Different Minds: Gifted Children With Ad/Hd, Asperger Syndrome, and Other Learning Deficits
Review
‘ This is a well-structured book. There are nine chapters; the first gives an overview of gifted children and theories of giftedness. The next two chaoters provide a general description off AD/HD and Asperger before going on to give detailed information on gifted children with these conditions. The following chapters look at cognitive aspects and learning styles, creativity, emotional intelligence, social cognition and moral development. The final chapters discuss issues around assessment and highlight the resources available. The author also includes useful appendices on diagnostic criteria.’ – Community Practitioner ‘In addition to case studies and research findings, Different Minds offers practical strategies and…
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Different Minds: Gifted Children with AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and Other Learning Deficits. Twice Exceptional children, those who are both gifted and learning disabled, are often overlooked by all sides of education. Their achievement is often not low enough to be considered special needs, nor high enough to be included in gifted education. But these children are far from average, and they need particular attention to all of their unique attributes.
Deidre Lovecky is considered one of the foremost experts in twice exceptional children. This long-awaited book is a summary of many years of clinical experience and observation, and should in the hands of every parent, teacher, and professional working with this unique population.
Different Minds starts with definitions and differences: gifted, AD/HD, Asperger syndrome, and other learning deficits commonly (and not so commonly) diagnosed in the same children. Diagnosis of dual exceptionalities can be difficult, and Lovecky cuts through the overlapping characteristics, with references to DSM-IV criteria. Through case studies, discussion and suggestions, Lovecky offers years of experience and wisdom on how to best nurture these children at home and at school.
Different Minds includes chapters on gifted, AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, cognitive issues, creativity, emotional aspects, social cognition and relationships, moral development, assessment, and resources for parents, teachers and professionals.
Different Minds should be required reading for everyone dealing with twice exceptional gifted children.
If you modified Dr. Lovecky’s “Different Minds” to carry the normal amount of information per page as is found on average in books of this genre, it would weigh at least a 100 lbs. As a parent and a professional, I have found Dr. Lovecky’s book to be the one I turn to time and again to explain the compexities of twice-exceptional children. Her clear understanding of how different “alphabet soup” issues interact is priceless. Dr. Lovecky offers sound, practical adivice for bringing out the best in almost any child. As a fairly high-level trade book with an abundance of complex material, the text is sometimes slow going. But it is worth the effort! I would recommend this book to parents who already have a basic knowledge of the subject matter. I would make it mandatory reading for all school personnel who place or interact with the children Dr. Lovecky describes. For those who need to start with more basic material, I would highly recommend Tictionary by Becky Ottinger. Although the use of the word Tic implies it is about Tourette’s Syndrome, it actually presents a clear explanation of most things related to TS, ADHD, Aspergers, Autism, OCD and more. The Appendix of Ottinger’s book is a gold mine.