Articles of Interest

OVEREXCITABILITIES Overexcitabilities are inborn intensities indicating a heightened ability to respond to stimuli. Found to a greater degree in creative and gifted individuals, overexcitabilities are expressed in increased sensitivity, awareness, and intensity, and represent a real difference in the fabric of life and quality of experience. Dabrowski identified five areas of intensity-Psychomotor, Sensual, Intellectual, Imaginational, and Emotional. A person may possess one or more of these. “One who manifests several forms of overexcitability, sees reality in a different, stronger and more multisided manner” (Dabrowski, 1972, p. 7). Experiencing the world in this unique way carries with it great joys and sometimes great frustrations. The joys and positives of being overexcitable need to be celebrated. Any frustrations or negatives can be positively dealt with and used to help facilitate the child’s growth. The five OEs are described below. Each description is followed by several examples of strategies, which represent a fraction of the possible solutions to issues that may cause concern for overexcitable individuals or those who work and live with them. These should serve as a springboard for brainstorming additional strategies or interventions that will help improve the lives of overexcitable people.

Dr. Emily L. Mofield and Dr. Megan Parker Peters

Abstract: This article explores some of the common causes and solutions to perfectionism in gifted children.
We highlight practical implications from studies examining perfectionism in gifted students, including how implicit theories of intelligence (e.g., mindset) relate to perfectionism. Specific strategies are shared to guide gifted children toward a mindful pursuit of excellence in which they are self-aware of how their thoughts, emotions, and beliefs about ability influence their behaviors in achieving a high standard

Learning to deal with authority figures effectively and with diplomacy is a necessary life skill, but some gifted children struggle with this. Because they tend to focus on what they believe is “Right” (with a capital R!), they may be blind to hierarchy and unintentionally offend or defiantly argue with adults. Or, at the other extreme, they may be unreasonably fearful of displeasing adults.

Is your gifted student interested in STEAM careers? Welcome to the first installment of our STEAM careers spotlight! Learn about four intriguing STEAM careers and influential people within each field. Plus, discover related STEAM courses offered at Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG) in 2020. 

The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) is excited to announce the release of the full results of IEA’s poll of voters about gifted learners, the first of its kind. America Agrees: Public Attitudes Towards Gifted Education details the full results of IEA’s poll of voters’ opinions about gifted learners.

As a part of IEA’s effort to advance the cause of gifted students nationwide, IEA commissioned the first ever national survey assessing the American public’s views on gifted education. The summary covers the results of a national survey, completed in 2016, that sought to understand the public’s perception of gifted students in the United States. This poll was designed in collaboration with leaders in the field of gifted education, including the National Association for Gifted Children, and conducted by Benenson Strategy Group and The Winston Group.

A parent is her child’s best advocate. Many times, as parents, we find ourselves in a situation where we need to speak up for our child, especially when she is too young to speak up for herself.

To the parents who wish for their child to be gifted. To the teachers who think gifted children should easily excel in school. Or for that matter, to every person who believes being gifted is one of the most awesomest things anyone can hope to be:

Sorry, giftedness is not quite what you think it is.

Raising a gifted child is full of surprises. Emotional intensity, asynchronous development, and advocating within the schools, to name a few, become routine challenges most parents face. But just when you think you've got it figured out and life gets a little more predictable, college looms on the horizon.

The start of the new school year is exciting for most kids. But it also prompts a spike in anxiety: Even kids who are usually pretty easy-going get butterflies, and kids prone to anxiety get clingier and more nervous than usual. Parents feel the pain, too: Leaving a crying child at preschool isn’t anyone’s idea of fun. And having to talk a panicked first grader onto the bus or out of the car at school can be a real test of your diplomatic skills.

The beginning of a new school year is a welcomed time for many parents and students anticipating new learning, new teachers, and new friends.  Hearing the familiar sounds of the marching band practicing, and seeing clothing that reflects the rich colors of fall long before they have appeared in nature is all part of our “back to school” culture.  But many twice-exceptional students and their parents often experience stress and anxiety at the thought of another school year. One parent of a 2-e child braced herself as her child was asked, “Are you excited about school starting?” The response was, “No. Why would I be?” Parents of twice-exceptional children are cautiously hopeful about the upcoming school year, but unsure of what to expect and what to plan for, so they often feel unprepared.