Support your Intense Gifted/2e Kid

This program is designed for parents of intense gifted/2e kids and teens ages 2-18 - and I've worked with parents of young adults too, who found the program helpful. The key principles you’ll learn are relevant throughout the lifespan - so if you’re a grown-up gifted/2e kid, you may even use some of them to support yourself. I have a background in child development and I've helped parents with kids ages 2-18, so I’ll help you understand how to adapt the strategies for different ages. You can continue to use the strategies for years to come.

Your child does not have to be officially identified as gifted, as long as you strongly suspect your child is cognitively gifted or advanced. If you have any questions about whether the learning lab is a good fit, please contact me directly at danika@giftedlearninglab.com to set up a time to chat.

1. Everything is designed specifically for parents of intense gifted and twice-exceptional kids and teens.

Perhaps you've had this experience - you hear or read about a parenting idea that seems great, but when you try it with your child it falls flat, backfires, or seems to create more difficulty. This experience is super common for parents of intense gifted/2e kids, and it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your execution (or your kids!). You need strategies and problem-solving help tailored to intense gifted/2e kids like yours.

In Support Your Intense Gifted/2e Kid, all of the information and strategies have helped other families with intense gifted and 2e kids. I’ve been working directly with these kids and their families for over 20 years as a teacher, tutor, therapist, psychologist, and now a parent coach, so I have a lot of experiences to draw from and adapt. I also was an intense gifted/2e kid and now I’m raising one, so I get personal practice adapting strategies in real time! 🙃

2. You get a lot more hands-on support and guidance.

A parenting strategy or idea is only helpful if you can figure out how to apply it to your child and your family.

Take a complex child + other family members + ever-changing stressors - that's why even smart, intentional parents often feel stuck when they try a new parenting approach with their intense gifted/2e kid - or when they have to decide which strategy to try in the first place!

I designed Support Your Intense Gifted/2e Kid to be highly interactive, so you'll get lots of help applying and adapting the strategies we discuss.

All of our live meetings are recorded, and you have access to these recordings for 6 months. If you watch a recording and have a question, you can ask questions at any time during the program and I’ll reply with a video. With unlimited asynchronous coaching, you can ask any question on your mind. You can also connect with other families in your cohort outside of our live meeting times using the online private network.

You’re welcome to join from work, from your parked car, while watching your younger child (I’d recommend headphones), or while your kid uses a screen. If you can figure out a creative way to join, you are welcome to join however works for you!

Yes, you can pay the fee over 5 months or over 10 months instead of a single payment. There are no additional fees to use a payment plan. I want this highly-interactive, high-touch coaching experience to be financially accessible for as many families as possible, so I never charge to use a payment plan.

...queer, nonbinary, and trans kids and teens? Teens with long-standing mental health challenges? Single-parent families? Kids with sensory sensitivities? Kids with chronic health conditions? Kids with significant anxiety, depression, panic attacks, somatic symptoms? Kids who use medication for ADHD, anxiety, or mood? Preschoolers and kindergarteners? Public schools? Private schools? Homeschooling?

The answer (to all these, at least) is yes! I've been working with gifted/2e kids and their families in a lot of capacities over the last 20 years, and my private practice is focused on these types of families. I used to teach middle school and I learn a ton from my teen clients. I have an intense gifted 6 year old at home and I run a free discussion group for parents of bright kids ages 1-5, so I've learned a lot about gifted/2e intensity in this age group (in addition to my training in general child development).

I love to research and do deep learning dives on all things related to gifted/2e kids, so that includes neurodiversity in general, LGBTQIA+ identities, anxiety and depression, burnout, family stress, sensory sensitivities, chronic health conditions, school issues of all types, and more.

If you'd like to know whether I have experience with some specific aspect of your child's experience or your parenting concerns, feel free to email or schedule a chat!

No, this group coaching program is not therapy and is not a substitute for therapy or a professional relationship with a licensed mental health professional. During group coaching Learning Lab meetings, you'll reflect privately on your own experiences, strengths, and challenges - but we won't spend time exploring any participant's personal psychology in depth with the group or with me.

If you or your child are already participating in therapy services, this group coaching program can be a great complement to your personal therapy work because it will give you a gifted-specific framework to understand your child and improve your family dynamics.

If at any point during the group coaching program you realize that your own or your child's anxiety, sadness, history of trauma and stress, or other mental health challenges are affecting your ability to use the new information and strategies you're learning, I'd encourage you to seek out therapy services to get additional personalized support.

You don’t have to be completely comfortable with the labels “gifted” or “twice-exceptional” to benefit from this program, as long as you see your child as bright or as intellectually/academically advanced. During this program, you’ll get a chance to understand giftedness and twice-exceptionality through a neurodiversity lens and learn more about what being gifted/2e actually means for your child specifically.

The term “gifted” has a complicated and problematic history. Historically, IQ testing and gifted programs have been used to support eugenics, racial stereotypes, and inequities. Yet some children from all races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic situations are unusually bright and advanced.

My view of giftedness is this: giftedness isn’t about being better, it’s about being different. And I believe it’s important to acknowledge when a child is bright or gifted because we have to understand a child accurately to support them well. For gifted kids, knowing they’re gifted helps us make a better fit between their environments and their unique characteristics.

If the descriptions at the top of this page resonate with you, this program will probably be a good fit even if you don't love the word "intense" or if you prefer other words to describe your kid - like passionate, energetic, sensitive, assertive, independent, strong-willed, or curious.

I chose the word "intense" because it resonates with many parents whose gifted/2e kids and teens feel deeply, think deeply, and notice things that others don't.

I think "intense" can be a useful shorthand, but it doesn't capture all the nuance and individuality of a child's strong feelings, thoughts, or behaviors.

In this program, we'll look at "intensity" in a new way that highlight your child's strengths and helps you identify successful strategies to support them.

Absolutely! I'm 2e autistic myself (late-identified at 39) and I've been fascinated by twice-exceptionality for years, so Support Your Intense Gifted/2e Kid was absolutely designed with twice-exceptional kids and teens in mind.

During the program, we celebrate neurodivergence and I help you adapt the principles and strategies to your specific child's neurotype, personality, interests, and other characteristics. You'll learn a TON about common neurodivergent experiences, preferences, and strengths.

​Yes! As an internalized PDAer myself and parent to a PDA kid, I love supporting families with PDAers - and I do so with a lot of appreciation, compassion, and humor.

I have presented for PDA North America and I work primarily with PDAers in my private practice and coaching. In my experience, most intense gifted/2e kids benefit from PDA-informed approaches, so these are highlighted throughout the program.

In terms of specific training, I've completed the PDA North American Certification Program - Level 1, the Therapists and PDA Masterclass from At Peace Parents, and PDA: Not What You Think It Is! from Dr. Donna Henderson and Neurodivergent Insights.

This is an all-in investment. There are no refunds after you've accessed the online learning modules. You’ll be learning a new framework to help you understand your child better, feel calmer as a parent, and bolster your support systems.

The two-month group coaching experience walks you through this framework and gives you the tools you need to make real, lasting changes in your parenting and your family. This is vulnerable, exciting work. With this policy, you’ll know that your labmates are as invested in the process as you are. Because the program includes unlimited personalized asynchronous coaching, you can also use the live portion of the program to get feedback you need about your specific dynamics and make the program as relevant for you as possible.