Resources

This is a page with links to Resources that our Community may find to be of interest.
(If you have a resource to offer and would like it included here, please email info@driftlessgifted.com)

Please scroll through the various categories below! They currently include:
· Regional Organizations (in Our Area)
· National- and International-Scale Organizations
· Articles/Blogs/Great Reads
· Driftless Gifted's Own Lending Library

In the future, we hope to also include lists of local/regional professionals specializing in G/T/2e topics.

· Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG)
The Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG) is a 503(c) non-profit organization of parents, students, educators, business and industry personnel, and other interested persons dedicated to fostering a climate in the home, school, and community that allows each individual to reach his or her unique potential. Driftless Gifted collaborates with WATG and has established an official partnership.

· Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented (MCGT)
The Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented (MCGT) is a state-wide non-profit support and advocacy organization of parents, educators, and other professionals who live or work with gifted children and are interested in their education and well-being. MCGT also strives to educate its membership, as well as the general public, about the importance of meeting the educational and social emotional needs of gifted children. MCGT's mission is to promote better understanding of, and educational services for, gifted and talented children and their families. MCGT is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and was established in 1946.
MCGT publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, hosts a member-only email discussion list, sponsors an annual state conference with special children’s programs, conducts monthly CHAT Nights and occasional topical seminars, promotes advocacy at all levels for gifted and talented children, is active in legislative efforts on behalf of kids, and supports local chapters and parent groups. Driftless Gifted is an official parent group within MCGT.

· Iowa Talented and Gifted Association (ITAG)
ITAG has been a voice for gifted education in Iowa for almost 50 years. The focus and mission has always been on supporting gifted students, their educators, and families. Driftless Gifted has a friendly collaboration with ITAG.

· Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa
In Iowa City, this center is one of the most comprehensive gifted and talented centers in the world. At only a few hours' drive from the heart of our Driftless region, it offers numerous services of interest to families of gifted children, including an Assessment and Counseling Clinic for support of gifted and twice-exceptional students, the latest research on acceleration, and much more.

· Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth (MITY)
MITY is in the Twin Cities, providing advanced students with programs to pursue their passions in a stimulating and inclusive environment. Students choose from unique STEM, humanities and fine arts courses that are hands on, inquiry-based and beyond the scope of a traditional curriculum. They also enjoy a variety of recreational activities that help facilitate lifelong friendships with students from around the Twin Cities and even the world.

· Mississippi Valley Gifted and Talented Network
This Educator Group is listed on the WATG website (here) as being based out of La Crosse, WI. It does not appear to have a website of its own; the link is to its Facebook page, which does allow for messages to be sent to organizers.

· National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
NAGC's mission is to support those who enhance the growth and development of gifted and talented children through education, advocacy, community building, and research. They aim to help parents and families, K-12 education professionals including support service personnel, and members of the research and higher education community who work to help gifted and talented children as they strive to achieve their personal best and contribute to their communities.

· Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)
SENG is a nonprofit organization that empowers families and communities to guide gifted and talented individuals to reach their goals: intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Following the suicide of a gifted student in Michigan, the late Dr. James T. Webb founded SENG in 1981 to offer the gifted community support and guidance through education, research, and connection. With the right intellectual and emotional support, gifted, talented, and twice-exceptional people can accept themselves and fulfill the potential of their incredible capabilities. Perhaps more importantly, they can learn to work with their high sensitivities to feel balanced, happy and at peace.

· Hoagies' Gifted Education Page, the all-things-gifted site, full of resources, articles, books and links to help and support parents, teachers, and gifted children alike.

· Davidson Institute is a non-profit dedicated to supporting the intellectual and social development of profoundly gifted students age 18 and under through a variety of programs. Profoundly gifted students are those who score in the 99.9th percentile on IQ and achievement tests. The Davidson Young Scholars Program is free to profoundly gifted students and their families and gives them the opportunity to connect and engage in a community that understands their needs.

· Bright & Quirky is an organization dedicated to "helping bright children thrive, even with learning, social, emotional, or behavioral challenges"; i.e., it is dedicated to twice-exceptionality (2e).

· The 2e Resource is a website for parents, teachers, and professionals helping twice-exceptional children reach their potential.

· TiLT Parenting is a podcast and community aimed at helping parents raising differently-wired kids do so from a place of confidence, connection, and joy.

· Raising Lifelong Learners is a website for parents who homeschool their gifted and twice-exceptional kids, founded by an educational consultant and gifted specialist turned homeschool mama.

