By: Sammi Caillouet
Are you over-excitable???
Dabrowski’s Concept:
A Polish psychologist by the name of Kazimierz
Dąbrowski came up with a concept to help
understand the social and emotional development of
gifted students.
Dabrowski claimed that…
 Some people were more excitable than others and their
reactions made them appear to be more intense than
others
 He found this to be especially true in gifted individuals
 He concluded that these excitabilities could be categorized
in 5 areas
Dabrowski’s 5 Areas of
Overexcitabity:
 Psychomotor Overexcitability
 Sensual Overexcitability
 Intellectual Overexcitability
 Imaginational Overexcitability
 Emotional Overexcitability
Psychomotor Overexcitability
These people tend to have a surplus of energy. They may
seem as if they are unable to contain their energy and
this can sometimes be misdiagnosed as ADHD.
Characteristics to look for:
 Needs movement
 Compulsive talking
 Nervous ticks
 Extra energy that can sometimes be mistaken for
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ADHD
Rapid speech and use of hand gestures
May be impulsive
Sleeplessness
Compulsive organizing
Sensual Overexcitability
 People who are sensually overexcitable tend to have
heightened awareness of the senses. They are drawn
to things that are aesthetically pleasing and may tend
to overindulge .
Characteristics to look for:
 Very sensitive to good/bad smells and loud noises
 Sensitivity to bright or harsh lights
 Deep appreciation of beauty such as a beautiful work
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of art, sunset, a good book, or a piece of music that
brings a deep emotional response
Has an aversion to the feel of some materials
Craves comfort
May overindulge in things like food or shopping sprees
Enjoys being the center of attention
Intellectual Overexcitability
 This is the most commonly recognized overexcitability
in gifted children. These people have a need for
knowledge. They are very inquisitive and want to
know how and why things are the way they are.
Characteristics to look for:
 Ability to concentrate for a long period of time on a
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topic of interest
Constantly questioning
Voracious reader
Thinks theoretically and analytically
Good problem solver
Sometimes gets in trouble at school for challenging the
teacher’s thinking
Loves learning
Imaginational Overexcitability
 These people tend to have very vivid imaginations.
They think visually and tend to daydream often. They
live in a fantasy world and may be thought of as
“spacey”.
Characteristics to look for:
 Good sense of humor
 Tend to remember dreams
 Very creative
 May have imaginary friends
 Believe in magic
 Love metaphors
 Thinks in pictures
 Fear of the unknown
 May imagine the worst case scenario
Emotional Overexcitabiity
 These people are very emotionally sensitive. They feel
their emotions very intensely. They tend to have
higher highs and lower lows than most and they form
very deep connections to others.
Characteristics to look for:
 Anxiety
 A heightened sense of right and wrong and a demand
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for justice
Need for security
Form strong attachments
Sensitive to the feelings of others
May tend to be depressed or lonely
Difficulty adjusting to new environments or situations
Feelings of inadequacy or inferiority
Some Helpful Tips
While overexcitability can be exciting and make life
more fun, they can also lead to frustration and
challenges in daily life.
Tips for Dealing with
Overexcitability
 Allow time for your child to express his or her
overexcitability in a safe environment. For example, make
time for physical activity or daydreaming.
 Educate your child and others involved in your child's life
on overexcitabilities.
 Encourage your child to focus on his or her strengths and to
use his or her overexcitabilities to an advantage.
—Anne N. Rinn, PhD
Tips for Dealing with
Overexcitability
 Teach your child skills to manage his or her
overexcitabilities effectively. For example, teach your child
emotion regulation techniques (e.g., deep breathing
exercises for dealing with stress or anger) or how to
effectively cope with offensive stimuli (e.g., politely
declining a certain food or avoiding certain smells).
 Emphasize your child's differences as a positive and not a
negative. Help your child to understand that being
different is okay. We are all unique beings and should be
celebrated as such
—Anne N. Rinn, PhD
If you would like further information on OE’s or other topics
pertaining to gifted children please check out the websites listed
below .
 http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/living_with_oes.htm -This
website has many informative articles, book suggestions, and
even advice for parenting gifted children. It is a very
comprehensive website that should prove to be useful to parents
of gifted children
 http://www.stephanietolan.com/dabrowskis.htm -This website
gives specific information on Dabrowski and his concept of
overexcitabilities
 http://www.nagc.org/ - This is the website for the National
Association of Gifted Children. There are many helpful articles
on a variety of topics concerning gifted children
Follow-Up
 Now that you have been introduced to some new
information about Overexcitability, you may like to see
how it applies to your family
 Please complete the Overexcitability quiz that I have
given to your child and see which of these categories
best describes him/her. You may even learn a little
something about yourself too!
 Remember that you may fit in more than one of these
categories.