Twice-Exceptionale 2January/February 2007 Newsletter Issuee 20 for Parents, Teachers and Professionals

TM 2 Twice-Exceptionale 2January/February 2007 Newsletter Issuee 20 For parents, teachers and professionals. Price US$8 Helping twice-exceptional children reach their potential. When Your Child’s Second Exceptionality is Emotional: Looking Beyond Psychiatric Diagnosis Quote By Barbara Probst, MSW, LCSW While parents of all When people think of a twice-exceptional reduce emotional overload and bring problems to child, they usually think of someone who’s gifted a sub-threshold or manageable level. children who are not in and learning-disabled. The “second exceptional- the mainstream do not ity” is typically an educational issue like dyslexia, Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities have an easy time in our or sometimes a physiological issue like sensory Kazimierz Dabrowski, a Polish psychologist integration dysfunction. In other cases, however, and psychiatrist writing in the 1960s, developed society, the fact that 2e a child’s second condition is said to be emotion- a theory he believed could explain the inten- children’s disabilities al, social, or behavioral. These are the children sity, sensitivity, and unusual behavior of gifted mask their giftedness, described as hard-to-manage, badly behaved, individuals. He identified fiveover-excitabilities and their giftedness or just plain odd – despite, or perhaps because – heightened responsiveness to specific kinds of of, their high intelligence. They may even receive stimuli – that he felt characterized gifted children masks their disabilities, psychiatric diagnoses like Attention Deficit/Hyper- and influenced their behavior. Though not widely makes it incredibly hard activity Disorder (AD/HD), Asperger Syndrome, or known, his theory is worth examining because it to get the “experts” to Bipolar Disorder. can shed light on how giftedness interacts with, But do these difficulties merit psychiatric or is transformed into, disorder. These over-excit- listen and to understand diagnoses? Are they disorders, or are they mis- abilities follow. that you can’t just aver- understood and mismanaged aspects of gifted- 1. Psychomotor. In Dabrowski’s model, this age the two and say this ness? Perhaps your child does have a serious is more than just an abundance of large-muscle emotional disorder; if that’s so, then minimizing physical activity. A child might not race from room is an average child. the problem may prevent him from receiving to room or jump on furniture, but express psy- – Joan Affenit much-needed help. On the other hand, perhaps chomotor excitability by rapid speech, nervous your child’s differentness has been pathologized habits, restlessness, and difficulty quieting his – that is, turned into a disease; in that case, he mind in order to sleep. Like every excitability, ! may suffer unnecessary damage in the effort to this isn’t necessarily something negative; it can INSIDE fix what isn’t really broken. As a caring and con- also be the source of a child’s boundless energy cerned parent, how can you tell which it is? How and stamina. Often, however, a gifted child with Helping 2e Students can you distinguish difference from disorder, es- psychomotor overexcitability is mislabeled with Reduce Stress...... 3 pecially in gifted youngsters? AD/HD. Emotional Issues of To explore that question, we’ll examine as- 2. Sensual. Heightened sensitivity to sound, 2e Students...... 6 pects of giftedness such as Dabrowski’s five over- light, touch, texture, or smell can also be viewed excitabilities; explore how traits of temperament, in two ways: as a difficulty (the excessive sensitiv- Interview...... 8 as they manifest in gifted children, can lead to ity associated with Sensory Integration Dysfunc- Conference social and emotional difficulties; deconstruct tion) or as the capacity for esthetic 19 Coverage...... 9 some common diagnoses to see how difference appreciation. In a supportive con- is turned into disorder; and suggest strategies to text, a child with sensual overexcit- Featured Columns...... 16 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter is a bi-monthly publication about twice-exceptional children, children who are gifted and who have LDs – learning difficulties that go by many names, including learning disabilities, learning disorders, and just plain learning differences. Our goal is to promote a holistic view of the 2e child – not just the high IQ, or the quirkiness, or Book Review...... 18 the disabilities, but the child as a whole person. Comments and suggestions are always welcome by phone, fax, or e-mail.

www.2eNewsletter.com 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e F r o m t h e P u b l i s h e r s 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newslet- Welcome! ter, ISSN 1546-0762, is published bi-monthly in January, March, May, Happy New Year to subscribers and friends of July, September, and November. The subscription price for the print 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter! edition is $45. The address of the As we reviewed our business at the end of known office of publication is Glen Ellyn Media, 465 Columbine, West 2006, we decided to change the way we distribute Chicago IL 60185. Periodicals the newsletter. Of our several thousand readers, postage paid at Glen Ellyn, Illinois. POSTMASTER: Send address almost all have chosen to receive the electronic PDF changes to 2e: Twice-Exceptional edition. The 300 or so print issues we send out are Newsletter, PO Box 582, Glen Ellyn, IL 60138-0582. very expensive to produce on a per copy basis. So starting with the next issue and for the foreseeable Linda Neumann, Editor Mark Bade, Business Manager future we will be offering only the electronic PDF version. That means Phone: 630.293.6798 that all subscribers will receive the PDF version by e-mail. Those who have paid for print Fax: 630.344.1332 www.2eNewsletter.com subscriptions will receive extra issues to make up for the difference in subscription price; those [email protected] for whom the PDF version is completely unworkable will receive refunds or some alternate Editorial Board: means of distribution. We’ll continue to provide the same (or even more) content as you’ve Susan Assouline, EdS, PhD been receiving, and we remain as committed as ever to providing the 2e community with the Susan Baum, PhD Kathi Kearney, MA Ed information and resources needed to teach and raise high-ability children who have learning Deirdre Lovecky, PhD differences. We’ll send a letter to print subscribers with details of this change. Marlo Payne Rice, MS The focus of our current issue is the emotional side of twice-exceptional children. In our Linda Kreger Silverman, PhD Joan Franklin Smutny, MA lead article clinical social worker Barbara Probst looks at those hard-to-manage kids who are Meredith Warshaw, MSS, MA often diagnosed with emotional disorders. Psychologist Patricia Schuler looks at the stress that The cost for a one-year electronic results when 2e kids try to cope with the learning, emotional, and social difficulties they face. subscription is $35. Contact us for An article reprinted from Understanding Our Gifted looks at emotional issues that 2e students group and institutional rates. Send changes of address to us by mail or encounter. to [email protected]. Along with these articles you’ll find some conference coverage from last fall. There’s a ses- The contents of 2e Newsletter are sion on finding and supporting 2e learners from the 2006 NAGC conference plus coverage of a not intended to constitute medical symposium on exceptional and gifted dyslexics held at the International Dyslexia Association’s or clinical advice, which should be obtained from a licensed practitio- annual conference in November. ner. The use of information from 2e Also this month 2e Newsletter interviews educator and 2e advocate Mary Ruth Coleman, Newsletter for commercial purposes is prohibited without consent in writ- the new head of the Council for Exceptional Children. And, as always, you’ll find our regular ing from Glen Ellyn Media. We thank columns and features (except for Bob Seney, who will return next issue). our supporters and subscribers.

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2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 www.2eNewsletter.com Feature: The Emotional Side 2e Reducing Stress: Helping 2e Students Understand Their Exceptionalities By Patricia A. Schuler, Ph.D., NCC, LMHC Finding Stressors How can adults uncover the stressors related to being Years ago I read about a child who was learning disabled. twice exceptional that affect the children or adolescents in He didn’t understand what his disability meant, couldn’t write their lives? And how can they gain insight into the way these or do math, spent hours doing homework, needed a tutor, stressors affect young people? Here are some effective hated his English teacher, but loved tennis and baseball. I strategies that take only a few minutes to use: remember his comment about how it would look if he really Stress Boxes. This strategy comes from Jean Sunde showed the way he felt in class. He described it “like a tornado Peterson’s book, Talk with Teens About Self and Stress. The that hit the school, and people would hear it in China.” steps the student follows are: (Bobrick, 1994) His words have stayed with me as I work with 1. Draw five small horizontal boxes in a row at the bottom of twice-exceptional kids. a sheet and put the word “Me” in each box. Twice-exceptional (2e) children live a daily struggle trying 2. Draw five larger boxes above the smaller ones. to understand themselves and the educational world they 3. In each large box, write a specific stressor related to face. We often hear their frustration, anger, stress, anxiety, school distress. (See examples in Figure 1 below.) and denial. We often see their depressive symptoms, fear 4. Draw a line between each Me box and the stressor in the of failure, dependency, and social distress. They struggle larger box. Show the intensity of the stressor by how heavy to maintain a precarious balance between dealing with the you make the line. The thicker the line, the more this expectations of being gifted and desperately trying to cope stressor bothers you. with learning, emotional, and social difficulties. 5. Show whether the stressor is short-term or long-term. For Being aware of this emotional toll is critical in helping a short-term stressor (over in less than a month), place an 2e students. Equally important is recognizing the emotional “X” above the large box. For a long-term stressor, draw a issues they’re apt to encounter at each stage of school. In circle around the larger box. the book To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled, Drs. Baum and What’s On Your Plate?” This idea comes from Nate, Owen provide a framework for these issues. At the elementary who as a second grader told me his “plate was beyond level, fear of embarrassment and looking stupid in front of overflowing!” The student follows these steps using a large peers is paramount. Middle and high school students may white paper plate: experience feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and alienated along 1. Write or draw all of the things/activities/responsibilities/ with fear of failure or success, and fear that their disability worries happening in your school life. will be exposed. At all levels, these children can experience 2. Show which take up the most time. a lowered sense of self-efficacy, negative perception of self- 3. Show which are the most (or the least) stressful. worth, frustration, procrastination, underachievement, anger, 4. Show which you would like to have more time for. anxiety, and depression. 5. Turn the paper plate over and write or draw how you help yourself deal with these stressors – who helps you and what you think you need to deal with each. 4

