Parallel Session Proceedings »
3.3.9 Giftedness and Trauma
Many gifted children, especially highly gifted children, suffer their own kind of trauma as they cope with being different and trying to fit into society and expectations placed on them. Having society, parents, teachers, a school system not understand them and how they think and learn, can have a profound impact on a child. These children are also just as likely to suffer from other traumas as any other child; however, their unique sensitivities and pressures they are already under put them at a unique risk.
This presentation is based on the soon to be released book, Gifted Children and How Trauma Impacts - Them 20 Things Gifted Children Wish Their Teachers and Parents Understood, by Adam Laningham, Dr. Melissa Sadin, and Nathan Levy. Combining Adam Laningham’s and Nathan Levy’s multiple years of experience working with gifted children and Dr. Melissa Sadin’s research and firsthand experience with children coping with trauma, they have developed many strategies parents and teachers should know when working with gifted children who may have experienced or are experiencing different forms of trauma. This presentation will open your eyes to what our children are going through, and also provide you with some strategies to help support them.