#110 - Hochbegabte Kinder: Zwischen klugen Köpfen und großen Gefühlen - Interview mit Kathrin Mikan

Today I'm speaking with Dr. Katrin Mikan about the fascinating topic of giftedness – what it really means, why gifted children often think and act so differently, and how we can lovingly support them. Today we conclude our short series on *neurodivergence* – with a topic that fascinates many but also raises many questions: **giftedness**. For this, I've once again invited the wonderful Dr. Kathrin Mikan. She's a psychologist, brain researcher, and founder of Superhelden-Kids (Superhero Kids), a program for strengthening children's mental health. *Together we'll delve into the world of gifted children and explore, among other things:* ✨ What exactly is giftedness? ➡️ Is a high IQ enough, or is there more to it? ✨ Why gifted children are often "overlooked." ➡️ Especially if their talent lies in other areas besides language. ✨ Why many gifted children struggle with emotions. ➡️ The keyword is "highways in the brain"—Katrin brilliantly explains why some children, despite being highly intelligent, seem emotionally overwhelmed. ✨ Typical signs of giftedness. ➡️ And why it's important to consider each child individually, rather than pigeonholing them. ✨ How we, as professionals and parents, can best support gifted children. ➡️ Without overwhelming them or overlooking their needs. ✨ Why giftedness isn't always a gift. ➡️ And what challenges this can present for children (and parents). *My personal highlights from this episode:* "The brain's highways are built more slowly in gifted children." – What a great picture of Katrin, it explains so much! Many gifted children have exceptional language skills, but their motor and emotional development may still be age-appropriate. Perfectionism and anxiety are not uncommon in gifted children – precisely because they think things through so thoroughly. Special interests (like earthworms or dinosaurs) can be an indicator of giftedness – but also of other neurodivergent interests. Giftedness can occur in combination with other diagnoses, such as autism or learning difficulties like dyslexia or dyscalculia. Giftedness is often only discovered when children exhibit unusual behavior – for example, restlessness, frustration, or aggressive reactions. 🔗 *Information about Dr. Kathrin Mikan:* **Website**: [https://www.superheldenkids.de] (https://www.superheldenkids.de)/ **Email**: [email protected] 📧 *Feelings Hero Programs:* The FEELINGS HEROES Curriculum 1 for children aged 2 to 4: [https://www.superheldenkids.de/gefueh...](https://www.superheldenkids.de/gefueh...) The FEELINGS HEROES Project Weeks for children aged 4 to 8: [https://www.superheldenkids.de/produk...](https://www.superheldenkids.de/produk...) The HERO EXPLORER program for children in grades 3 & 4: [https://www.superheldenkids.de/helden...](https://www.superheldenkids.de/helden...) ✨ *Contact me:* **Email**: [email protected] **Website**: https://lea.wedewardt.de/ *Academy**: www.bo-akademie.de **Email:* [email protected] **BO Academy Webinars**: https://elopage.com/s/bo-akademie **BO Academy Programs**: https://www.bo-paedagogik.de/bop-prog... **Instagram**: [@derkitapodcast](  / derkitapodcast  ) *BO Program:* https://www.bo-paedagogik.de/bop-prog... 👉 *Information about the Pädiko Academy* **Listen to the new Pädiko Academy podcast**: [lernwelt.paediko-akademie.de/podcast](http://lernwelt.paediko-akademie.de/p...) *Information* and *Registration* for the Masterclasses and the podcast: [paediko-akademie.de/masterclass](http://paediko-akademie.de/masterclass) **Email**: [email protected] **Phone**: 0431 982 639 639 **Instagram**: [@paediko_akademie](  / paediko_akademie  ) *Kathrin as a guest:* [Emotional Regulation with Kathrin Mikan](https://kita-podcast.podigee.io/55-54...) [Registration for the BoP Conference](https://www.bo-paedagogik.de/bop-fach...) Listen to the new Pädiko Academy podcast: [lernwelt.paediko-akademie.de/podcast](https://weiter-wachsen.de/podcast) *Information and registration for seminars or the professional development series:* paediko-akademie.de/hochbegabt [paediko-akademie.de/foerderung](https://paediko-akademie.de/products/...) Contact the Pädiko Academy: Email: [email protected] Phone: +49 431 982 639 639 Instagram: @paediko_akademie