This recent study explores the prevalence of the five forms of overexcitability in highly and profoundly gifted children and adolescents. The authors worked on the idea that the educational and developmental needs of these children often go unmet due to societal responses, like peer rejection and alienation. Their key question is how we can inclusively identify these individuals to better support their social-emotional well-being and educational development. I really appreciate the mixed-method approach they used. For the quantitative part, they looked at WISC-V results for children identified as highly or profoundly gifted, along with an adapted version of the OEQ II and the Development and Family History Questionnaire. For the qualitative part, they conducted semi-structured interviews with parents.
The study found that all five forms of overexcitability are commonly present in highly-profoundly gifted children ages 4-13, suggesting that these traits should be considered in identifying giftedness. This highlights the importance of not relying solely on quantitative cognitive tests, as they may miss important developmental differences in this population. Proper identification and support for these overexcitabilities could help address the historical misidentification and misdiagnosis of these children. It’s also a call for parents, educators, and practitioners to seek professional development tailored to this unique group.
Reading the interview excerpts, I couldn’t help but empathize with these children, who didn’t ask for their “gift” but suffer isolation as a result. One line stuck with me: “They feel the weight of the world and they do say that like that,” which really captured how overwhelming it must be to have so many complex thoughts and emotions but not be understood by others. I really hope the findings from this study can help develop better assessment tools and support for these kids.
I think this is really important work. The emotional and imaginational overexcitabilities in particular can look like pathology to clinicians unfamiliar with gifted populations. I’m glad this study is pushing for more comprehensive identification that goes beyond IQ scores since we need to be assessing the whole child. The social-emotional isolation these kids experience is real and can have long-term mental health consequences if not addressed early.
Reading this made me tear up. My daughter is gifted and the loneliness she experiences is heartbreaking. She tries so hard to connect with other kids her age, but the interests just don’t align and she gets exhausted trying to “dumb down” her conversations. I wish more educators and parents understood that being gifted is also about experiencing the world with this overwhelming intensity that can be isolating and painful. I hope this research leads to better support systems so other families don’t feel as alone as we sometimes do.
This study makes me wonder how many gifted children are struggling in ways we’re not equipped to recognize. Do you know if the study offers any concrete recommendations for what schools can do differently?
This resonates so much. My daughter is profoundly gifted and the emotional intensity is real. She’s 8 but processes things like she’s much older, then gets devastated when other kids don’t understand her. The isolation is heartbreaking.
I agree! Half the time, a gifted kid having an “episode” is just them processing the heat death of the universe while the teacher thinks they’re mad about not getting a gold star.
Seriously though, emotional OE isn’t drama, it’s depth. This study is proof that we need to stop medicating intensity and start nurturing it.
The exhaustion from “dumbing down” conversations is a common report. How many minutes into a typical playdate or recess does she usually start showing signs of withdrawal? Tracking the pattern might reveal whether the mismatch is content-based, pace-based, or both.
Have you found any pockets where she lights up, like a science club, an older cousin, or even an online group, where she can just be without translating herself? I’m curious, and I think identifying these anchors can be useful data points as well
