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In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Megan Helmen to delve into the complex clinical landscape of intellectual giftedness and twice-exceptionality. We explore how giftedness functions as a distinct neurotype rather than merely a high score on an intelligence test, emphasizing both its quantitative benchmarks and its qualitative realities. Dr. Helmen highlights the critical importance of looking beyond standardized psychometric thresholds, illustrating how bright children frequently utilize advanced compensatory strategies to mask underlying developmental disabilities like ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. By shifting our clinical focus from rigid score cutoffs to qualitative process observations during testing, we can better identify hidden impairments and avoid misinterpreting a child’s struggles as mere quirkiness. Our conversation offers actionable insights for refining the diagnostic interview, navigating overlapping constructs such as Dabrowski’s overexcitabilities, and connecting twice-exceptional families with appropriate educational and community resources.

Main Topics Discussed

03:39: Defining Twice-Exceptionality from Quantitative and Qualitative Lenses
12:05: Understanding Asynchrony and Skill Variability in Gifted Profiles
14:57: Exploring the Link Between Gifted Traits, Anxiety, and Perfectionism
19:01: Deconstructing Dabrowski’s Five Overexcitabilities and Clinical Frameworks
27:14: Conducting Effective Diagnostic Interviews and Eliciting Parent Stories
38:56: Shifting Assessment Focus from Psychometric Scores to Process Observations
52:14: Analyzing the Intersection of Autism and Giftedness Through Discrepancy Profiles
01:05:45: Essential Resources and Interventions for Highly Gifted and 2E Individuals

Cool Things Mentioned

Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists
Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists
Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists
National Association for Gifted Children: www.nagc.org
Davidson Academy: www.davidsonacademy.unr.edu
REEL 2E: www.reel2e.org
Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education: www.bridges.edu
Bright and Quirky: www.brightandquirky.com
Young Scholars Academy: www.youngscholarsacademy.org
Minnesota Council for Gifted and Talented: www.mcgt.net
American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology: www.theaapdn.org
Minnesota Psychological Association: www.mnpsych.org
Developmental Discoveries: www.developmental-discoveries.com

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About Dr. Megan Helmen

In her early work with autistic children and their families, Dr. Helmen became increasingly aware of how difficult and disorienting the diagnostic process could be. This awareness shaped her professional mission: to provide a more informed, compassionate, and empowering introduction to neurodevelopmental understanding. Dr. Helmen’s approach combines clinical expertise and research-backed strategies with genuine connection and a sense of humor. After more than a decade of clinical practice within medical systems, she founded Developmental Discoveries to offer a more humanized and family-centered model of service. The practice is built on ensuring that children feel welcomed and understood, while caregivers gain meaningful insight into their child’s strengths, struggles, and opportunities for growth.

Get in touch:

Email: drmeganpresents@gmail.com
Speaking & consulting: https://www.developmental-discoveries.com/speaking
Clinic website: developmental-discoveries.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/developmental_discoveries/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DevelopmentalDiscoveries
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-helmen-psy-d-l-p-945b2716/

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two yo...