Sensory Impairment in Gifted Children

Here's a mind-bender for you!

Giftedness in the child masks the learning disability -
but the learning disability masks the IQ score!

Now that is a circular-double-whammy, or what is so often referred to as the double-edged-sword with giftedness. According to Paula Jarrard, MS, OTR, "as many as one-third of gifted children may exhibit sensory processing disorder features, significantly impacting quality of life."

And there are more gifted children than people realize, because there are many different kinds of giftedness as well as different levels of giftedness. The media often portrays the little math or music genius pleased-as-punch to put their talents on display before the world. However, your gifted child may not be one of those kinds of kids. He/she may be shy, might rapidly skip through or over the typical steps in learning, show up as a really great problem solver, be a closet social scientist with big ideas, or just see the world differently from other people.

In 2007, new research by the SPD Foundation revealed that SPD symptoms are more common in children considered gifted. Their pilot study indicated that 35% of children from one gifted and talented center exhibited symptoms of SPD. That is compared to 5% in studies conducted with the general population. The study also revealed that sensitivity increases with degree of giftedness. In other words, a highly gifted child is more likely to experience a greater degree of sensitivity to pain, touch, smell, and/or sound.

For more information, visit the SPD Foundation website at http://www.spdfoundation.net/gifted.html

And Paula Jerrard's paper can be found here:
http://www.spdfoundation.net/pdf/SensoryissuesinGiftedChildren.pdf

If your child is gifted - or potentially gifted - pick up this book:

"A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children"

by James T. Webb, Janet L. Gore,

Edward R. Amend, & Arlene R. DeVries

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Fearless Arianna

Outraged by all that media coverage on the "runaway balloon with no boy inside", this known-to-be-feisty author makes a daring point. . . or two! But tighten your seat-belt because this piece isn't for readers wearing rose-coloured-glasses, or for those who faint at the sight of social change!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/how-about-a-little-covera_b_326472.html

Be a Sensory Smart Parent!

This is the leading website for parents of children with sensory integration issues.

SPD is "a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses", and can be described as "traffic jams" in the brain. Research by the SPD Foundation indicates that 1 in every 20 children experiences symptoms that are significant enough to affect the everyday life of the child and their families.

A child may be super-sensitive to light, sound, food, or other forms of sensory input. What many people don't know is that some children experience SPD in the opposite extreme. That is, to "under-respond" and show little or no reaction to stimulation (pain, or extreme hot and cold). SPD may be appear for only one sense (such as touch) or multiple senses.

Many children with SPD benefit from occupational therapy.

SOURCE: http://www.spdfoundation.net/

Playscapes

Photos taken at our home on Whidbey Island 2007-2008

We've lived at two different homes with amazing outdoor spaces for kids - a giant sandbox, a play house made out of solid wood, fruit trees and vegetables to grow, and plenty of child-friendly flowers to pick, smell, and share. But recently, we moved to our home in Collingwood, Ontario with the boys (ages 2 & 5), and so our search for backyard ideas began, and we already have a number of dreamy looking mature trees to work around. There are so many natural playground ideas online.

For a playground to be considered a "playscape", the space should be as natural as possible, with as few man-made components as possible. They’re designed with the intent to bring us back to nature, and the design offers a wide range of open-ended play options allowing children to be more creative and imaginative. Playscapes offer a wide range of developmental benefits to children, as well as to rehabilitation programs, and all people in general. Design elements typically include a variety of native plants, rolling hills, and lots of trees. My 5 year old son called one of these outdoor play areas a “forest playground”.

And while I have your attention, check out this Canadian company designing Natural Playgrounds! Wouldn't it be great if our municipalities incorporated designs like these into local parks and our schools bought into this paradigm of play? http://www.naturalplaygrounds.ca/