Overexcitabilities, Triggers & Strategies

Intensities in Action

Understanding & Helping Gifted Kids Succeed

An Overview By: Misa Reardon, MIT

Kazimierz Dąbrowski was a Polish psychiatrist and psychologist best known for his Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD). In essence, Dabrowski's theory highlights the unique strengths and challenges associated with heightened sensitivity and intensity, offering a framework for understanding and supporting individuals who experience the world with greater depth and complexity. His theory of overexcitabilities (OEs) describes heightened sensitivity and intensity in individuals, particularly those with giftedness. These overexcitabilities manifest in five areas: psychomotor, sensual (the 5 senses), intellectual, imaginational, and emotional. Individuals with OEs experience the world with greater depth and intensity, leading to both unique strengths and challenges. While not all gifted individuals have overexcitabilities, research suggests a strong association. Dąbrowski believed that these sensitivities, particularly intellectual, imaginational, and emotional OEs, allowed gifted individuals to experience the world more intensely and profoundly, contributing to their potential for creativity and advanced development.

Psychomotor: definition

Traits include needing constant movement, having a continuous flow of words, being ever alert, eager, and driven. When a child with this overexcitability isn‛t able to move freely, he or she may act compulsively or appear hyperactive.

Psychomotor: examples

rapid speech
marked enthusiasm
rapid games/sports, pressure for action
acting out, compulsive taking/chattering
impulsive actions
notably nervous habits
compulsive organizing
excessive competitiveness

Psychomotor: Strategies for Managing

Allow time for physical and/or verbal activity
Build movement and activity into their lives
Be sure activities do not disturb and are acceptable to others
Provide time for spontaneity and open-ended activities

Sensual (5 senses): definition

Traits include sensitivity (positive and negative) to sound, visual stimuli, taste, smell, and tactile sensations. Triggers can include perfumes, food odors, textures of food or clothing, and the sound of fluorescent lights. These traits may be confused with Asperger‛s Syndrome or Autism.

Sensual (5 senses): examples

sensory pleasure (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
notably overeating
buying sprees
unrelenting desire to be in the limelight
focused pleasure of beautiful objects (gems, jewelry, etc.)
passionate love of words and/or writing

Sensual (5 senses): Strategies for Managing

Whenever possible, create environments that limit offensive stimuli and provide comfort
Provide appropriate opportunities for being in the limelight
Give unexpected attention or facilitate creative and dramatic productions that have an audience
Provide time for the delight of the sensual (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
When possible, create soothing environments

Intellectual: definition

Traits include a love of analysis and discovery, the ability to fixate on a subject for a very long time, a strong need for truth and justice, difficulty sleeping because of preoccupation with life/world issues. Intellectual overexcitability can be confused with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, or even Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Intellectual: examples

intense curiosity
hyper concentration on subjects of interest
avid reading (self-taught reader)
capacity for sustained intellectual effort
detailed planning
thinking about thinking and/or analytical thinking
heightened introspection
love of theory and analysis
conceptual and intuitive integration
rigid moral thinking, development of a hierarchy of values

Intellectual: Strategies for Managing

Show how to find answers to questions on their own, rather than tell
Provide and suggest ways for those interested in moral/ethical issues to act on their concerns (ie: coat drive for the homeless, volunteer at a food bank, research a topic to create a presentation for classmates or the city council)
For those too critical or too outspoken, help them to see how their comments and actions may be perceived as cruel or disrespectful

Imaginational: definition

Traits include aptitude for art or science, a tendency to think outside the box, very vivid dreams and imagination, and appearing scattered both in behaviors and thinking. May be viewed as having ADHD or oppositional tendencies.

Imaginational: examples

frequent use of imagery/metaphor
aptitude for invention
poetic or dramatic perception
animistic or magical thinking
mixes truth with fiction unknowingly
elaborate dreams/visualizations
detailed visual recall
fear of the unknown
tendency to dramatize

Imaginational: Strategies for Managing

Help kids differentiate between their imagination and the real world
Have the child place a mental stop or pause sign in their "videotape of their mind" to learn how to intentionally disengage from imaginative thinking
Help the child write down or draw the factual account before embellishing it
Help kids use their imagination to function in the real world
Help kids use their imagination to promote learning and productivity
Instead of using a conventional organizational approach, have kids create their own system or use technology

Emotional: definition

Traits include a strong tendency toward anxiety, having only one or two friends (because they invest so deeply in friendships), a propensity to have meltdowns under stress, and possibly developing psychosomatic symptoms like stomach ache or headache due to overwhelming emotions. May appear to have clinical depression or Bipolar Disorder.

Emotional: examples

notable fears and/or anxieties
feelings of guilt
concerned with death
deep emotional ties/attachments
sensitivity in relationships
difficulty adjusting to new environments
generalized loneliness
conflicts with others over the depth of relationships
self-evaluation/judgement
feelings of inadequacy/inferiority

Emotional: Strategies for Managing

Accept all feelings regardless of their intensity
Teach the child to anticipate physical or emotional responses and prepare for them with strategies you help them practice ahead of time
Help the child identify physical warning signs of emotional stress, such as headaches, sweaty palms, racing thoughts, etc.
Guide the child to act on warning signs early on in order to cope successfully and not lose control

General Strategies for Overexcitabilities/Intensities

Discuss the concepts of overexcitabilities and intensities
Focus on the positives
Cherish and celebrate diversity
Use, teach, and practice clear verbal and nonverbal communication skills
Teach and practice stress management
Create comforting environments whenever possible
Help raise your child‛s awareness of behaviors and their impact on others
Remember the joy!!

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