Guest Lecture 1/15/15 - Social Communications for Gifted Students: Strategies to Help Strengthen Gifted Children's "SQ" (Social Quotient)

Parent Connections: As parents, we cannot control what happens on the playground. We cannot force kindness and friendship at school. Parents can only have direct input when it comes to relationships in the family and in the home. Care givers can make homes a place of safety and love. If our gifted children have deep roots and a strong foundation with family members, then our children will not be left with feelings of isolation. We must show our gifted children that they are unique and they are loved. 

We all like to receive love in different ways. Coming home to a clean kitchen may show that your husband loves you. Your mom may like to talk about how much fun you had as a child while growing up in her home. Your brother may do flips when given tickets to a football game. How does your child most like to receive love? Gary Chapman, author of multiple books describing the 5 Love Languages, suggests that in order for your child to truly feel accepted and loved, you must speak to the child’s primary love language. 

Using the links and documents below, discover how you can best show love to your gifted child. You must create a healthy relationship now, so that when your gifted child needs to talk about his feelings of isolation, perfectionism, anxiety, or depression, you are his trusted listener. 

1st → Take the 5 Love Languages test online and note the results 

2nd → To better understand each need, look at the descriptions of the love languages in the The Five Love Languages of Children

3rd → Look at the 50 Ways to Love Your Child for how to express love, and decide to implement strategies immediately

Guest Presentation: Social Communication for Gifted Students by Kathy Varga, M.S., CCC-SLP

Are you ever concerned about your gifted child’s verbal and non-verbal communitcation skills in social settings? Tonight Katherine Varga, a certified Speech Languange Pathologist, shared strategies that can help strengthen your child’s “SQ” (Social Quotient). Kathy Varga, as a member of the 2012 GPS Gifted Education Vision Committee, advocated for the social developmental needs of the gifted child. You can view her presentation at the link above.