Saturday, December 6, 2014

Overexcitability - Imaginational

So now we come to the fifth and last overexcitability (OE), the imaginational.  This is often described as a heightened imagination.  It can manifest itself in a variety of ways.  Many gifted children will have imaginary friends or treat their stuffed animals as if they are real.  They are excellent at creating stories and using their creativity in the pursuit of art, music, or drama.  They will also often pretend that...

Monday, November 24, 2014

Overexcitability... intellectual

Children with an intellectual overexcitability love the process of learning.  They are curious by nature, are constantly asking questions, searching for meanings and patterns, and finding ways to apply their knowledge.  They are also often avid readers.  When they find a subject that they are interested in, they dive in full body with no interest in wading in the shallow end.  They must know every Greek myth, understand all...

Monday, November 17, 2014

Overexcitability... emotional

This is the overexcitability that can often be the most challenging.  (Did I already say that about one of the other ones?)  And no, I didn't take this picture when my daughter was having an actual tantrum.  This was one of her dramatic reenactments.   The feelings of many gifted children can be intense and overwhelming.  When these children are happy, they are ecstatic.  But unfortunately, many of these children...

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Overexcitability... Sensual

Did you know that they sell socks without any seams?  These pricey little socks are coveted by many a parent who has a child with a sensual overexcitability.  First, let me state that sensual has nothing to do with "sexual" but rather having to do with the senses.  The best way to describe someone with a sensual overexcitability is to say that they are extremely sensitive to their sensory experiences. This can be exhibited in...

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Over-excitability... Psycho-motor

I thought what better way to start then by discussing the overexcitabilities, which are often connected with giftedness. There are many researchers that now believe that looking at the overexcitabilities is a more accurate way of identifying gifted populations than most IQ tests.  Kazimierz Dabrowski, a Polish psychiatrist, psychologist, and physician, is the creator of the “Theory of Positive Disintegration.”  In this theory,...

Friday, November 7, 2014

My Journey

Hi there!  Welcome to my blog.  This is my very first post, which is both exciting and a bit frightening!  This blog is dedicated to all gifted children and adults and the people that love and support them. Like many others before me, I became interested in the issues related to gifted populations because I was trying to understand my child.  She rolled around before she was three months old.  She walked at nine months...