Figure 1.

www.2eNewsletter.com 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e Feature: The Emotional Side Helping 2e Students Understand, continued

Note that adults are likely to find homework issues on be successful. Discovering their learning styles and whether these plates and that children rarely list individual strategies they tend toward introversion or extraversion, for example, for dealing with the stressors. helps them to know themselves, an initial step toward self- Inspiration S oftware. Students can visually depict advocacy. Explaining how the educational system works by the stressors in their school and/or home lives using this using a flow chart also helps students see that advocacy for software. It’s a remarkable tool to use with visual learners or appropriate and sufficient services can begin with them and with students reluctant to share thoughts and feelings verbally. their parents. [For information on Inspiration, see www.Inspiration.com.] Students are ready PMI about Risk Taking. PMI stands for Positive, Minus to examine their areas of (or Negative), and Interesting. Students can use this rating weakness once they begin system to orally or visually share what happens when they to recognize and accept take academic, social, or emotional risks. their giftedness and all its Quotations. Use quotations to provoke deep discussions manifestations, from intense with students about being different or taking risks. For feelings to creative ideas. It’s example, you might ask who said, “I didn’t belong as a kid not unusual for 2e students and that always bothered me. If only I’d known that one day to express denial of this my differences would be an asset.” Although children may not side of themselves. Helping know that the quote is from Bette Midler, they can identify with them to fully understand the sadness, frustration, and isolation of her experience. Other their disabilities or deficits useful quotes include: leads them to see that these • “If you worried about falling off the bike, you’d never get are only a part of who they on.” (Lance Armstrong) are. Children may need time to accept this unwanted force • “Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, either in their lives, to come to see that they will have to deal with way you’re right.” (Henry Ford) it on many levels – academically, socially, and emotionally. • “When I dare to be powerful – to use my strength in In time, although sometimes reluctantly, their focus on “Why the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less me?” turns to an acknowledgement that they need to learn important whether I am afraid.” (Audre Lord) compensatory strategies. • “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never Students can learn about this other side of themselves – take.” (Wayne Gretsky). their other exceptionality – in a variety of ways. On the Internet two excellent sources of information are www.ldonline.org Dealing with Stressors and www.SparkTop.org (for kids 8-12). A website that provides Once twice-exceptional students acknowledge their excellent overviews of how the brain processes information stressors, the focus can shift to developing a plan for working and emotions is www.explainthebrain.com. with these issues. An important first step is helping children Books offer a wonderful way to see how others, whether understand their exceptionalities – both their areas of strength real or fictional, deal with having two exceptionalities. Several and of weakness. Learning about their strengths begins by that are particularly effective include: discussing what being smart or gifted/talented “really” means. • The Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler (creativity/ Discuss intellectual and personality characteristics as well dyslexia) as above-average abilities in different areas. A good way to • No Excuses by Kyle Maynard (wrestling/physical disability) start is by examining the lives of famous gifted individuals. It • Reach for the Moon by Samantha Abeel (writing/ also helps to look at people in the child’s daily life – parent, dyscalculia) sibling, friend, grandparent, the school nurse, the principal, • Learning Outside the Lines by Mooney and Cole (writing/ a particular teacher, etc. – who have high abilities and are dyslexia, visual arts/ADHD). intense, creative, insightful, and so forth. Using back issues of the 2e Newsletter to highlight certain exceptionalities, like Central Auditory Processing Twice-exceptional students need to become experts about 5 themselves so they can share with others what helps them to Disorder, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, or AD/HD, gives

2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 www.2eNewsletter.com Feature: The Emotional Side 2e Helping 2e Students Understand, continued students another way to gain factual information and relieve the groundwork for building a trusting relationship, essential some of their stress. It helps them reduce their feeling of for introducing compensatory strategies, accommodations, isolation to discover that others also have similar experiences. and/or modifications. Doing something different may evoke Other powerful tools are videos and DVDs. Some that intense feelings. Students will, however, be more receptive to twice-exceptional students find helpful include: taking risks and learn helpful strategies once they recognize, • I Have Tourette’s But Tourette’s Doesn’t Have Me understand, and accept their intellectual and emotional • Jake's Story and The Kids Panel (Obsessive Compulsive exceptionalities. Disorder) It is our responsibility to help twice-exceptional children • Ennis’ Gift (learning differences) discover their strengths and limitations and to reframe their • What the Silenced Say (personal experiences with gifted/other exceptionality experience. By doing so, they will dyslexia and AD/HD) learn that their differences are assets to be acknowledged, • Misunderstood Minds (children’s experiences with unique accepted, and perhaps even celebrated. learning differences). Sometimes it can be a life-altering experience for students References to speak with older people who are twice exceptional to find Baum, S. & Owen, S. (2004). To Be Gifted & Learning out how they navigated their school, home, and social worlds. Disabled: Strategies for Helping Bright Students with LD, My experience is that many successful 2e adults enjoy sharing ADHD, and More. Mansfield Center, CT: Creative Learn- their experiences – the pain they felt, how they overcame ing Press. hurdles, how they set goals, who helped their progress, and Bobrick, A. (May/June 1994). “The Tornado Inside.” The how knowledge and perseverance paid off. Networker. pp. 56-57. Once students begin their journey in understanding themselves, their anxiety tends to lessen. To help them Peterson, Jean Sunde. (1993) Talk with Teens About Self and organize the information they gather, I have the students Stress: 50 Guided Discussions for School and Counseling create two binders, one to keep at my office and one for home. Groups. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing. In them are sections for information from these categories: • Self-Advocacy Pat Schuler has Master’s degrees in • Strengths/Interests Gifted Education and Counseling Psychol- • Current Data (learning style, report cards, test results, ogy as well as a Doctorate in Educational etc.) Psychology. She is a National Certified • IEP or 504 Plan Counselor and a Licensed Mental Health • Strategies Counselor. Pat founded Creative Insights, • Middle School, High School, College Preparation a counseling and educational consulting • Resources/Articles. practice, in Castleton, New York, where Organizing information about themselves keeps the she specializes in working with high-abil- students on track for learning additional strategies. It’s also a ity children, especially those who are twice exceptional, and way to continue gathering more data as they learn to become their families. She has presented nationally and internation- independent learners and to deal with their emotional issues. ally on issues related to gifted education, especially underachieving gifted students, differentiation in the classroom, The Result? perfectionism, and the social and emotional issues of gifted Using a variety of ways to explore who they are helps students. 2e twice-exceptional students discover that they are complex individuals with unique needs. They are, as one eight-year old girl told me, “kaleidoscopic!” Self-identification is a powerful way to begin the therapeutic process in counseling or to start providing services in a school setting. Focusing initially on developing a student’s abilities, strengths, and interests lays www.2eNewsletter.com 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e Feature: The Emotional Side The Affective Side: Emotional Issues of Twice-exceptional Students

By Jean Strop and David Goldman Fear of Failure Twice-exceptional students who have not learned ways From Understanding Our Gifted. 2002 Winter 28-29. Reprint- to compensate in their areas of academic weaknesses may ed with permission, Open Space Communications (800-494- develop an expectation of failure, hence a subsequent fear of 6178). failure. This fear of failure may exhibit itself as anger or frustration while completing the task, high levels of stress at any I remember a day in 2nd grade when the whole class was stages of the task, and/or total avoidance of parts of the task sitting in a circle taking turns reading a book. I quietly watched or the entire task. as each person took his turn. The number of students between the reader and myself slowly dwindled while my pulse Strong Need to Control rate quickened. Everyone read so fast! Finally it was my turn. Often these aforementioned emotions, expectations, and “OK,” I told myself, “slowly sound out each word, and I’ll do fears can be perceived as negative and to be avoided. One fine.” Despite my best efforts, I still got stuck on the five-let- way to avoid these feelings is to develop a strong need to con- ter words that everyone else read with ease. The entire class trol situations. For instance, a student who is easily distracted started laughing; what an idiot I was; everyone could read this may feign illness on the day of an exam to set up a make-up but me. I finished reading a few sentences in what seemed situation in a much quieter teacher’s office. A student who like three hours, but at least it was over; the torture had end- hates to read aloud will ask for a bathroom pass just before it ed. But WAIT! The circle was going around again!! is his turn to read aloud in class. A student who fears failure David Goldman, 2001 will not turn in homework to feel in control and to protect the ego, using the rationale that “I would have done well had I This quote, taken from a recent college essay written by a done the work.” very successful twice-exceptional student, illustrates the key dilemma faced by these students. It is not an easy task to bal- Low Self-Esteem ance the expectations of being gifted while trying to overcome For many twice-exceptional students, the negative coping learning challenges. Consequently, twice-exceptional students mechanisms they adopt to deal with the anger, frustration, need a strong support group to assist them with several key and fears about difficult academic tasks can lead to lower self emotional issues that may impede their academic achieve- confidence, lower risk-taking, and less willingness to put in ef- ment: anger, fear of failure, a strong need to control, low self fort on tasks which tap academic weaknesses. These choices esteem, and sometimes, even fear of success. can negatively impact the academic self-esteem of these students. The perceived or actual reactions of peers, parents, Anger and teachers in response to these coping mechanisms can Students who are twice-exceptional often hold themselves cause a further erosion of self-esteem, as well. to high performance expectations. These high expectations cause twice-exceptional students to work harder and longer Fear of Success than their intellectual peers. Because of their learning chal- It is not unusual for twice-exceptional students to experi- lenges, they may still not be satisfied with the results of their ence the typical feelings of elation when achieving desired labors. It feels unfair to be blessed with the very gifts which success on a difficult task. For many of these students, how- lead to the expectation of excellent performance, yet have a ever, this elation is often short-lived and replaced by anxiety constant set of roadblocks to overcome. A consistent diet of at “not being able to replicate the level of success on the next frustration and resentment without academic success may assignment.” The anxiety often increases because the positive lead to deep-seated anger aimed at the school and at those feedback that is received from parents, peers, and teachers who hold these high expectations. can be experienced as “upping the ante,” or pressure. This sequence can often result in a deep fear of success. 7

