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April/May 2025
Topic: Gifted Adults
{Contact_FullName}, your MCGT membership expires on {Member_Upcoming_Renewal_Date} |
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Presidents' Letter Cori Paulet & Jinju Truong, Co-Presidents |
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In my years as a mother of two gifted children, I’ve noticed something that might sound familiar to you: as we work to better understand our children's giftedness—how it shows up, what it means for them—it often sparks a deeper realization about ourselves. For many adults, supporting gifted kids opens the door to recognizing our own giftedness, perhaps for the very first time.
It can be incredibly affirming but also daunting. Suddenly, past experiences—times you felt different, disconnected, or misunderstood—start to make more sense. You may find yourself reflecting with new insights, and feeling waves of emotions: relief, grief, curiosity, and a desire to better understand yourself in this new light.
Recently I participated in a gifted adult group led by experienced facilitators. The overwhelming sentiment among participants was one of profound relief.
Finally, a place where people understood.
A place where you didn’t have to explain the way you process the world,
or why certain experiences feel so intense, isolating, or complex.
Being able to share your story and hear others mirror your own experiences
can be powerfully validating—and healing.
Recognizing the importance of connection and belonging for gifted adults, MCGT recently launched a Gifted Adults Community Group, and I’m thrilled to share that it’s off to a wonderful start. If you’re seeking a space to explore your own journey alongside others who truly "get it," I warmly invite you to check it out.
You are not alone—and having a supportive community can make all the difference. In this edition of Outlook, you’ll find original articles, reflections, and resources designed to nourish and support you wherever you are on your path. Whether you’re beginning to explore these questions for yourself or have been on this journey for a while, I hope you find comfort, insight, and tangible strategies to carry with you into the year ahead.
Cori Paulet
MCGT Co-President |
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Editor's Note: Articles are embedded. Please click on the linked text to read referenced information. Thank you! |
Voices From Our Community |
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It’s Me!!??
Realizing You’re a Gifted Adult:
A Journey in Six Parts |
Dear MCGT Outlook Community,
It’s with gratitude that I share our first original audio recording
and invite you to go ahead,
take the time
and listen to Gordon read aloud. I promise, you won’t regret it.
~Tina Van Erp, Editor |
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Gordon Smith is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Coach, and Creative Instructor for gifted adolescents and adults. He’s been practicing counseling for 25 years, coaching for nine years, creative instruction for four years, and being Gordon for 54 years. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina and feels deeply grateful for his community. Over the years, Gordon has explored his multipotentiality through being an elected official on Asheville’s City Council, organizing the Big Asheville Science Salon to spotlight area researchers, publishing poetry, teaching Improv, moss gardening, traveling, and much more. Gordon’s practice is located entirely online, and you can find him at https://giftedandgrowing.org/.
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It’s Me!!??
Realizing You’re a Gifted Adult:
A Journey in Six Parts
My son was identified as gifted by his school. He was having sensory issues, and they couldn’t teach him anything. He kept acing every test without trying. He was disrupting the class, too, but anyway, we had him evaluated, and it turns out he’s got a GAI score of 146. So my husband and I started reading whatever we could find about giftedness. I was reading about Bore-Out one night when it hit me. My eyes didn’t blink for a full minute… “It’s me. That’s me.” When our daughter started reading Black Beauty before her second birthday, my wife and I knew we had a real situation on our hands. We were up late, deep into the rabbit hole of gifted parenting, when I looked up. My wife had tears in her eyes. “It’s me,” she said. I started crying. “It’s me, too.”
We’d taken our adolescent child everywhere, and their alphabet soup of diagnoses never quite captured what we were seeing. We knew that we were missing something. My mother stumbled across a book on gifted children, and she insisted we read it. A profound quiet settled over me as I read. It was me in those pages. It was me.
You were digging around to learn how to help your gifted child become as happy and as healthy as they could be. You read the books and listened to the podcasts. You attended the trainings and joined the organizations. You were on a mission to optimize all that intensity of theirs into a fulfilling life. You just wanted your children to live in their fullest expression. |
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Understanding the Foundations |
Dr. Mary-Elaine Jacobsen’s book The Gifted Adult: A Revolutionary Guide to Everyday Genius was my first overt rejection of my giftedness, even after meeting with her and having her ask me directly if I’d ever considered the idea of myself as gifted.
In Finding the Gems in the Rough, Sara Yamtich, writing on Douglas Eby’s site High Ability, invites us into the topic with Dr. Jacobsen’s main points regarding adult giftedness.
Jennifer Harvey Sallin walks us through each of The Stages of Adult Giftedness Discovery. Jennifer Harvey Sallin expands on each of the stages she sees adult’s go through while moving through the new information of their adult giftedness.
