Making the Choice: When Typical School Doesn't Fit Your Atypical Child

Do you sense things aren't quite right with your child's school experience? Maybe your child is clearly struggling or, perhaps, your child is doing all right, but you believe something is lacking? Instead of trying to force your child to fit into school, perhaps it is time to consider finding educational options that fully address your child's academic and emotional needs. In "Making the Choice," Corin Barsily Goodwin, Executive Director of the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum (GHF), and Mika Gustavson, MFT, discuss how giftedness and twice exceptionality (gifted plus learning differences or "invisible disabilities") might affect the educational needs of your child. They also consider a variety of options regarding educational choices and the path to making them. Finally, they provide some questions (and hopefully answers) intended to help you make your way along this path.

Corin Barsily Goodwin founded GHF in 2004 to address a growing need for support and advocacy. Prior to that, she served as the Gifted/Special Needs Advisor for the HomeSchool Association of California and co-chaired their Legislative Committee. She has been presenting workshops on giftedness, learning differences, and homeschool related issues for many years. Her articles have been seen in NAGC (US) Parenting for High Potential, 2e Newsletter, California Association for the Gifted's Gifted Ed Communicator, the NAGC UK Magazine, California HomeSchooler, SENG Update, Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, and many other publications. Ms. Goodwin also serves on the SENG Editorial Board and the Advisory Board of the Asynchronous Scholars' Fund. She lives in the woods of Southern Oregon where she homeschools her 2e children with the help of two cats and a turtle who live with her, and a dog who just thinks she does. Mika Gustavson, MA, MFT is a counselor who specializes in helping the gifted to thrive. A homeschooling mom herself, she specializes in providing support to families considering paths-less-taken in learning, nurturing, and parenting. She leads groups and classes for parents of gifted, quirky, intense, anxious, and twice-exceptional children, as well as providing trainings and presentations for educators and other professionals on issues touching on giftedness, homeschooling, and parenting. Ms. Gustavson serves on the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum's Professional Outreach Committee, and is a community board member for Camp Summit for the Gifted. She works and lives in Silicon Valley, with her husband, son, and an ever-changing menagerie.