OUR MISSION & VISION
Mission : Empowering individuals with exceptional brain power and lovable quirkiness by providing
individualized academic support services that lead to lifelong success.
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Vision : To foster a world where everyone embraces their gifts and quirks throughout life’s journey.
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Dr. Val
Founder & CEO of Gifted & Quirky
My name is Dr. Valerie Gaye Marie Scott, and I am the founder and CEO of Gifted & Quirky, Inc.
As an educator, education administrator, and university adjunct professor, I have been providing basic success support services to students, adults, and families for over 45 years.
After retiring from the public school system, I began conducting extensive research in autism, specifically around highly intelligent individuals with autism and their experiences in higher education. During that time, I also began experimenting with providing individualized academic coaching services to students identified as twice exceptional.
During our global Covid experience, I realized the need to pivot to a virtual platform if I wanted to continue to serve others. After successfully providing virtual services during a two-year pilot program, Gifted and Quirky was incorporated on 04/24/24.
Our Story
Why Gifted & Quirky?
My grandson was diagnosed with ADHD in elementary school. He is amazingly gifted intellectually and loves advanced math and science; however, he struggles with basic executive functioning skills like getting himself organized, getting started on a task, focusing on a task, and remaining focused on the task until it is completed. He typically understands the academic content, but he often cannot get started without some level of prompting. Prompting from his parents or his grandparents did not seem to work, so I started
Gifted & Quirky just for him when he was in 8th grade.
Working with Denis E. Ordoñez Jr., our founding academic coach, brought forth gradual improvements in my grandson’s daily functioning and academic success. We were able to support him in his transition from middle school to high school, and we continue to support him now as he transitions into his final year of high school.
My grandson is intellectually gifted but also gifted
with the ability to laugh at himself and what he identifies as his nerdiness and quirkiness. As we felt the aura of giftedness and quirkiness literally emanating from our other pilot program clients, we knew instinctively what the name of our nonprofit should be.
Empowering Success Journeys
Success Support Services
Gifted & Quirky is a dedicated nonprofit that specializes in individualized academic support. We honor each client’s individuality and tailor our approach to strengthen essential executive functioning skills. Our strategies are designed to enhance key abilities that support academic and personal growth, including:
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Planning and goal setting
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Organizational strategies
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Time management techniques
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Strengthening working memory
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Effective study skills
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Task initiation and task analysis
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Critical thinking and problem-solving
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Emotional self-regulation
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Building self-advocacy skills
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Our team of highly trained professionals delivers personalized academic support across all educational settings. We work with students at every level to help them succeed in a variety of learning environments:
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Elementary, middle, high school, and college students
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Public, private, virtual, and homeschool settings
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Individualized support based on each student’s learning profile and academic goals
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Evidence-based strategies tailored to each student’s developmental stage
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We support a wide range of learners—diagnosed or not—who may benefit from executive functioning coaching. Our services are designed for students who face a variety of challenges, including but not limited to:
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ADHD and executive functioning difficulties
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Autism spectrum disorder
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Learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia, dysgraphia)
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Giftedness and twice-exceptional (2e) profiles
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Anxiety and related mental health challenges
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Students without a formal diagnosis who seek improved focus, motivation, or academic skills
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All client services are conducted via Zoom.
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Let us help you unlock your full potential and achieve your goals.
Services
​Discover the dedicated team at Gifted & Quirky, experts in providing tailored Success Support
Services. Our professionals specialize in guiding students through academic challenges and
empowering adults in their careers and daily lives. From elementary to college students, as well
as working professionals, we are here to support you every step of the way. ​
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All services are provided virtually nationwide via Zoom.
All professional service providers have master’s degrees and state certifications in their areas of
expertise. We provide parent advocacy support services for 504 Plan meetings, Response to
Intervention (RTI) meetings, initial disability evaluation meetings, and Individualized Education
Program (IEP) meetings.
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Adult clients of all ages needing support with their own executive functioning challenges or
support with raising a child or grandchild with a disability may benefit from our services.
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Public, charter, and private schools may benefit from our faculty professional development
services focused on researched-based classroom teaching and behavior management strategies designed to support success for students in general education classrooms with specific learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism.
Meet the Team
Hi there! We’re the Gifted & Quirky team—so happy to meet you! We’re here to celebrate brilliance, individuality, and all the quirks that make you uniquely you. Let’s thrive together!
Vice President, Board of Directors
Grant Outreach Director, Board of Directors
Secretary, Board of Directors
Treasurer, Board of Directors
Member, Board of Directors
Cortney Roberts, Ed.D.
Emily Taylor-Snell, M.Ed.
Ellen Kay
Janice Ryner, Ed.D.
Jeff Schwartz, M.A
Empowering Success Together
Begin To Unlock
Your Full Potential
Today
Ready to unlock your full potential? Schedule a FREE 30-minute consultation today with Dr. Val. Our expert team is dedicated to helping students and professionals overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
Whether you're an elementary student, a college student, or a working professional, we specialize in providing personalized Success Support Services tailored to your unique needs. Let us guide you every step of the way—reach out today to start your journey toward success!
