Madison Gifted Speaker Series
Seeing the Whole Child: Navigating the Complexity of Giftedness, Anxiety, and ADHD
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 6:00 - 7:15 p.m.
Location: Madison Center for the Arts (5601 N. 16th St. Phoenix, AZ 85016)
Raising a gifted child comes with incredible joys—and unique challenges.
Join us for an insightful parent presentation designed to help you better understand the complex needs of gifted learners, especially as they navigate the elementary years. We’ll explore how giftedness can mask other concerns, what behaviors are typical and expected in young gifted children, and how to recognize when your child may need additional support.
Seeking answers, reassurance, or maybe just new strategies to support your child’s development? This session will offer expert insights and practical tools.
Topics will include:
- Typical vs. concerning behaviors in gifted children
- How anxiety and ADHD can present in gifted learners
- Developmental needs at different ages and stages
- Ways to support your child emotionally and academically
Laura Wingers, PsyD, and Beth Richter, PsyD of CENTER Psychology & Consulting are specialists in the needs of gifted and twice-exceptional children, with training and experience in pediatric neuropsychology, clinical psychology, health psychology, and school psychology. They specialize in ADHD and executive function impairments; anxiety and mood disorders; early childhood development; gifted intellect and developmental asynchrony; dyslexia and other learning differences; and integrative health intervention approaches. They consult with individuals, families and schools on meeting the needs of gifted learners and are passionate about finding answers and meeting challenges with understanding and hope.
All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned from a Gifted Child
Date: Monday, October 27, 2025 | 6:00 - 7:15 p.m.
Location: Madison Center for the Arts (5601 N. 16th St. Phoenix, AZ 85016)
Parents and teachers, do you ever feel like you're constantly trying to keep up with your gifted child or student? We often focus on what we need to teach them—from complex subjects to social skills—but what if the most valuable lessons are the ones they teach us?
Join us for an eye-opening session that explores how the unique traits of gifted children are not just things to manage, but powerful lessons for living a more authentic and joyful life. We’ll delve into how their intense curiosity, deep passions, and powerful emotions can serve as a guide for us all.
In this presentation, we'll uncover core lessons we can learn from our gifted children.
This session will challenge you to see your role in a new light. It’s not just about preparing your child for the world; it’s about letting them prepare you for a more present, curious, and authentic life.
Karen Brown is a highly experienced and accomplished leader in gifted education. As the co-owner of GiftED Consultants Group, she provides training and support to educators and school districts nationwide. Prior to her current role, Karen was the Director of Gifted Education for Paradise Valley Unified Schools and the Director of Gifted and Accelerated Learning for Scottsdale Unified School District. In these positions, she collaborated with K-12 administrators, teachers, parents, and students to ensure that instructional practices and materials provided appropriate challenges for all learners.
As a National Board Certified Educator, her teaching experience includes roles as a gifted cluster teacher, gifted specialist, twice-exceptional teacher, and Gifted Program Mentor in PVSchools.
Karen also teaches in the Gifted Education Master's Program at Arizona State University and consults nationally. She is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the 2018 NAGC Specialist's and Master's Award, co-recipient of the 2013 NAGC Professional Network Award, and the 2013 AAGT Gifted Teacher of the Year. She has served as the NAGC Professional Learning Network Chair. A published author, she has co-authored two books:
-
Differentiated Lessons for Every Learner
A Teacher's Guide to Flexible Grouping and Collaborative Learning, which won the 2019 NAGC Book of the Year Award.
Elizabeth Warner, M.Ed, NBCT, is proud to serve as the Gifted Coordinator for the Madison School District in Phoenix, Arizona. With extensive experience in designing curricula, differentiating instruction, and mentoring teachers, she is dedicated to developing professional learning for educators and parents that meets the needs of diverse learners. Over the past 20 years, she has presented at local and national conferences and consulted on Gifted education practices across the country. Warner also teaches for Arizona State University supporting the Gifted Education Master's Program. She is the current Professional Learning Committee Chair for the National Association of Gifted Children.
Lessons From a Former Perfectionist
Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 6:00 - 7:15 p.m.
Location: Madison School District Office Governing Board Room (5601 N. 16th St. Phoenix, AZ 85016)
Perfectionism is a challenge that the National Association for Gifted Children estimates impacts 20 percent of the gifted population.
Through perfectionism, students set unattainable standards that simply cannot be met. In an attempt to be perfect, students might avoid taking risks, spend a great deal of time on tasks, or even not turn in completed work to avoid being told their work is not perfect.
In this presentation, you will hear from a former perfectionist with over a decade of experience working with gifted students. Learn about the general characteristics of gifted learners that contribute to perfectionism, the role identity and asynchronous development play in this experience, and strategies for supporting students to understand mistakes are not just part of life, but how we grow.
DJ Graham is the principal of the Gary K. Herberger Young Scholars Academy, a middle and high school for highly and profoundly gifted learners. He has more than a decade of experience in the field of gifted education teaching and developing curriculum, DJ provides insights, experiences and guidance as a speaker and state and national education conferences, focussing on the social-emotional and academic needs of gifted adolescents and integrating pop culture into the curriculum/.
He obtained a Master’s degree in Gifted Education, Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Administration from Arizona State University and Grand Canyon University, respectively. DJ also earned his doctorate from Northern Arizona University in Educational Leadership.
The Parenting Playbook: Raising a Neurodivergent Child
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 6:00 - 7:15 p.m.
Location: Madison School District Office Governing Board Room (5601 N. 16th St. Phoenix, AZ 85016)
Raising a neurodivergent child often feels like coaching a team without a playbook: Every day brings new challenges, unexpected wins, and moments that test your patience and your heart. In this encouraging and practical keynote, Emily shares a framework to help caregivers support the development of five essential skills that neurodivergent kids need to navigate both school and life: self-advocacy, emotional regulation, executive functioning, communication, and motivation. With insights drawn from neuroscience, real-life stories, and her work with gifted and twice-exceptional learners, Emily helps families shift from crisis mode to connection, offering tools that grow confidence, not just in kids, but in the adults who support them.
- Objective 1: Understand the role parent-child relationships play in transforming potential into productivity.
- Objective 2: Have a framework for goal setting to help children and teens develop skills necessary for academic and social success.
- Objective 3: Gain awareness of factors influencing student success (such as executive functioning and emotional regulation skills) and strategies to help support their children develop these skills.