Nurturing the Gifted Mind: Intellectual Overexcitabilities

There are so many aspects to a gifted child not the least of which is their mind. I mean, that is the part most people think about when they hear the term, "gifted."  The term itself irks people and conjures up thoughts of elitism which is unfortunate because the neurological difference with being gifted doesn't correlate in any way to social class or status.  I won't get on my soap box about the fallacies of gifted myths (in this blog post); however, I will talk to you a little bit about the gifted intellect coupled with intellectual overexcitability (OE).  Intellectual overexcitablity is characterized by a propensity to ask probing questions, to solve problems, to learn, and to think theoretically. This might involve a capacity for sustained intellectual effort, avid reading, detailed planning, introspection, and thinking about thinking.

Being gifted means many things and a sharp intellect is certainly one of them.   Since my blog is a combination of all things gifted and unschooling inspired by my kids, I will talk about intellectual overexcitability within the context of our unschooling world and my first child, L, who is incredibly high in intellectual OE.

L, who just turned ten, is brimming with intellectual overexcitability.  He requires intellectually stimulating conversation at all times which is hard to find within his age group.  This is maybe the hardest part about being so advanced intellectually...finding true peers close in age that can match his intellectual desire for depthful communication.  So far we have not found anyone.  For awhile it didn't seem to be much of a priority for him as he was so uniquely focused on his work. Recently, he has been expressing a desire for friends as he is experiencing loneliness.  He is definitely not depressed but he has a newfound desire to connect with someone other than, well, me and superficial friendships will not serve him well.

Intellectual OE is what drives a gifted child to voraciously learn, absorb and assimilate information with a degree of intensity and focus that is unsurpassed by anything else including basic human needs like food and hygiene.   Intellectual OE could be likened to the hyper focus that people describe as a component of ADHD or ASD.  It may appear similar as many gifted traits also seem to mirror symptoms of many pathologies; however, for the gifted child high in intellectual OE the drive to learn, create and produce is omnipresent.  It doesn't appear here and there with a specific interest but rather is all encompassing.  It is fascinating to experience the fervent creativity and motivation that L espouses which I wish would rub off on the rest of us.  My kid inspires me to write more, create more and think outside of the box.  He is a child who never complains of boredom or states that he has nothing to do.  His biggest issue is that he has so many interests, ideas and projects and not enough time in the day. There are myriad evergreen projects at various stages of priority and development and new ideas abound constantly.   It is an intense life but it is never dull.

Not all gifted kids are high in intellectual OE as you might otherwise expect.  On the flip side there are many gifted kids who have high intellectual ability but lack the internal drive and motivation to do something with their complex minds.  I have seen the effects of underachievement in gifted kids due to a combination of perfectionism, anxiety and a lack of motivation.  Oftentimes gifted kids are not the stereotypical high achievers especially within a school context.   If you take traditional academics with an emphasis on convergent thinking out of the equation, then you just may witness a child flourish when they are able to tap into their capacity for divergent thinking.  

As a radical unschooler to two very different types of gifted children, I put zero emphasis on traditional academic learning and instead maintain a prepared environment that is proliferated with general critical thinking apparatus without an emphasis on accumulating facts and trivia. Time spent on critical thinking, problem solving, design, inductive and deductive reasoning, creation, metathinking, building, tinkering, reading, technology, hacking, software development, media, self-expression and social outlets for freeplay encapsulate our days.  That, and numerous trips to mobile device stores.

Sure, through the various mediums the kids are exposed to history, science, math, physics, philosophy, poetry, social psychology, politics, neuroscience, economics and more but there is no set plan for any day in terms of what we will learn.  Mostly, my kids learn through life and the conversations spawned by actual events.  Organic, real world living provide the scaffolding upon which I expound to give meaning and context to the situation.  I tend to call many of these discussions "life lessons" which often have nothing to do with academics and more to do with how to thrive in the real world.  The biggest lesson we focus on generally is "know who you are."  Know what your needs are, where your strengths lie and what accommodations your weaker areas may need to set yourself up for success regardless of the situation.  We focus on evaluating pros, cons and potential outcomes based on the choices we are given.  I foster and embrace the idea of maintaining authenticity and staying true to one's beliefs regardless of conventional thought. 

With intense intellectual curiosity being pervasive throughout our day it is only natural that we go off on many tangents while engaged in meaningful discussion.  L and I each have an insatiable need for rapid, elaborate conversation which is overwhelming for many.   L is a kid who speaks intelligently about so many ideas usually reserved for adult professionals and he is oftentimes more well versed in current industry practice than I am. He stays informed up to the minute in terms of technology and enjoys sharing all his knowledge with me throughout the day.  Most people's head spin after about 10 minutes with him.  We have many brainstorming sessions about our respective entrepreneurial ideas and branding objectives.   This taps into and engages the complex mind as it gives free unrestricted access to think about thinking...a hallmark of intellectual OE.  L independently engages in thought experiments as he plays out different scenarios in his mind in an effort to problem solve and expand upon his creativity.   He has theories about so many concepts that most of us never take time to contemplate.   He lets his mind wander and pontificate in unusual ways...this is not something that can necessarily be taught but is inherent in a highly creative, gifted child and it should be embraced no matter how crazy the ideas are. 

Of all the quirks and overexcitabilities that go hand-in-hand with giftedness, intellectual OE is probably the easiest to understand and work with; however, it still can be quite exhausting mentally for a mere mortal.  If my kid is a reflection of me, and I think he is, I can understand why I am so hard to take at times.

 

For guidance and educational alternatives for gifted children please visit: http://atypicalminds.com

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