Supporting a gifted child
is often challenging.
As parents and educators, it can be difficult to understand how best to meet the complex needs of gifted children. During the school year, IEA offers complimentary monthly Gifted Support Group meetings featuring professionals who are experts on various aspects of gifted youth. These meetings provide support and community, a venue for shared discovery, and a space to exchange resources and ideas. Sharing experiences with other parents and educators who interact with gifted children has proven to be enormously helpful.
In order to assist the widest range of families, we will be livestreaming the meetings on our Facebook page, unless otherwise noted.
A native of Illinois, Dr. Chaves attended undergraduate at Bradley University with degrees in Health Science and Psychology. She earned her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine where she developed a practice model for the integration of occupational therapy into orphanage-like settings. In 2015 Dr. Chaves achieved certification from the CBOT in swallowing and feeding (SWC) with a focus on pediatrics. She is trained by Integrated Listening Systems (iLs) in their auditory-based multisensory program and in Dr. Stephen Porges’ Safe&Sound Protocol (SSP). In 2018 Dr. Chaves became Level 1 Certified as a handwriting specialist by Learning Without Tears.
Steven Mercer, Ed.D. is the founder of Mercer Educational Consulting, a private college counseling practice in Los Angeles, CA. He is an experienced educator with an extensive background in selective college admission, counseling, teaching, and academic and non-profit leadership. Prior to founding Mercer Educational Consulting, he was an admission officer at the University of Southern California. In additional to working with students one-on-one, Dr. Mercer is an Adjunct Faculty in the on-line College Counseling Certificate program at UCSD Extension and works as a consultant to colleges and universities on matters related to college admission.
Dr. Vula Baliotis is a licensed psychologist whose interest and training are in doing deep, life-changing therapeutic work. She believes that individuals are rich and complex in nature, not easily reduced to a constellation of symptoms. Her professional and personal experiences have led her to focus on working with gifted, creative, and highly sensitive individuals; women (including those who are childless by circumstance); adoption; and individuals who are struggling to understand and come to terms with their identity. Among her specialized training, certifications, and continuing education, she’s certified to work with gifted individuals through SENG and certified for reflective parenting training through the Center for Reflective Parenting. In addition to psychotherapy and consultations, she also conducts assessments for giftedness and twice exceptionality, as well as comprehensive psychoeducational assessments. She also presents to the public and trains professionals locally, nationally, and internationally in her areas of specialty.