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• Friday, February 23rd

2E @ W&M Online Conference Session Descriptions (Friday)

Friday, February 23rd

 

Dr. Ashley Carpenter (conference coordinator) welcomes you to the conference, reviews the online platform, how to navigate throughout the day, previews the schedule of events and introduced you to our Exhibitors.

 

 

 Dr. Megan Foley Nicpon

• How Research Can Inform Practice for Educators and Parents of Twice-Exceptional Learners
• Information regarding twice-exceptional learners is growing exponentially, which is a relief for the advanced education field. Yet not everything published on this topic is grounded in research, nor is the research conducted always accessible. In this presentation, I will summarize findings from recent studies about twice-exceptionality, focusing on how the results can guide identification and intervention in schools and at home. I also will review the research limitations and contextual factors that need to be considered when designing interventions for this talented and diverse group of kids.

 

• Dr.Debbie Ramer
• This session will walk you through each step of the special education identification process starting with Child Study. Participants will learn the legal timelines and parent rights, as well as the role and responsibilities of school personnel.

 

• Julie Skolnick, MA, JD
• Most people think Executive Functioning skills are about ‘organizing stuff.’ There’s so much more! One could say successful executive functioning is the basis for enjoying life. We’ll talk about executive functioning as it relates to attention, mood and behavior specific to gifted and twice exceptional learners. You’ll learn the “Four Cs” for impactful EF instruction and to reduce teacher overwhelm. When we draw on our own strengths as well as our students’, teaching EF skills can be fun!

 

• Edward R. Amend, Psy.D.
• Asynchronous development, sensitivity, and intensity in gifted and twice-exceptional youth can affect their growth and development. Uncertainty fuels frustration, perfectionism, and anxiety for some as they struggle to adjust to the world around them. Loss, trauma, and existential concerns complicate their situation. Dr. Amend will explore these challenges and their effects on gifted and 2e students as well as strategies to foster healthy growth, manage frustration, and build resilience. Ideas for self-care will help participants recharge in the wake of the challenges that come with teaching and raising these amazing kids.

Socioemotional Skills in 2e Learners: An Interdisciplinary Intervention

• Dr. Ana Miro  
• A pilot study was carried out to explore the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary intervention to strengthen social skills in six twice exceptional learners in Puerto Rico.  The intervention integrated psychological, educational, and communication components, with collateral counseling of parents.  The needs were identified through an initial evaluation and the level of social skills were compared before and after the intervention.

Featured Session: Fostering Connections: Friendships and Family Dynamics with Gifted Youth

• Edward R. Amend, Psy.D.

• Emily Kircher-Morris, M.A., M.Ed., LPC
• How can we support the relationships our gifted and twice-exceptional children want and need? This session will explore the various barriers that might influence the development of both peer and family relationships, such as social misunderstandings, emotional sensitivities, and personality differences. We'll provide easy-to-follow strategies not only to meet these challenges, but also to promote harmony within families. You’ll leave equipped with practical ideas that empower both children and families to build bridges that encourage personal growth, interpersonal understanding, and stronger connections.

• Julie F. Skolnick, MA, JD
• Participants gain a deep understanding of the 2e profile as well as common challenges and behaviors. Educators and parents learn specific strategies in order to respond rather than react in the classroom and home, and encourage the 2e child's collaboration in order to bring out the best and raise self-confidence.

• Mary Murray Stowe, M.Ed.
• During this session, we will consider and discuss what we know about explicit instruction from Vaughn and Fletcher, and feedback through Hattie and Yates’ lens. How can we use these concepts to support efficacy and promote hope for students with whom we work? In today’s news we are hearing daily about the lack of skill acquisition for students, not only do we need to consider our instructional content and approaches, but the feelings of confidence and hope that we can instill in our students.

• Katerina Tsomi, M.Sc., M.A.
• Twice-exceptional children experience the world with a unique depth and intensity thanks to their complicating profiles. Their inner lives are usually rich in colors, sounds, stories and symbolisms, but it is difficult for them to communicate and share this richness with peers, parents, teachers and other people in their lives. This presentation aims to give a glimpse into twice-exceptional children’s inner worlds, using the help of ancient Greek heroes’ lives and adventures, and to offer powerful stories with which 2e children might identify.

Lunch 12:30 - 1:15 p.m. Eastern

 

• Emily Kircher-Morris, M.A., M.Ed., LPC
• One child panics when a single mistake is made. Another child breaks down when asked to work in groups. A third child has low self-esteem and refuses to turn in work. What do they all have in common? They are all perfectionists. While we may be able to recognize perfectionism when we see it, it can be hard to help a child overcome this barrier. This presentation will give specific strategies to use with young people to overcome perfectionism.

• Katherine Suitor, MEd
• Brett Monnard, M.A. Ed. Psych.
• What is the best way to structure an academic program to support 2e students? After a year and a half of implementing a cross-curricular program an administrator with a background in special education and a classroom teacher with a background in gifted education discuss the benefits of this approach. We explore the responses of our students, teachers, and families and encourage you to think about how to incorporate cross-curricular themes into your school curricula.

