Hello,
My name is Natalie Rimlingerand I am a PhD (Clinical Psychology) student at the Australian National University, under the supervision of Dr. Phillipa Butcher. I am also the parent of two gifted daughters and I have been an active member of the gifted families’ community for the past 6 years.
I am seeking parents/caregivers to participate in a study that is designed to investigate the everyday experience of raising cognitively gifted children who are undertaking a primary school curriculum. This study has been approved by the ANU’s Human Research Ethics Committee.
This study has been designed to ask questions that haven't been asked of parents/caregivers of gifted children before. It aims to explore various aspects of raising your gifted child such as your experience of being a parent/caregiver, your interactions with your child's school, your worries or concerns, and your social support network. All responses are completely anonymous.
To participate, parents must care for at least one cognitively gifted child who is currently undertaking a primary school curriculum. Formal assessment of the child’s IQ is not necessary for participation and participants are welcome from around the world.
Participants can find out more information by contacting me or by visiting the study’s website:
I'd really appreciate it if our community could support Natalie in Australia by checking out her website and partaking in her survey.
She has been a great support for me personally, and we need more people out there understanding and advocating for the job we do as parents of gifted kids!!
Many thanks for posting this here. I'm hoping that parents will back the project as it's one of the few that has ever concentrated on us as parents instead of our children.
We all know that it's sometimes difficult, and sometimes wonderful, to raise our children, but on the whole this area has been sadly neglected.
So here's a chance for the parents to tell someone who cares how it makes them feel and what we (as a psychologists) might be able to do to make it easier for them.
Thanks to those that have participated as well. It's very much appreciated.
I would love to be involved in your study if you still need parents and children to participate. I have two children, aged 7 and 8 the oldest having been diagnosed as twice exceptional, the other I have not had tested as yet.
I have undertaken post graduate research myself last year into emotion management in physiotherapy and am very keen to assist you with your yours if welcome.
WE live in a small rural community on the northern border of Waikato, south of Auckland. Our rural school primary is at a roll of 96 with a staff of 5. WE have had many problems and beneifts which may be unique to and worthy of inclusion.
DO feel free to contact me on the email address given above or 0210424076/ 09 2334515.
Kind regards,
Clare Foster
Hi there, we live in Silverdale, Auckland New Zealand and have a 10 year old daughter and nearly 7 year old son.
Our son was assessed at the Indigo Centre as a gifted visual spatial learner with some autistic characteristics, and last year assessed at C.A.R.D (The centre for autism and related disorders) as having PDD-NOS, he is also a 2E child or twice exceptional.
Our daughter is yet to be assessed but we believe she is also very gifted as she is very sensitive and has maturity way beyond her years, and developed her speech and reading very early.
Both our children are very full on and enjoy tae kwon do, hiphop and jazz, basketball and swimming.
Both the children attend public primary school and our son is year 2 and daughter is year 5.
In our experience thus far we have found the schooling system lacking in so many ways, , and very tunnel-visioned teachers and staff that are not trained or have no experience with gifted children.
For us as parents it is definately a mental and at times very emotional rollercoaster to live your life on, yet our family is strong, we hope to meet more families with gifted children so we can help eachother on this special journey, we would love to be a part of something so great instead of being left out in the cold all the time for being different, thanks
