“ MULTIPOTENTIALITY: ” “You can do anything you want to do.” “What do you want to do first ?”

1. “ 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 .”

2. 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)

3. 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

4. “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

5. 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

6. 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 HIGH ACHIEVEMENT TEST SCORES, OPPORTUNITIES MANY ACADEMIC & EXTRACURRICULAR INTERESTS CAREER EXPLORATION BEGINS EARLY ABILITY TO PURSUE ADVANCED DEGREES FAMILY OF ORIGIN SYSTEM THE GIFTED AND TALENTED CHILDAND MULTIPOTENTIALITY:

7. 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.

8. MORE SIGNS FOR CONCERN AS A CHILD GETS OLDER:

9. MORE CONCERNS: STUDENT MAINTAINS HIGH GRADES,

10. MORE CONCERNS: May encounter dilemma of opportunities lost.

11. MORE CONCERNS:Despite excellence highperformance & evaluations,

12. 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

13. 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 INDIVIDUALIZED, MULIDIMENSIONAL, & DIFFERENTIATED COUNSELING HELPS:

14. 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 INTERVENTION STRATEGIES FOR MULTIPOTENTIALITY :

15. 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 MORE INTERVENTIONS :

16. 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

17. 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)

18. 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.

19. 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.

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