Baylor Tip Sheet

Advocating for Your Gifted Child: Why Would You Need to Do That?

Do you want or need help in guiding your gifted child? I sure did.

It's been a few decades since I realized that the "what to expect" guidebooks for new parents did NOT match my first child. Month-by-month descriptions of development only worked at the very beginning; I found myself flipping pages and skipping chapters as she moved quickly through some early milestones, and it never really slowed down. When we had toddler playdates, friends sometimes asked, “When did you teach her that?” and I could only smile and say she just seemed to pick things up. On my end, I was surprised their children still slept long nights and took naps. How did they get them to do that?

When Baylor’s Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development held its 5th annual Parent Conference in February 2024, a quick glance at the session titles revealed an unplanned common theme: Navigation. We had not set a particular theme for the day—experienced and diverse researchers, teachers, and parents had been invited to offer their expertise in a range of topics in small sessions and keynote addresses.