Podcast: The Needs of Gifted Students: Misdiagnosed Exceptional Learners with Pessy Sloan, PhD

In this episode, we explore what it means for a child to be "gifted" and how parents can identify and support their gifted children. We'll cover IQ testing, historical perspectives, and the unique social, emotional, and academic challenges that gifted students face in traditional school settings. Additionally, we discuss how parents can advocate for appropriate educational resources, help their children navigate social interactions, and identify signs of overwhelm. Finally, we highlight the importance of extracurricular activities, common misconceptions about giftedness, and provide recommended resources for further guidance.
Pessy J. Sloan is an Associate Professor in the College of Arts, Sciences and Education of Daemen University. Dr. Sloan earned her Ph.D. in Clinical and School Psychology from Hofstra University in 2000. She teaches graduate courses in both early childhood and childhood special education. Prior to joining Daemen University, Dr. Sloan held various teaching positions in the undergraduate and graduate education field. She has many years of experience as a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist (CBT), school psychologist, psychoeducational evaluator, and researcher. Her primary research areas are gifted students and STEM education (with particular focus on women in STEM fields) and she is a passionate advocate for gifted education. Dr. Sloan published a number of journal articles and presented her research at international, national and state conferences. You can reach her at ⁠[e-mail]⁠ and/or 516-652-9583.
References
Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. G., & Gross, M. U. (2004). A nation deceived: How schools hold back America's brightest students. The Templeton National Report on Acceleration. Volume 1. Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (NJ1). eric.ed.gov/?i...
Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. G., & Gross, M. U. (2004). A nation deceived: How schools hold back America's brightest students. The Templeton National Report on Acceleration. Volume 2. Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (NJ1). eric.ed.gov/?i...
Sloan, P.J. (2020). Increasing gifted women’s pursuit of STEM: Possible role of NYC selective specialized public high schools. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 43(2), 167-188. doi.org/10.117...
Sloan, P.J. (2018). NYC selective specialized public high schools and honors college STEM degrees: A previously unexplored relationship. Journal of Advanced Academics, 29(4), 304-
320. doi.org/10.117...
Book
Jolly, J. L., Treffinger, D. J., & Inman, T. F. (2021). Parenting gifted children: The authoritative guide from the National Association for Gifted Children. Routledge
Parents and Teachers Support Organization
National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC): ⁠nagc.org⁠
Enrichment Opportunities While Attending Yeshivas
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY): Grades 2-12: Online programs: Real-time, self-paced, session-based, and individually paced courses that fit individual learning styles and schedule. ⁠cty.jhu.edu⁠
Hollingworth Science camp: ⁠www.tc.columbi...
Gifted NYC Schools
The Hollingworth center, Teachers College, Columbia University (Preschool)
Hunter College Elementary School
The specialized high schools in New York City, original three: Stuyvesant High School, Bronx High School of Science, and Brooklyn Technical High School.
_________________________________________________
This week's episode is sponsored by Toveedo! The Jewish videos your kids love, all in one happy place. Use code JOWMA10 for $10 off at ⁠⁠⁠toveedo.com/⁠⁠⁠!
_________________________________________________
• Sponsor the JOWMA Podcast! Email [e-mail]
• Become a JOWMA Member! www.jowma.org
• Follow us on Instagram! JOWMA_org
• Follow us on Twitter! JOWMA_med
• Follow us on Facebook! / jowmaorg
• Stay up-to-date with JOWMA news! Sign up for the JOWMA newsletter! jowma.us6.list...