DENIAL - "There's no way I could be gifted!"
EXCITEMENT - “This explains so much of my life!”
ANGER - "Why didn't anyone tell me this before?" and “Why don’t others care now?”
BARGAINING / DEPRESSION / PANIC - "Can I give it back?"…"OMG I can't give it back!"
ACCEPTANCE - "Ok, this is how I am. How am I going to use it to my advantage?"
REBUILDING - “I’m doing the work to rebuild myself based on who I am.”
CREATIVITY - “What else can I create from my unique self?”
Our perspective of ourselves changes throughout our lives if only by our changing vantage points. Douglas Eby’s Gifted and creative adults are different from an early age introduces Paula Prober who comments, “You may feel ungifted now that you are in your 40’s and you haven’t reached the goals you had at seven.” They point out that reactions from others can lead to insecurity and feeling “wrong” versus the road of learning more about our unique selves. While Giftedness: A Lifespan Perspective is a small invitation to look further into the lifespan of gifted individuals, Joy Navan, M.A. Phd delights by using the phrase “our gifted elders.” Imagine all of what we could see that has been invisible until now. |
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What to do with the Struggles |
A first step to feeling grounded when considering adult giftedness is to look at how it plays out in our experience of life - the benefits and challenges. Zephyr Care shares a starter list which supports not being overwhelmed and invites one to select one area that resonates the most in Adult Giftedness: The Benefits, Challenges and Testing. They also briefly discuss the “should I get tested or not?” question.
Ideally the professionals we work with have expertise in giftedness. But, if the idea that it’s your giftedness you are seeking support for, you would not be alone if you have avoided, rejected or been able to easily intellectualize or mask with professionals in the past. What Your Therapist Needs to Know About Giftedness gives you a starting place for future conversations.
MCGT Professionals Directory connects you with a local community of Minnesota-based professionals working with gifted and talented and additional resources, including 8 Things You Should Know Before Your First Therapy Appointment.
While the author chooses to not share their name, halfofthetruth.org writes clearly about life with a rainforest mind. In Questions for Coping, they provide simple and clear steps which can be the stepping stones for how to take excellent care of yourself. |
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I have had Lorie Ransom’s “Just Stop It” comic saved on my external drive for years. Each time it both resonates and pains me. As a writer and editor, I’ve wanted to use it many times but hesitated because it didn’t provide a bridge between resonating and hurting. The Faster Capital article Misunderstanding, Miscommunication, Mismatch and Mistake articulates four important approaches.
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What to do with the Strengths |
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“The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones.”
—Rick Hanson |
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In Fostering Adult Giftedness, Sharon Lind focuses on five key affective needs of gifted adults: acknowledging your own gifts, nurturing your identity development, giving yourself permission to be a growing, changing, imperfect person, taking advantage of and coping with overexcitabilities and learning practical coping skills.
Sometimes our struggles come from assuming because “I think it should be so, it will be so.” In the RSA Animate “Drive: The Surprising Truth of What Motivates Us”, Daniel Pink provides an alternate focus for sustaining our motivation through meaning by understanding our affinity with purpose, autonomy and mastery - oh, and when the carrots and sticks thinking actually works. |
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Operation Houndstooth emerged from Joseph Renzulli’s lifetime body of work, especially his Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness. The model provides six interconnected ingredients which can provide a reliable frame for gifted adults’ lifestyles and lives. |
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InterGifted is the gateway to diving deeper on all aspects of adult giftedness. Their worldwide community has given voice to many aspects of a gifted adults’ lived experience and is an excellent bridge between traditional blogs and deep research.
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Role Models and Inspirations |
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Connection, Friendship, Relationships & Community
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“So, gifted parenting can also be intense,” Jill Williford Wurmen writes. This intensity is a cornerstone of the importance for connection and community - and can make it difficult to find. While navigating the path of understanding our own giftedness and parenting our gifted child, Gifted Children, Gifted Parents How to Navigate Intensity helps remove the roadblocks.
Knowing oneself fully supports quality relationships. In Gifted Adults and Relationships: 10 Sources of Conflict, Dr. Gail Post informs how some behaviors and feelings may put a strain on relationships.
Affinity is a quiet connection at first. By understanding the relationship connection from “play partner” to “sure shelter” and an individuals’ personal preferences for friendship structures in Friendships, A Rare Treasure by Lori Comallie-Caplan and “Play Partner, Sure Shelter”by Miraca U.M. Gross, a conversation beyond hoping we and our children have friends can begin.
