Profoundly gifted kids

[Anonymous]

Are there any parents out there with "profoundly" gifted kids? If so, are you aware of any DC/NoVa groups/camps/schools that allow them to get together locally (besides the Hopkins/Duke programs - my child is 10). I was recently given a very limited number of educational options by a respected DC educational counselor (who we went to as a last resort). Top of the list - home school, followed by 2 private schools (one well known "elite", one very small and obscure that would offer (basically) one-on-one tutoring). My child is outgoing and well adjusted for the most part, although he craves adult interaction over time with his peers. As he matures, he is recognizing that he is different somehow, and is becoming more and more withdrawn (reads voraciously, loves history, chess, math, politics, science, mythology). I'm hoping to connect him with kids that enjoy these types of things, but that also like kid stuff too (he loves Star Wars, basketball, soccer and (I will reluctantly admit...) The Simpsons - he has a great sense of humor. He is in the 4th grade, but has been performing on HS and college levels since he was extensively tested in 3rd grade. I am very sincere in looking for some guidance because this is a very unsettling situation to navigate - there are a lot of statistics that are very scary for kids like him. I place his emotional IQ above all other - but his intellectual needs can't be denied and I believe a few friends on his wave-length (in his age range) would be a great gift. So far, he has fared well with groups (like chess teams/ summer camp) that include older peers - but teenagers don't really want to hang with a 10 year old. Most people tell me to hang in there and accept that his childhood will be difficult, but he will "grow into himself". I can't help but want to try to make it a little easier....Ideas?

[Anonymous]

Have you spoken with anyone from the Davidson Institute? They are also a great resource and give free advice to those who meet their profoundly gifted benchmarks.

http://www.davidsongifted.org/

[Anonymous]

I have no advice from experience, but I was recently talking to a friend (in Great Britain) who has an extremely gifted child. She said eventually they needed to send her to boarding school (at age 10 I think) for exactly the reasons you have mentioned. Her daughter is now 19 and just graduated from an American college. Her daughter really thrived in boarding school, she said.

[Anonymous]

Baltimore Washington Home Educators Yahoo group is very large and I would expect at least some parents are home schooling b/c their children are profoundly gifted. Home schooling parents are pretty good about creating opportunities for kids to get together -- you might want to join just so you can ask around.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BWHE

I'm searching the group now to see if there might be some info of interest for your. Check these out:


http://www.msde.state.md.us/div/DOI/GiftedTalented/summercenters/OnlineBrochure/2008/2.pdf

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BWHE/

[Anonymous]

OP,

Will you share the 2 schools named by the counselors?

[Anonymous]

OP were you and/or your DC's other parent also profoundly gifted as a child? Curious.

[Anonymous]

There are also a lot of gifted/talented listserves for the various school districts. You might look on some of those to find people in the same boat as you.

You surely already know about them, but in case you don't here are some:

I like this DC area blog on gifted ed (Mont. County)

http://themorechild.wordpress.com/2007/12/26/why-elementary-teachers-overlook-the-verbally-gifted-child

SHe's got a ton of DC area links on the right hand side of her blog.

GOOD LUCK

[Anonymous]

Thank you for all of the great posts and terrific feedback. Aside from the Davidson Institute suggestion, all of the other leads were new to me and I will certainly follow up with the local groups in particular. As for the other questions, I would prefer to not list the names of the schools as we are in the middle of the admissions process. And, to the question about whether we (his parents) were profoundly gifted - well - the answer is no, but we do have a lot of academics/scientists in both of our families. For what it's worth, our journey into the gifted abyss has helped us learn a lot about ourselves and our own educational experiences. Both of us were placed in TAG programs in elementary school and middle school and then tanked in high school (mediocre grades, but loved school socially). We attended state universities and finally started applying ourselves in the last two undergraduate years (when classes finally got interesting). We both loved graduate school, and thanks to lots of hard work and motivation we have both had successful and interesting careers. It's probably worth mentioning that our son was "passed over" for our districts TAG program initially, which is what lead us seek independent testing in the first place. He was also rejected at all of the private schools we applied to for K. Needless to say, insightful question.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: It's probably worth mentioning that our son was "passed over" for our districts TAG program initially, which is what lead us seek independent testing in the first place. He was also rejected at all of the private schools we applied to for K. Needless to say, insightful question.....