2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 www.2eNewsletter.com Feature: The Emotional Side 2e The Affective Side, continued

Strategies to Help mand more formal situations such as individual counseling for The most effective way to inoculate twice-exceptional mild issues and, perhaps, therapy for deeper or high-impact students against the devastating effects of these emotions issues. is early identification and support. That way the student’s By arming these twice-exceptional students with ways strengths and weaknesses are documented, understood, to compensate for their academic weaknesses, as well as and more likely to be addressed. the means to overcome typical These students need program- emotional issues which can daunt ming options which allow them to them, they can be freed to achieve, pursue areas of giftedness, while to set high standards, and to suc- also providing opportunities to con- ceed academically. Then, hopefully, cretely learn compensatory skills they can develop a strong sense of (rather than having to learn them competence as expressed by the fol- intuitively through trial and error). lowing in a college essay: “I realize The twice-exceptional students my learning disabilities have been a who are most likely to achieve are blessing in disguise because despite those who know and accept their the difficulties they cause me, I have strengths and weaknesses, who been able to make myself a better utilize accommodations in their student.” David reminds us that areas of weakness, who know and when our twice-exceptional students accept that they might have to work achieve this sense of competence harder than other gifted students to and control in the academic arena, achieve the same results, and who they may once again dare to dream. have developed a positive sense of personal competence about addressing difficult academic Jean Strop is Counseling Coordinator and Gifted/Talented tasks. Resource Teacher at Cherry Creek High School, Colorado. She Even with a strong program which provides for both is a consultant and presenter on affective and academic pro- exceptionalities, these students will still encounter negative gramming for gifted and talented students. At the time this ar- emotions and setbacks. They need an active support system ticle was written, David Goldman was a senior at Cherry Creek to access during these times, to talk openly about their feel- High School, a debater, and a presenter on twice exceptional. ings, and to problem solve about getting beyond the emotions He was planning to attend University of Pennsylvania, Wharton in a given situation. This support can take place in informal School of Business. 2e discussions with teachers, parents, or peers; or it may de-

What Does One of the Largest School Districts in the Country Do that You Don’t?

They take advantage of the special district rates we at 2e Newsletter offer to encourage districts to make the newsletter available to as many gifted and talented teachers as possible. We base the district rate on the number of teachers you want to distribute the PDF version of the newsletter to. When you have hundreds of G/T teachers, as this district has, the cost per subscriber is (in our opinion and evidently in theirs) very reasonable. We also offer group rates for schools and parent organizations. Please call Mark at 630.293.6798 to find out if this option could work for you.

www.2eNewsletter.com 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e I n t e r v i e w CEC’s New President, Mary Ruth Coleman

At last November’s NAGC Convention, 2e Newsletter had the disabilities will be successful opportunity to speak with Mary Ruth Coleman, an educator at higher and higher levels. I and researcher known for her interest in and work with twice- learned from experience not exceptional children. At that time, she was the president-elect to underestimate anyone and of the Council for Exceptional Children, an organization that never set a ceiling – you don’t describes itself as “the largest international professional orga- know what they can do with nization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for indi- the right support and help. viduals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or My philosophy has been, the gifted.” She takes office as president starting in January of “Don’t lower the bar. Help 2007. them to be successful.” That’s what brought me to teaching Q: How will your interest in 2e children come into play dur- and to research. That’s why ing your presidency? I’ve gotten involved with orga- A: I plan to bring to CEC a focus on kids with disabilities as nizations – to set policy. We bright, competent, and sometimes gifted. Seeing individuals think we know what’s best for someone else. When children with disabilities through their strengths has always been my have a disability, we think we’re helping them if we set reason- focus – my personal passion. I see great opportunities within able expectations; but we often set those expectations far too CEC to focus more on twice-exceptional children and partner low. with other organizations like the National Association for Gifted Children. Q: Are you currently teaching in the classroom? A: No. I do direct masters and doctoral students working Q: What made you take an interest in 2e children? on research projects, and I mentor students one-on-one in in- A: My background of being a 2e child. When I was a child, dependent study projects. Most are interested in 2e kids. people didn’t know about learning disabilities. There was My main job is Senior Scientist at the FPG Child Develop- some work done with dyslexia but not where I went to school. I ment Institute at The University of North Carolina in Chapel had a very hard time with reading, and I can’t spell. The strat- Hill. I direct research projects entirely funded by grants. I have egy used with me was to repeat third grade, and it worked out four projects that deal with learning disabilities. fine. Later, in high school, I was accelerated and went to college at 16. I didn’t fit into any of the existing services. Q: What advice do you have for teachers working with 2e kids in their classrooms? Q: How did you overcome your reading disability? A: There are four things to look at when you’re trying to A: I learned to read in my second year of third grade. I help these students: figured out that reading was a puzzle, that there were pat- 1. Recognize that time may be the only thing they need terns. I figured if I could remember the patterns, I could undo – more time to process, to respond, to get the job done. Ex- the code. It was funny that later, as a college student taking tended time may be all it takes for a student to be successful. elementary education classes, I heard that word decoding ap- 2. Consider that these students often need more struc- plied to reading. I thought, “I had that figured out for myself!” It ture in the curriculum, pedagogy, and environment. Use time- wasn’t until fifth grade that I was reading chapter books, and lines and graphic organizers. Give more structured directions. now I always have a book in hand. I became a slow but pas- Use task analysis with large projects. Make quiet work areas sionate reader. available to students. 3. Remember that these students need more support – Q: How have these childhood experiences shaped your emotional support as well as support for their academic work. work in education? Encourage them to believe in themselves. A: They’ve helped me understand that when people strug- 4. Keep the complexity level high. Give 2e students as gle in learning, we can provide appropriate support. We can much ownership for their work as possible. Let them help you give them the structure, the time, the wrap-around help they understand the best way for them to learn. Take the lead from need to be successful. If we do that, many more students with them. 2e

2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 www.2eNewsletter.com IDA Symposium 2e Symposium on Exceptional and Gifted Dyslexics: Demographics, Profiles, Causes, and Education An afternoon was set aside on November 9, 2006, at the Those sessions and presenters are: 57th Annual International Dyslexia Association Conference in • “Issues and Epidemiology in Twice-exceptional Students: Indianapolis to focus on the characteristics and needs of gift- The Case of Giftedness and Dyslexia”; Rita Culross ed children with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Orga- • “Gifted and Learning Disabled: Research-based Strate- nized by Jeffrey Gilger, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Discovery and gies”; Susan Baum Faculty Development, Purdue University, this program featured • “Cognitive and Behavioral Profiles of Gifted Learners with speakers who provided research-based information on the Learning Disabilities”; Susan Assouline behavior, characteristics, and needs of the twice-exceptional • “Recent Research on the Personal and Social Develop- child. The presentations of four of the speakers are summa- ment of Twice-exceptional Students”; Sydney Moon. 2e rized on this and the following pages. Issues and Epidemiology in Twice-exceptional Students: The Case of Giftedness and Dyslexia Presenter: Rita R. Culross, Ph.D., Professor, College of Education, ness, a critical deficit for the field in Culross’ opinion. Louisiana State University • Additional Comments: According to Culross, this population is underserved in the school system, resulting in a The first presenter at the symposium was Rita Culross, a significant number of gifted students who underachieve. professor in the College of Education at Louisiana State Uni- versity. She set the stage for later presentations by defining Twice Exceptional terms and establishing issues that face gifted students with • Definition: This term applies to students with special dyslexia and twice-exceptional students in general. needs who are also gifted. Culross did a review of research on dyslexia, giftedness, • Prevalence: 2 to 10 percent of students. and twice-exceptionality. Following are highlights. • Additional Comments: According to Culross’ research, 2e children are often identified through their referral for Dyslexia special education services rather than as a result of their • Definition: According to the American Psychiatric Associa- giftedness. Also, more children are now being identified as tion, dyslexia is “poor reading in the absence of other twice exceptional because there is a growing awareness handicapping or adverse environmental definitions.” that extreme strengths and weaknesses can co-exist. • Prevalence: About 5 to 7 percent of school-aged children. • Origins: The origins of dyslexia are neurobiological, and it Gifted and Dyslexic tends to run in families. • There is not a great deal of research on gifted dyslexics. • Additional Comments: Culross says we have gained a good • It appears that many individuals with dyslexia have strong understanding of dyslexia in the last 20 years. Clear epi- nonverbal talents and skills. demiological data exists, including sex ratios, prevalences, • Dyslexics may be more likely to be gifted. comorbidity rates, and developmental trends. Culross concluded her presentation by stating that her review of the research indicates that twice-exceptional students Giftedness are at risk for the following: • Definition: According to Culross, school districts tend to • Not being identified for gifted programs define giftedness narrowly, focusing on academic intelli- • Being misdiagnosed gence as demonstrated by test scores. The field is moving • Underperforming in their areas of strength due to a lack of away from that toward a definition based on multiple intel- self-esteem and self-efficacy ligences (e.g., Howard Gardiner’s writings). • Not receiving appropriate services, including counseling. • Prevalence: About 5 to 7 percent of school-aged children. Few school psychologists, she stated, are prepared to 10 • Origins: There is a lack of research on the origins of gifted- deal with this population of students. 2e www.2eNewsletter.com 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e IDA Symposium Gifted and Learning Disabled: Research-Based Strategies

