By Lisa Cohn
Superpower kids and superpower dogs are important themes in our fourth book. We’re excited to say that we finished writing the book and are now working on editing and illustrations! (Some important announcements coming soon).
The superpower kids in our latest book are super sensitive. In fact, that’s what gives them their powers.
As Vera, Bash’s Ukrainian grandmother says in the book, “Super sensitive makes superpower.”
But for our main character, Bash, super sensitivities carry both pros and cons. On the positive side, his super-tuned nose helps him smell the ingredients in the pizzas that Vera cooks. His tender ears can hear people whispering from afar. He can sense what’s about to happen on his soccer team, and move quickly to score goals and assists. And he’s very smart. He can read quickly while listening to music or audiobooks.
Research suggests that super sensitive kids, like Bash, often are very bright.
A pilot study by the STAR Institute for Sensory Processing found that 35% of the kids in one large sample of gifted children showed symptoms of sensory processing disorder (SPD). The link between SPD and giftedness is due in part to the fact that gifted kids’ brains are wired differently, Lisa Porter, a Ph.D occupational therapist told Lisa (Cohn) during an interview for an article.
Recent studies about gifted kids found that they have more “neural connectivity” in their brains than more typical kids, says Porter. In addition, certain brain changes occur later in gifted kids.
“You have all these connections in the brain, and at some point they are whittled so the remaining ones get stronger. You keep the ones you use the most,” she explains. This “whittling” or “pruning” generally happens in toddlers and adolescents. However, in gifted kids, this pruning happens later, which helps explain why gifted kids often have sensory challenges. “They are really intelligent in some ways but can experience delays in executive functioning and other issues,” Porter explains.
For Bash, being sensitive means he can smell what his friends’ ate for breakfast, and that can make him sick to his stomach. If he hears a kid say something negative about him, his sensitive feelings are hurt. The noise and chaos at his school makes him anxious. And when kids get jealous because he’s a good soccer player and a great math student, he worries that he’s doing something wrong.
Dogs, too, have super sensitivities that give them superpowers. We’ve written about how diabetic service dogs sound the alarm when they sense drops in kids’ blood sugar. They try to “tell” children and people around them that something is wrong. Some dogs do this naturally–if they’re really bonded with the child. Others can be trained to sound the alarm. And autism service dogs can feel when kids are anxious, and help them feel more comfortable.
In our books, Lucy helps calm Bash when he’s upset or overwhelmed. So does visiting the library and reading.
In the fourth book, we discover that Lucy has her own special sensitivity and superpower. She helps solve an important mystery in the book. But we can’t give it away! Stay tuned!
Questions? Email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com