There are five areas of overexcitabilities Dabrowski identified.
- Psychomotor OE
- Psychomotor OE is a heightened excitability of the neuromuscular system. A child who has this intensity will be very energetic, and have a love of movement for movement's sake. They have a surplus of energy, and have rapid speech when talking.
- When children who are feeling emotional tense may talk impulsively, act impulsively, misbehave and act out, and display nervous habits. At times have a “workaholic” type belief towards work. These children are organized, and can become quite competitive.
- Some strategies to help these students:
- Allow time for physical or verbal activities
- Provide some time for spontaneity, open-ended activities
- Provide movement and verbal projects in the classroom
- Allow time for physical or verbal activities
- Psychomotor OE is a heightened excitability of the neuromuscular system. A child who has this intensity will be very energetic, and have a love of movement for movement's sake. They have a surplus of energy, and have rapid speech when talking.
- Sensual OE
- Sensual OE is expressed as a heightened experience of sensual pleasure or displeasure through sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing.
- These students have a heightened appreciation for music, language, and art. They also like and seek tastes, smells, textures, sounds, and sights.
- Children with this OE will at times overeat, go on buying sprees, or seek to be the center of attention.
- Some withdraw from stimulation, such as clothing tags, classroom noise, or from certain smells
- Some students will get so involved in their love of music or art form that the whole world ceases to exist.
- Some strategies to help these students:
- Create an environment that limits offensive stimuli and provides comfort
- Allow these students the opportunity to be the center of attention periodically in musicals or in drama, or in classroom skits.
- Create an environment that limits offensive stimuli and provides comfort
- Sensual OE is expressed as a heightened experience of sensual pleasure or displeasure through sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing.
- Intellectual OE
- Intellectual OE is demonstrated by the need to seek understanding and truth. These students want to gain more knowledge through analyzing and synthesizing information.
- These students have very active minds
- They are curious
- Avid readers and keen observers
- These students have the ability to engage prolonged intellectual activities
- Have a great visual memory
- These students love theory and problem solving
- Focus on moral, ethical, and fairness-issues, (some would call these “adult issues”)
- These students are very independent
- May appear critical and impatient
- Some strategies to help these students:
- Show how to find the answers to questions
- Provide or suggest ways to help these students to act upon their moral and ethical concerns
- If a student seems very critical then allow them opportunities to show how their intent may be perceived as cruel or disrespectful
- Show how to find the answers to questions
- Intellectual OE is demonstrated by the need to seek understanding and truth. These students want to gain more knowledge through analyzing and synthesizing information.
- Imaginational OE
- Imaginational OE is displayed through heightened imagination with a rich association of images and impressions
- They have a frequent use of metaphor and image
- These students are use invention and fantasy, and have detailed visualization
- Have elaborate dreams
- Often mix truth and fiction
- Create fictional worlds
- Have imaginary friends
- Have a hard time functioning in a classroom where creativity is second to academic curriculum
- Students will write stories and draw instead of participating in class discussions
- Strategies to help these students:
- Help students to differentiate real and fictional world through journaling
- Help students use their imagination to function in the real world (as an example allow students to organize a notebook based on their own organization system.)
- Help students to differentiate real and fictional world through journaling
- Imaginational OE is displayed through heightened imagination with a rich association of images and impressions
- Emotional OE
- This OE is most often identified by parents. Students with this OE have intense feelings, extreme range of emotion, and can be a very affectionate.
- These students can relate to others feelings
- Known to have physical manifestations to responses like stomach aches, concerns for death, and often battle depression.
- These students have been known to have deep relationships, have strong emotional attachments to places, people, and things.
- Show compassion, empathy, and sensitivity in relationships.
- These students are known be “over reactive” at times.
- Their compassion and concern for others often gets into the way of daily tasks.
- Some strategies to help these students:
- Teachers should accept all feelings regardless of the intensity.
- Teach students with this OE to prepare for physical and emotional responses.
- Help students find the warning signs of their emotional stressors such as headaches and stomachaches.
- Teachers should accept all feelings regardless of the intensity.
- This OE is most often identified by parents. Students with this OE have intense feelings, extreme range of emotion, and can be a very affectionate.