Dr. Claire E. Hughes is Professor of Elementary and Special Education at the College of Coastal Georgia. Previously, she was Faculty Director of the Special Needs and Inclusion program at Canterbury Christ Church University in England, and a Fulbright Scholar to Greece. She has served on boards in the National Association for Gifted Children, The Association for the Gifted (CEC-TAG) and Teacher Education Divisions (CEC-TED) of the Council for Exceptional Children. She is author of numerous books and chapters, and her research areas include: twice-exceptional children- particularly gifted children with autism; positivistic views of exceptionality; and international education. She is passionate about working with teachers on developing abilities and talents in all children through higher-order thinking, creativity, and mental health interventions. She lives on St. Simons Island, Georgia with two family members (husband and mother) two twice-exceptional children, two cats, and two dogs.