If you know, or are the parent of, a twice exceptional child, then you are probably well acquainted with the word more... because that’s what these children typically are... more intense, more emotional, more active, more sensitive and so on. The theories of Polish psychiatrist and psychologist Kazimierz Dabrowski offer us an explanation for these over-excitabilities in our children:

Dabrowski’s theory basically described over-excitabilities, or “superstimulatabilities,” in 5 different categories, and, further, how the gifted were extremely sensitive in these areas indicating a notable stimulus-response difference from the norms. Simply put, this extreme sensitivity will produce a stronger reaction than what is considered typical, to a stimulus that may be very small, and that reaction will be sustained for a longer period of time. The reaction involves not just psychological factors, but central nervous system sensitivity.

The five areas are:

Psychomotor: This is often thought to mean that the person needs lots of movement and athletic activity, but can also refer to the issue of having trouble smoothing out the mind’s activities for sleeping. Lots of physical energy and movement, fast talking, lots of gestures, sometimes nervous tics.

Sensual: The “cut the label out of the shirt” demand, the child who limps as if with a broken leg when a sock seam is twisted. Also, a love of sensory things--textures, tastes, smells, etc. or a powerful reaction to negative sensory input (bad smells, loud sounds, etc.), sensitivity to bright lights, harsh sounds, a baby who cries when the wind blows in his face, a toddler who cries at the feel of grass on bare legs and feet. Another important aspect of this is aesthetic awareness -- the child who is awed to breathlessness at the sight of a beautiful sunset or cries hearing Mozart, etc.

Imaginational: The poet, the dreamer, “space cadets.” Strong visual thinkers, use of metaphorical speech. They day dream, remember their dreams at night and often react strongly to them. They believe in magic (take a long time to “grow out of” Santa, the tooth fairy, elves and fairies, etc.).

Intellectual: The usual definition of “giftedness;” a strong “logical imperative,” a love of brain teasers and puzzles, enjoyment in following a line of complex reasoning, the desire to figure things out, a love of things academic, new information, cognitive games, etc.

Emotional: Here is the perfect example of more. It includes being happier when happy, sadder when sad, angrier when angry, or, in other words, an intensity of emotion, along with a broad range of emotions. There is also a need for deep connections with other people and animals. Invention of imaginary friends, or subsititute pets, stuffed animals, etc. when unable to find close and deep friends. Strong feelings of empathy and compassion. A child who needs a committed relationship will think herself “betrayed” by a child who plays with one child today and another tomorrow and refers to both as ”friends.” Emotionality is also the over-excitability that makes children susceptible to depression.

It was Dabrowski’s belief that emotional over-excitability is central --- the energy center from which the whole constellation of over-excitabilities is generated.

Highly gifted people tend to have all 5 of these, but different people lead with different over-excitabilities. Engineer types lead with Intellectual, artist or poet with Emotional or Imaginational, etc. Variations in the levels of the individual over-excitabilities explain a great deal about the temperamental differences we see!

These five describe the unusual intensity of the gifted as well as the many ways in which they look and behave “oddly” when compared to the norms.

(Portions adapted from Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities A Layman’s Explanation by Stephanie Tolan)