Presenter: Susan Baum, Ph.D., co-director of the International Center The key ingredient on this Susan Baum for Talent Development and Professor Emeritus at the College of New list, according to Baum, is tal- Rochelle ent development. “None of the rest works without it,” she ex- Susan Baum spoke from the perspective of a former LD plained. “Some of us believe specialist and gifted teacher who has done 25 years of re- that if we can only do one search on twice-exceptional students. She began by posing the thing, it should be to develop question: Are 2e children – those who are gifted and learning their talent. It provides their disabled – really different? Her answer is yes, they are unique. pathway to success.” Here, according to Baum, is what we know about them: Baum went on to describe • They’re smart, especially outside of school. They know a the benefits that result from working with 2e students to de- lot about many different things until you ask them to write velop their talents. She explained that talent development: down what they know. • Helps them to develop self-regulation and an awareness • These children feel like failures in school. They don’t want of how to be successful to reveal that they don’t know something or can’t do it. • Provides an emotional release They are likely to say “I could do it if I wanted to,” a red • Serves as the basis for socialization (“They make their flag for parents and teachers. best friends when they’re involved in their area of talent.”) • When they get accommodations, they feel like they’re • Helps the student develop their identity and positive cheating, a feeling that non-gifted children with learning sense of self disabilities don’t tend to share. • Gives others opportunities to see these students at their • These children are creative and are likely to use their cre- personal best. ativity to get out of doing homework that challenges them Furthermore, Baum explained, when they’re involved in in their areas of deficit. their area of talent, 2e students are the most ready to receive • 2e kids have poor self-regulation. skills. • They often have social difficulties because they’re always Some of the ways Baum gave to help students develop working from a position of weakness. their talents are: • Many are on antidepressant drugs because it’s hard for • Mentors and internships them to deal with their discrepancies. • Competitions and contests Next, Baum addressed the question: What do these chil- • Challenging curriculum, which might include Advanced dren need? She stated that they should have an IEP that in- Placement classes or the International Baccalaureate pro- cludes the following: gram in their areas of strength • Talent development (which goes under social/emotional • Acceleration, including online courses needs in the IEP) • Problem-based learning • A supportive physical environment. They do best in small • Independent study. classes where it’s hard to be anonymous. Baum concluded by looking at what twice-exceptional stu- • Challenging curriculum supported by differentiated in- dents need to be successful. Among her suggestions were: struction and accommodations. (However, in some school • Smaller classes, if possible. If that is not an option, teach- districts, Baum pointed out, rules concerning accommoda- ers should consider grouping, creating multi-talent groups tions prohibit them from taking the challenging classes where all have something to contribute. they need.) • A well organized classroom that includes quiet space • Targeted remediation and support services. (Baum cau- • Unlimited use of technology (i.e., computer, video, audio) tioned against making remediation the center of their to help make the curriculum more accessible to them as lives.) well as to all other students in the class • Social and emotional support. • Time (“All kids should have extended time if they need it.”) • Social/emotional support. (“If these kids don’t feel re- spected and valued, they can’t accept help.) 2e 11

2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 10 www.2eNewsletter.com IDA Symposium 2e Recent Research on the Personal and Social Development of Twice-exceptional Students

Presenter: Sydney Moon, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Gifted achieve: self-knowledge, self-acceptance, self-advocacy, Education Resource Institute, College of Education, Purdue University and self-determination. Moon then discussed the implications of her findings. She In an effort to learn what recent research has to tell us stated that parents need to: about the social/emotional issues that 2e students face, Syd- • Provide emotional support because “it’s so hard to be 2e ney Moon reviewed studies conducted from 1997 to the pres- and to not be understood.” ent. She analyzed 12 studies found in journals of gifted edu- • Be responsive to their 2e children. “Watch for that glim- cation, special education, and psychology. Two of the themes mer of talent and help them develop it.” that emerged from her research were social/emotional dis- • Encourage self-knowledge and the development of per- tress and misunderstanding. For each, she cited the following: sonal goals. • Social/Emotional Distress • Provide out-of-school experiences related to their goals - For the most part, school experiences were bleak for and passions. 2e children. Moon then stated what 2e students need their teachers - The children’s discrepant abilities had a tremendous do to: impact on them, regardless of the nature of the dis- • Be supportive and understanding. ability or the gift. • Provide accommodations for disabilities, gifts, and pas- - The children showed signs of frustration by acting out sions. or through avoidance. • Focus on students’ strengths. - In adulthood, 30 percent of the children studied had • Link activities to the students’ individual goals. mental health diagnoses from the DSM (Diagnostic • Encourage the development of personal talent. and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Moon emphasized that accommodation is more impor- • Misunderstanding tant than remediation. “These children are bright, she stated. - These children were much less likely to be identified “If you show them how to compensate, they’ll be OK.” She for gifted programs. explained that these students may need extra support in the - Nearly all of the children in these studies went un- areas of organization and long-term planning. identified as gifted until later in life. Counselors also have a role to play. Based on her re- - Schools tended to be very inflexible in meeting the search, Moon recommended that they: needs of these students, especially when a child’s • Look for hidden disabilities when students display social/ performance was variable. In addition, the students emotional problems. were unlikely to receive accommodations if they had • Provide support groups for 2e students and their families. not previously been in special education. Instead, • Help these students develop self-advocacy skills and per- they were often labeled lazy. sonal talents. - Teachers and parents expressed frustration with • Help them develop social skills, especially if they’re on the these children. autism spectrum. - The children experienced peer rejection. In conclusion, Moon discussed the implications of her Moon also looked at personal talent development among findings for researchers. She stated that they need to: the 2e students in the studies. Among her findings were: • Continue doing in-depth, qualitative case studies. • The positive experiences these children had usually hap- • Include personal and social issues. pened outside of school. • Define samples accurately. • Family support and extracurricular activities helped them • Investigate subpopulations, such as gifted with dyslexia, develop the personal skills they needed to compensate gifted with AD/HD, etc. for their LDs. • Develop ways to identify 2e children for longitudinal stud- • Personal skills plus goal orientation lead to well being. ies. Moon explained that the goals were long term, some- • Conduct studies of counseling interventions. 2e thing that the children really wanted to do. Having these 12 goals motivated them to develop the skills they needed to www.2eNewsletter.com 11 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e IDA Symposium Cognitive and Behavioral Profiles of Gifted Learners with Learning Disabilities

Presenter: Susan Assouline, Ph.D., Associate Director, Belin-Blank Q: How familiar are you with the concept of twice-excep- Center tionality? (%)

Susan Assouline discussed findings from a research project that she and several colleagues have undertaken at the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education at the University of Iowa. This research, funded by a Javits grant, is aimed at examining the unique issues related to assessing the learning needs of twice-exceptional students. The project began more than a year ago and will continue. The main goals are to de- termine the best practices for identifying 2e students and to make recommendations for meeting their needs. Susan Assouline As part of this project This graph shows that the majority of classroom teachers Assouline and other re- and school psychologists knew at least some aspects of twice- searchers constructed a sur- exceptionality and over 90 percent of gifted ed specialists. On vey about twice-exceptional the other hand, 44 percent of teachers and 36 percent of psy- students for educators, ad- chologists did not report those levels of knowledge. ministrators, and other support staff. Among the ques- Q: How confident are you that yourcurrent understanding tions asked and responses of twice-exceptional students enables you to make appropri- received from just over 200 ate referrals of twice-exceptional students? (%) individuals are those that follow. The responses, plotted in graphs, come from three groups: classroom teachers, gifted education specialists, and school psychologists. (The comments that follow each graph, shown in italics, are the editor’s, not the presenter’s.)

Q: How familiar are you with your district’s guidelines for gifted education services? (%)

According to this graph, very few individuals from these three groups – less than a fifth from each group -- feel confident at the highest level (very confident) that they understand the needs of these students well enough to make appropriate referrals. 13

According to the graph, while at least 80 percent of classroom teachers and gifted education specialists knew at least some aspects of their district’s guidelines for gifted education services, only slightly more than a majority (53 percent) of school psychologists had that level of knowledge.