Do you mind sharing briefly why? I'm the poster who posted most of the leads (except for the Davidson one) and am in the middle of learning a lot about TAG for my own 1st grader -- I'm afraid doesn't fit the profile of gifted as his teacher sees it....am very interested hearing what other people have learned

[Anonymous]

Is Nysmith a possibility?

[Anonymous]

My (2nd grade) daughter is highly gifted vs. profoundly gifted, and we are finding that what is available in many of Fairfax County's public schools falls short. However, if you find the "right" FCPS school (we have), and you augment it with many of the things you mentioned (private chess clubs, music groups, etc.), it is possible to cobble together a group of social peers. We have done pretty well through Davidson's Young Scholars, in case you haven't gone that route. (We haven't participated in the summer event yet as she was just accepted in August.)

To the OP -- if you are able, please post other resources you come across. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Your question has been posted on the yahoo group for the Fairfax County Association for the Gifted, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FCAG. As the president of that group, I suggest you also read our old newsletters at www.fcag.org, to get a flavor of what has been happening in the FCPS GT programs.

The Fairfax County Public School GT Center programs generally will not challenge students who are exceptionally gifted these days, let alone profoundly gifted. Perhaps not even highly gifted. But, they will be less tedious than academically heterogeneous classes. Also, a few GT Centers still have enough highly+ gifted children to support challenging extracurricular programs that supplement the regular FCPS GT curriculum. My own children, who are in high school and college, had good classroom and extra-curricular experiences in the Haycock ES GTC and Longfellow MS GTC. TJ is great too.

Overall, the FCPS GT Coordinator and her staff have been changing the GT programs to disperse highly+ gifted students over the past six or seven years. FCPS Superintendent Dale has proposed budget cuts that might cause even more highly+ gifted students to stay in their neighborhood schools, which would be consistent with his staff's longtime mantra that ability grouping isn't important as long as teachers differentiate in mixed-ability classes. And in the neighborhoods where you are most likely to find a critical mass of highly+ gifted students in one GT Center, the FCPS "needs based staffing formula" combined with general increases in class sizes are likely to cause the GT Center classes to have between 30 and 35 students each.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP.

I don't have any other links to share, but wanted to tell you a little about my family's experiences, especially in regards to your experiences tanking in high school. I have a son who is, shall I say, pretty bright. I'm partially in denial and partially just haven't gotten the test results back yet. He's performing way above grade level and the math skills border on frightening. And yes, he loves chess. ANYWAY, his father and I, as well as all my siblings and cousins were TAG ID'd as kids, or whatever the equivalent was back then wherever we happened to be.

We all tanked. Some of us rather profoundly. Three of us dropped out. Two of us developed addictions. One of us ran away. Most of us were harangued repeatedly by people who were personally offended that we weren't living up to our potential. Having experienced this myself, I'm very concerned about my child going through the same thing.

BUT...but, but, but....

We are now all adults. We made it. Furthermore, we straightened ourselves out once we left school. One got his GED and is now in medical school. One is on a Ph.D track in physics after going back to school for the love of the subject following a career as a musician. I'm doing fine, have a rewarding career where I get to use my brain AND my art degree.

[Anonymous]

My three children, all grown, were all GT years ago in Fairfax. Unfortunately, GT Education may not meet the academic needs of all gifted learners... Your TAG Programs, created to prevent such, well documented, potential consequences failed your family. This is unacceptable, highly and profoundly gifted learners need and are entitled to the supports they need, to be successful, just like all students. Do districts that are moving towards differentiated instruction, like Fairfax, provide those who instruct gifted learners with specific professional development and require teachers be certified in GT Education? If not, then how could it be good for students? The Diamond in the rough gifted learner is not every teachers dream gifted student... However, with proper instruction they will not "tank" but reach their potential; it takes teachers who truly understand the gifted to provide the special instruction these kids need.

[Anonymous]

Worth just talking to them...

Saint Anselm's Abbey School