Intervention in Minors with High Intellectual Abilities

Psychologist Omaira Darias tells us how she carries out the intervention with children with High Intellectual Abilities through NeuronUP.

High Intellectual Abilities (HIA)

When someone has an IQ around 130 we can state that the person has a high intellectual ability. Intelligence tests are used to assess the quotient. Currently, the predominant paradigm in this field is Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Thus, we must differentiate high abilities with a predominance in one area such as logical-mathematical, spatial, linguistic, musical, intrapersonal, among others.

In the realm of intelligence we must take precocity into account, that is, the promptness with which a skill or knowledge is acquired in terms of chronological age. This will give us an indicator of the child’s needs as well as the possibility of carrying out a more appropriate and individualized program.

What are people with high intellectual abilities like?

In general, people with high intellectual abilities are subjected to pressure and stress both from others and from themselves since they often have a low tolerance for frustration, which affects a less healthy self-esteem and self-concept. They also tend to have a strong sense of justice and a preference for perfectionism. Although not everything has to apply, it is a portrait that is often observed to a large extent.

Psychological intervention in children with HIA

Children with high intellectual abilities need psychological help that provides them with certain tools to face the world around them but above all the emotional world. This is where NeuronUP comes into play.

How to work with high intellectual abilities?

In our center we use NeuronUP mainly for cognitive stimulation and attention training. It was when working with it that I realized that by carefully selecting certain exercises and with the appropriate level of difficulty, children with high intellectual abilities could also benefit.

Working on social skills and emotions with this platform is dynamic and useful. For example, facial recognition when expressing an emotion is very important and that helps us detect what is happening in a particular social situation and, most interestingly for people with high intellectual abilities, allows them to understand the situation deeply. Their pressing need to know why is resolved with exercises of this type that also make them see that there are more emotions than the basic ones. The harder levels let them see the nuances of emotions and learn to put themselves in others’ shoes. It also usually constitutes a challenge and if they fail we take the opportunity to work on tolerance to frustration.

People with high intellectual abilities can be very creative but also very rigid in their opinions based on their own experience or that of people close to them. At first glance this is not necessarily negative, however when their perception is mistaken or it concerns something that is unlikely to happen, or has several explanations that do not depend on them, it does become complicated. That is why reflecting with them about the different consequences that an action may entail or the possible reasons why a person displays a certain expression or emotion is very important.

Conclusions

These exercises allow children with high intellectual abilities to be better able to successfully face situations in their environment and understand their inner world. NeuronUP has become a primary support element in our program for supporting High Intellectual Abilities. It also has the added benefit that children and adolescents enjoy learning. This is how a neurorehabilitation tool becomes an everyday instrument for everyone.

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Intervención en menores con Altas Capacidades Intelectuales