2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 12 www.2eNewsletter.com NAGC Conference 2e NAGC 2006: Finding and Supporting Twice-exceptional Learners in the Classroom By Cathy Risberg self-esteem of 2e learners before it was “clouded” by negative comments. As volunteers from the audience contributed a Among the pre-convention institutes, or special sessions, negative remark typically made to twice-exceptional learners, held before the start of the November 2006 NAGC Convention a drop of food coloring was added to the water and the color was a session based on the new publication, The Twice Ex- gradually darkened. By the last remark, the clear water had ceptional Dilemma. The purpose of this guide, according to its been transformed. Now murky, the liquid showed the condition joint publishers NAGC and the National Education Association, of the self-esteem of a 2e child who had progressed through is to develop greater awareness of both the strengths and school with little support or understanding. challenges of twice-exceptional (2e) learners and to provide Nielsen provided tips for addressing the challenges twice- specific strategies for helping to meet their unique learning exceptional learners face in the form of the “four ‘C’s:” needs. [See later in this article for more information on this 1. Competence – the essential nature of focusing on a 2e guide.] child’s strengths The day-long session began with introductory remarks 2. Choice – the empowerment that comes when a child from Robin Schader, Parent Specialist for NAGC. She com- learns to make positive choices mented that “building awareness of twice-exceptional stu- 3. Connections – the value of promoting friendships among dents is the first step to making the changes that are neces- 2e children sary to help these students reach their potential.” Following 4. Compassion – the lifelong impact of knowing that some- her came five speakers. Highlights of the presentations follow. one cares and understands. Nielsen also emphasized the importance of “removing the Elizabeth Nielsen, Professor, University of New Mexico obstacles” to learning for twice-exceptional children by using Elizabeth Nielsen remarked that she and her husband, L. strategies and resources such as: Dennis Higgins, who spoke later, are the parents of a grown 2e • Speech-recognition software child who has been their inspiration and motivation in serving • Hands-on learning the twice-exceptional population. She conducted an activity to • Graphic organizers help participants understand what often happens to 2e learn- • Assistive technology ers’ self-image. 14 A clear jar of water was held up and described as the

Cognitive and Behavioral Profiles, continued

Q: Who is usually the best choice to provide centralized the lead in providing centralized support for twice-exceptional support for the twice-exceptional student? (%) students. Less than a third of gifted educations specialists, however, see themselves as best suited to that role. Assouline pointed out that while the research showed that gifted education specialists are the most knowledgeable about twice-exceptionality, 2e students often fail to qualify for the gifted program in school and, therefore, may not have contact with these teachers. She went on to note that “educators have a lot of bad habits and inappropriate responses to these kids because they don’t have the knowledge about their difficulties.” One example that she gave was the common belief among educators that these children are stubborn. “If they Here we see that both classroom teachers and school could do it,” she stated, “they would.” 2e psychologists look to the gifted educations specialists to take www.2eNewsletter.com 13 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e NAGC Conference Finding and Supporting, continued

• Organizational skills Proper identification of twice-exceptional children, • Universal Design for Learning, or UDL. (Ed. note: A univer- according to Weinfeld, is the key to meeting their needs. Those sally-designed curriculum offers students multiple ways whose giftedness and disabilities are not identified are unable to acquire information and demonstrate what they know, to receive the appropriate services. Without this support, and it taps into their interests in order to motivate and these students are: challenge them. In addition, it makes use of technology to • At risk for depression customize teaching and learning.) • Unable to reach their potential • Denied the opportunity to develop their talent and pos- Rich Weinfeld, Advocate, Consultant, and Trainer sibly become the next world-famous scientist, CEO, artist, Rich Weinfeld described the characteristics of twice-ex- etc. ceptional children as reflecting the features of both giftedness Weinfeld highlighted some factors to consider during the and disabilities. In terms of giftedness, these students tend to identification process: display the following: • Test scores • General intellectual ability • Multiple data sources • Specific academic aptitude • Formal and informal assessments • Creativity • Conferencing with families. • Leadership Once students are identified as twice exceptional, Wein- • Talent in the visual and performing arts. feld recommended the following: The disabilities they might have can include one or more • Interdisciplinary curriculum. Allow students to find con- of the following: nectedness between topics. • Impairment of hearing, speech, or language • Opportunities for student inquiry/questioning of content. • Visual impairment Allow students to challenge the material. • Deafness or blindness • Student passion areas. Address these in instruction. • Emotional disturbance • Student strengths. Rely on these to hook student interest, • Orthopedic impairment promote in-depth learning about a topic, and enable stu- • Other health impairment dents to demonstrate understanding of the concepts. • Special learning disability • Alternate ways to demonstrate understanding. Providing • Traumatic head injury options is crucial to this population. • Autism • The same gifted education services afforded to other • Developmental delay advanced learners. Where appropriate, offer 2e students • Mental retardation. curriculum compacting, differentiation, acceleration, etc. Weinfeld explained that while many educators are aware • Multiple avenues to meet student needs. Explore after- of these characteristics, the identification process of these school activities, clubs, art programs, mentoring, online students lacks uniformity. As a result, 2e students are not learning, interest-based independent studies, etc. often identified correctly. Instead, many of these students fall • Enrichment programs and experiences. Allow 2e students into one of these three categories: to participate in these. In addition, Weinfeld advised against using gifted educa- Formally identified as: Description tion services as an incentive for addressing a 2e student’s 1. Gifted only Giftedness masks the problem behaviors or academic weakness. disability 15 2. Having a disability Disability masks giftedness 3. Neither gifted, nor as Giftedness and disability having a disability mask one another

2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 14 www.2eNewsletter.com NAGC Conference 2e Finding and Supporting, continued

Rosemary King Johnston, Maryland Department of L. Dennis Higgins, Teacher at Bellehaven Elementary Education School, Albuquerque, NM and Professor, University of New Among the topics Rosemary King Johnston discussed was Mexico the importance of The Twice-Exceptional Dilemma guide. She Dennis Higgins, drawing on his experience as a teacher described it as a useful tool that supporters of 2e students in a self-contained 2e classroom, talked about the best cur- can use to build awareness and understanding of these chil- riculum options for twice-exceptional students. According to dren, address the proper identification of these students, and Higgins, the following curriculum components are essential for get funding. twice-exceptional learners: Johnston indicated that by focusing at the state level, • Time with 2e peers advocates for 2e students would have the maximum positive • Emotional, social, and cognitive activities impact. At this level their efforts could help to address the • Advance organizers achievement gap that results from the under-identification of • Differentiated and interdisciplinary curricula the twice-exceptional population. • Inquiry and discovery In terms of advocacy, Johnson emphasized the impor- • Individualized instruction in core subjects tance of: • Research opportunities • Determining a way to get funding for 2e programs • Autonomous learning • Providing both gifted and LD services • Opportunities in futures studies • Using parent advocates • Ancillary services and support. • Being aware of the benefit of using a 504 educational plan, which continues into adulthood Nedda Hamilton, Principal of Bellehaven Elementary School, • Collaborating and building coalitions. Albuquerque, NM Nedda Hamilton stressed the need for a vision regarding twice-exceptional children. She posed the question of how Ordering The Twice-Exceptional Dilemma to create an inclusive school. Her answer is through change The booklet The Twice-Excep- – changing the structure as well as how we look at teachers tional Dilemma was devel- and kids. Hamilton also discussed the impact of being able to oped by the National Educa- “accept the differences” in twice-exceptional children and of tion Association in partner- demonstrating both patience and persistence. ship with NAGC. It is aimed 16 at helping educators, school districts, and parents address the needs of 2e students. The Twice-Exceptional Dilemma is Referral Bonus available for ordering through the NEA Professional Library Subscribers who refer a new subscriber (1-800-229-4200), or it may be downloaded free of charge to us are eligible to have one additional at: www.nea.org/specialed/ issue added to their subscriptions for resources-specialed.html. each new subscriber referred. Just tell the new subscriber to mention your name and this offer.

www.2eNewsletter.com 15 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e Meredith Warshaw’s Column Deciding When to Fight and When to Let Go Our culture sometimes seems obsessed by the ethos remember that the schools are there to serve children, not the that it’s important to “learn to stick things out.” However, it’s other way around. In my opinion, it’s also important not to sac- equally important to learn when to quit. Some situations can rifice our children’s needs for the sake of fixing a situation for be fixed or endured, but some are unsalvageable. Wisdom lies others. Pulling your child from a bad school situation doesn’t in knowing when to stay and when to go. have to mean giving up on helping others fix it. When our children are in a damaging school situation, our When we take our children out of a bad school situa- first step is to try to fix it. However, some situations cannot be tion, after having first tried to fix it, we teach them important saved – at least not in time to avoid irreparable damage to the lessons. We teach them that you don’t just quit, that it’s im- child. When parents realize that this may be the situation, they portant to try to make things work. We teach them that when face difficult choices. things cannot be fixed, we look at our options and decide on Emotionally, the reaction is often “They can’t get away the best course of action. We teach them that we love them with this – I’m going to make them do what they should.” and consider their well-being important enough that we will While understandable, one has to decide whether it’s realistic. upset the status quo in order to protect them and do what’s Can the school be forced to do what it should? If so, can it be best for them. We teach them that we trust our knowledge and done soon enough to keep the child from suffering irreparable understanding of them and their needs. Finally, we teach them damage? Can we ensure that it’s done effectively, without re- that there are times to let go and move on. taliation against the student? It’s important that we teach our children these lessons Sometimes the answer is “yes” – we can get the situation – that when things get tough, we try to fix the situation and fixed in a timely manner and in a way that will benefit our child. that when the situation is unsalvageable, we look for other Other times, it becomes clear that change is not going to hap- alternatives and make the best choices we can. There are few pen soon enough or thoroughly enough. Sometimes, if what’s perfect answers in life, and it’s important for our children to needed are services or remediation, the cost in legal fees is learn how to make difficult decisions and then move forward. more than would be spent to handle the situation privately. And sometimes there are situations so toxic they require get- Meredith Warshaw, M.S.S., M.A., is a special needs educating the child out as soon as possible. tional advisor, writer, lecturer, and contributing editor for 2e Many parents worry that they’re abandoning the public Newsletter. She may be reached for comment and response schools, or other children still at the school. It’s important to to this column at [email protected]. 2e

