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“Journal of Best Practices” Author David Finch in Iowa City Tonight!
Join us for an evening with David Finch at 7:30 p.m. in the Pappajohn Business Building Auditorium (W10 PBB). Following the talk, Mr. Finch will be available to sign books. Because of university rules,...
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On Being Twice-Exceptional
Twice-Exceptional by Allison Hartman I am Special. I am one of 300,000 people who are just like me, but not like me. We are each Unique and Similar, in our own Special Way. Every single person who is...
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Summer Scholarships for Twice-Exceptional Students
The Belin-Blank Center is pleased to announce a wonderful opportunity for twice-exceptional students. The Center recently received a grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation which provides...
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Parenting Twice-Exceptional Kids
Dr. Megan Foley Nicpon, a licensed psychologist and researcher at the Belin-Blank Center, recently hosted a seminar titled “Parenting Your Twice-Exceptional Child: Developing Talent and Accommodating...
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Practical Help for Parenting Children with Autism
Join Belin-Blank Center Staff Psychologist Alissa Doobay on April 13th for a free workshop on parenting high-ability children with autism! Attend the event in person if you’re in Iowa City, or you can...
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Summer Scholarships for Twice-Exceptional Students Still Available!
The Belin-Blank Center is pleased to announce a wonderful opportunity for twice-exceptional students. The Center recently received a grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation which provides...
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New Grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation awarded a grant to the Belin-Blank Center that will provide scholarships to twice-exceptional students who attend the Center’s summer programs. The scholarship will...
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Free Family Therapy for Gifted & 2E Families
We are seeking families interested in participating in free family therapy services at the Belin-Blank Center. Due to a recent collaboration with the Couple and Family Therapy Program (CFT) at The...
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Message from the Director: The 4 “D’s” of Working With Highly Able Students
To fulfill our mission of “empowering and serving the gifted education community through exemplary leadership in programs, research, and advocacy,” the Belin-Blank Center relies on a 4-D service...
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Free Counseling Services for Families with High-Ability/2E Children
Could you use some assistance with parenting strategies, managing your child’s difficult behaviors, coping with family stressors, or improving communication between family members? We currently have...
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Mark Your Calendars – Upcoming Talk on Asperger Syndrome and Marriage
David Finch, a best-selling author with Asperger Syndrome, will be giving a talk in October about his recent book, The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s...
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Giftedness & ADHD
“Just because you’re high ability or have academic talents doesn’t mean that everything else is automatically going to be okay. That is not always true, and we need more awareness about how to help...
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Don’t Forget – Upcoming Talk on Asperger Syndrome and Marriage
If you’re free the evening of October 15th, join us for an evening with David Finch at 7:30 p.m., Pappajohn Business Building Auditorium (W10 PBB). Following the talk, Mr. Finch will be available to...
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Teens with ASD Invited to Participate
High ability teens with an ASD between the ages of 15 and 17 years old are invited to participate in a research study to investigate friendships and feelings of loneliness. Participation involves...
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Message from the Director: How Do We Know What’s Next?
“…the adjacencies of technology and scientific progress dictate what is invented next.” From Steven Johnson, author of How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World. It likely will...
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New Social Skills Group for High School Students
The Belin-Blank Center Assessment and Counseling Clinic is pleased to invite students with social skills challenges (either due to ASD or another diagnosis) to apply for participation in a social...
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Family Therapy Services Offered at the B-BC
The Belin-Blank Center Assessment and Counseling Clinic is pleased to be continuing collaboration with the Couple and Family Therapy Program (CFT) at the University of Iowa College of Education in...
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Coming to ITAG? Check Out Our IOAPA Presentations!
Governor Branstad has declared October 18-24 Gifted Education Week in Iowa in conjunction with the Iowa Talented and Gifted Association Annual Conference. This year’s ITAG conference will be held in...
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Belin-Blank Center Social Skills Research Opportunity
The Belin-Blank Center Assessment and Counseling Clinic is pleased to invite students with social skills challenges (either due to ASD or another diagnosis) to apply for participation in a social...
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How Can You Support Your Twice-Exceptional Kids?
On Thursday, February 4 from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m., the Belin-Blank Center will host a spring webinar focused on Nurturing the Potential of Twice-Exceptional Students: Practical Guidelines for Understanding...
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Did You Miss Our 2E Webinar?
It’s not too late to see one of our most popular webinars yet. Nurturing the Potential of Twice-Exceptional Students: Practical Guidelines for Understanding and Supporting 2e Students is available to...
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Upcoming Professional Development
The Belin-Blank Center is offering a learning opportunity that many of you won’t want to miss! From December 28 – January 13, educators (or parents) can enroll in EDTL:4096:0WKA Topics: Nurturing the...
View ArticleKids with ADHD—We Would Like to Hear About You!
Are you a middle schooler (or parent of one) who has ADHD? We are interested in learning more about kids like you and their friendships, and you have the chance to earn an Amazon gift card. Keep...
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New Network for Parents of Twice-Exceptional Students
A new group has been organized in the I-380 corridor to provide an informational support network to parents and educators of twice-exceptional (2e) learners. Understood.org has partnered with Amanda...
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Summer Social Skills Group for High School Students
The Belin-Blank Center Assessment and Counseling Clinic is offering a social skills group for high ability students who are entering 9th – 12th grade who demonstrate strong intellectual or academic...
