OVER AND OUT: AN INNOVATIVE LOOK AT OVEREXCITABILITIES USING OUT-OF-THE-BOX STRATEGIES TAGT Annual Professional Development Conference, Carol M. Raymond, M.Ed. and Mariah Johnson, scholar ~ E.A. Young Academy

THE INTELLECTUAL OE OVEREXCITABILITIES

INTELLECTUAL OE Although this sounds a lot like “intelligence” it is not exactly the same thing! People with an intellectual OE have a DRIVE to understand It isn’t about the CAPACITY to learn, but the DESIRE to learn They ask questions, make observations, and constantly want to learn more about the world around them

INTELLECTUAL OE Create a coordinate grid in your notebook The “x-axis” will represent your natural ability. The “y- axis” will represent your desire to know more about that topic.

Weak natural ability Strong natural ability Weak desire to pursue and/or learn more Strong desire to pursue and/or learn more US HistoryOrgan Swimming Accounting Football I have a hard time remembering facts, but I would like to know more about our country’s history. I have a fairly strong natural ability in swimming, and I would like to take lessons to improve it for triathlons and receive my lifeguard certification. I have MORE natural music talent, and I still want to pursue that, but not quite as much as I want to improve my swimming right now. I can never remember all of the rules and have troubles following the game. But, I don’t have much desire to learn more!) I am good at math and can do a good job making budgets and reconciling finances. I just find it incredibly boring!

INTELLECTUAL OE Sometimes it is overwhelming to think about all of the things that you want to learn about! How could this graphing process help you make decisions?

PSYCHOMOTOR OE Psycho-: “Mind; mental; Mental activities or processes” -Motor: "effects of activity in a body part” At its roots, psychomotor truly means that the mind’s activity effects the activity in a body part!

PSYCHOMOTOR OE Often have troubles sitting still – love to tap, fidget, doodles, etc to keep body parts moving Might bite nails, twirl hair, etc. Often gets great pleasure from sports and active People might say this person is “driven” or “powered by a motor”

PSYCHOMOTOR OE Many individuals with this OE also talk frequently – or “chatter” Chewing gum may often help satisfy the need to move

PSYCHOMOTOR OE Create a t-chart listing ways that you have noticed yourself or others demonstrate the psychomotor OE. Label these actions as “distracting” or “not distracting” within a classroom environment. Distracting Not (As) Distracting Playing the percussion part to Ravel’s “Bolero” with pencils on my desk Chewing gum (without smacking it like a crazed llama, of course)

PSYCHOMOTOR OE Tools like fidgets (stress balls, pencil toppers, elastic bracelets, pencil grips) can sometimes help get out the restlessness in socially appropriate ways Create your own fidget – a Ninja Stress Ball to sneak in and take all the stress away…

IMAGINATIONAL OE Imaginational OE isn’t all about having imaginary friends or being the world’s next J.K. Rowling. YES! Those individuals certainly DO have the imaginational OE, however, the imaginational OE can be seen in other, less “obvious” ways as well!

IMAGINATIONAL OE Story embellishment – making an event sound more dramatic by mixing fact and fiction “the fish was 12 inches long!” Photo by Jerry “Woody” May have vivid dreams – remembering details, colors, emotions and even smells. Keeping a dream journal can help sort out fantasy from reality. Some with the imagination OE are inventive, both with ideas and physical things

IMAGINATIONAL OE Many individuals think (and dream) in images and impressions which may make it difficult to express their thoughts verbally to others Individuals with the imaginational OE may be metaphorical speakers. This can also be difficult if the peers they are speaking to do not understand metaphors.

IMAGINATIONAL OE Your task: Work with your group to create a short skit expressing one characteristic of the imaginational OE. Include the OE as well as a suggestion to “manage” the OE. This can be ways to help communicate with others (for example, if you speak in metaphors, you may need to consider your audience and speak in ways that they will understand, even if it isn’t quite as meaningful – remember that the meaning is COMPLETELY lost if the audience doesn’t understand!) OR it can be ways to help yourself either control or develop the imaginational OE within you.

IMAGINATIONAL OE SKITS Story embellishment Vivid dreamers Architects of Imaginary Worlds Metaphorical Speakers Inventive Thinking (and dreaming) in images and impressions) Activity inspired by Allis Wade’s “Orientation: The School for Gifted Potentials”

SENSUAL OE Koolaid Playdough Choose one of the containers of clay Feel free to smell and touch the clay to pick your favorite one.

SENSUAL OE How did you determine your “favorite” dough? Did some smell good? Bad? Were some “difficult” to touch? Are you satisfied with your final choice? Why/why not? What would make it better?

SENSUAL OE Sometimes, you make seek things to “take in” with your senses – for instance, you may walk through the clothing store feeling all of the fabrics, you may love aromatherapy, or might have deep connections to music. You take great joy in beautiful things – art, music, aromas, fine fabrics

SENSUAL OE However, those with sensual might also have negative reactions through their senses such as: Dislike of tags in the back of shirts, rough seams or scratchy fabrics in their clothing or sheets Extreme sensitivity to smoke, perfumes, body odor and other smells Sensitivity to light – sunlight while driving, florescent lights in school, or doctor/dentist lights

SENSUAL OE Avoidance Carefully selecting clothing Placing covers on lights Tinted glasses Listening to quiet music to block out other sounds while studying Cut hair in a way that avoids hair on the neck and forehead Desensitization Brushing skin Eating or smelling adverse items to slowly tolerate Listening to recordings of sounds that cause adverse reactions Two ways to cope with adverse reactions through the senses:

SENSUAL OE When is avoidance the best option? When might desensitization be necessary?

EMOTIONAL OE Average range of emotions: Range of emotions of an individual with a strong Emotional OE Sad Happy Despair Rapture

EMOTIONAL OE Physical reactions to emotions nausea muscle tension crying uncontrollable laughter skin coloration

EMOTIONAL OE Accept your deep emotions and work toward managing some of the negative side effects Enjoy the joyous moments!

EMOTIONAL OE Create something that really upsets you – it can be symbolic or realistic

EMOTIONAL OE Yoga Breathing activities “Belly Bio”

OVEREXCITABILITIES Create a piece of visual or written art that expresses your personal experience with an overexcitability. Your art may be abstract or concrete You may integrate numerous OEs or focus on just one.

OEQ-II 50 item inventory scored on a Likert scale Available from “store” “assessment”

RESOURCES Daniels, S., & Piechowski, M. M. (2009). Living with intensity: Understanding the sensitivity, excitability, and emotional development of gifted children, adolescents, and adults. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press. Mendaglio, S. (2002). Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration: Some implications for teachers of gifted students « SENG. Agate, 15(2), Retrieved July 06, 2014, from implications-for-teachers-of-gifted-students Mendaglio, S. (2008). Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press. Piechowski, M. M. (2006). "Mellow out," they say. if i only could: Intensities and sensitivities of the young and bright. S.l.: Yunasa Books. Wade, A. (2012). Orientation: The school for gifted potentials (Vol. 1). Publisher: Author. Wade, A. (2013). Revelations: The school for gifted potentials (Vol. 2). Publisher: Author.