Barbara Jackson Gilman

Barbara (“Bobbie”) Jackson Gilman, M.S. is Associate Director of the non-profit Gifted Development Center in Westminster, CO, established in 1979 and directed by Linda Silverman, Ph.D. Gilman specializes in the assessment of gifted children at all levels of giftedness, with and without co-existing disabilities, for educational planning and advocacy. She consults with parents worldwide, trains teachers, and participates in research on the gifted and gifted assessment. She co-chairs, with Dr. Dan Peters, the National Association for Gifted Children's assessment special interest group, working to improve identification of gifted, highly gifted, and often overlooked diverse and twice exceptional (2e) gifted children.

Realizing early that her own children “should have come with a manual,” Gilman understands the challenges of informed, effective advocacy. Her most comprehensive book, Gifted Minds Empowered: Advocacy to Develop Gifted Children’s Strengths, addresses what parents, educators, administrators and counselors need to know to ensure that ALL gifted students develop their full potential. Twice exceptionality (2e) and the acquisition of services in schools are explored in depth—including legal clarifications and common civil rights issues that arise. Gilman is the 2015 recipient of SENG's (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) Healthcare Professional of the Year award.