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Gifted Education Awareness Month: Services at the ACC – Educational Assessment
In Iowa, October has been declared Gifted Education Awareness Month! To celebrate, we’ll be revisiting some of your favorite posts from the blog all month long. We get a variety of questions about what...
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The Scoop on Summer Programs at the Belin-Blank Center
If all the recent school closure days have you thinking ahead to how you’re going to keep your children occupied over summer vacation, now is a great time to start planning! At the Belin-Blank Center,...
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Summer Enrichment for Middle School Students
The Belin-Blank Center specializes in academically talented kids. If you have 6th-8th grade students who show a deep curiosity when a topic sparks their interest, a love of learning, or a particular...
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Message from the Director: At the Edge of Knowledge, What do Students Need?
The needs of gifted students come from their strengths, not their deficits. I’m paraphrasing, slightly, what Executive Director of Western Kentucky’s Center for Gifted Studies, Professor Julia Link...
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Let’s Talk 2e! Virtual Conference for Parents
Have you heard about Let’s Talk 2e! virtual conference? Launching for FREE on August 19-21, this conference (formerly known as “2 Days of 2e”) is for parents of twice exceptional children to learn...
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Save the Date for the Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice-Exceptionality
In January 2020, members of the Belin-Blank Center and the Iowa Neuroscience Institute were eagerly preparing for a summer Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice-Exceptionality (2e). We planned to invite...
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A New Face at the Belin-Blank Center
We are excited to welcome a new staff member! Dr. Amanda Berns is a Licensed Psychologist who is joining the clinical staff in the Assessment and Counseling Clinic. She attended the University of Iowa...
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Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice-Exceptionality
Co-hosted by the Belin-Blank Center and the Iowa Neuroscience Institute May 17-18, 2021Online Bridging psychology and neuroscience, the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and the Iowa...
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Conversations on Autism Diagnosis and Assessment
Written by Dr. Alissa Doobay, Supervisor for Psychological Services at the Belin-Blank Center’s Assessment and Counseling Clinic. Last fall, I received an email from Emily Kircher-Morris asking if I...
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Strength-Based, Talent Focused Learning
Thank you to Marcy Dann, M.A. for writing this guest post! Families who have been provided with assessment services at the BBC in the past year may also be interested in a supplemental service that is...
View ArticleSocial Skills Group for Adolescents
Our colleagues at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital Center for Disabilities and Development are starting a social skills program for adolescents with high functioning autism. This 14-week...
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Belin-Blank Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice-Exceptionality
Thank you to Bethany Erickson for this guest post about her experience at last month’s Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice Exceptionality. If you would like access to the recorded event, register by...
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Introducing the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality
The college experience is an excellent opportunity for academic and personal growth. It is also a time that comes with unique challenges for first-year students. Academic expectations, time...
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2e at the B-BC: New Academy for Twice-Exceptionality
Twice-exceptional (2e) students experience co-occurring high ability and disability that can make it difficult to access appropriate services for both their strengths and their challenges. The...
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Social Skills Intervention Group for 2e Students
Twice-exceptional (2e) students experience co-occurring high ability and disability that can make it difficult to access appropriate services for both their strengths and their challenges. The...
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Free Day Camp for 2e Students
Twice-exceptional (2e) students experience co-occurring high ability and disability that can make it difficult to access appropriate services for both their strengths and their challenges. The...
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Social Skills Intervention Group
It’s not too late (yet!) to inquire about participating in a social skills intervention group through our Assessment and Counseling Clinic. Eligible students will be in grades 7 through 9 and...
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Understanding Autism
We don’t know enough about autism – that’s why we need your help. The Belin-Blank Center partners with many units across campus including our colleagues in the Iowa Neuroscience Institute. Our...
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Strengths-Based Assessment to Better Understand Your Student’s Unique Needs
The Belin-Blank Center’s Assessment and Counseling Clinic is pleased to partner with Bridges 2e Center for Research and Professional Development to facilitate access to their Suite of Tools for our...
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Applications Open for the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality
What are people saying about the Belin-Blank Center’s new Academy for Twice-Exceptionality? “The individual weekly meeting helped me get through college with ideas and suggestions for what I can do...
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Welcoming a New Licensed Psychologist to the Assessment and Counseling Clinic!
We are so excited to welcome Dr. Christopher Smith to the Belin-Blank Center! Dr. Smith is joining the Assessment and Counseling Clinic as a licensed psychologist. Dr. Smith earned his BA from the...
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Learn More about the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality
“We tossed a small pebble and made a big splash.” Jacqueline Blank Fall 2022 marks the first official semester of the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality! Although we supported two students last year,...
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Disability as Diversity in Gifted Education
Students with disabilities are often underrepresented in gifted education programs. Being “twice-exceptional,” (the coexistence of disability and high ability) seems paradoxical to many, despite...
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Recent Research on Twice-Exceptionality
The Belin-Blank Center has an extensive body of work on twice-exceptionality — from our Assessment and Counseling Clinic to professional learning to leading research. Our director, Dr. Megan Foley...
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Acceleration and Twice-Exceptional Students
At the Belin-Blank Center, we take a strengths-based approach for all aspects of talent development. Additionally, we do not recommend holding students back academically if acceleration is a good...
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