Understanding Giftedness

by: Cheryl Blau, M.A., M.Ed., Ph.D.
Giftedness Programming Coordinator and Teacher at the Grosse Pointe Academy

Q. What does giftedness look like and how is it different from being very smart?

A. While the research offers no single agreed-upon definition of giftedness, there is widespread agreement regarding the qualities characteristic of gifted learners, qualities that differentiate them from learners who are very smart and/or high achievers. Gifted learners experience and display great intensity in their thinking, feeling, manner of conversation, and pursuit of interests. They tend to be highly sensitive both emotionally and physically, perfectionistic, and extremely self-critical. They learn and master new skills and concepts rapidly and easily and love to learn but often find school boring and academically unchallenging. Gifted learners are often disorganized and may not be high achievers. Additionally, many gifted learners are twice exceptional - that is, gifted and also dyslexic, dysgraphic, ADD or ADHD, or gifted and also struggling with a sensory integration disorder.

Q. Why do gifted students need special academic programs?

A. Gifted learners experience - or one might say, suffer from - asynchronous development. While significantly advanced in their cognitive development and abilities beginning even before they can talk, these children still have the emotional development, motor skills, and behaviors typical of their same-age peers. Meanwhile, they are interested in topics and pursue an intensity of discussion about those topics that set them apart from their same-age peers, often resulting in difficulty interacting with their same-age peers and their teachers. Gifted services and programs enable teachers to provide gifted learners opportunities to interact with like-minded peers, develop appropriate social skills, and learn to manage their emotional and sensory sensitivities while also learning skills and concepts at a pace and depth best suited to gifted learners' complex and rapid cognitive processes. While gifted learners might be able to survive without special programs and services, like other special populations of students, gifted learners deserve to have the opportunity to thrive in school, not merely survive it.

Q. How do schools typically identify which students are gifted?

A. Public and private schools alike tend to rely largely upon student IQ test results to identify gifted students. A minimum full scale (overall) IQ score of 130 is typically required for students to qualify for participation in giftedness services and/or programs. However, students with a lower full scale IQ score who score at or above 130 on one or some of the individual IQ subtests may qualify for giftedness services in those areas.

Save the Date: Dr. Cheryl Blau will present additional information on giftedness at The Grosse Pointe Academy on Thursday morning, August 20th at 10:00 a.m. She will repeat this presentation on Thursday evening, August 27th at 7:00 p.m. Both talks will be held in the parlor of the Lake Shore Building on the GPA campus, are open to the public, and are free. For more information, call Dr. Blau at (248) 497-6633.

Visit the Grosse Pointe Academy's Association of Professionals Listing at The Family Center.

The Family Center, a 501(c) 3, non-profit organization, serves as the community's centralized hub for information, resources and referral for families and professionals.
To view more Ask The Experts articles, please visit our website www.familycenterweb.org.

Please email your questions to info@familycenterweb.org
To volunteer or contribute, visit familycenterweb.org or call 313.432.3832.
20090 Morningside Drive, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236

From the Director: Summer 2009

Fall is nearly upon us with families wrapping up their summer vacations and preparing children for the "back to school" routine.

As The Family Center prepares for its fall schedule, we are excited to share news and information about our upcoming presentations and events. Our Summer issue of the newsletter is now available online. A warm welcome is also extended to our newly appointed 2009-10 Board of Directors and Advisory Council members.

On Sept. 29 we will offer a special substance use awareness presentation. On Nov. 3 we will offer our annual transition into college presentation. On Nov. 19 we will repeat our annual kindergarten preparation presentation. All of these presentations will feature professionals who are experts in each of the topic areas listed.

Our Circle of Friends has been busy working on two events for the fall: a hayride on Oct. 16 in recognition of our CELEBRATE 9!! birthday and our seventh annual HOLLY FEST benefit on Dec. 3. See our Presentations page and Calendar page for more information.

We are pleased to be a part of the Kroger Community Rewards Program, which will contribute $5 million to charities this year. Show your support to The Family Center by becoming a member and using your Kroger Plus Card each time you shop at Kroger. More info...

The Family Center's newly formed Association of Professionals has been developing into an extensive online resource directory utilized by both families and professionals. This fall we plan to offer our second Meet & Greet for School & Mental Health Professionals. Our first in May was very successful!

Having a centralized hub for information, resources and referral like The Family Center is more important now than ever before. Stress from uncertainty and increased demands challenge families in so many ways. The Family Center provides solutions by serving as a conduit to services, professionals and resources that families need.

You can help The Family Center. Make our upcoming programs better than ever by making a contribution today. Thank you!

Budgeting and Saving Skills for Teens

By David M. Benson, MSW, LMSW, ACSW

Q: Now that my teenager has his first job, how do I teach budgeting and saving skills?

A: A teenager's first job can be very exciting and stressful to both the parents and teenager. Managing the teenager's excitement and spending habits are essential to financial development and success. Teenagers have many visions of things to purchase, but teaching budgeting and saving skills will provide "financial intelligence."

The process of creating a budget can provide guidelines for your teen regarding saving and spending money. Allowance or earnings provide the basis for the dollar amount of the budget. Budgets can allow some flexibility, but essentially, expenses should not exceed the teenager's available funds.

The budget period can be for any length of time, but should correlate with the frequency of the teenager's receipt of money. For example, if the teen receives a weekly allowance, the budget period may be weekly. If a teen receives his/her pay every other week, the budget period should correspond accordingly. Older teenagers may prefer to budget monthly. Together, parents and their teen can discuss a realistic budget period which works out best for the teenager.

Parents can assist their teenager in determining his/her desired and expected fixed and variable expenses. Fixed expenses often include cell phone bills, transportation expenses, donations to charity, and savings. Placing a certain amount of money away for savings each budget period is very important. Teenagers should not view the idea of savings as the amount of money left over after spending. Examples of variable expenses are: games, entertainment, gifts, clothes, books, sports, special events, and the like. These expenses are not necessarily occurring during each budget period.

With good intentions, some parents may tell their teen how much money they think they should save or spend. However, if the parent makes such decisions instead of the teen, this takes away from the purpose of the youth setting up his own budget, and ultimately learning how to establish sound money management skills.

Periodically, the budget should be revised as the teenager's allowance or earnings increase. As time goes by, certainly the youth's goals and expenses will be different. For example, if the teenager wishes to buy a car or go away on a special trip, he or she needs to plan long term savings strategies. Both long and short term saving and spending change as the teenager matures. These changes need to be addressed as he or she makes necessary revisions to the budget.

This same strategy may be used for younger children who receive allowances for completing chores.

David M. Benson, MSW, LMSW, ACSW is a licensed clinical therapist with over 15 years of experience and has been in private practice for 5 years in Grosse Pointe Farms. He works part-time at Henry Ford Cottage Hospital's Psychiatric Unit and is a member of The Family Center's Association of Professionals.

Contact him at EastShore Counseling Services (313) 447-5779, email Info@DavidBensonTherapy.com or visit www.DavidBensonTherapy.com for more details.

The Family Center, a 501(c) 3, non-profit organization, serves as the community's centralized hub for informational, resources and referral for families and professionals.

To view more Ask The Experts articles, please visit our website www.familycenterweb.org.

Please email your questions to info@familycenterweb.org

To volunteer or contribute, visit familycenterweb.org or call 313.432.3832.
20090 Morningside Drive, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236