Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Organizationally Challenged

Coincidentally, I just listened to a long voicemail message from DS6's teacher. I had sent in a note asking her if we could come up with a plan to help his organization since he has been forgetting to bring home assignments and losing things. In her message, she said that "organizational problems are really common in bright children". Sounds like, if there's no evidence of this, there's a myth floating around. I've heard the same thing said about smart people and bad handwriting (I do hope this is true, since my handwriting is dreadful... )

I don't think anyone would say that GTness guarantees organzitional problems. But I am still leaning toward there being a correlation of some kind.

Here is my thinking (and to be honest, I am totally making this up!). DS has average executive functioning (per WISC), but he is the least organized child in his class. Based on his scores, his skills should be average, but they are clearly below average. I chalk this up to the discrepancy between his executive funtion and his other brain functions. The executive function cannot keep up, not because there is anything wrong with it, but just that it is the wrong size for the rest of his brain. Sort of like putting a jet engine on a Toyota. Nothing wrong with the jet engine; nothing wrong with the Toyota; they just aren't proportioned right to fit together.

So kids who have a jet engine on a jet or a Toyota engine in a Toyota aren't going to show the same kinds of problems. But if you look at the norming samples on GT kids, it does look like the executive function often runs lower than the other areas. It seems like these kids are at risk for some level of mismatch in ability that could manifest as organizational challenge. And this may be where we get the "absent minded professor" stereotype.

So that's my theory.

I am not sure that forgetfulness is related to GT but I do agree that WYSI NOT WYG with these kids. In other words, they have lots of thoughts swirling through their heads and can't always focus on the task at hand.

DS8 has been a nightmare at dinner for the past few years. He can't sit still, can't sit up straight, slouches, slumps, eats a bite then gets up and runs around seeking something, etc. This often occurs outside of the home too at restaurants or other people's houses. I wish I could say he's getting better but... We have learned that eating just isn't that important to him. He'd rather be doing a million other things. Interestingly (yes, sometimes the enabling occurs but it is DH more than me: I refuse to hand feed him hence the 60-75 minute dinners), he loves to read and would eat almost anything while reading if we feed him! He's had some food texture issues in the past as well as dislike of getting his hands dirty (almost all have been overcome) so sometimes, we do give in and feed him.

I can see how some of his behaviors could be misconstrued as ADHD. We certainly had a few sensory issues when he was younger which thankfully have diminished as he's aged. I don't know if his inherent restlessness is due to GT or he's just programmed that way. My Mom recently commented that she's observed other people's kids behaving perfectly but rarely sees mine sitting still. Don't know how to take that one...

Thanks for letting me share

I can somewhat relate as DS4 is so active at meals. He used to leave the room more, but we have told him that he gets a warning and if he gets up again his meal is over. He does typically sit at the table, but he sits half on the chair so he always falls off. Sometimes he kind of stands to eat. He does great in restaurants though and even at other houses for the most part. He will do a little better if actively engaged in a conversation. He is a pretty messy eater, unlike your DS he often uses his hands and we have to remind him all the time to use utensils. Anyhow, I get the texture issues as my son has them at times (although not with food because he LOVES all food and eats plenty). But I would try not to give in and feed him even though he has those texture issues. The more sensitive children are to that, the more exposure they need. for example my DS doesn't like the feel of shaving cream that much...but enjoys playing with it. So we try to do it more and use it in the bath so at least he can rinse his hands off. He also has sound sensitivity and used to try to get us to flush toilets when he wasn't sure how loud they would be. Now he uses his elbow. It's good to get them to practice it so they can be more comfortable with things. I am not an expert at all. We try all sorts of things with our DS, sometime successful and sometimes not. It's tough to hear comments like the one your mom gave. I have heard my share of comments as well. It is tough to distinguish whether issues are just kids being kids, or whether there is more of an issue that needs addressed.

Shellymos: You have just described my DS4 to an uncanny degree.

BB

The texture issues for eating still remain, somewhat but the getting hands dirty has progressed to where we were able to enroll him in a pottery class! This was the child who would never fingerpaint...

And, liked I mentioned earlier, still falls off his chair with alarming frequency. For about 9 months, he would invariably spill his drink at dinner - every night! Now, it only happens once a month or less...

I wish I had more guidance other than hang in there...As we are doing

I don't think of DS4 as being organizationally challenged (yet), though he hates to clean his room. But the stories of falling off chairs for no reason and being sensitive to the feel of things hits home.

Hmmm...Maybe I need to rethink!

He's also the child I'm not sure is GT. Not sure if all these things point to a processing problem and thus explain why he doesn't look GT or if he may just be an example of a child not GT who has organizational challenges.

Interesting discussion!

Per one of DS's teachers, "spontaneous fall-off's don't really stop until about 4th grade". Kids (boys especially) are well-known in elementary school to be prone fallinig out of the chair for no clear reason.

Good to know. Thanks, acs!

DS7 just never really fell out of his chair. I can't remember his ever doing it. I just checked with DH, and he can't remember it ever happening either. So it probably seems more odd to me than it should that DS4 (and a half) is falling out of his chair at dinner pretty regularly and for no apparent reason.

The first one has set the bar, and his bar isn't always set in a normal place...

Nice to see there are other kids out there. Does your DS have some of the sound sensitivity as well? Or just the falling off chairs and messy eating habits? LOL. We had friends over the other night and DS4 fell off his chair and they were like "are you allright?" He was fine and got right back up. DH replied "we don't typically react, it's not that we don't care but it is a daily occurance in our house."