· Is It a Cheetah? by Stephanie S. Tolan beautifully describes the issues facing gifted children in our educational system and society at large. It is a must-read for parents and gifted education professionals alike.

· Gifted Does Not (only) Mean Smart by Julie Skolnick describes the gifted mind and its associated challenges, including the hallmark characteristics of asynchronous development, perfectionism, intensities and overexcitabilities.

· Is My Child Twice Exceptional or 2e? [The Ultimate Guide] by Seth Perler, renowned Executive Function, ADHD and 2e Coach

· Your Rainforest Mind: Why Care About Gifted Children? by Paula Prober is a great discussion on many of the myths, taboos, whys and why-nots associated with giftedness and societal perceptions of it. The entire website is also a great resource for parents who may be coming to the realization that they, too, are gifted.

We have our own small Lending Library for gifted/2e parenting topics!
See the alphabetical-by-title listing below.
Members may “check out” any of these, with pick-up in La Crosse, WI or Lanesboro, MN, by advance arrangement, at no cost.
Area professionals working with G/T/2e kids are also welcome to request check-outs!
Email info@driftlessgifted.com to request!

Rules:
We ask that you limit your check-out to two books at a time, and that you return them within 8 weeks.
If you lose or damage them, we'd just ask that you please be so kind as to replace them.

Huge thanks to D. K. of the Rochester Parents of Gifted Kids group for the donated books which make up a large part of our collection!

(Thinning your own gifted/2e collection? We are always happy to accept book donations; please email info@driftlessgifted.com.)

Our Lending Library Collection:

· A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children, by James T. Webb, Ph.D., Janet L. Gore, M.Ed., Edward R. Amend, Psy.D. and Arlene R. DeVries, M.S.E.

· All About IEPs, by Peter W. D. Wright, Esq., Pamela Darr Wright, MA, MSW, and Sandra Webb O'Connor, M. Ed.

· Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control: A Love Based Approach to Helping Children with Severe Behaviors, by Heather T. Forbes, LCSW and B. Bryan Post, LCSW

· Bright Not Broken: Gifted Kids, ADHD, and Autism; Why Twice-Exceptional Children Are Stuck and How to Help Them, by Diane M. Kennedy and Rebecca S. Banks, with Temple Grandin

· Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention, by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare

· Fire Child, Water Child: Which ADHD Type Does Your Child Have? How Understanding the Five Types of ADHD Can Help You Improve Your Child's Self-Esteem and Attention, by Stephen Scott Cowan, MD

· Freaks, Geeks & Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence, by Luke Jackson

· Life Skills for Kids: Equipping Your Child for the Real World, by Christine M. Field

· Living with Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults, by Susan Daniels, PhD and Michael M. Piechowski, PhD

· No Mind Left Behind: Understanding and Fostering Executive Control - The Eight Essential Brain Skills Every Child Needs to Thrive, by Adam J. Cox, PhD

· Parenting Your Powerful Child: Bringing an End to the Everyday Battles, by Dr. Kevin Leman

· Quirky, Yes - Hopeless, No: Practical Tips to Help Your Child with Asperger Syndrome Be More Socially Accepted, by Cynthia La Brie Norall, PhD with Beth Wagner Brust

· Smart But Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential, by Peg Dawson, EdD, and Richard Guare, PhD

· Smart But Scattered Teens: The "Executive Skills" Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential, by Richard Guare, PhD, Peg Dawson, EdD, and Colin Guare

· Socially Curious and Curiously Social: A Social Thinking Guidebook for Bright Teens and Young Adults, by Michelle Garcia Winner & Pamela Crooke

· Stick Up for Yourself! Every Kid's Guide to Personal Power and Positive Self-Esteem, by Gershen Kaufman, PhD, Lev Raphael, PhD, and Pamela Espeland

· The Explosive Child, A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children, by Ross W. Greene, PhD

· The Survival Guide for Kids with ADD or ADHD, by John F. Taylor, PhD

· Thinking Differently: An Inspiring Guide for Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities, by David Flink

· When Gifted Kids Don't Have All the Answers: How to Meet Their Social and Emotional Needs, by Jim Delisle, PhD & Judy Galbraith, M.A.

DRIFTLESS GIFTED

Resources

Regional Organizations (in Our Area)

National- and International-Scale Organizations

Articles/Blogs/Great Reads

Driftless Gifted's Own Lending Library

Email

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