1. Addressing the Social-Emotional and Sensory Needs of the Gifted:
Practical Middle and High School
Classroom Applications
Lauren Almlof, Gifted and Learning Support Teacher
Maggie Angelitis, School Psychologist
Reesa Ostroff, Autistic and Behavioral Support Teacher

2. Asynchronous Development:
Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching, and counseling in order for them to develop optimally. (Columbus Group, 1991)
See more at:

3. Asynchronous Development can affect:
Intellectual Skills
Some cognitive skills may be more developed than others
Academic skills may be uneven as well
Social-Emotional Skills:
Gifted students can often lag behind their peers with social skills and emotional development

4. Asynchronous Development can affect:
Motor Skills:
Poor coordination, difficulties with handwriting, “clumsy”
Sensory Skills:
Uneven development in sensory integration and modulation

5. Twice Exceptional
Gifted students can also be diagnosed with other disabilities. Most often these disabilities are some type of learning disability, Autism, ADHD, or an emotional/behavioral disturbance (ODD, OCD, etc.)
The following issues may occur when taking other learning challenges into consideration:
Giftedness can mask other learning challenges
These students will use strengths to compensate for learning challenges, but when curriculum gets harder they fall behind gifted peers. Can then be labeled “lazy” or “underachieving”
Other learning challenges can mask giftedness
Learning challenges can affect performance on IQ tests (ex: language based difficulties will affect performance on WISC-V, auditory processing issues may affect short-term memory tasks). These students may then not be academically challenged enough
Giftedness and learning challenges can cancel each other out
These students may appear “average” and not be eligible for gifted or learning support services.
learning-and-attention-issues

6. Twice Exceptional
Conflicting abilities may cause social-emotional concerns:
Anger/Frustration
Disparity between strengths and weakness feels “unfair”
Fear of Failure
Have not learned to compensate and will expect to fail
Fear of Success
Won’t be able to replicate success, or will cause parents and teacher to increase expectations
Strong Need to Control
Will avoid situations, or manipulate to increase odds of success
Low-Self-Esteem
Poor self-confidence, unwillingness to take risks

7. Brain Break! If the statement is...
True: tap your head and rub your tummy
False: touch your toes
content/uploads/2014/08/CEI-Take-a-Break- Teacher-Toolbox.pdf

8. Emotional Needs Emotions = chronological age +
Emotional and Intellectual Maturity:
“To have the intelligence of an adult and the emotions of a child combined in a childish body is to encounter certain difficulties.” – Leta Hollingworth
Emotions = chronological age +
Academic ability = mature/sophisticated
________________________________________________
Parents, teachers and even the child = frustrated, puzzled,
stressed
(Webb, Gore, Amend, & DeVries 2007)

9. Emotional Needs Asynchrony of Abilities:
“Sure I can do math equations in my head, but I can’t spell!”
“I can visualize the end product of this art project, but my hands won’t replicate what my mind sees!”
(Webb, Gore, Amend, and DeVries 122)
Interpersonal Asynchrony:
Gifted children are able to recognize that they are different at a young age. This causes a disconnect at home, in school, with peers, and with society in general.

10. Emotional Needs Perfectionism:
Healthy vs Unhealthy (ability to see potential vs ability to always see how you fall short)
At risk: the concrete sequential learner who is structured, organized and very serious
Pitfalls: guilt, stress, won’t try for fear of failure, the “wall of hard work” (early years lack challenge/stimulation- never learn to tolerate academic frustration- finally need to put forth some effort- no resiliency)
Overachievement:
Diligent and intense work that effects personal relationships, health and happiness
Over commitment: AP classes, band, sports, volunteer work, after school job and family commitments

11. Emotional Needs Learned Helplessness:
Martin Seligman found that subjects who are repeatedly exposed to problems they cannot solve easily become depressed.
“Being bright does not mean you can solve your own problems”
Gifted students may have immature emotional intelligence, which affects problem solving
Gifted student may avoid seeking help because they are expected to be good problem solvers
Resiliency skills take experience and practice

12. Emotional Needs Learned Optimism:
Provide students opportunities for problem solving with gradually increasing difficulty
Focus on building self-esteem
Teach student to "argue with themselves" - to dispute, to distract, and to distance themselves from negative thoughts/beliefs

