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Overexcitability Inventory for Parents

Rationale for OIP. The gifted community has long been aware that giftedness affects more than the cognitive aspects of a gifted child. There is almost always increased intensity and sensitivity as well, which was recognized by the Polish psychiatrist, Kazimierz Dabrowski. In his theory, Dabrowsk

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Overexcitability Inventory for Parents

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    1. Overexcitability Inventory for Parents R. Frank Falk, Ph.D. Sandra-Leigh Sprecker, Ph.D. Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D.

    2. Rationale for OIP The gifted community has long been aware that giftedness affects more than the cognitive aspects of a gifted child. There is almost always increased intensity and sensitivity as well, which was recognized by the Polish psychiatrist, Kazimierz Dabrowski. In his theory, Dabrowski talked about the superstimulatibility of the nervous system, which has been translated into English as overexcitabilities. This means that a gifted child is likely to respond more deeply and meaningfully to something that others may not even notice. Overexcitabilities express themselves in five different areas: psychomotor, sensual, imaginational, intellectual and emotional. These intensities have been found to correlate with giftedness.

    3. Description of the Overexcitabilities Psychomotor OE is characterized by high levels of physical activity, surplus of energy and love of movement. Sensual OE is enhanced sensitivity of taste, touch, sound, sight and smell. Imaginational OE is expressed through a creative imagination and a penchant for inventiveness. Intellectual OE involves an insatiable quest for knowledge, endless curiosity, keen analytical skills, and love of complex ideas. Emotional OE is recognized as intense feelings, identification with other’s feelings, strong emotional ties and attachments to others.

    4. Scoring Criteria The Overexcitability Inventory for Parents generates scores from 5.0 (highest possible score) to 1.0 (lowest possible score), with the option of “not applicable.” The grand harmonic means derived from nine studies of primarily gifted students on the self-report version of this instrument were as follows: Emotional OE 3.2; Intellectual OE 3.11; Psychomotor OE 3.05; Sensual OE 3.06; and Imaginational OE 2.82. (Falk & Miller, 2009)

    5. Mother’s Ranking Father’s Ranking Sensual 4.5 Intellectual 4.9 Emotional 4.4 Imaginational 4.3 Imaginational 4.1 Emotional 4.1 Intellectual 4.0 Sensual 4.0 Psychomotor 2.7 Psychomotor 1.5

    6. Leslie surpassed the means for gifted elementary-aged students in all overexcitabilities except Psychomotor. Her father gave her the highest possible rating in 9 out of 10 descriptors of Intellectual OE. According to her mother, Sensual OE is Leslie’s most salient characteristic, followed closely by Emotional OE. Some examples of Intellectual OE that were strongly endorsed by both parents are: “My child is an independent thinker”; “My child observes and analyzes everything”; “My child can take difficult concepts and translate them into something more understandable”; “Theories get my child’s mind going”; and “My child loves to dig beneath the surface of issues.”

    7. Some examples of Sensual OE that both parents felt were very much like Leslie include: “My child is moved by beauty in nature”; “My child loves to listen to the sounds of nature”; and “My child finds the differences in aromas interesting.” Some agreed-upon characteristics of Emotional OE that Leslie’s parents noted were: “My child feels other people’s feelings”; “My child is deeply concerned about others”; “My child worries a lot”; “My child takes everything to heart”; and “My child is an emotional person.” Strong indicators of Imaginational OE include: “My child’s pretend world is very real to her”; “When my child is bored, she begins to daydream”; and “My child has a talent for fantasy.”

    8. Recommendations for Intellectual OE Learning new ideas is exciting for children with Intellectual OE. They enjoy intellectual puzzles, advanced concepts, and mastering difficult work. It may be helpful for them to keep a diary of questions that they can later explore in independent study projects. Seminars with other gifted students permit them to share their ideas. The emphasis of their curriculum should be on depth, not breadth. They are often good candidates for acceleration.

    9. Recommendations for Sensual OE Sensations are very important to children with high Sensual OE. Color, texture, art, shapes, music, smell, and a rich diet of beauty are all needed to feed their souls. They usually love nature, love to listen to all kinds of music, and love being surrounded by beautiful pictures. Exposure to all of the fine arts is recommended: art museums, theater, ballet, and orchestras. Some children with Sensual OE are easily overstimulated and will need to have a place to retreat from noisy environments.

    10. Recommendations for Emotional OE Gifted children tend to have high Emotional OE. They feel things deeply and may experience highs and lows of emotion. They become deeply attached to friends, family, pets, and places. Community service projects of their own choosing help them feel that they can make a difference in the world.

    11. Recommendations for Imaginational OE Many children with high Imaginational OE daydream and pretend objects are alive. They often have imaginary friends and build imaginary worlds. They have an unusual capacity for imagery. They need opportunities to role play, draw, and write their fantasies. If they are attracted to science fantasy, Druidawn.org provides mentoring and a publication outlet for their fantasy writing.

    12. Recommendations for Psychomotor OE Children with high Psychomotor OE need active exercise before, during and after school to discharge energy. They may need to tap a pencil or feet while at their desks or to use a fidget to deal with excess energy. They might learn some isometric exercises to do unobtrusively at their desks. It is recommended that they have breaks where they can run or jump. This OE may show up as nail biting or other forms of nervous energy. Calming exercises and visualization can be employed to help them gain control of this energy.

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