Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Gifted Imposter Syndrome

Here's a link I just found: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/imposter.htm

I just skimmed some of the info there, and it seems like the term might also refer to a gifted person feeling like they themselves are an impostor. Here I've so far only seen people use the term in referring to parents.

Okay, thanks, I am caught up now This really describes how both D and I were feeling about this time last year, I think. She had been admitted to Davidson THINK, but between getting admitted and actually going to the program we had gotten her non-verbal learning disability diagnosis. So... were those super high verbal scores really just a compenstation for her LD? I think we were both worried that she would flop at THINK, and it would be a big setback for her. I wasn't even sure it was a good idea for her to go... But she ended up shining instead, giving both of us a big confidence boost in her abilties. I think we are both past any worries about this, but I sure do know that feeling.

I'm at that point right now with DS8 going to the Epsilon Camp. I worry that they made a mistake in admitting him, and that his 2e-ness (autism) makes him appear more logical than he is, and he won't really understand more complex math, and that he will not have his love of math anymore when he flops.

Mind you, this is all going on just inside my head, because DS himself is extremely confident of his abilities and very much in love with math. (He carried his calculator on a family trip "in case he ran into math.")

Do you ever get over imposter syndrome? How many more times are DS's abilities going to have be proven to me before I just relax and believe it?

Kate

Well... maybe Epsilon camp will get you over the hump I think as parents, sometimes we struggle because even though our kids may be HG or PG, they are not adults yet. So we can still see the weaknesses and soft spots that likely will "firm up" as they get older. At least one of his parents will be with him at camp, so you can see how it is working for him. I sat at home and bit my nails while D was at THINK.

That is hilarious, I know over the years we've had many of those "so this is gifted huh?" moments. But your story reminds me of a time my then 4yo DD spilled a cup of juice on the floor in the kitchen, I walked in to find orange cones and yellow "ribbon" made of construction paper surrounding the spill and a sign that said "wet floor"

That is hilarious!

Kate, I hope you'll report back on Epsilon Camp. We considered it for DS... and might do it in a future summer if you find it welcoming.

DeeDee