13. Emotional Needs Other Strategies:
Consider how long depression/anxiety has been occurring
Listen to the students concerns, really listen
Do not ignore or minimize concerns, but do reflect and accept
Do not try to “reason” with the gifted student, but allow for self-reflection for student to look for alternative ways they could see the situation
Provide emotional support through comforting the student, watching movies/reading books/listening to songs in which the characters persevered through something similar, engaging in activities with others
Promote positive relationships with parents/mentors
Teach students to prioritize and strive for progress vs. perfection
Teach students mindful behaviors (meditation, deep breathing, yoga)

14. Emotional Needs
Gifted students are at a higher risk for clinical depression and suicide ideation.
The higher the cognitive disparity, the greater the risk!
Consult with school counselor/school psychologist if you have these concerns.
Keep communication with parents fluid.

15. Brain Break!

16. Sensory Needs Overexcitability and the Gifted:
*Overexcitabilities are inborn intensities indicating a heightened ability to respond to stimuli.
5 Areas of Intensity:
Psychomotor: A heightened overexcitability of the neuromuscular system
These individuals may be:
active and energetic
talk and act compulsively
This child has the potential to be misdiagnosed with ADHD

17. Sensory Needs
Sensual: Expressed as a heightened experience of sensual pleasure or displeasure emanating from smell, touch, taste, and hearing
These individuals may exhibit:
an increased and early appreciation of aesthetic pleasures such as music, language, and art
can feel over stimulated or uncomfortable with sensory input
Intellectual: Demonstrated by a marked need to seek understanding and truth, to gain knowledge, and to analyze and synthesize.
These individuals:
have active minds
are intensely curious
often avid readers
may be critical and impatient with others who cannot sustain their intellectual pace

18. Sensory Needs
Imaginational: Reflects a heightened play of the imagination with rich association of images and impressions, frequent use of image and metaphor, facility for invention and fantasy, detailed visualization and elaborate dreams.
These individuals:
create their own private world with imaginary companions and dramatizations to escape boredom
may write stories or draw instead of doing seat work or participating in class discussions
Emotional: This overexcitability is often the first to be noticed by parents. It is reflected in heightened, intense feelings, extremes of complex emotions, identification with others’ feelings, and strong affective expression.
show strong emotional attachments to people, places and things
are often accused of “overreacting”
show compassion and concern for others as well as other intense feelings which may interfere with everyday tasks like homework or household chores

19. Sensory Needs Potential Problems for Gifted Children Strengths
Possible Problems
Acquires and retains information quickly
Impatient with others; dislikes basic routine
Seeks to organize people and things
Constructs complicated rules; often seen as bossy
High expectations of self and others
Intolerant, perfectionistic; may become depressed
Independent; prefers individualized work; reliant on self
May be a non-conformist; may reject parent or peer input
Intrinsic motivation
Strong willed; resists direction
Adapted from Clark (1992) and Seagoe (1974)

20. * 9 year old discusses the meaning of life and the universe *
Sensory Needs
* 9 year old discusses the meaning of life and the universe *

21. Sensory Needs Gifted Children and Sensory Processing Disorder:
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is the inability to use information received through the sense in order to function smoothly in daily life.
Touch Sight Sound
Taste Smell
Vestibular (movement and balance)
Proprioception (body positioning and muscle control)

22. Sensory Needs
Categories and Subtypes of Sensory Processing Disorder:

23. Sensory Needs How Sensory Processing Disorder Relates to Giftedness:
Highly gifted children are one of the diverse populations affected by sensory processing disorder
As many as one-third of gifted children may exhibit sensory processing disorder features, significantly impacting quality of life.
Sensory Modulation Disorder is the most common subtype of SPD in the gifted; many gifted children also have dyspraxia:
A study by the SPD Foundation found that 35% of the children in one large sample (n=500) from a gifted and talented center exhibited symptoms of SPD. This is significantly more than the 5% that pilot studies have found in the general population:
Another study showed that almost 17% of gifted children tested at a different center had a co-existing disorder, including SPD

24. Sensory Needs
Gifted Children with Sensory Processing Disorder in the Classroom
Depending on the particular sensory issues, a gifted child with SPD needs:
Good communication
Controlled environment to reduce sensory overload
Consistent routines
Transition planned carefully
Planned movement breaks
Multisensory lessons
Encouragement to be active learners
Time for sensory processing
Realistic expectations to the child’s ability

25. Brain Break!
There was a major automobile accident in which a boy was critically injured and his father killed. When the boy was rushed to the emergency room the attending physician exclaimed, "I can't operate on this boy- he is my son!"
How is this possible?