“Gifted youth and adults have unique hurdles to making friends. Here’s how to navigate the maze,” says Lisa Van Gemert and Patti Bear in Friendship 101. |
Gifted Adults and Work Life |
All adults work in life - paid and unpaid. How might the story of your work life change through understanding adult giftedness? While the topic is a big one, Gifted Adults in Work by Noks Nauta and Frans Corten (translated by Kumar Jamdagni) starts the path to considering this question. |
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“The common strands that seemed to transcend all creative fields was an openness to one’s inner life, a preference for complexity and ambiguity, an unusually high tolerance for disorder and disarray, the ability to extract order from chaos, independence, unconventionality, and a willingness to take risks.”
~Scott Barry Kaufman |
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Visual-Spatial Learners are everywhere and yet the term is not commonplace.
Gifted Development Center compiled a highly accessible introduction.
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In Finding Fulfillment as a 2e Adult, Julie Skolnick M.A., J.D. explicitly describes action steps which help you “Know yourself, know your needs, make those needs known.”
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Resources, Activities & Tips |
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MCGT Summer Program List Disclaimer: MCGT does not endorse any of the listed programs or activities, we provide this list of summer opportunities as a service to our members. While we do our best to include the most current accurate information, we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to obtain more information from the sources given in order to determine if a specific program is a good fit for your child. |
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MCGT 2025 Summer Program List - Excel Spreadsheet
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Member login is required to view the spreadsheet. If you have problems accessing it or have questions, please email the MCGT office at info@mcgt.net
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See Me Neurodiverse hosts and participates in a variety of events throughout the year. From support meetings to community events to playground, board game, and movie meetups, we’re here to provide awareness, support, and resources for neurodiverse families.
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The Social Circle is a weekly summer group for 11-14 year olds to connect in person with their peers and talk about friends, family, interests, and changes happening in their lives. This is an environment that encourages connection, curiosity, and authenticity without the pressure for perfection or outcomes. Tweens who are hesitant, lonely, unsure about who their people are, or struggle socially offline or in less structured settings are a great fit! Mackenzie Nolan, LAMFT, will be facilitating and has experience supporting these kids and their families and specific training in working with gifted and neurodivergent folks.
Who: 11-14 year olds
What: A group to talk about life with peers
Where: Grounding Space Therapy - Minnetonka (494 & Hwy 7)
When: Tuesdays 11am-12:30pm, June 17th-August 12th
Why: Summers can be complicated at this age and connection with peers matters |
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Highlight: Upcoming MCGT Events |
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MCGT's Annual Family Picinic
Sunday, August 10th, 11:00am - 2:00pm
Antlers Park, Lakeville, MN Watch our website for more details and registration coming soon! |
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Did you know that MCGT Members can register for speaker events after the event and get access to the video recordings?
Access is available for four months after each event. Email the MCGT office at info@mcgt.net to register after an event.
Don't miss the Video Recording from April of AI Meets IQ: Exploring Talent Development with Artificial Intelligence with Eric Calvert, Ed.D
Find all of the current speaker recordings
(including ones that are FREE to members at all times!) |
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Financial assistance is available from the Betty Johnson Scholarship Fund: Families with gifted & talented children should not be restricted in their participation in MCGT activities because of limited funds. Therefore, the MCGT Board will accept requests for financial assistance which would enable families to attend events sponsored by MCGT, such as the annual conference or speaker events. MCGT also accepts requests for financial assistance for MCGT membership fees. MCGT welcomes donations designated to the Betty Johnson Scholarship Fund. |
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60-Minute Food for Thought for Educators
Spend an hour with Joan and Carol, Gifted Roads, LLC, and leave with fun and immediate new strategies to support critical thinking and family engagement for your gifted, 2e, and high-achieving learners! School Districts are welcome to schedule their own sessions!
In this workshop, you'll find: - Quick and easy strategies to help gifted learners stay engaged with learning.
- Built-in sharing opportunities for students.
- Strategies based on best-practice
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This site provides a comprehensive, searchable collection of children's books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC). Anyone with a library card can check out books from their circulating collection of you through Interlibrary Loan. |
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Free Outlook Subscription for Educators
Please pass on this invitation to the educators in your circle of support for your children and your district.
MCGT invites all educators and MN Gifted stakeholders to subscribe FREE to the MCGT Outlook. The Outlook is an MCGT member benefit, but we are currently extending this offer to educators who are not members to provide additional resources and support for the families of gifted students and the gifted educators of MN.
Some content from The Outlook is “members only” material and will only be available if you are a MCGT Member.
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MCGT Monthly Discussion Groups |
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Anyone is welcome, Monthly Discussion Groups are via Zoom and are open to members and non-members. We look forward to meeting you! Drop in and join us - no registration required. |
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Talented Tots
Do you have a bright or talented kid between the ages of 1 and 5? (Check out this description if you’re not sure.) Come discuss all the hilarity, exasperation, and joy of raising bright young kids with other parents who get it! This supportive parent community is a place to ask questions, share stories, meet new friends, and exchange tips and ideas.
