2e TM Twice-Exceptional 2 Newsletter March/Aprile 2007 For parents, teachers and professionals. Issue 21 Helping twice-exceptional children reach their potential. Featured in this Issue Tourette Syndrome and By Stephanie M Catherine-Hoffman, PhD Page A personal account: how a mother became 3 Giftedness an expert on TS because of her gifted son. Life with a 2e By Cathy Marciniak Page In which Cathy is overwhelmed by the com- Quote bined simplicity and complexity of life with a 7 2e. These amazing children Advocacy: From “Fruit- By Joan Affenit Page are not deficient; they are A parent’s perspective on the need for 2e cake” To Power advocacy. 8 different. We would all do better to remember this The Myth of By Elizabeth Mika Page “Can you imagine Einstein taking up and 12 and learn to embrace Well-Roundedness advancing his skills in, say, football or karate, or participating in Boy Scouts?” these differences for the By Stephanie Eleck Page benefit of us all. Hearing the Song of Gift- A look at cerebral palsy, the most common 14 ed Children with CP childhood physical disability, where gifts and – Cindy Little talents often go unnoticed. Exceptionalities – By Michael Versace Rios Page “2e means twice-exceptional, not disabled!” Disabilities or Strengths? 17 Also Inside ! From the Publishers ........................................................................................................................... 2 Conference Coverage .......................................................................................................................18 Website Review .................................................................................................................................19 Book Review ......................................................................................................................................20 Sylvia Rimm’s Column ......................................................................................................................22 Bob Seney on Books ........................................................................................................................ 23 End of the Issue ................................................................................................................................ 24 Events ................................................................................................................................................ 25 2e Newsletter • March/April 2007 www.2eNewsletter.com 2e From the Publisher Welcome! Welcome to the March issue of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter – our first elec- tronic-only edition! The look has changed a little from the former print version, but you’ll find the same kinds of articles, columns, and special features as before. The focus of this issue is what we might call “other e’s.” These are exceptionalities that might not come as readily to mind as dyslexia, AD/HD, or Asperger’s do when thinking about 2e children. One of the other “e’s” is Tourette’s Syndrome (TS). Stephanie Catherine-Hoffman gives a personal account of her experi- ences with her gifted child’s TS. We also look at cerebral palsy, the most common childhood physical disability. Graduate student Stephanie Eleck shares her experi- ences in working with children whose gifts and talents often go unnoticed, overshadowed by the physi- cal challenges they face. Also in this issue, we offer some parents’ perspectives on 2e. Joan Affenit addresses the need for advocacy, Michael Rios looks at the positive side of growing up 2e, and Cathy Marciniak explains what it’s like when your child has “things.” Straddling the parent and professional worlds is Elizabeth Mika, who questions the push for “well roundedness” in our college-bound gifted and 2e students. Along with our regular columns and features ( except Meredith Warshaw’s column, which returns next issue), you’ll find cov- erage of a session from the Illinois Association for Gifted Children conference, held last month. Since PDF is a new format for many of you, we ask you to give us feedback on what you like and don’t as you read and print the issue. Please remember that most web links will be “hot” and take you to the site mentioned when you click on the link. We’ve tried to lay out this issue so that individual articles are self-contained (not continued) for easy printing. If you’re not among the hundreds of friends of 2e Newsletter who have already completed our survey on the needs of 2e kids, we ask that you please help advocate for 2e children by completing the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=469933436901. If you did complete the survey – thanks! We thank you for reading and supporting 2e Newsletter. – Linda Neumann and Mark Bade Glen Ellyn Media 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter is a bi-monthly publication about twice-exceptional children, children who are gifted and who have LDs – learning difficulties that go by many names, including learning disabilities, learning disorders, and just plain learning differences. Our goal is to promote a holistic view of the 2e child – not just the high IQ, or the quirkiness, or the disabilities, but the child as a whole person. Comments and suggestions are always welcome by phone, fax, or e-mail. 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter is published bi-monthly in January, March, May, July, September, and November. The cost for a one-year electronic subscription is $30. Contact us for group and institutional rates. Send changes of address to [email protected] or by mail to 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter, PO Box 582, Glen Ellyn, IL 60138-0582. Linda Neumann, Editor; Mark Bade, Business Manager. Phone: 630.293.6798; Fax: 630.344.1332. www.2eNewsletter.com. [email protected]. Editorial Board: Susan Assouline, EdS, PhD; Susan Baum, PhD; Kathi Kearney, MA Ed; Deirdre Lovecky, PhD; Marlo Payne Rice, MS; Linda Kreger Silverman, PhD; Joan Franklin Smutny, MA; Meredith Warshaw, MSS, MA The contents of 2e Newsletter are not intended to constitute medical or clinical advice, which should be obtained from a licensed practitioner. The use of informa- tion from 2e Newsletter for commercial purposes is prohibited without consent in writing from Glen Ellyn Media. Copyright © 2007 by Glen Ellyn Media, unless otherwise noted. The yellow and red 2e logo on blue is a trademark of Glen Ellyn Media. We thank our supporters and subscribers. March, 2007 2e Newsletter • March/April 2007 2 www.2eNewsletter.com 2e Feature Article Tourette Syndrome and Giftedness By Stephanie M. Catherine-Hoffman, Ph.D. Syndrome. For many, their stories included both struggles of living with Tourette Syndrome and accounts of their excep- In kindergarten “Tommy” would blurt out answers to the tional talents and gifts. Could there be a connection between teacher’s questions, move his hands like a symphony conduc- Tourette Syndrome and giftedness? tor to the music that played in his head, and could read and These were the experiences that led me to study gifted write beyond his years. He was tested and identified as gifted. adults who have Tourette Syndrome (TS). As Tommy’s mom, I He attended kindergarten in the morning and a second-grade had a multitude of questions, and it was a challenge finding language arts class in the afternoon. Tommy’s mom began answers. I would read, research, and attend workshops on reading all that she could about gifted children and quickly giftedness and twice-exceptionalities, but only came across TS learned that they have many needs. One of these is for encour- twice in the literature. It was my premise that if I study adults agement in areas in which they show great interest. Tommy’s who are gifted and have TS, I could then help my son and interests were in academic stimulation and music, but he also other children by learning from the life experiences of these needed social and emotional support. people. The following year Tommy was accelerated to the second grade. Things went well academically, but then his teacher was What is Tourette Syndrome? noticing peculiar behaviors. For example, she reported that Tourette Syndrome is a hereditary, neurological spectrum he would fall out of his chair and not know how he got there. disorder that usually begins in childhood, before age 21. The As the school year went on, Tommy was seen by a school psy- average age of onset is 7. Symptoms characterizing TS include chologist, an independent psychologist, and a developmental both motor and vocal tics and they must be present for at pediatrician; and he started ticcing – displaying involuntary least a year. Tics can be simple or complex, and they tend to repetitive actions. He was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. wax and wane, depending upon environmental factors such as Tommy’s mom now included material on Tourette Syndrome in stress, anxiety, fatigue, illness, and excitement. her daily reading. A motor tic is an involuntary, rapid, sudden movement The more she read, the more Tommy’s mom found similar- that occurs repeatedly. Examples of simple motor tics include, ities between giftedness and Tourette Syndrome. How can this but are not limited to, eye-blinking, head-jerking, shoulder- be? Is there something to these similarities that somebody shrugging, or finger-tapping. Common examples of complex should be looking at more closely? By and by, Tommy’s mom tics include smelling objects, jumping or hop- learned of famous or successful people who have Tourette ping, twirling hair, or flapping arms. A vocal tic is Advertisement Some gifted children are being misdiagnosed