If you are a parent of a gifted/learning disabled (LD) child, there is a strong chance that you have had an alien encounter or two in your quest to raise your precocious youngster. Perhaps it was that time your mouth-foaming, toy-throwing, fist-clenching three-year-old boy didn’t quite understand the need to “go to bed” — an odd contrast from the recent bouquet of wildflowers he brought you, just because they looked “strikingly beautiful.” Or perhaps it’s your wonderful 13-year-old daughter who, having just been reminded of her curfew, instantly morphed into a she-bear and locked herself in the room screaming incoherently about “incomprehensible injustice.”
Have you been there before? Are you still there? As a father of multiple twice-exceptional children, I can testify to the fact that this is not uncommon in our household. So, what in the world is going on? How is it that such an intelligent creature can go off so unexpectedly and with such intensity? What could possibly turn the beauty into the beast?
One answer can be found in chemistry. Yes, I repeat, chemistry. It’s in the brain. Now, before you run off and tell all your friends and neighbors that it’s not your fault — that you are only responsible for one half of that child’s gene pool (wink, wink) — you should know that nurturing also plays an important role in the development of the gifted/LD child’s brain. However, there are certain elements that you cannot control and it is these factors that I will discuss below.
Neuroscientists have been studying the incredible three-pound collection of nerve cells for quite some time and have only scraped the surface of understanding how the brain works. The development of advanced techniques such as computerized tomography (CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scans) — as well as the use of electrical signaling through EEGs (electroencephalography) and magnetic field analysis through MEGs (magneto-encephalography) — have allowed scientists to study the electrical impulses that travel within the brain’s vast network of neurons. These recordings allow scientists to localize the source and response to signals emanating from the brain (Sousa, 2003/2009), thereby providing information as to how the brain functions. As the sophistication of these techniques increases, so too does our knowledge of brain functioning and its incredible power. We are learning not only about normal brain functioning, but also about non-typical brain functioning, such as found in persons with mental impairments or, in the case of the gifted child, mental acuity.
More recently, special attention has been given to the gifted and gifted/LD brain. Dr. Beth Houskamp, a clinical psychologist specializing in neurology, has spent a number of years researching on the development of the twice-exceptional brain. During this time she has discovered new evidence that just might help to explain why our children sometimes act that way they do. In other words, this research has provided another piece to the puzzle that is the gifted/LD child.
Within the twice-exceptional community there has always been an understanding that there was something developmentally different about our 2e children. From early childhood we have observed that they tend to reach milestones earlier (or later), communicate in non-typical ways, and experience life more intensely than their peers. For example, many gifted and twice-exceptional children can have strong reactions to external stimuli such as loud noises, types of food, synthetics, music, or even art. I have also heard from many a parent (and witnessed in my own children) what they can only describe as an extra sensory perception or awareness. Even before they can utter a word, their bright eyes appear to inhale the surrounding environment. However, I also hear reports about violent outbursts, social isolation, inappropriate behaviors, and difficulty with school environments. To be sure, rearing the twice-exceptional child can be extremely frustrating, isolating, and down right exhausting. Dr. Houskamp’s work provides clues to a better understanding of the daily journey each twice-exceptional child endures.
Impaired Social/Emotional Development: The Gifted/LD Brain
Dr. Houskamp found that gifted children develop what are called sensory prints (or images) in their brain at a very early age. These sensory images are derived from a range of childhood experiences that register both pleasant and negative experiences depending on how the child reacts to the stimuli. Combined with an extra sensitive nature, or a larger capacity to register sensory inputs, the gifted child will record numerous intense experiences as they develop through childhood. It is these memories that can be drawn on, or even simply appear at a subconscious level, at any time later in life. Some examples of sensory prints might be a reaction to a loud noise, the taste of a strawberry, or a nip from a dog. These experiences implant themselves in the sensory print as lasting memories (memories that are difficult to extinguish) and can resurface when similar experiences are encountered later in life. Therefore, a negative classroom experience or any traumatic life event can impact how the 2e child responds to like situations.