Finding and Supporting, continued

Carol Walsh, Resource Teacher from Colorado Springs, Cathy Risberg, M.A., is an educational Colorado consultant. As the owner of Minds That Carol Walsh addressed the role of the school district and Soar, LLC, she specializes in providing its responsibility toward 2e students. She was clear about the academic advocacy services for gifted need for the following: and twice-exceptional children and their • Administrative backing to help teachers create shared families. Cathy has 15 years of teach- planning time and focus on talent development among ing experience in public and private their students. schools, the last ten as a classroom • Educating teachers on effective strategies for teaching 2e teacher in a school for gifted and tal- students ented. She is an adjunct faculty member for the Technology in • Teaching self-advocacy skills to students Education program at National-Louis University in Evanston, • Helping parents become more aware of what’s available Illinois, and presents regularly to various educational and in college and of how to get what they need for their child. professional groups. Cathy can be contacted at c.risberg@ comcast.net. 2e

2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 16 www.2eNewsletter.com Dear Dr. Sylvia 2e How Do I Keep My Gifted Daughter Focused?

My 8-year-old daugh- like studying at a desk or of her textbooks and library Dr. Sylvia ter’s been identified table in her own room. She books while reading the text Rimm is Q as a gifted student can do partial assignments to help her to become a bet- a child who’s dyslexic and may have and show you her progress, ter reader and to understand psycholo- some attention issues as but consider that she won’t the material she must learn. gist and well. She doesn’t do well build self-confidence if she Many libraries provide books clinical when she’s off by herself, as asks you for more help than on tape, and the organiza- professor she frequently needs help she needs. She has to learn tion Recording for the Blind at Case with reading and writing of the satisfaction of struggling and Dyslexic may be able to University School of Medi- her assignments. But, when and then accomplishing her provide recordings of her text- cine, author, newspaper and she’s nearby, she has all the goals (Rimm’s Law #6 — Chil- books for a fee. Using timers magazine columnist, and distractions of her 2-year-old dren develop self-confidence to beat the clock helps kids radio/TV personality. You brother, and she finds every- through struggle). If you steal to complete work more rap- can visit her website at www. thing else more interesting kids’ struggle, you steal their idly. Reserving time to play sylviarimm.com. For free than her homework. Any hints self-confidence. games after homework is newsletters about learning for keeping her focused on There are many tools completed motivates children disabilities and giftedness, getting her assignments done your dyslexic child can use to complete their homework send a large self-addressed, quickly? to help herself. For example, instead of daydreaming. For stamped envelope to P.O. Box she can tell her stories to more ideas on how you can 32, Watertown, WI 53094, or It’s easy to allow a a tape recorder before she help your daughter, consult visit www.sylviarimm.com. 2e dyslexic child to be- writes them using a com- my book Why Bright Kids Get A come too dependent puter. In that way, her think- Poor Grades and What You on parents, but your daughter ing won’t be inhibited by Can Do About It. would be better off develop- spelling problems. She can ing habits of independence listen to taped recordings

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www.2eNewsletter.com 17 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e Book Review “Mellow Out,” They Say. If I Only Could: Intensities and Sensitivities of the Young and Bright By Michael M. Piechowski Sensual overexcitability Yunasa Books (2006) offers rich and varied de- Reviewed by Linda C. Neumann lights, but also carries the risk of overindulgence. The book “Mellow Out,” They Say. If I Only Could pro- Furthermore, in cases of vides a different look at gifted children from what many unusually high sensory readers on this topic have come to expect. It’s not focused sensitivity, a child may on what these children are in terms of measures or scores, suffer from the pain of of accomplishments, or of achievements. Instead, this book overstimulation. Directly looks at who they are. It views this population from an emo- related to this are difficul- tional perspective, focusing on how it is to live life as a gifted ties of sensory integra- individual. tion. The author, Michael Piechowski, holds Ph.D.’s in both The value in viewing Molecular Biology and Counseling Psychology and works gifted individuals in terms of with Yunasa, a camp for highly gifted young people. In his their overexciteabilities is that book he views his subjects through the lens of Kazimierz it makes more of their be- Dabrowski’s overexciteabilities – the extreme sensitivity that haviors seem understandable and even within the range of Dabrowski observed in gifted individuals in these five areas: normal. For example, Piechowski offers this explanation for psychomotor, sensual, intellectual, imaginational, and emo- underachievement among this population: tional. The desire to be free of compulsion leads to a kind Piechowski begins the book by stating its purpose: “to of resistance. Resistance to compulsion is perhaps the give voice to the emotional life of bright young people, to most overlooked motivating agent in procrastination, show how their intensities and sensitivities make them more learning difficulties, refusal to work, and so on. These alive, more creative, and more in love with the world and free spirits – children and adults – very much prefer its wonders.” To accomplish his purpose, he draws upon unstructured time, freedom from deadlines and specific research in which he took part during his training as a psy- directions, and like to accomplish things according to chologist. The research involved submitting questionnaires their own schedule. They are usually filled with creative, to gifted high school students. Excerpts from their responses imaginative ideas. They like to discover things on their appear throughout the book, illustrating the pluses and own, and do their own projects…. minuses of living with each of the overexciteabilities. In ad- This book is the work of an erudite writer who combines dition, the quotes from these young people afford glimpses the perspectives of scientist and humanist. Therefore, it into the way gifted teens view themselves and their experi- requires some work on the part of the reader; but that ences in the world that parents rarely get from their own shouldn’t scare off anyone. It’s a very readable book enliv- conversations with their offspring. ened both by the many student quotes it contains and by In regard to the positive and negative aspects of each the personal experiences and observations that the author overexcitability, Piechowski offers these comments: inserts. Psychomotor overexcitability carries a great amount The reward for investing some time and effort in reading of energy, but it also leads to restlessness. Intellectual this book is gaining some insight into gifted teens and hear- overexcitability drives a person to seek solutions to prob- ing them speak with a candor that parents rarely hear. Par- lems, to ask questions, and to search for truth. But the ents can use this book to answer two important questions: search never ends. Excitability of imagination is a boon How does my child understand the world and how can I use when it springs colorful, interesting, and pleasing images. that information to better parent him or her? Alas, excitability turns into anxiety when anticipation of [See the next page for more information about Kazimierz all the bad things that can happen produces frightening Dabrowski.] 2e nightmares and fears. Emotional overexcitability brings joy and ecstasy but also heartache, self-doubt, and despair. 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 18 www.2eNewsletter.com Feature Article 2e Looking Beyond Psychiatric Diagnosis, continued ability may find a life of passion and artistic engagement. In an a delusional disorder (requiring treatment) can also be seen environment lacking sufficient stimulation or, conversely, with as talents (requiring expression). Gifted children who become too much competing stimulation, the same child may become lost in a fantasy world or insist on peculiar interpretations may anxious, irritable, withdrawn, or even explosive. The mismatch become poets, artists, or inventors. If outlets for expression between temperament and environment is the source of the are denied, however, they may develop problems like anger or difficulty – not an inherent defect in the child. depression. 3. Emotional. Once again, this overexcitability can be 5. Intellectual. Dabrowski’s fifth category is the one most easily misunderstood. The emotional instability of a child with typically associated with giftedness – an insatiable appetite for intense highs and lows may be seen as evidence of immatu- questioning, discovery, finding answers, and solving puzzles. rity, bad upbringing, or even a serious mood disorder – but it Such children can seem annoying or arrogant, and their stub- might be none of these. In particular, adults need to be very born individuality can be misperceived as defiance toward cautious before assuming that emo- authority or indifference to social tional swings represent a psychiatric context. They may be caricatured condition like Bipolar Disorder. With as “little professors” or, if their emotional overexcitability, there’s intellectual drive is focused on a a greater responsiveness to actual narrow or esoteric subject, labeled stimuli (including thoughts and mem- with Asperger Syndrome. ories); even if the responses seem excessive, they’re responses. With While Dabrowski’s theory of a condition like Bipolar Disorder, on overexcitability hasn’t been sub- the other hand, the emotional swings jected to rigorous study, it does follow their own rhythm and aren’t present an intriguing approach always connected to objective events. and raises important questions about the origin of emotional 4. Imaginational. This overexcitability is characterized by disorders in gifted children. Identification of the specific over- vivid dreams, creativity, love of fantasy, and inventiveness. excitability at the root of a child’s behavior can be a pro- 20 Here, too, traits that might seem indicative of AD/HD or even ductive first step.

