Association for Bright Children (ABC) London Chapter Association Presentation by: Dina Quigg to SEAC September 15, 2011

Giftedness = Asynchronous Development  Uneven Development Intellectually, Emotionally, Physically.  Dabrowski’s “Over Excitabilities” – a stimulus response that makes gifted kids extremely sensitive in a variety of ways (Psychological/Central Nervous) -Psychomotor…moves, talks, active! -Sensual…cut the label out, powerful reaction to sensory, aesthetic -Imaginational… dreamers, poets -Intellectual…logical imperative, complex reasoning, brain teasers -Emotional…very sad/very happy, need for deep connections (OE most susceptible to depression)

 “2 Standard Deviations from the Norm”  Domain Competence – Not always smart or “good” at everything!  Family Genetics -Sibs within 5-10 I.Q. points of each other -First born boys most identified -Girls lose out! Few behavior issues, fly under the radar.  Elitism? No way! -“There are a lot more gifted poor kids out there than there are gifted wealthy kids.” -Giftedness is colour-blind, crosses cultural and socio-economic lines.  Neuroplasticity – Use it or lose it.

Some Characteristics of Gifted Children….  Rapid acquisition of information - often 8 times faster than age mates  excellent memory  Despise repetitive/rote tasks  Learning must have relevance to them  Very self-aware and highly critical  Perfectionism, intensity, sensitivity -“internal amp at 11”  Tend to be Spatial/Visual learners  Sense of social justice – question authority  Will pursue interests with passion to the exclusion of other obligations  60% Introverted, compared to 30% of general pop.  Many are referred as behavior problems and not seen as gifted by parents or teachers.  Dual exceptionalities and visual spatial learners get smarter as they get older.  Many underachieve – 25% drop out. A disproportionate number incarcerated.