gifted children

Is Your Child Overexcitable?

August 8, 2011 by Eleanor Munson, PhD

Before you answer, let me explain what I mean. The overexcitability, or “OE,” that I’m referring to was identified by Kazimierz Dabrowski, a Polish psychologist, who coined the term to refer to the inborn tendency to respond more and more intensely to life’s stimuli. He believed some individuals are genetically predisposed to have more intense life experiences. So if your child exhibits one or more of these – more energy than his friends, intense emotional reactions (“drama”), strong reactions to seams in his socks, an extreme thirst for knowledge, and/or a thriving fantasy life, he may have one or more overexcitabilities. Dabrowski felt that overexcitabilities came in five forms, which are described below.

Psychomotor Overexcitability

Psychomotor overexcitability is characterized by a surplus of physical energy. Rapid speech, intense physical activity, and extreme competitiveness are typically seen. When feeling stressed or emotionally tense, someone with a psychomotor OE may express these feelings by displaying nervous habits (nail biting or tics), working excessively, or acting impulsively. As you might guess, kids with this OE can be misdiagnosed as having ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Sensual Overexcitability

Individuals with sensual overexcitability have a heightened response to their senses. Those with fine-tuned sensory systems may find sensory stimuli repellent. Kids with sensual OE may want earplugs to block out noises, parents to remove tags in their clothes, and may even get sick from an unpleasant smell. The opposite is true too. Those with sensual OE may find intense pleasure in music and art. Emotional tension may be satisfied by overeating, spending sprees, and striving to be the focus of attention.

Imaginational Overexcitability

We’ve all known the child with an imaginary playmate. In fact, many of us may have had one ourselves when we were young. However, kids with an imaginational OE take this to an extreme; creating a private world so complex and vivid that they may have trouble distinguishing it from reality. Individuals with this OE love to daydream and fantasize. They have a low tolerance for boredom and may use free play of the imagination to escape it.

Intellectual Overexcitability

Intense curiosity characterizes those with an intellectual overexcitability. This is the most recognized OE seen in bright, gifted children. These are the kids who love learning and problem-solving and can spend a great deal of time mulling over a thought or idea. Those with intellectual OE are avid readers, keen observers and are highly reflective. However, they may become impatient when asked to work at a slower pace. They may be highly critical at times and challenge authority by their questioning.

Emotional Overexcitability

Individuals with emotional overexcitability are exceptionally sensitive and reactive to feelings and emotions, either positive or negative. They have the capability for strong attachments to people, places, animals, etc. However, they can also experience intense fear, anxiety, and depression. It’s not uncommon for kids with emotional OE to be diagnosed with bipolar or other emotional disorders.

At various times in our lives, most of us have experienced some of the characteristics of the overexcitabilities above. Researchers believe, however, that overexcitabilities are innate and are present throughout one’s life, rather than being just an occasional occurrence. Studies show that gifted children, as well as children who excel in one particular subject or who are considered creative, have significantly more overexcitabilities than average, with one OE typically being dominant.

Overexcitabilities can be thought of as various types of intensities. Although raising a child with any of these OE’s can be challenging, having an OE does not mean a child has a problem or issue. Here are some suggestions to help you cope:

Familiarize yourself and your child with overexcitabilities. Learn as much as you can about your child’s OE(s). In turn, teach your child that differences are OK and make us who we are. Emphasize the positives of your child’s OE(s) and help your child learn to see them as strengths.
Teach your child skills to learn how to manage his overexcitabilities. Help your child learn the warning signs of an impending overreaction and role-play different ways to change their response.
Learn to appreciate your child for who he is….OE’s and all!

© Eleanor Munson, PhD. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Eleanor Munson, PhD is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eleanor Munson, PhD with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Five Levels of Giftedness

January 30, 2011 by Eleanor Munson, PhD

The label of ‘gifted’ is assigned once a psychologist – or other person who is qualified to administer and interpret IQ tests – has evaluated a child with an intelligence test, most commonly one the Wechsler tests (WPPSI, WISC, or WAIS). IQ scores for our population fall along a bell-shaped curve, meaning that 50% of the population scores around the average (IQ scores of 90-109) and as the curve drops on either end, the percentage of people scoring in that range gets smaller and smaller.

Deborah Ruf, PhD has spent her career focused on that small area at the far right end, or tail, of the curve; the individuals that make up the most intellectually gifted of our society. One might think that the individuals who score in this area are more similar than not, but through her research Dr. Ruf has discovered and defined five distinctively different levels of giftedness. The differences between the levels are quite striking and have significant implications for a child’s home and school life. A description of each of Dr. Ruf’s levels follows.

Five Levels of Giftedness: The Scores & a Summary of What They Mean*

Level One: Moderately Gifted to Gifted

IQ scores of 120-129 represent the 90th-98th percentiles
what most of us think of as bright
make up a large proportion of students in gifted programs
like being read to before age one
can do simple addition and subtraction before age four
reading 2-3 years beyond grade level by age seven
parents realize children are not being challenged and contact someone for help between grades two and four

Level Two: Highly Gifted

IQ scores of 130-135 represent approximately 98th – 99th percentiles
can pay attention while being read to by five to nine months
can count to 5 (or higher) by age two
know many sight words and may be reading by age four
master most kindergarten skills by age four
are independent on the computer by age four and a half
are impatient with the repetition and slow pace of school by age six to seven

Level Three: Exceptionally Gifted

IQ scores of 136-140 represent approximately 98th – 99th percentiles
independently look at and turn pages of books before ten months
question Santa or the tooth fairy by age three or four
rarely go through any stage of phonetically sounding out words
intense interest in mazes between ages four and five
spontaneously read (with or without instruction) before kindergarten
read 2-5 years beyond grade level by age six