26. Social Needs Where do peer problems begin?
EARLY: as early as preschool (advance vocabulary, leadership qualities, etc)
Asynchronous development: “It is not unusual for a seven year old highly gifted child to be reading at the sixth grade level, performing math tasks at the forth grade level, and with fine motor skills that are still at a second grade math level- her chronological age.”
(Webb, Gore, Amend, and DeVries 7)

27. Social Needs
Social development may lag behind intellectual development.
Gifted qualities make some students stand out or apart from peers.
Giftedness coupled with emotional or learning issues creates a larger social gap.

28. The Gifted Kids Survival Guide- Judy Galbraith and Jim Delisle © 1996
Social Needs
Systematic Issues Causing Underachievement:
Gifted Girls:
Sexism/discrimination/sexual harassment
Males are intimidated by intelligent girls/don’t date girls who are smarter than they are
High expectations
Gifted Boys:
Labeled as nerd/teased for giftedness
Peer pressure to fit in/conform
High expectations, extra work, more responsibility
Underrepresented ethnic groups: “acting too white”
Sorting children by age: 7 year olds belong in 2nd grade
The Gifted Kids Survival Guide- Judy Galbraith and Jim Delisle © 1996

29. Social Needs
Reasons for Underachievement/Decreased Motivation: (just a few)
Assigned task is not interesting or relevant
Child “goes on strike”
Attention seeking behavior
Avoid risk taking/ low self-concept
Poor work ethic/habits
Associated disability: ADHD/ LD
Preoccupied

30. Social Needs Learning Style and Modality/Personality Style:
Introvert vs Extrovert
CR, AR, CS, AS
Auditory, visual and kinesthetic
Social Needs

31. Social Needs
Some skills need to be directly taught, and cannot be assumed to be absorbed by the gifted student:
Conversation skills
Limiting discussion of narrow interests, reciprocal conversation, accepting others opinions
Active listening
Body language, asking pertinent questions, being engaged even if not interested
Social graces
“Business manners”, meeting someone new, how to handle tricky issues with friends/relatives/relationships

32. Brain Break!

33. Strategies
Identifying students learning styles, modalities, and personality styles
Music (classroom and individual)
Movement
Fidget toys
Adult coloring books: pages-for-adults/
Brain break
Books
Games (Apples to Apples, Sounds Like a Plan, Would You Rather, Last Word, Loaded Questions, Heads-Up, Think Fun- products) .

34. Strategies
Apps : Relax App (calming), Serenity (calming), Simply Being (guided meditation), Relax Stress & Anxiety Relief (guided deep breathing)
After school clubs and activities (gaming club, athletics, mathletes, debate team, etc)
Snacks/ Tea
Creating a safe environment conducive to learning and growth (physical and emotional environment)
Setting clear expectations and maintaining high standards while allowing for flexibility in learning and thought
Socratic format
Summer Learning opportunities
Listen. Let them talk. You don't need to offer solutions.

36. Strategies Resources:
Common Characteristics of Giftedness: Self Test characteristics-of-giftedness-self-test
The Gifted Kids Survival Guide- Judy Galbraith and Jim Delisle © 1996
The 5 Love Languages- Gary Chapman © 2010

37. Strategies Social Skills Groups:
Grade level (social, transition planning, etc)
Gender based
Needs based (direct social skills instruction, organization, self esteem building, etc)

38. Strategies Related Needs/ Outside Resources: Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Speech therapy
Outside counseling
IEP team
Guidance counselor
Psychologist

39. Citation Webb, J.T., Gore, J.L., Amend, E.R., & DeVries, A.R.
(2007). A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children.
Tucson, AZ: Great Potential Press, Inc.
Seligman, M. (2006). Learned Optimism: How to
Change Your Mind and Your Life.
New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

40. Presenters Contact Information:
Lauren Almlof
Gifted and Learning Support Teacher
Maggie Angelitis
School Psychologist
Reesa Ostroff
Autistic and Behavioral Support Teacher