1. The Intensities of Giftedness West Des Moines ELP Parent Partnership November 11, 2014 Mary Schmidt mschmidt@heartlandaea.org 515-270-0405 ext. 14375 http://maryschmidt.pbworks.com

2. Has your child done any of these things? Fidget a lot, or seem to have more energy than other children his or her age? Have strong, unusual reactions to sounds or smells? Create such a rich fantasy life that it is difficult for him or her to distinguish reality from fantasy? Love nothing more than to think, solve problems, and ask questions? Have intense emotional reactions, such that it seems like he or she is "overreacting"?

3. Assumptions about Gifted Children Raising a gifted child is easy, and parents should be happy about it ALL the time. Gifted kids have it made and won’t be “bothered” with bullying, risky behaviors, or academic underachievement. Being gifted is the same as being a high-achiever. Gifted kids always find a way to challenge themselves; there’s no need for different academic programs for them. Gifted kids are socially adept OR they are nerds and social isolates.

4. Normal is only a setting on the washing machine.

5. What is Giftedness? Giftedness is a greater awareness, a greater sensitivity, and a greater ability to understand and transform perception into intellectual and emotional experiences. --Annemarie Roeper

6. What is Intensity? great energy, strength, concentration, vehemence, etc., as of activity, thought, or feeling a high degree of emotional excitement; depth of feeling --Dictionary.com

7. Overexcitability is… …an innate tendency to respond in an intensified manner to various forms of stimuli, both external and internal (Piechowski, 1979, 1999) …being spirited – “more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, energetic (Kurcinka, 1991) …life experienced more deeply, more vividly, and more acutely sensed

8. Overexcitabilities Psychomotor Sensual Imaginational Emotional Intellectual

9. Psychomotor Intensity Highly correlated with high intelligence Very active, busy, restless Require less sleep Rapid, excessive, compulsive speech May gesture with the entire body Not necessarily advanced physical ability Physical activity necessary for optimal self- expression and release of physical energy Difficulty quieting the mind Prefer individual sports

10. Suggestions & Ideas IQ Sheets Relaxation techniques Calming routine before bedtime Notebook as idea archive Teach them to recognize and modulate behavior Sit on an exercise ball Teach time out as a choice, not a punishment

11. What Children with Psychomotor OE Need to Hear You have wonderful enthusiasm and energy. Your intensity can help you do many things. I wish I had your energy. You put your whole body into your learning. You like to be able to move and don’t really like to sit still. Sometimes our bodies need to relax.

12. Sensual OE Heightened sensory awareness & enhanced aesthetic appreciation Acute and exquisite perception May love color as an entity unto itself and may hear, feel, and smell color Smells may hold deep emotional connection May have intense negative reactions to odors Food texture may make them seem “picky” eaters Sounds may become invasive; may not be able to filter out background noise Clothing may irritate Attachment to blankets or stuffed animals may last longer than usual as the softness offers emotional comfort

13. Suggestions and Ideas Help develop a menu of options to cope with what irritates them Encourage them to seek what gives them pleasure Help them learn to make suitable choices

14. What Kids with Sensual OE Need to Hear… You take such delight in beautiful sights, sounds, and feelings. You like sound/textures, etc., but I notice that noises/textures, etc. bother you. I thin you know what you like and what feels good to you. Sometimes it’s good to try new things. Would you like to try ?

15. Imaginational OE Rich imagination Great capacity for fantasy Has/had one or more imaginary friends Healthy relationships with adults and peers to bridge between fantasy and reality Daydreams

16. Suggestions and Ideas Encourage child to engage with imagination like a best friend to mentally try out new experiences and potential consequences Help the child think of the mind like a TV, becoming aware they have pictures and sounds in their heads. Analyze to determine if they’re helpful or if they consciously need to “switch channels.”

17. What Kids with Imaginational OE Need to Hear… You have a rich imagination You view the world in a different way. You think of and tell great stories. You make the mundane extraordinary.

18. Intellectual OE Insatiable curiosity Voracious appetite for intellectual effort and stimulation Intense and accelerated mental activity Wide and deep interests Tenacious, persistent problem-solvers Endless stream of “why?” questions Already know most of what’s new for age mates May lead to unhealthy perfectionism

19. Suggestions and Ideas Talk about how mistakes are part of learning. Support the child in reflecting on and responding to different aspects of a project or performance. Support a growth mindset.

20. What Kids with Intellectual OE Need to Hear Your curiosity fuels your intelligence. You have wide and deep interests. You have great potential to learn new things and to make changes. You really stick to projects that interest you. You defend your ideas and are open to learning different information.

21. Emotional OE Seem to have emotional antennae – as if everything gets inside them and they feel it Depth and breadth of feeling Intense emotional response to minute nuances of language or meaning Intense concern about death, love, loneliness, deep caring for others, excruciating self-scrutiny May inhibit those who feel so much they are paralyzed to act fearing wrong action or negative reaction Feel compelled to act on their empathy

22. Emotional Intensity Why children lose control of their emotions: Feeling out of control Fear or anxiety Sense of unfairness Feeling they aren’t being heard

23. Suggestions and Ideas Be a safe haven for the child to express feelings. Listen with your whole mind, body, and spirit. Respond to feelings and affirm them. Help label feelings. Help them distinguish between feelings and behaviors. Quiet time Softness Journaling

24. Existential Depression What is it? – The ability to contemplate issues about existence and the asynchrony that goes along with that – Seeing issues – and their implications – on a global scale – Feeling alienated from the world – Seeing things idealistically but feeling essentially alone – Seeing how the world should be but despairing of ever making a real difference – Lack of someone to share with who understands

25. Keys to Treating Existential Depression Convey a sense that someone understands Show that these ideas are shared by others Point out opportunities to join common efforts where s/he can make a difference Let them know that changing the world is a responsibility, but one doesn’t have to do it alone Share the stories of people who have mobilized others to change the world.

26. The Global Soap Project