• Sandra E. Clifton
• Learn about the biological trait of SPS, or Sensory Processing Sensitivity, which naturally occurs in 15-25% of all our students. Participants will be introduced to the construct of Environmental Sensitivity, with 30+ years of research, through findings in a qualitative dissertation charting the lived experience of 13 Highly Sensitive Persons who navigated the traditional educational system. Identification of sensitive students and the natural accommodations which best support their specific struggles to claim their unique gifts will be shared.

• Jacqueline Renfrow
• Advocacy is an important skill for 2E students who struggle to navigate their way through the education system, while experiencing asymmetrical needs. These students rely on parents, community, and teachers to advocate for them so that they get the necessary remediation and talent-based opportunities. But advocating for advanced opportunities, IEPs, 405 Plans, and SEL can be burdensome. Learn about the role each stakeholder plays in 2E advocacy and the road to making neurodiverse children into productive self-advocates.

• Del Siegle, Ph.D.
• John Burrell
• Talbot Hook
• Kenneth Wright
• Luis Ferreira
• This presentation covers the importance of executive functioning in elementary students and unveils a new scale for its measurement. The Renzulli Executive Functioning Scale (REFS) is currently under design at the University of Connecticut. We will share items from the new scale and provide participants with information about the seven executive functioning skills it measures:
  • Ability to start tasks
  • Ability to stay on task
  • Organization
  • Awareness of strengths and weaknesses
  • Self-advocacy
  • Ability to collaborate
  • Awareness of ability to manage emotions

We highlight the impact of these skills on a student's academic and social development. The presentation emphasizes how early identification of students’ strengths and areas needing improvement in these domains can support and enhance learning outcomes.

• Lisa Jobe, Esq.
• Cassandra Whetstone
• Personalized learning beyond traditional classrooms is common among gifted/2e learners. This educational model enables families to draw upon various learning resources to create “niche construction,” enabling their learners to thrive in an environment tailored to their individual strengths, goals, and interests. As both educators and parents, we will share how niche construction draws from the best resources to fit our unique learners, and we will provide takeaways from 2e learners who found great success in their unique learning environments.

• Marcy Dann, Ed.D.
• Kelly Monterusso
• This presentation is a companion to "Their Stories: How Little Adjustments Led to Unexpected 2e Learner Breakthroughs". Meet a panel of parents, therapists, and teachers who share details around the "who" and "how" in fostering breakthrough relationships for 2e students. Panelists will be asked about the little adjustments that made a big difference within and beyond the traditional school experience. Join us for a rich discussion about 2e learners who are thriving with the support of others who understand their nuances and complexities.

Using the Spiral Model to Understand the Twice Exceptional Developmental Trajectory

• Karen Arnstein, Ed.D.
• Barry B. Gelston, M.Ed.
• As the Spiral Model of Development begins to take hold in the twice exceptional community of educators and parents, we must examine the variables contributing to the appearance of competency within the four domains: Academic, Social, Emotional, and Physical. The paradigm is shifting to a holistic perspective, understanding that culture, language, gender, SES, intellect, and a multitude of factors play a role in developing talent.

• Angela Novak, Ph.D.
• Global displacement is an international crisis with over 103 million people forcibly removed from their homes. More than 40% of those displaced are children, with Black and Brown children disproportionately represented due to historical, systemic, and structural racism. This session focuses on creating inclusive=learning spaces for 2e and 3e students. Strategies will focus on asset-based instruction, trauma-informed practices, and centering students’ lived experiences.

Fostering ASD Students' Social Skills and Prosocial Behavior

• Daria Lorio-Barsten
• Many students on the Autism Spectrum continue to struggle with social skills in their academic settings. Yet social skills and prosocial behaviors are associated with improved life satisfaction, well-being, and psychological flourishing (Miles et al., 2022). This interactive session will explore strategies to foster social skills for ASD students in the classroom, including fostering skills of self-regulation, collaboration, and showing empathy. 

 

Afternoon networking session. Stop by and make some new friends!

• Dr. Claire E. Hughes
• Dr. Debbie Troxclair
• Twice-exceptional students, or gifted students with disabilities, exist at the intersection of special education and gifted education, which means thatteachers are challenged to provide education that develops abilities while mediating for areas of challenge. This session explores the integration of systems of support and the development of abilities into a cohesive framework so that the myriad needs of twice-exceptional students can be met.

• Megan Cannella
• The label of gifted tends to be linked to the idea of high expectations. That’s not always reality for gifted and 2e children. This session will focus on determining realistic expectations for your child, identifying what may be getting between your child and meeting an expectation, and adding flexibility to expectations to meet the needs of your child’s asynchronous development.

2e24 Saturday, Feb 24th Session Descriptions