Joining GLD Australia is free.
Simply send an email to: gldaustralia3@googlegroups.com.au
You will receive an auto-invitation to join. Follow the steps in the invitation and your name will be added automatically.
As a GLD Australia Google group member, you can either read others’ messages or post your own messages (or both!). Members’ names will never appear on the forum unless they post a message.
Although there is no fee to join, GLD Australia requests that its members also become and remain financial members of a gifted association or a learning disabilities association of their choice. This operates on an honour-system, but we’re confident that most GLD Australia members will comply with this request and will join whatever existing association they feel best suits their own needs.
Gifted and learning disabilities associations represent, support and advocate for the many thousands of gifted people and people with learning disability throughout Australia. Many of these vulnerable learners have chronic literacy problems and some are functionally illiterate. The implications are enormous – for academic and employment success, mental health, self-efficacy, community involvement and socio-economic status.
GLD children are sometimes identified initially as being ‘lazy’ or ‘careless’ or ‘forgetful’. Some are first noticed because they present with ‘behaviour problems’. Gifted and learning disabilities associations support such learners by promoting best-practice teaching, evidence-based intervention, quality teacher training and ongoing academic research within the areas of giftedness, disability and other learning challenges. Such associations need our support.
GLD Australia members need not join a gifted or learning disabilities association in their own State, and are of course free to choose whichever one most appeals to them. Other than the AAEGT, GLD Australia has no special relationship with any gifted association or with any learning disabilities association, but GLD Australia can refer you to such an association which you may wish to join and support.
How can I meet others in my area?
As well as communicating via its Google discussion group, GLD Australia members who live in the same city, town, local area or regional/remote area are encouraged to hold ad hoc informal meetings if they wish. However, because GLD Australia is not an incorporated association and has no insurance, local groups will need to find a venue which does not require an insurance certificate.
There are no ‘rules’ regarding the holding, frequency, administration or advertising of such GLD Australia gatherings. Participants may appoint a local convenor to call regular meetings and source guest speakers, or they may just agree among themselves to meet at X time in Y cafe. Face-to-face meeting dates and topics are announced on the Google group.