#028 Why is Self-Concept so crucial for gifted 2E students in the early years? With Dr Geraldine Townend

Today I’m speaking with Dr Geraldine Townend from UNSW about her research on self-concept of gifted, Twice Exceptional (2E), children and the lifelong impacts. We also talk about an awesome project she is supporting which is an educational screener for parents which is in its research phase and a great opportunity for you to get involved!

In the episode you’ll hear:

What is self-concept and why it is so important Tools and strategies to address negative self-concept A new education screener for parents called Ed Screening How to get involved in the Ed Screening pilot program (see below)

Hit play and let’s get started!

Memorable Quote

“Because our twice exceptional students do have things that get in the way of their ability to learn and build some of those core skills, their self-concept starts to go down because they are seeing the world or seeing themselves as less than by comparison. So they do start to build a negative self-concept.” – Dr Geraldine Townend

“And she said, I'm trying to develop, , a screener that is going to be available at a really affordable cost for all the parents and the teachers out there. We'll screen all those things like autism, ADHD… dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, all the specific learning disorders and so on.

So the parents know in a moment who they need to go to next, which waiting list they need to get on for formal diagnosis… research based and really powerful.” – Dr Geraldine Townend

Resources

Ed Screening The pilot is currently open and needs a couple of hundred parents to fill out the survey about their child. It takes about 20 mins, it’s FREE during the pilot phase and when the data is crunched, you’ll get a free report. Eventually, it will be instant and low cost. This helps to create an educational screener, backed by research, that will provide direction for parents quickly and help them to know what professionals to see and what strategies to use in the meantime. Things like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, all the specific learning disorders, and so on. It will save months, if not years, of being on waitlists that don’t turn up a diagnosis and potentially hundreds of dollars for parents by helping them to figure out who it is they need to see. Parents from anywhere in the world can participate. Especially if you have concerns or questions about your child’s learning needs or neuro-diversity. UNSW - GERRIC Check the website for books on neurodiversity! Gifted with Learning Disability Australia

Bio

Geraldine Townend is a published academic with over a decade of experience in the field of gifted education, having expertise in the area of twice-exceptionality. Geraldine lectures and conducts research in GERRIC (Gifted Education Research and Resource Information Centre) in the areas of gifted education, gifted with learning disability, and special learning needs. Her research interests focus on supporting gifted and twice-exceptional students to aspire to their potential in education, which includes the development of positive academic self-concept.

Geraldine advises government around curriculum and education and has been featured on national TV. She has been currently working in an advisory capacity with the Department for Education, New South Wales. Geraldine conducts professional development for schools in the identification of, and support for, gifted underachievers, and has featured on Australian National television.

She also provides advice for parents and families of gifted and twice-exceptional students, and works closely with State, National and International Associations.

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