Furthermore, Houskamp found that the band for sensory input is more expansive and more highly developed in gifted/LD children than those who experience more typical brain development. This means that both gifted and 2e children have a greater repertoire of negative/positive memories and a greater capacity to experience those memories at a deeper, more intense level. Add in the dose of intense emotions triggered by these sensitive prints and it is not surprising that the twice-exceptional child can experience ecstasy at one time and feel deep sorrow almost simultaneously. It also is no wonder that that they can appear completely engaged one hour and have a temper tantrum the next.
As you may begin to surmise, the uninformed educator, or even, parent, is no match for the 2e student and must have very specific training regarding the social/emotional and academic needs of the twice-exceptional student. Recent studies (published by Dr. Nicole Tetreault) also detail the fact that the 2e brain is larger than the typical brain, contains denser white matter (white matter is the connective tissue that propels messages via electric impulse to other areas of the brain, which has at least 180 distinctive parts with unique functionality), and is firing messages at a more rapid rate than previously known. It is no wonder that the intensity of emotion can easily overwhelm the 2e child.
Dr. Houskamp also found that in addition to a deeper reservoir of intense memories, the limbic system, which regulates behavior, tends to be underdeveloped in twice-exceptional children and is easily overwhelmed by the intense messages being sent from the child’s sensory prints. Thus, at the very moment they are experiencing an intense emotion, they do not have the capacity to regulate how to respond in an appropriate manner. Nor do they have the advanced language processing skills to be able to negotiate or mediate a stressful condition because language processing is reliant on the development of the limbic system. It is not that they do not have good language skills, but that they cannot find the right words to adequately describe the intensity of their feelings, which is why it is imperative for parents and teachers alike to teach word maps with 2e children that assist them in finding the right sequence of wording to be able to describe internal angst.
[Also see: The Neuroscience of Asynchronous Development in Bright Minds]
In addition, it seems that the overdevelopment of problem solving, coding, and critical thinking skills, combined with underdeveloped language-processing skills, tend to render the 2e child incapable of properly communicating calming messages to an overwhelmed limbic system. Thus they are forced to regress to the usage of primal instincts such as fight, freeze, or flight to deal with sensitive situations. In short, the behavioral patterns in twice-exceptional children are similar in nature to that of children much younger than themselves. For instance, a gifted nine-year old boy with attention deficit disorder (ADD) might still have meltdowns that resemble those of a typical six-year-old; experts term this asynchronous development. [perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]2e children have a greater repertoire of negative/positive memories and a greater capacity to experience those memories at a deeper, more intense level.[/perfectpullquote] Dr. Houskamp has also found that the frontal lobe, which is responsible for executive functioning, relies on the full development of the limbic system to reach its full potential. Again, given delays in the development of the regulatory, language processing, and sensory systems, the growth of this part of the brain is also suspended. This leads to further issues such as struggles with attention, organization and planning, decision making, perfectionism, and the ability to transition properly. Combining all these factors, it is clear that twice-exceptional children faces a strenuous period of development that is wholly untypical of the norm. They are forced to participate in a world designed for normalcy, and without the proper understanding, flexibility, and advocacy, they will suffer immensely at the hands of those who misunderstand. It is therefore essential to educate the uneducated and demand empathy for those in a position to lead our twice-exceptional children.Summary
We have only begun to understand the enormous potential of the twice-exceptional brain. Indeed, this article only reveals only a minute amount of detail in relation to building knowledge and understanding of the 2e child. Other factors such as parental nurturing, proper educational techniques, and communal understanding also influence the development of the twice-exceptional brain. The good news is that the brain is malleable; it can learn to outwit the limbic system through the development of strong meta-cognition. This process, a technique I call Schematic Regeneration, teaches the brain to bypass its instinctive emotional reaction and respond to stressful stimuli in a calmer fashion. As we continue to make strides in the field of neurodiversity, it is hopeful that we will learn new and improved strategies for understanding and working with our 2e children. They are, after all, a precious resource that we should treasure, not dismiss. The adults responsible for rearing and teaching them ought to strive to provide nurturing environments that accentuate 2e growth rather than detract from it. Note: Beth Houskamp is a clinical psychologist working at Neurobehavior Services in Los Angeles. Reference: Sousa, D. A. (2009). How the gifted brain learns (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