The Work of Kazimierz Dabrowski Author Michael Piechowski was greatly influenced by Piechowski further explains overexcitabilities in these and became active in the work of Kazimierz Dabrowski passages from his book: (1902 -1980). This Polish psychiatrist and psychologist “[Overexcitabilities] are the foundation, the ground of worked with intellectually and artistically gifted adults and talent development, and of the way life is lived. Because adolescents, developing a theory for understanding their this manner of experiencing is often viewed as over-react- emotional development. According to the Theory of Positive ing, it is often treated as something to be cured – ‘for the Disintegration, creatively and intellectually gifted individu- good’ of the child. Parents tend to worry about these inten- als display an emotional richness, but they also experience sities.” an inner turmoil. Instead of being a sign of mental illness, as it was frequently labeled by the medical profession, this “Accepting and acknowledging that this way of expe- internal conflict is part of a developmental process neces- riencing is natural for an excitable child, reassures the sary for advanced personality development. child….Because this is how the child’s nervous system re- Dabrowski also talked about the intensity of gifted in- acts, it is critical to not demand that the child ‘get over it.’” dividuals in the five areas of their lives listed in the accom- “Many strategies can be offered to help the child and panying book review. In English we refer to these intensities the parent to cope with these intensities in an understand- as overexcitabilities, although Piechowski states in his book ing and accepting way…. The strongest support, without that a better term, closer to the original Polish, might be doubt, is each parent’s loving patience and “the capacity for becoming super-stimulated.” acceptance.” 2e www.2eNewsletter.com 19 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e Feature Article Looking Beyond Psychiatric Diagnosis, continued

Traits of Temperament completing their Another useful framework for understanding the behavior mission are seen as of gifted children is temperament. Temperamental traits are arbitrary and unrea- found in everyone, of course, but can manifest in particular sonable. In a culture ways in gifted individuals. If these traits are misinterpreted where “being a team (e.g., if a highly idealistic child is rebuked for being “critical”), player” is highly val- two kinds of problems can result. First, the child may receive ued, gifted children pejorative labels because adults assume that the behavior may thus be pegged reflects an anti-social motive or even a pathological origin; as rigid, arrogant, and second, other problems like anger, withdrawal, or low self- controlling, and intol- worth can result. After all, who wouldn’t become upset in the erant. face of chronic misunderstanding, frustration, criticism, and Perfectionism. isolation? Perfectionism is a Traits of temperament that may contribute to emotional or feature of many gifted youngsters and, like over-excitability, behavioral problems include: has two aspects. On the one hand, perfectionists are moti- Introversion. Unlike the general population, the majority of vated to work toward quality and mastery, and they derive gifted children are introverts who need to pull back in order to pleasure from achievement. On the other hand, they can be refuel. Gifted children who need to be alone to recharge may stubborn, critical, and easily side-tracked by a tendency to be misinterpreted as excessively self-preoccupied (narcissis- split hairs and miss the larger picture. They may insist that tic), timid, or socially backward. something be done perfectly the first time (unrealistic expecta- Intensity. Gifted children may crave high arousal (intellec- tions) or, on the contrary, continue to redo a task long after it’s tual and/or emotional) and require constant exposure to new reasonable to move on because it’s still not “right” (persevera- stimuli, traits that can be mistaken for symptoms of AD/HD. tion). They may feel passionately about areas of interest, take everything personally, and have strong opinions and intense reac- How these “Traits” Become “Problems” tions to events that others consider minor. No trait is inherently difficult; but in combination and Concentration. Some gifted children tend to hyper-focus through interaction with elements of the environment (other and prefer intense involvement with a single topic for a long people, timetables, sensory features), traits can lead to behav- period of time. Others, on the contrary, have a highly divergent ioral problems, including: style, need a wide lens, and are able to keep many elements Difficulty with peer relations. Idealism, a heightened in view at same time, even though other people may not see awareness of hypocrisy, unusual interests, and asynchronous the connection and may assume the child has become dis- development (when a child is mature in some areas, such as tracted or “off-task.” The first kind of child is seen as concen- intellectual reasoning, but immature in others) can cause dif- trating too much; the second as concentrating too little. ficulty making and keeping friends. Unusual sensitivity can Sensitivity. Here, too, gifted children tend to extremes. make a child vulnerable to perceived rejection; she may feel Some are easily moved by anything that seems “unfair” and betrayed by a peer who plays with her today and with someone will empathize to the point of over-personalizing, even iden- else tomorrow, referring to both as “friends.” In other cases, tifying with large-scale events like war or hurricane. Broken gifted children who like to organize others or insist on rigid promises and small slights can be deeply upsetting, and these adherence to rules can have trouble with the give-and-take of children may have difficulty discriminating. Alternatively, some social relationships. Unable to find the deep friendships she can focus on more abstract patterns or possibilities, appearing envisions, a child may invent imaginary friends or make do remote and insensitive. with stuffed animals, pets, or characters from video games. Adaptability. Children with a fiercely independent sense of Like all children, gifted children do want friends and may their own vision may insist on completing what they started in thus be caught between two contradictory desires: the desire the way they imagined, regardless of adult attempts to reason, for affiliation (belonging, connectedness) and the desire for cajole, or threaten. Flexibility and compromise are considered integrity (being true to oneself). The experience of contra- the abandonment of their vision, and requests to stop before diction in itself can cause stress and lead to feelings 21

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of wariness and isolation; and it can be further compounded perspective, it’s a matter of misdiagnosis. For parents of twice- when a child’s tempo is different from his peers’. Gifted chil- exceptional children, the questions are: which is it, and how dren often have extreme tempos, either exceptionally slow can we know? (needing time to ponder) or exceptionally fast (arriving at con- Clearly there are children with true psychiatric conditions. nections and conclusions long before their companions). Children who hurt themselves, exhibit dramatic change in eat- Difficulty making decisions. Gifted children, particularly if ing or sleeping, or talk about suicide need immediate profes- they’re divergent thinkers, may see so many sides of an issue, sional help. But in many cases psychiatric diagnoses are given so many what-if’s and possible outcomes, that they become to behaviors that stem from unusual intensity, sensitivity, or overwhelmed. Unable to manage the richness that floods eccentricity and aren’t pathological at all. We need to de-con- their minds, unable to bear the contradictions and sense of struct some of the common diagnoses to see how mis-diagno- loss about all the roads not taken, they’re unable to act. A sis can occur. child who can’t pick a dessert because she’s acutely aware of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). Di- all the desserts she won’t be getting if she chooses apple pie vergent thinkers who enjoy pursuing tangents and making – and who tantrums when adults urge her to hurry – may be unusual connections are apt to be called impulsive and dis- seen as demanding and spoiled when her behavior is actually tractible – and diagnosed with AD/HD. Other children who due to cognitive overload. become absorbed in their own thoughts and seem to “space Excessive self-criticism. Perfectionism and high stan- out” are labeled ADD (without the hyperactivity). In both cases, dards can lead to self-criticism when gifted children berate however, symptoms of the disorder are also characteristics of themselves for falling short of their ideal. Frustration may be coupled with resentment about high performance expectations imposed by others. Angry and aggressive reactions may be directed at themselves, at adults whom they blame, or at scapegoats like younger siblings. Avoidance of risk-taking. Intolerance for imperfection can cause children to avoid activities if they aren’t sure they can perform to their own standard. Just as gifted children may see myriad possibilities and become paralyzed by mental overload, they may also see myriad potential problems and become paralyzed by anxiety. Fear of failure – unwillingness to take risks – can lead to feelings of unworthiness, defen- siveness, and underachievement.

