Are We Overdiagnosing Our Girls?

On March 28, 2026April 3, 2026 By Teresa Currivan, LMFTIn Children, Gifted, Neurodiversity, Parenting, Special Education, Twice Exceptional

Because I have found that understanding the gifted mind is crucial to understanding the nuerodivergent mind for both genders, it’s important to understand what has happened in the past regarding studies in the field of gifted psychology in the past century or so. We now know that the studies we have on giftedness come from men who were deemed gifted after the fact - the geniuses who produced something big and significant and then died: think Einstein, DaVinci, Jobs, etc - so not only were we missing men who had high potential and may not have produced something helpful for society perhaps because they struggled in school, we were missing girls and women completely.

Visual-Spatial Learners and Reading Comprehension

On January 27, 2024 By Teresa Currivan, LMFTIn Children

Let's understand what is going on between some student’s ability to tell us what is in their head when they have read something, or even when they have learned something in class. This is a visual-spatial conundrum that we can easily get to the bottom of.

Neurodivergence and Sound: The Implications of Central Auditory Processing Disorder

On February 20, 2023August 9, 2023 By Teresa Currivan, LMFTIn Children, Education, Neurodiversity, Parenting, Special Education, Twice Exceptional

Neurodivergent individuals are often born with a heightened sensitivity to sound. This can sometimes lead to CAPD,or Central Auditory Processing Disorder. The implications of not understanding CAPD is significant - impacting outcomes in education and mental health. I will describe CAPD, the recent history impacting our treatment of it today, and how misunderstanding CAPD in a student being assessed or educated can lead to education and mental health problems.

What Do We Know About Neurodivergent Girls?

On October 9, 2022June 11, 2024 By Teresa Currivan, LMFTIn Children, Neurodiversity, Parenting, Special Education, Twice Exceptional

Since neurodivergent brains are just beginning to be understood, female neurodivergent brains are even less so. I am only about the touch the tip of the iceberg here, but I hope I open up some possibilities for others to explore the topic further.

The Complicated Task of Explaining Your Thoughts

On July 11, 2022August 9, 2023 By Teresa Currivan, LMFTIn Education, Special Education, Twice Exceptional

What I see from behind their eyes is often not rigidity, (although it can appear so from the outside,) but a complex system of learning, understanding, asking further questions, and back to understanding again. The idea of trying to explain the process at any given point in this loop is in and of itself a skillset...

Do Neuroatypical Children Grieve Differently?

On March 21, 2022April 14, 2022 By Teresa Currivan, LMFTIn Children, Education, Parenting, Special Education

How can we know what a non-neurotypical student needs, especially when our own needs are not always being met? For teachers, parents, and professionals.