Unlock Your Potential: Why Parents of Gifted Kids Should Explore Their Own Giftedness
Betty Meckstroth, co-author of the award-winning Guiding the Gifted Child (Webb, Meckstroth, & Tolan, 1982), was visiting Kathi Kearney’s gifted class in Maine. One of the students, Jason, asked her, “Where does giftedness come from?” Betty started to give a long, complex response about the interaction of heredity and environment, when Jason interrupted her, saying he thought parents got their giftedness from their children! First, he was tested, then his sister, and when his parents discovered their children were gifted, they thought they were gifted, too!
Have you ever suspected you might be gifted? Many adults with exceptional abilities go unrecognized, and understanding this aspect of yourself can be truly transformative. So, why is it important to know if you’re gifted?
Discovering your giftedness can lead to profound benefits:
- Gain greater self-awareness: Understand yourself on a deeper level and recognize the unique ways your mind works.
- Connect with your identity: See how giftedness has shaped your identity and life experiences, both past and present.
- Find your community: Connect with peers who truly understand your perspective and experiences.
- Become a powerful role model: Inspire your family by embracing and developing your authentic self.
- Unleash your gifts: Develop your unique talents for the benefit of yourself and others, rather than hiding them to fit in.
- Find resonance in literature: Discover books and resources that speak directly to your feelings and experiences.
- Help normalize giftedness: Contribute to bringing giftedness out of the shadows and into open acceptance.
- Seek new connections: Find opportunities to engage with other gifted adults who share similar journeys.
Understanding your giftedness isn’t just about labels; it’s about self-discovery, empowerment, and finding your place in the world.
Since 1989, our Institute for the Study of Advanced Development (ISAD) has produced the only journal on adult giftedness: Advanced Development. It is now an e-journal available on our website under “Our Journal.” If you resonate with the material in Advanced Development, it suggests that you are gifted.
If your children score in the gifted range, there is a strong chance that you are gifted as well. Giftedness runs in families. Natural families tend to score within 13 IQ points. If you want more specific information about your own abilities, we offer the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS).
Announcing Our Adult Gifted Testing Introductory Service!
Have you ever wondered if giftedness runs in your family? At Gifted Development Center (GDC), we’ve been exploring this question for 46 years, and our experience consistently shows that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to giftedness. We’ve seen fascinating transgenerational patterns, with parents and children sharing similar IQ scores, strengths, weaknesses, and interests.
Inspired by stories like the 8-year-old GDC-tested girl whose curiosity led her mother to be tested, we’re excited to announce a new service – adult testing. This also helps us challenge the outdated psychological bias that high scores «regress to the mean» – a theory we’ve found no evidence for in over 60 years of studying gifted individuals.
To help us collect more data on these fascinating patterns and for you to gain valuable insights into your own cognitive profile, we’re offering a new adult giftedness testing service for just $1000. That’s 45% off our normal $1800 fee! This package includes the comprehensive WAIS-IV assessment and a concise, 4-page report highlighting your unique intellectual strengths and weaknesses. There’s no initial paperwork, consults, or post-test conferences required.
Testing is available in Denver, Colorado, and Omaha, Nebraska; we also have availability in Northern California at select times of the year.
Want to explore if you might be gifted even before testing? In 2005, Linda Silverman developed a Giftedness in Adults Rating Scale that can help you determine if you are gifted. You can also find this scale and more information on adult giftedness on the homepage of our website: www.gifteddevelopment.org.
Ready to learn more about your own giftedness? Contact GDC at customerservice@gifteddevelopment.com or call 303-837-8378 to schedule your assessment today!
