“ MULTIPOTENTIALITY: ” “You can do anything you want to do “ MULTIPOTENTIALITY: ” “You can do anything you want to do.” “What do you want to do first ?” Multipotentiality or Multitalented : Is it Good or Bad for the Gifted Child ? “ LIFE-SPAN CAREER COUNSELING CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE .”

DEFINING MULTIPOTENTIALITY: ABILITY TO SELECT & DEVELOP MANY CAREER OPTIONS: WIDE VARIETY OF INTERESTS, APTITUDES & ABILITIES (Frederickson & Rothney,1972) CONCEPT THAT ONE CAN SELECT & DEVELOP MANY COMPETENCIES TO A HIGH LEVEL. (Fredrickson,1979) CONDITION WHERE ONE HAS INTERESTS & ABILITIES TO PURSUE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES & GOALS (Rysiew, Shore, & Carson, 1994)

Main Sources of Career Indecision: Inadequate or inaccurate information Lack of confidence & decision-making skills Faulty self-observation Pressure to please others by making the perfect career choice Girls a need to meet career & family goals Parental education & personal factors (anxiety) Early or late decision-making

“THE GOOD SIDE” HAVE THE OPTION OF MANY POTENTIALLY GOOD CHOICES, EARN HIGH SCORES ON ABILITY & ACHIEVEMENT TESTS, DIVERSE STRENGTHS, MULTIPLE EDUCATIONAL-VOCATIONAL INTERESTS, HAVE MORE THAN ONE CAREER, USE LEISURE ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP AREAS OF ABILITIES & INTERESTS, HAVE PEER DISCUSSIONS & GROUP WORK WITH OTHER MULTIPOTENIAL YOUTH, EXPLORE BROAD CATEGORIES, USE CAREER COUNSELING AS A VALUE-BASED ACTIVITY

THE BAD SIDE: PRODUCES CONFLICT & STRESS: DIFFICULTIES IN MAKING DECISIONS BETWEEN CHOICES ;“OVERCHOICE SYNDROME”, LACK OF DECISION-MAKING SKILLS, OVERWHELMING CAREER OPTIONS, COMPLEXITY OF DECISION MAKING, DECISIONS BASED ON STATUS & EARNINGS, PERFECTIONISM, GOAL SETTING, DELAYED CAREER SELECTION, LONG-TERM SCHOOLING, DELAY OF INDEPENDENCE, EMOTIONALLY DRAINING, FINANCIALLY DRAINING, FEEL COERCED BY OTHERS

THE GIFTED AND TALENTED CHILD AND MULTIPOTENTIALITY: HIGH ACHIEVEMENT TEST SCORES, OPPORTUNITIES MANY ACADEMIC & EXTRACURRICULAR INTERESTS CAREER EXPLORATION BEGINS EARLY ABILITY TO PURSUE ADVANCED DEGREES FAMILY OF ORIGIN SYSTEM MAINLY CONCERNS THOSE WITH MODERATELY HIGH IQ’s (120-140) ACADEMICALLY TALENTED, STRAIGHT “A” STUDENTS MULTIPLE INTERESTS, TWO OR MORE OUTSTANDING DIFFERENT ABILITIES MORE SENSITIVE TO SOCIAL NEEDS & MOTIVATION

SIGNS THAT MULTIPOTENTIALITY IS A CONCERN: MAY BEGIN EARLY, THE PATH FROM EDUCATION TO CAREER IS NOT ALWAYS SMOOTH, COMPLICATED BY SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS & NEEDS OF THE GIFTED CHILD.

MORE SIGNS FOR CONCERN AS A CHILD GETS OLDER:

MORE CONCERNS: STUDENT MAINTAINS HIGH GRADES,

MORE CONCERNS: May encounter dilemma of opportunities lost.

MORE CONCERNS: Despite excellence high performance & evaluations,

LIFE-SPAN CAREER COUNSELING: Includes developmental, social, and psychological transitions. CAREERS ARE FORGED LONG SERIES OF DECISION-MAKING DEVELOPING ATTITUDES CAREER EXPLORATION CAREER PLANNING SELF-REFLECTING RESTRUCTURES OF BELIEFS BUILDING PERSONALITY

INDIVIDUALIZED, MULIDIMENSIONAL, & DIFFERENTIATED COUNSELING HELPS: ABILITIES / INTERESTS EXPLORATION ABILITY / INTEREST TESTS VALUES / NEEDS CLARIFICATION LIKES, LEISURE ACTIVITIES & SELF-REFLECTION DESIRED PERSONAL PRIORITIES / PERFERED LIFESTYLES HONORS & AP STUDENTS CREATING NEW CAREERS HIGH-ABILIITY STUDENTS & GOALS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SOCIETAL TRENDS & MENTORSHIPS OR CAREER COACHES EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING , REAL-LIFE, CONCURRENT CAREERS BEGIN PROCESS - DELAY DECISION-MAKING UNTIL COLLEGE

INTERVENTION STRATEGIES FOR MULTIPOTENTIALITY : ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Provide exposure to the world of work Encourage career fantasies Encourage focusing activities (projects) Identity development Use biographies of eminent people Evaluate skills, talents, & interests to help them understand areas of greatest interest

MORE INTERVENTIONS : JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL: Discuss meaning & value of work Family & community values of work Volunteer work & job shadowing Prioritize & decide on few extracurricular activities SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL: Vocational testing Visit colleges of Interest More volunteer work Internships Core curriculum Value-based guidance Avoid conforming or stereotype careers Explore career models

INTERVENTIONS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS & YOUNG ADULTS: Seek career counseling with assessments Vocational interests, needs, and values Enroll in a career planning class Encourage careful course selection Avoid conformist & stereotyped major choices Seek a mentor, Liberal Arts as a Major Prepare to enter any of several fields Engage in long-term goal setting and planning

Decision-making stages: (Clarke Carney & Cinda Wells, “Discover the Career Within You”) Awareness- I need to choose Self-assessment- Who am I ? Exploration- Expanding or narrowing options Integration- Putting it together Commitment- Choosing Occupation, program of study, or job Implementation- My choice- ‘just do it’ Reevaluation- I made a good choice ?(on-going)

LIFESPAN CAREER GUIDANCE FOR MULTIPOTENTIALITY: Prepares the gifted for many options by acknowledging occupational interests, competencies, creativity, and preferences may indeed change over time. A collaboration for career counseling would involve classroom teachers, teachers of the gifted & talented program, parents (they know the child), and counselors.

THE GIFTED CHILD DEVELOPS: A PERSONAL DEFINITION OF IDENTITY, ACHIEVEMENT, & CAREER SUCCESS AFTER CAREFUL SELF-ANALYSIS OF ABILITIES, LIFE GOALS, AND OCCUPATIONAL POSSIBILITIES. WITH PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY THEY EXERT CONTROL OVER THEIR LIFE BY MAKING GOOD DECISIONS; THE REST JUST HAPPENS, THEREFORE, THEY ADJUST AND ADAPT TO CHANGES IN CAREER AND IN LIFE.

Philomena M. P. Bernard, Counselor Questions / Comments ? Philomena M. P. Bernard, Counselor pmb2809@slp.k12.la.us 337-457-5895/457-5161