Through recognizing the different levels and kinds of giftedness, this book provides an insight into the challenges and benefits specific to gifted children with attention difficulties. Explaining why certain children are gifted and how giftedness is manifested, each chapter on a specific topic addresses the relevance for children with AD/HD and Asperger Syndrome. Lovecky guides parents and professionals through methods of diagnosis and advises on how best to nurture individual needs, positive behavior and relationships at home and at school.
Lovecky explores concepts such as asynchrony and the effects of such 'uneven' development on children, using case studies to illustrate emotional, intellectual, creative and social development. She also highlights the inadequate measures currently in place to assist parents and teachers and goes on to clearly define what is required to understand and help these children so that their needs can be met more positively in the future. Different Minds, with its wealth of practical and background information, is essential reading for all those who live or work with gifted children with attention difficulties.
Deirdre V. Lovecky PhD is a clinical child psychologist at the Gifted Resource Center of New England, specializing in the needs of gifted children, adolescents and their families. She is a qualified psychotherapist and consultant, speaks at conferences and presents workshops for parents and teachers. She has had many articles published in academic journals and regularly writes on the topic of giftedness.
Table of Contents
Introduction. 1. The Gifted Child. 2. Attention Deficits Part I: Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder. 3. Attention Deficits Part II: Asperger Syndrome. 4. Cognitive Issues: How Those with a Different Mind Think. 5. Finding Flow: The Wellspring of Creative Endeavor. 6. Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Giftedness. 7. Social Cognition And Interpersonal Relationships. 8. Moral Development: Moral Reasoning and Compassion. 9. Issues in the Assessment of Gifted Children with Attention Deficits. 10. Resource List for Parents, Teachers and Professionals. Appendix A: Diagnostic Criteria for AD/HD DSM-IV (Table 1). Diagnostic Criteria for AS DSM-IV (Table 2). Diagnostic Criteria for AS (Gillberg and Gillberg) (Table 3). Appendix B: List of Test Distributors for Professionals. References. Index.
