Category: Over-excitabilities

Communication
Suki Wessling

Stress, Learning, and the Gifted Child

The author describes how imposing conventional, paper-based math caused stress in her twice-exceptional child and how switching to child-led, movement-based approaches (like “swing math”) reduced anxiety and enabled mastery. She recommends noticing stress signs, adapting instruction, and prioritizing pleasure and mastery over standard assessments.

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Artículos en español
Joy Navan

El Desarrollo en el Niño Superdotado

El artículo explica que los niños superdotados desarrollan habilidades de forma asincrónica: su inteligencia y curiosidad pueden adelantarse a su madurez emocional y social. Esto genera sensibilidad, empatía y dificultades para relacionarse con pares, por lo que la comprensión de esa asincronía es clave para su educación.

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Education & Homeschooling
Sal Mendaglio

Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration: Some implications for teachers of gifted students

This article explains Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration (TPD), its components—overexcitabilities, developmental potential, dynamisms—and implications for gifted education. It argues TPD focuses on personality and moral development, views intense emotions as catalysts for growth, and distinguishes Dabrowskian potential from conventional definitions of giftedness.

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Communication
Thomas Hebert and Richard Kent

Managing His Image: The Challenge Facing a Gifted Male

This article examines how gifted adolescent males may underachieve to maintain a social image. Through examples it shows how peer culture, masculine norms, and fear of vulnerability can lead bright boys to avoid academic recognition. It suggests educator, counselor and mentor strategies to support healthier identities and achievement.

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Communication
Lesley Kay Sword

Emotional Intensity in Gifted Children

This article explains that gifted children experience emotional intensity alongside intellectual depth. It outlines varied expressions—bodily symptoms, fears, attachments, critical self-evaluation—and recommends acceptance, open discussion, appropriate discipline, creative outlets, responsibility, and professional support to help them understand and value their sensitivity.

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Over-excitabilities
Susan Baum

Gifted Students with Attention Deficits: Fact and/or Fiction? Can We See the Forest for the Trees?

Discusses rising referrals of gifted students for ADHD-like behaviors and argues environmental factors—boredom, inappropriate curriculum, emotional overexcitability, and adult responses—can mimic ADHD. Recommends careful assessment, curriculum adjustment, talent development, and considering both neurological and environmental causes before medication.

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Education & Homeschooling
Linda K. Silverman

The Moral Sensitivity of Gifted Children and the Evolution of Society

Silverman argues gifted children often display heightened moral sensitivity, intensity, and asynchronous development. Drawing on Dabrowski and others, she links cognitive complexity to empathy and ethical concern, warns that societal pressures may desensitize gifted youth, and urges nurturing their moral and emotional development rather than focusing solely on talent.

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Over-excitabilities
Debbie Michels, MS ED, MA and Teresa Rowlison, Ph.D.

Effectively Managing Family Interactions when Family Members Have Different Overexcitabilities.

This post explains overexcitabilities (OEs), their five types, and offers ten research-based recommendations for families—advocacy, calmers, celebrating success, documenting optimistic options, one-on-one time, medication/counseling, routines, signs, tag-team parenting, and self-care to better manage family dynamics. Each recommendation includes practical strategies and research citations to support implementation at home.

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Over-excitabilities
Sharon Lind

Tips for Parents of Intense Children

This post offers practical strategies for parents and caregivers of emotionally intense children: recognize positive aspects, accept differences, build listening skills and feeling vocabulary, encourage expression through words or creative outlets, teach respectful responses, anticipate reactions, use journaling and physical activity, and consult listed resources for further support.

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Over-excitabilities
Sharon Lind

Overexcitability and the Gifted

Dabrowski’s concept of overexcitabilities describes heightened intensities—psychomotor, sensual, intellectual, imaginational, and emotional—often found in gifted individuals. The article outlines each OE, their behaviors and practical strategies to support overexcitable people, emphasizing acceptance, communication skills, stress management, and fostering personal growth.

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