The Gifted Neurodivergent Child Podcast Lillian Skinner, Beth Anne Johnson

In this episode of the Gifted Neurodivergent Child Podcast, I delve into the significance of sensitivity and its impact on giftedness and neurodivergence. Through personal anecdotes and thought-provoking insights, I cover how sensitivity in both body and mind shapes abilities and challenges societal norms. Highlighting the story of a young girl at a performance and the exceptional teaching of patient teachers, I emphasizes the importance of recognizing and nurturing unique gifts within c...

In this episode I encourage parents to think about their child's neurodivergence in a different way. That perhaps what is broken is everything but their child. I ask them to recognize that we live in a culture set up to work against recognizing and nurturing the innate abilities of neurodivergent children. I discuss the detrimental effects of traditional education systems on neurodivergent kids and stress the importance of integrating cognitive and somatic intelligence. I share my personal jo...

In this episode of the Gifted Neurodivergent Child Podcast, I dive into the swirling world of identity—gender identity, to be precise—mixing it up with neurodivergence. I’ll take you through a rather lame roller coaster ride understanding how my gender fluidity is cognitive rather than physical.How society’s rigid expectations messes with our self-image, and the everyday puzzles that come with a neurodivergent mind. I spotlight the often overlooked smarts of the body—yes, your body ...

Do you have a class clown? My oldest child is one, my husband still is one, and I was once one.Research is finally getting around to proving what I have always known: the Class Clown is the smartest kid in the class. The class clown is not the kid who is struggling with the material; they are actually demonstrating their engagement with the material. They are showing their interest in the subject they are being taught. All too often, the issue is that the material is being taught too slowly o...

In this episode, I delve into the concept of creative intelligence and its impact on our perspective-taking. Using tutoring as an illustrative example, I demonstrate how the variance in learning experiences often boils down to differing perspectives.Our educational systems are designed to instruct as if everyone's IQ falls within the range of 80 to 120. Those outside this range, whether above or below, tend to face difficulties. Creative thinkers, in particular, often find themselves far beyo...

Our children are entering an uncertain future, necessitating a shift in parenting approaches from previous generations. It is crucial to prepare them for a world where many variables are currently unknown.When confronted with the unknown, the best course of action is to focus on the known parts, and in this case, that would be the child. Cultivating a child involves helping them understand their strengths and guiding them in utilizing these strengths to overcome their weaknesses.Regrettably, ...