Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos: How to Help the Child Who Is Bright, Bored, and Having Problems in School

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Psychologist Lucy Jo Palladino claims that 20 percent of children have what she calls the Edison trait: "dazzling intelligence, an active imagination, a free-spirited approach to life, and the ability to drive everyone around them crazy." She named the trait after Thomas Edison, who flunked out of school despite his obvious brilliance. Palladino says that Edison-trait children think divergently, while the routines and structure of schools are more geared toward convergent thinking, or focusing on one idea at a time. The incompatible school environment, she says, usually leads divergent-thinking children to act out, receive poor grades, and often be labeled as strong-willed and disruptive.

These symptoms may sound similar to those of ADD, but Palladino says that's an overused term often mistakenly applied to Edison-trait children. "In most cases," she says, "ADD behavior patterns are comparable to but more extreme than the typical patterns of an Edison-trait child who does not have ADD." A diagnosis of ADD does not take into consideration factors such as "intelligence, perceptiveness, sensitivity, creativity, and wit."

With many references to scientific studies, Palladino helps you decide whether your child is one of the three types of Edison-trait children: dreamer, discoverer, or dynamo. She also gives pointed, practical advice regarding such controversial topics as diet, neurofeedback treatment, and psychological testing. For frustrated parents and educators, Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos will be a rich source of both help and hope.


Review
"Parents and educators alike will find this compelling reading."
--Publishers Weekly

"BRILLIANT . . . ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS IN THIS FIELD . . . Parents will find in Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos real-world solutions and the light of hope; professionals will discover a thought-provoking new view of these exceptional children."
--THOM HARTMANN
    Author of ADD: A Different Perception
    and The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight


Review
"Parents and educators alike will find this compelling reading."
--Publishers Weekly

"BRILLIANT . . . ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS IN THIS FIELD . . . Parents will find in Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos real-world solutions and the light of hope; professionals will discover a thought-provoking new view of these exceptional children."
--THOM HARTMANN
    Author of ADD: A Different Perception
    and The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight


From the Inside Flap
Does your imaginative, computer-proficient daughter tune out in the classroom? Does your spirited son become headstrong and aggressive when faced with the simplest decisions? Does your bold, energetic child have trouble focusing on basic tasks?

Millions of children--one in five--have what psychologist Lucy Jo Palladino, Ph.D., calls the Edison trait: dazzling intelligence, an active imagination, a free-spirited approach to life, and the ability to drive everyone around them crazy. Named after Thomas Edison--who flunked out of school only to harness his talents and give the world some of its finest inventions--the Edison trait is on the rise in our younger generation.

The heart of the issue is that they think divergently--they overflow with many ideas--while schools, organized activities, and routines of daily living reward convergent thinking, which focuses on one idea at a time. Drawing on examples from more than two decades of private practice, Dr. Palladino helps us cope with this challenging aspect of our child's intellect and personality, explaining in clear terms:

- The three Edison-trait personality types: dreamers, discoverers, and dynamos
- The eight steps to understanding, reaching, and teaching your Edison-trait child
- The connection between the Edison trait and A.D.D.


From the Back Cover
"Parents and educators alike will find this compelling reading."
--Publishers Weekly"BRILLIANT . . . ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS IN THIS FIELD . . . Parents will find in Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos real-world solutions and the light of hope; professionals will discover a thought-provoking new view of these exceptional children."
--THOM HARTMANN
Author of ADD: A Different Perception
and The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight



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Palladino, a clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of children with attention deficit disorder (ADD), offers advice for parents struggling to raise kids who are clearly bright but who are also maddeningly unfocused. She calls such children "Edison-trait" kidsafter Thomas Edison, who, Palladino writes, exhibited "divergent thinking" (focusing on many ideas simultaneously) rather than "convergent thinking" (focusing on one idea at a time). While not all Edison-trait kids have ADD, most ADD kids have the Edison trait, she claims. Palladino outlines three Edison-trait personality typesthe Dreamer, the Dynamo and the Discovererand talks parents through ways to deal with them. Although Edison-trait kids are bright and creative (having the tendency to multitask and visualize), they often end up with school problems. Palladino outlines an eight-step process for coping, and includes a thorough chapter on the ins and outs of ADD. Suggesting that divergent thinking is on the rise in society, Palladino argues that educators must stop favoring convergent thinking and conformity. Though one wishes for more nuts-and-bolts data to back up her claims about society's trends, Palladino makes a convincing case as she urges parents to see as strengths what others might consider deficits. Parents and educators alike will find this compelling reading. Clearly, the author is a divergent thinker.


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