About our Reviewers

Joanna Haase, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist in private practice in Pasadena, California with over 28 years of experience. She works with gifted individuals and their families to help them understand, navigate and embrace the joys and challenges of giftedness. In addition to working with parents and individuals, Dr. Haase partners with schools and districts to educate teachers and administrators on how to better support gifted and talented students. She is a regular presenter at State and National conferences on various topics about giftedness. In her private practice, Dr. Haase also helps individuals with Eating Disorders, Anxiety, and Depression. She is the President and Co-Founder of the California Gifted Network (CGN), an on-line forum which provides a user-friendly place for the California gifted community to find resources, information and support.

Michele Kane, Ed.D., is Professor Emerita in Special Education from Northeastern Illinois University, where she coordinated the Master of Arts in Gifted Education program for over a decade. She has been a passionate advocate for gifted learners and gifted education for more than forty years. During this time she has been a frequent presenter at state, national, and international conferences and has held positions as a gifted teacher, gifted coordinator, parent educator, and counselor. Currently, she is an educational consultant for school districts and parenting specialist for families with gifted individuals. Additionally, she maintains her practice as a career counselor at a community college. Her leadership positions include former President of the Illinois Association for Gifted Children, former Chair of Global Awareness Network of NAGC, and currently as Chair of the Parent, Family and Community Network of NAGC. She is an active member on the boards of Profoundly Gifted Retreat (PGR), Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully (COSEM), and Gro-Gifted. Michele is a contributing author to Off the Charts, Giftedness and Creativity, and Living with Intensity. Her most recent book, Planting Seeds of Mindfulness, co-authored with Dorothy Sisk, was released in 2018. She was honored by Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) as their 2018 Educator of the Year. Inspired by her experience raising six gifted (now adult) children, Michele’s primary interest remains on the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of gifted people across the lifespan.

Elizabeth Letsch, M.S., Ph.D., ABPP(RP) is a neuropsychologist with more than 20 years experience. After completing her master's degree in Educational Psychology, she counseled children with emotional and behavioral problems living in a residential treatment facility. She then earned her doctorate and worked with veterans and active duty service members with spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders facilitating their adjustment to disability and helping them reach new life goals. She is board certified in Rehabilitation Psychology, the specialty that focuses on individuals with disabilities. Dr. Letsch was honored by the American Psychological Association with the Early Career Excellence in Rehabilitation Psychology award in 2009. She returned to her love for working with children and adolescents when she discovered the difficulties many families face finding a psychologist who provides effective and nuanced evaluations. By not only understanding giftedness but also understanding levels of giftedness (with three gifted children of her own) and by understanding the complexities of evaluating twice exceptional children, Dr. Letsch’s psychoeducational evaluations help families and children appreciate their uniqueness and advocate for their needs in diverse settings. Her additional interests include supporting gifted LGBTQAI+ individuals and spreading the benefits of artistic self-expression, sound meditation, and yoga.

Dr. Lin Lim earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Boston University, an Academic Graduate Certificate in twice-exceptional education from Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education, and an Academic Graduate Certificate in Mind, Brain, and Education from Johns Hopkins University Graduate School of Education. Dr. Lim volunteers for education-related non-profits throughout her parenting journey with her two gifted children, one twice-exceptional and the other radically accelerated. She serves as the president of the SENG board of directors and is the dean of students at Bridges Graduate School. She is a translational psychologist with a special interest in complex outlier lifespan development.