Facilitated by Danika Maddocks, PhD, fellow parent of a talented tot. Sponsored by the Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented CHOICES chapter.
Time: 12pm – 1 pm CT First Wednesday of the Month -
June 4, July 2, Aug 6
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Lean On Me You are not alone in this journey of parenting bright children. Find your people in this monthly discussion group where we talk about raising gifted, creative and talented children. The group focuses on listening, generating ideas, resource sharing, and is for anyone who is a caregiver of elementary and teenage gifted, creative and talented kids. The group is facilitated by Dr. Teresa Argo Boatman, a local psychologist who specializes in working with gifted people.
Time: 7:30-8:30pm CT Fourth Tuesday of the Month -
June 24, July 22, Aug 26
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Chapter and Community Group Announcements |
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Most events are open to all MCGT members, but some may require chapter membership and/or a fee as noted. We are grateful to the volunteers that keep MCGT's chapters and community groups running. MCGT events, including chapter/community group events, may be virtual or in-person. Check out the MCGT website and Events Calendar for the most up-to-date information.
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CHOICES Groups.io Forum
The CHOICES Chapter would like to extend an invitation to follow our happenings by requesting to join our group forum on groups.io.
Curated Education Homeschooling Online Learning Independent Study Charter and Private School Enrichment and Experiential Learning Shared Time |
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CHOICES Gifted Homeschooling Videos
The CHOICES Chapter has put together a series of video discussions with veteran families that answer common questions about homeschooling and learning choices for gifted kids. Most discussions range from 10-20 minutes, and each panel features four parents with experiences on the topic. If you are looking for information and/or reassurance about the academic options for your child, come check out the videos!
These videos are available to all MCGT members, you do not need to be a CHOICES chapter member to view them.
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MCGT Scholarships Scholarships for MCGT events and for MCGT memberships are available through the Betty Johnson Scholarship Fund. |
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Registration for NAGC25 is now open!Get ready to connect, recharge, and reignite your passion for gifted education at NAGC25, taking place November 13–16 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA You’ll join more than 2,000 educators, researchers, psychologists, and caregivers for four days of hands-on workshops, innovative sessions, and inspiring keynotes—including Dwayne Reed, whose powerful message of equity and student connection will kick things off in a big way. - Learn research-backed strategies you can apply right away
- Dive into thought leadership on equity, SEL, AI in the classroom, and more
- Explore what’s next for gifted and advanced learners
- Build community with others who share your commitment
Register today to take advantage of Early Bird pricing—the lowest rates of the year! Early Bird pricing ends July 15. Bringing a group? Group discounts are available! Contact us at nagc@nagc.org to learn more about our amazing group rates. P.S. Need to make the case to your supervisor? See our Justification Toolkit and get the green light to attend! |
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MCGT Membership
We value our MCGT members and need active and engaged members to stay healthy as an organization. One way you could help us is sharing information about MCGT with others. As a reminder, the benefits of membership include getting to FIND YOUR PEOPLE and:
- Reduced Fees to MCGT Sponsored Events
- Access to recordings of MCGT events for four months with event registration
- A United Voice in Advocating for GT Legislative Issues
- Access to MCGT’s Members-Only Facebook Group
- Subscription to Outlook Newsletter
- Knowledge you are Promoting a Better Understanding of GT Learners in MN
Regular/Family is $40.00 for one year and $75.00 for two years. |
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Chapter and Community Groups Connect with other families by joining an MCGT chapter and/or community group.
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Support Gifted Families
MCGT sponsors many events throughout the year and partners with other organizations that serve families of gifted learners. Please consider supporting MCGT with a donation. Your support helps us keep MCGT events and membership affordable to families. Donations also allow us to provide scholarships to MCGT events for families with gifted & talented children. |
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The G Word MCGT is pleased to be a part of the Partnership Network for the G Word. This partnership will provide MCGT access to a broader network and additional resources and will bolster our mission of making connections, providing support, offering resources and growing advocacy for gifted learners and their families. |
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Even if you are receiving this now, many spam blockers may later block this email. To ensure that you will receive this newsletter in the future, you will want to put us on your email allow list. |
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This is your newsletter: MCGT accepts event and meeting announcements, article submissions, book reviews, chapter announcements, etc. MCGT and the Outlook editor reserve the right to edit material for its appropriateness.
MCGT is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization of parents and professionals dedicated to promoting better understanding of, and educational services for, gifted & talented children and their families.
MCGT Office: info@mcgt.net • Find us on Facebook • Twitter • Instagram |
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