Level Four: Exceptionally to Profoundly Gifted

IQ scores of 141+ represent the 99th percentile
books are a favorite interest by three to four months
knows the entire alphabet by fifteen to twenty-two months
at four or five years can perform many academic and intellectual functions of an eight-year-old
reading for pleasure and information by age five
can play adult level card games and board games by age five and a half
most are capable of completing all academic work through 8th grade by 3rd or 4th grade
these are the kids that attend college at ages ten, eleven, and twelve

Level Five: Exceptionally to Profoundly Gifted

IQ scores of 141+ represent the 99th percentile
knows numbers, letters, colors, and shapes before they can talk
can speak in full, complex sentences by fifteen months
have kindergarten skills by age two
spontaneously reads, understand fairly complex math problems, and has existential concerns by ages four to five (with or without instruction)
frequently one parent must postpone their career to advocate for their child’s education

From the descriptions above it’s easy to see that differences between levels of giftedness can be significant. Children who fall in these categories need, and frequently don’t get, a customized educational plan that addresses their intellectual strengths. If you see signs of giftedness in your child, seek out the help a specialist to help ensure that their academic needs are met.

*Information from Dr. Deborah Ruf’s book, 5 Levels of Gifted: School Issues and Educational Options, Dr. Ruf, a high intelligence specialist, founded Educational Options in 1999 to provide information, support, and guidance to families with gifted children. Her book is an excellent resource for parents, educators, and anyone who wants to learn more about gifted children and adults.

Defining Gifted

January 27, 2011 by Eleanor Munson, PhD

My last blog post was about how to tell if your child may be gifted. It begs the question – what is gifted?

In truth, there is no universally-accepted definition of gifted. For some, being gifted could mean having an extraordinary ability in, say, music, art or athletics. Others might argue that those strong in leadership skills are gifted. Typically though, experts use IQ scores to measure giftedness. High intelligence specialist Deborah Ruf, PhD, author of 5 Levels of Gifted: School Issues and Educational Options, believes giftedness is on a continuum, with a range consisting of five levels. However, not all giftedness is created equal, and it is very lonely at the top. The higher the IQ score, the smaller the pool of individuals that share it. No wonder many gifted kids feel isolated and different – in many ways they are!

IQ Tests & Giftedness

IQ tests, as they are known, are tests that measure an individual’s intellectual ability or potential. They do not measure what someone has learned already. IQ tests measure innate ability.

Group IQ tests are sometimes given to an entire class to screen for gifted programs, but individual IQ tests, given one-on-one by a trained examiner, provide more reliable results and a great deal more information. Typically, parents who want their child tested must go outside of the school/school district and pay for an assessment. While there are IQ tests for children as young as 2 years of age, most professionals believe waiting until a child is 5 or 6 offers results that are likely to stay stable over time.

Giftedness in our population

What percentage of our population is gifted? This is a subject of much debate. Many experts would tell you that only 3-5% of the population is gifted. However, Dr. Ruf’s years of evaluating children have led her to a different conclusion. In her experience, there are a significantly higher number of highly gifted children than previously thought. Either way, it is clear that a child that is on any level of the gifted spectrum is unique and will stand out from his or her peers in the classroom or a social situation.

* For additional information and assistance, I encourage you to visit Dr. Ruf’s website and read her book, 5 Levels of Gifted. Additionally, you may contact me for a consultation about school placement options.

How Can I Tell if My Child is Gifted?

January 24, 2011 by Eleanor Munson, PhD

Parents have many hopes and dreams for their children. Whether reality or just our imaginations, we as parents want to believe that our kids are extraordinary – that they will become a prestigious doctor, lawyer or athlete. But when it comes to intelligence, only a small percentage of every population fall into the category of “gifted.”

What are the signs of giftedness in children?

Only a formal assessment can tell you with certainty, but there are common characteristics that gifted children share. As a rule of thumb, the more of the following qualities your child exhibits, the greater the likelihood that he or she is gifted:

Strong Verbal Abilities: early talker and reader, bigger vocabulary and more complex sentence structure than kids his age, self-taught and avid reader
Enhanced Learning: persistently curious, grasps concepts early, great memory, complex thinker, rapid processing and learning
Long Attention Span: intense, focused, and all-consuming concentration seen as early as infancy
Imaginative: interest in experimenting, imaginary play, and playmates, wide range of interests and/or deep interest in certain subjects, mature sense of humor
Intensity: intense in everything including temper tantrums, sibling rivalry, power struggles with adults, and even in sleep patterns
Sensitivity: acutely aware of feelings, very emotional, unusual compassion for the struggles of others, perfectionistic, impatient with others
High Energy Level: needs less sleep, naps less than age mates

Next Steps for Pre-School Age Kids:

At this age, optimizing for a child’s giftedness is not as important as it will be later. Special enrichment programs are fine but not necessary. Instead, parents should just enjoy their child and explore the world through their eyes. Excursions are great – so go the park, to story hour at the library, or to the children’s museum. There will be ample time to pursue advanced programs; for now experts recommend that parents allow their children to be children and enjoy childhood. As your child nears the age of 5, you may want to consider having him tested, as a beginning benchmark.

Next Steps for Older Children:

Once a child is in grade school, experts recommend formal testing to determine a child’s level of giftedness. As children grow, it becomes increasingly important to understand their unique capabilities and needs so that they meet their potential, feel understood and feel motivated. Creating a plan to address the different ways your child learns is what is important.