
When Kara Lambert's daughter was diagnosed as neurodivergent at the age of three, she believed she was well-prepared. With a psychology degree under her belt, and a keen interest in neurodiversity, Kara believed she understood what the diagnosis meant.
But as the years passed, it became clear that her child's form of neurodivergence, known as 'giftedness', wasn't just about high intelligence, it was about facing challenges that few people could comprehend, let alone accept.
By the time her son was diagnosed as gifted and dysgraphic aged eleven, Kara had already been battling misconceptions about her daughter's diagnosis for almost a decade.
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Ultimately, though, Kara says the biggest challenges didn't come from educators, peers, or even the system — they came from within her own family.
So, what is 'giftedness'? Like most forms of neurodivergence, being 'gifted' is not well understood. It's sometimes perceived as a life advantage that comes with automatic academic success, but that's not usually the case.
According to Kara, what many people don't realise, is that giftedness is a form of neurodiversity that comes with sensory sensitivities, emotional intensity, and in many cases, additional learning disorders.