How these “Problems” Become Symptoms and Diagnoses There are three ways to view so-called “disorders” like hy- giftedness. Without an objective test for AD/HD like we have peractivity, anxiety, or depression. First, we can think of them for AIDS or diabetes, it’s dangerous to assume these are indi- as neurobiological conditions, hardwired into brain structure cations of neurological dysfunction. After all, a symptom list or genetics and, therefore, just as primary as height or skin is only a collection of descriptive (not causal) observations, color. From that point of view, they can’t be prevented, though shaped by value judgments about what’s desirable and what’s they can be managed more or less well; a gifted child might not. In a culture that values boldness and innovation (as we thus receive a dual diagnosis such as gifted and AD/HD. claim to but don’t, not when it comes to children), a quiet child We can also think of them as secondary conditions that who sits still without straying from the task could just as easily develop as a result of continual stress. In that case, they’re be diagnosed with Attention Surplus/Hypo-Activity Disorder. still real but not necessarily biochemical, and the idea of dual Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Many gifted children have diagnosis holds. a strong sense of self; they don’t automatically respect adult Then there’s a third possibility – that these aren’t dis- authority figures and may challenge rules that seem (to them) orders at all but misinterpretations of traits that only seem arbitrary or illogical. But that doesn’t mean they’re 22 problematic because of context or value system. From that pathologically defiant. Arguing or refusing to comply www.2eNewsletter.com 21 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e Feature Article Looking Beyond Psychiatric Diagnosis, continued with requests can be an expression of independence, not an to learn how to reduce a child’s distress or frustration to a act of spite. manageable (sub-threshold) level of difference. Here are some Depression. Sadness can be a response to loss of the ways to do that. familiar, especially at a time of developmental transition, or to Modify the environment to reduce the overall stress level. alienation from peers (feeling lonely, left out, and different). Children need to operate at a level of stress that’s below what Children who feel sure they’ll always fall short, or who feel they can reasonably tolerate. Without a “margin of tolerance,” caught in a situation over which they have no control, may be- there’s no room for a child to absorb and cope with the addi- come subdued and withdrawn. In all these instances, however, tional stress that will inevitably occur; and something is bound it’s the child’s situation that has to change, not his response. to happen to tip an excitable 2e child into the melt-down zone. “Treating” the depression instead of trying to improve the en- The parents’ job is to increase that margin by eliminating un- vironment is like trying to stop a leaking roof by mopping the necessary obstacles and stressors. We need to think broadly floor. Gifted children can also experience “existential depres- and creatively about elements of context that may matter for sion” when they become occupied with questions of existence a particular child and about which we’re willing to be flexible. or become distressed by the gap between the perfect world in Included might be sensory elements, demands about time their mind and the real world around them. (tempo, duration, and schedules), and conceptions of space. Bipolar Disorder. A gifted child can have intense emo- Some children do much better in large open spaces and feel tions without having Bipolar Disorder. Sometimes emotionality boxed-in when the space is too small; others need the contain- comes from asynchrony in the child’s giftedness – when her ment and coziness of small spaces in order to feel grounded. awareness of loss, pain, peril, or joy exceeds her ability to inte- Use language that normalizes and emphasizes common grate and manage what she feels. Sometimes adults assume human struggles. Help your child isolate and normalize her – incorrectly – that the child’s reaction came “from nowhere” area of difficulty. “You’re the kind of person who … hates to without understanding the child’s vulnerability and sensitivity. be interrupted, likes things to stay the same, needs time to In fact, there’s no objective measure of when an emotion is figure out where to start.“ That tells her she isn’t the only one too large, lasts too long, or shifts too abruptly; what’s “moody” who’s ever felt this way or struggled with these issues. Where in one family is “full of life” in another. possible, reframe “problems” into neutral traits. “Picky” can Anxiety Disorder. Worry, like sadness, can be a child’s re- become “You definitely know what you like.” “Stubborn” can sponse to his perceptions about life. When a gifted child sees become “You’re not a quitter.” “Impulsive” can become “You what might happen but lacks the means to influence outcome, aren’t afraid to try something new.” the feeling of helplessness can be acute. Adult evasions and Show that you ”get it.” Don’t try to convince your child that assurances only increase anxiety in a child whose mind has he doesn’t feel what he feels. You may be right that someone’s leapt to everything that might have been left unsaid. failure to keep a promise isn’t the end of the world, but telling Asperger Syndrome. Just because a child is deeply in- your child it’s “not a big deal” doesn’t help him calm down – it volved in a narrow topic and not interested in typical social just proves you don’t understand. If your child insists that you interactions, it doesn’t mean he belongs on the autism spec- don’t understand, you probably don’t. Sometimes parents and trum! Asperger’s has become a convenient label for children children are talking about two different subjects – your child who are smart but odd. Sometimes parents will say, “My child wants you to acknowledge what might have happened, while has Asperger’s even though he can still be affectionate, imagi- you keep insisting that it didn’t. He knows his sister didn’t native, and funny when he’s at home.” If that’s true, then it actually break his Lego castle, but he wants his concern to be isn’t Asperger’s. Like depression, the diagnosis of Asperger taken seriously. Syndrome should be reserved for the children who truly merit Help your child externalize what is occupying him inter- it. nally. Activities like drawing, recording an audiotape, or writing a letter to the editor can help your child give form to intense Strategies to Reverse Direction feelings. Externalizing can also help him organize the ideas Instead of turning every difficulty into a diagnosis, we need that are flooding his mind. If, for instance, you want your child to go in reverse and reclaim normalcy as a spectrum condi- to select a toy for his birthday but he can’t handle the flood of tion. To do that in a way that’s more than semantic, we need too many possibilities, help him create a grid or 23

2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 22 www.2eNewsletter.com End of the Issue 2e Looking Beyond, continued Back Issues of 2e matrix to organize the choices according to whatever dimen- Newsletter Are Available sion seems important to him – novelty, popularity, durability. If October 2003 (#1): Understanding gifted and 2e children he’s pressured to select a gift without having worked through December 2003 (#2): Public policy and 2e kids all the pros and cons to his own satisfaction, reaction is in- evitable: he’ll reject the toy and then you’ll get angry at his February 2004 (#3): Homework and 2e kids ingratitude. Practice ahead of time. Once the meltdown has started, April 2004 (#4): AD/HD in gifted children it’s too late. If your perfectionist child has rejected the vanilla June 2004 (#5): 2e Advocacy and the Montgomery County ice cream cone because it has a smear of chocolate, your Public School System chance of convincing her that it’s okay is much greater if Assessment and evaluation you’ve talked ahead of time about the 5 percent rule in sta- August 2004 (#6): tistics. (Statisticians are only concerned with arriving at 95 October 2004 (#7): Providing support for twice-exception- percent probability, because you can never account for every al students in the classroom potential case.) You can remind your child that a cone counts December 2004 (#8): A look at output, the work that as vanilla as long as the chocolate smear is less than or equal twice-exceptional students produce – or fail to produce to 5 percent – but you can’t pull that idea out of a hat once she’s in the midst of a meltdown. It has to be a principle that’s February 2005 (#9): Viewing learning and behavior prob- already in her repertoire, not something she thinks you’ve in- lems through the lens of neuroscience vented to trick her out of her misery. April 2005 (#10): Parenting 2e children

In Conclusion June 2005 (#11): Autism spectrum disorders Without minimizing true disorders requiring professional August 2005 (#12): Teaching 2e students treatment, it’s important to step back and ask whether your Dyslexia as the second “e” child’s behavior might originate in something other than a November 2005 (#13): psychiatric condition. We’ve examined a few possibilities, January 2006 (#14): Schooling alternatives from Dabrowski’s overexcitabilities to traits of temperament. March 2006 (#15): Different learning styles It’s only fair, after all, to consider non-pathological explanation along with pathological ones! This can bring new hope May 2006 (#16): Identifying 2e kids because the odds are that your child’s difficulty comes from July 2006 (#17): Older 2e kids the intersection of internal (temperament and giftedness) and external factors (components of the environment), rather than September 2006 (#18): Writing and organization issues from a neurobiological disease. November 2006 (#19): Central auditory processing disorder Barbara Probst, MSW, LCSW, is a clinical social worker specializing in help- Electronic (PDF) back issues are $7.00 ($3.00 for subscrib- ing families whose “different” children ers). Print back issues are $8.50 including US shipping ($5.00 for subscribers). Bulk discounts are available. A have somehow become “difficult” chil- complete set of all back issues is $80 for print, $40 for dren – often because their sensitivity, PDF. intensity, or giftedness is mistaken for a “disorder.” In addition to running par- For ordering information, see www.2eNewsletter.com, ent support groups and working with email [email protected], or call 630.293.6798. 2e individuals and families, she also teaches at Fordham Univer- sity’s Graduate School of Social Service, gives presentations throughout the country, and is the mother of two adolescents. She is currently completing a book slated for publication in early 2008. 2e www.2eNewsletter.com 23 2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 2e E v e n t s Mid-January, 2007, Our Gifted Online Conferences, Visual-Spatial Resources with Alexandra “Allie” Golon. Information at www.neiu.edu/~ourgift/pages/Conference.htm. March 1-4, 9th Annual Conference of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), Baltimore, Maryland. Information at http://copaa.org/conference/index.html. March 2-4, 2007, California Association for the Gifted 45th Annual Conference, Santa Clara, California. For parents, educators, other professionals. Information at www.CAGifted.org. April 18-21, 2007, CEC (Council for Exceptional Children) Convention and Expo, Louisville, Kentucky. For teachers, administrators, students, parents, paraprofessionals, related support service providers. Information at www.cec.sped.org. April 27-28, 2007, AEGUS (Association for the Education of Gifted Underachieving Students) 21st Annual Conference, Bowling Green University, Bowling Green, Ohio. For parents, teachers, administrators, clinicians, or tutors who work with gifted underachieving students. Information at www.aegus1.org. July 13-15, 2007, Annual Conference of SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted), Kansas City, Missouri. For educators, parents and grandparents, mental health professionals, and gifted children/young adults/adults. Information at www.sengifted.org. July 29-August 3, 2007, 11th Annual Edufest, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho. For educators of gifted and talented children, but includes a parents’ day and an administrator’s institute. Information at www.edufest.org. August 5-10, 2007, 17th Biennial World Conference, Warwick, England. By the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children. For educators, parents, and clinicians. More information (in the Queen’s proper English) at www.worldgifted2007.com. November 7, 2007, NAGC 54th Annual Convention, Minneapolis, Minnesota. For educators, other professionals, and parents. Information at www.nagc.org. November 7-10, 2007. 19th Annual Conference on AD/HD, Crystal City, Virginia. By CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). Information at www.CHADD.org.

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Feature: The Psychological/Emotional Side of 2e

2e Newsletter • January/February 2007 24 www.2eNewsletter.com