Annual Conference
​October 26, 2019
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Theme:  Celebrating Neurodiversity​

Keynote, Susan Baum, Ph.D. and Robin Schader, Ph.D -- The Unique Needs of Twice Exceptional Students: Balancing Home and School
  • What: OATAG Annual Conference
  • When: October 26, 2019
  • Time: 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
  • Where: Clackamas Community College, Oregon City Campus - Gregory Forum
  • ​​Free Wi-Fi
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​Our Keynote Speakers are Susan Baum, Ph.D., and Robin Schader, Ph.D.  They will each lead a Breakout Session.
​Susan Baum, Ph.D. is the Director of the 2e Center for Research and Professional Development at Bridges Academy, a school for twice exceptional. She served on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and is the past president and founder of the Association for the Education of Gifted Underachieving Students (AEGUS). Professor Emeritus from The College of New Rochelle, Susan is widely published in the areas of differentiated instruction, twice exceptional students, primary-aged gifted students, and social and emotional factors affecting gifted students.
 
Robin Schader, holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a focus on talent development and the role of parental influence. She has worked as a research professor at the University of Connecticut and, for ten years, was the Parent Resource Advisor for the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). She is currently on the board of Bridges Academy, a school for twice-exceptional students, as well as the 2e Center for Research and Professional Development.
 
Susan and Robin are co-authors of the award-winning 3rd edition of To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled: Strength-Based Strategies for Helping Twice-Exceptional Students with LD, ADHD, and More (2017, Prufrock Press). They also co-authored the Viewer’s Guides for the documentaries 2e: Twice Exceptional and 2e2: Teaching the Twice-Exceptional, as well as a chapter titled “Using a Positive Lens: Engaging Twice-Exceptional Learners” (in Twice Exceptional: Supporting and Educating Bright and Creative Students with Learning Difficulties edited by Scott Barry Kaufmann, 2018, Oxford Press).
Keynote: The Unique Needs of Twice-Exceptional Students: Balancing Home and School
Twice-exceptional learners have brains that are wired differently. How can we recognize them? And what helps them become successful learners? Keeping their exceptional abilities and perplexing challenges in mind, we will discuss the benefits of collaborative strength-based and talent-focused approaches at home and at school.

Breakout #1: Dual Differentiation and the 2e Learner (Susan Baum, Ph.D.)
Twice-exceptional students require teaching that engages their advanced cognitive abilities while also helping them develop in lagging skill areas. Participants in this session will better understand the 2e learner and be able to implement strategies to differentiate curriculum and instruction to meet their needs. Practitioner evidence is from years of research-based strategies for use with 2e students.
 
Breakout #2: Keeping the Light in Their Eyes (Robin Schader, Ph.D.)
 
As subjective as it may seem, you can spot engaged and happy learners by their “Eye-Q,” especially with twice-exceptional learners. Recognize, respect, and retain (or re-engage) excitement for learning.  It is essential to shift the focus away from only “fixing” or remediating problems toward the recognition and encouragement of strengths, interests, and abilities. This session will address parent and teacher roles that support a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth.