Hopelessly Gifted Podcast

The podcast is taking a summer break with an amazing batch of new episodes in the lineup for Fall! Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@live.com ⁠Website⁠  IG: ⁠ ⁠ ⁠@hopelesslygifted⁠  | FB:  ⁠@hopelesslygifted

Liz Evans, OT, joins Liz shares her story of isolation in trying to find help for her gifted child and how her parenting experiences influenced her work in which she helps parents experiencing burnout from raising complex kids. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@live.com ⁠Website⁠ IG: ⁠ ⁠ ⁠@hopelesslygifted⁠  | FB:  ⁠@hopelesslygifted Contact Liz Evans:...

Mark is joined by licensed psychologist Dr. Rebecca Resnik to discuss assessment for gifted children, how gifted brains differ, and when testing may be helpful or may not be necessary. Resnik also addresses misconceptions about gifted kids and explains how computational linguistics and clinician expertise can be supportive for understanding and addressing issues gifted kids are having. Host: Mark...

Mark sits down with Dani Skiko, producer of the show, to talk about her experiences growing up gifted and the role therapy and her parents played in supporting her and helping her thrive. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@live.com ⁠Website⁠ IG: ⁠ ⁠ ⁠@hopelesslygifted⁠  | FB:  ⁠@hopelesslygifted

Gilda Evans, Founder and President of the Autism Resource Project, joins Mark to share how the lack of resources she found while raising her son with autism prompted her to start her podcast and organization which act as a central database of knowledge and support for parents of children with autism. Gilda and Mark discuss how parents can best suppor their kids with autism and how to go forward wi...

Mark answers a listener question: How can I tell if my child is gifted? He discusses early signs and common struggles that parents can identify, whether testing is appropriate and how to talk with kids about the results of giftedness evaluations. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@live.com ⁠Website⁠ IG: ⁠ ⁠ ⁠@hopelesslygifted⁠  | FB:  ⁠@hopelesslygifted

Mark is joined by Scott Lutostanski, Executive Director of State Street Education. Scott and his team provide executive function coaching to students, with a focus on high school and college students. Scott and Mark discuss the work of helping college students improve organization, time management, and academic workflow to reduce stress. They also address emotional and cultural pressures on gifted...

Mark is joined by language and dyslexia therapist, Faye Bankler Casell, to discuss the challenges experienced by children who have difficulty reading due to dyslexia and their parents. Mark and Faye explore the crossover of other issues that impact a child's ability to read and how hard it is to catch reading challenges in bright children. They also provide parents with suggestions for advocat...

Mark Talaga talks with writer and parent advocate, Jen Merrill, about how burnout is a common reality for parents of gifted and complex, neurodivergent kids. Jen shares what helps parents of gifted kids, herself included, and discusses the challenges these parents face as they scaffold and support their kids. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@live.com ⁠...

Mark is joined by Caroline Gulick & Julie Kastelan to discuss the realities of elevated care for gifted and neurodivergent individuals. They talk through what it means to be in residential treatment, partial-hospitalization, or intensive outpatient programs and how parents can determine what level of care their child may need. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email:...

Occupational Therapist and Parent Coach, Jen Bluske, joins host Mark Talaga to explore the mind-body connection that often goes overlooked in gifted children and adults. Jen provides wonderful insights into how to practically help create bodily awareness and the lasting impact that has on our children. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@live.com ⁠Website...

Mark Talaga speaks with Teresa Nair, an expert in cognitive diversity education who empowers parents to see their child’s struggles not simply as deficits. Mark and Teresa discuss Teresa’s journey from tech to teaching, her work supporting neurodivergent families, and offer insights on advocacy and community building for parents of neurodiverse kids. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact...

Mark Talaga is joined by Orion Cooling, the award-winning founder and specialist in project based learning who has found career success by being “eclectically employed” and personal success by advocating for creativity in inclusion. Mark and Orion discuss how to help gifted children follow their own authentic paths while working with and through systems to achieve their goals. Host: Mark Talaga Mu...

Mark discusses strategies for managing holiday stress when traveling and attending family gatherings with gifted, neurodivergent children. He offers specific strategies to help prepare, set expectations, and support emotional regulation for the whole family to lead to a joyful and fulfilling holiday season. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@live.com ⁠We...

Mark is joined by college consultant and business owner, Julie Murphy, to share about college transitions from the perspective of the families at home as their child launches. Mark and Julie discuss how parents and siblings can scaffold to prepare this big family change to set the whole family up for success. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@live.com ⁠...

Mark discusses why many kids struggle to answer the question "how was your day?" and how the reasons behind these processing and recall challenges are more developmental than parents may think. He explores the issues of how to help support kids who can't express what they're going through or push people away who are trying to help and offers prompts for reflection to help parents...

Mark Talaga welcomes Pamela Hobart from GT School to discuss the challenges and solutions in educating gifted kids. They discuss the inefficiencies of the traditional school system, and how GT School utilizes A.I.-powered apps to accelerate learning and provide personalized education for high-ability students. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@live.com...

This episode Mark puts ChatGPT to the test. Mark asks A.I. to come up with helpful communication strategies to use to get gifted kids to listen better and evaluates the effectiveness of those responses. He offers both ideas that have a better chance of working and practical advice on how to implement these strategies. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@l...

Mark Talaga is joined by Misti Peppler, occupational therapist and  core specialist in the Masgutova Method of Neurosensory Motor Reflex Integration. Mark and Misti discuss the primitive reflexes that exist in all of us that sometimes get "stuck" and create certain behaviors and movements that can impact a child which can make life much harder. Misti dives into what to look for and how best to cre...

Mark Talaga addresses the challenges gifted kids face in making and sustaining friendships as well as the complexities of social connection. He offers parents tools for expanding their evaluation of the reasons their children may be finding it difficult to socialize and provides insights for addressing the skill deficits behind their children's social behaviors. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren...

Mark Talaga explores the challenge of sustaining motivation and creating habits, through the lens of improving executive function and nurturing relationships. Mark talks about the importance of utilizing interpersonal accountability to maintain consistency and build the skill of sustaining. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@live.com ⁠Website⁠   IG: ⁠ ⁠...

Mark Talaga tackles the topic of perfectionism in gifted kids. He discusses the emotional and cognitive aspects of perfectionism and shares strategies for parents to support their children in navigating their perfectionistic tendencies. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalaga@live.com ⁠Website⁠  IG: ⁠ ⁠ ⁠@hopelesslygifted⁠  | FB:  ⁠@hopelesslygifted

Mark Talaga speaks with Dr. Pam McCaskill, an experienced clinical psychologist who specializes in understanding and supporting strong willed children. Mark and Pam discuss underlying causes of these behaviors and explore steps parents can take to set their children up for success at home, at school and in the community. Host: Mark Talaga Music: Petren J Music Contact Mark Talaga: Email: marktalag...

Mark Talaga explores the complexities of a parent’s role in a gifted child’s life and their contributions toward both their child’s challenges and progress. Mark helps parents evaluate whether they are enabling or properly scaffolding their kids and explains how to prioritize connection while also supporting their child as they move into adulthood. Submit a Question for Mark: ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ Host: Mar...

Mark Talaga discusses how parents can find the right therapist for their gifted and neurodivergent children. Mark covers important considerations such as understanding the need for therapy, assessing therapist approaches, and emphasizing the importance of a collaborative, team-based system, shedding light on what can feel like an overwhelming process. Submit a Question for Mark: www.hopelesslygift...