When most people picture a gifted child, they imagine a straight-A student who thrives in school and loves a challenge. But what happens when giftedness looks more like meltdowns after school, daydreaming in class, or a deep interest in fashion design?

In this episode of the Exceptional Girls podcast, host Julie Withrow welcomes Megan Cannella, Director of Outreach at the Davidson Institute, to unpack the most common myths and misperceptions surrounding giftedness—especially in girls. They unpack how gifted traits often fly under the radar due to gender norms, masking, and the limitations of traditional identification tools.

Listen in as Megan shares:

• What to look for if you suspect your child is gifted
• The foolproof way to know what support your child really needs
• Why understanding that you're gifted is so important
  
  

Links to resources shared in this episode:

• Gifted Identification: https://www.davidsongifted.org/resource-library/gifted-resources-guides/identification-and-testing/
• Laziness Does Not Exist, by Dr. Devon Price: https://www.amazon.com/Laziness-Exist-Devon-Price-Ph-D/dp/1982140100
• How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing, by KC Davis, LPC: https://www.amazon.com/How-Keep-House-While-Drowning/dp/1668002841

About Megan Cannella
Megan Cannella is the Director of Outreach at the Davidson Institute (davidsongifted.org), where she has worked since 2019. Her work at the institute focuses on advocacy and equity in gifted education. Before that, she taught college-level humanities courses for almost a decade across Illinois, Nevada, and California. Megan's outreach role allows her to continue to grow the work she is most passionate about and dedicated to, which is connecting students and families with the services and supports they need to reach their goals.

About the Exceptional Girls Podcast
If you know and care deeply about a girl who learns, thinks, and experiences the world differently, I invite you to journey with me as we learn how we as parents, adults, and role models can help her understand, self-advocate, accept, and love herself — just as she is. To learn more, visit www.exceptionalgirlspodcast.com.