific to gifted and talented individuals, leading to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. Advocates call for major revisions in graduate education and clinical training to recognize giftedness and ensure accurate classification and safe, effective care tailored to this population.
Melinda Stewart argues that when overwhelming emotions defy words, they often manifest as behaviors—writer’s block, self-harm, refusal, selective mutism, disordered eating, compulsions, or substance use. She urges understanding these actions as expressions of uncontainable feeling and translating and containing the voice of the heart.
Parenting profoundly gifted children can be challenging and unconventional, as their strong, original personalities often defy social expectations. They may stand out, think deeply or act from the heart, requiring creative, attentive parenting that embraces complexity and the heightened intensity these children bring to family life.
Author recounts common criticisms of her twice-exceptional son — labeled underperforming or not listening — and explains that he is gifted with ADHD. IQ testing revealed very high verbal ability but low working memory and processing speed; medication doesn’t eliminate ADHD. She urges acceptance and appropriate support.
The author explains support for SENG because it addresses social and emotional challenges faced by gifted children—distress, alienation, and lost potential. SENG raises awareness and offers strategies to help gifted children and their parents navigate childhood more successfully.
A reminder that, despite the challenges of raising gifted or twice-exceptional children, many eventually find their passions, acceptance, and success. They may follow different paths and timelines, but with time they often reach destinations fitting for them, even after difficult childhood periods.
Gifted children share many needs with other children: learning coping skills, perseverance, adaptability, and social negotiation. Focusing on these life skills—rather than only academics—prepares them to handle adversity, change, and relationships, and is essential for long-term success in school and life.
