SENGinar: Identity Development and Gifted LGBTQ Adolescents

‘Starting to realise that I was non-binary was stressful because I felt like it was another tier away from normal that I was going to have to contend with.’ (Dunne, 2023) 

All gifted students face issues surrounding identity formation and healthy psychosocial development (Cross & Cross, 2017) and may engage in social coping strategies designed to avoid being stigmatized in social or academic situations (Cross et al., 1993). Gifted LGBTQ adolescents must contend with these challenges, in addition to figuring out how their multiple identities interact and a whole other layer of social norms! Being different in two ways, sometimes more, can be a uniquely isolating experience. Gifted LGBTQ adolescents may also face identity struggles at a younger age than their peers due to accelerated cognitive development and the desire to pursue information about sexual orientation and gender identity (Peterson & Rischar, 2000). 

This SENGinar will focus on identity development…