Walker, Sally Yahnke. The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids: How to Understand, Live With, and Stick Up for Your Gifted Child

Adolescence, Winter, 2004

WALKER, Sally Yahnke. The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids: How to Understand, Live With, and Stick Up for Your Gifted Child (Revised and Updated Edition). Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing, 2002. 176pp. $14.95 (p).

What does it mean to be "gifted"? What is good--and not so good--about being identified as gifted? How can parents make sure their gifted children get the learning opportunities they need? How can parents cope with the unique challenges gifted kids present? Every parent of a gifted child has questions like these. Complete with current information about research and legislation, tests and testing, trends in gifted education, real-life examples, first-person stories, step-by-step strategies, resources, and encouragement, this book is for any parent who is faced with the sometimes overwhelming task of raising a gifted child. You will learn what giftedness is (and is not), what makes gifted kids so special, how kids are identified as gifted, and why some kids fall through the cracks during the identification process. You will discover encouraging, practical tips for living with your gifted child--and handling the endless questions, high energy, and too-smart mouth that often go along with giftedness. You will find out how to keep from raising a "nerd," how to prevent perfectionism, and when to get help. And you will learn how to advocate for your child's education at school and in your state.