Edison Trait: Saving the Spirit of Your Nonconforming Child

by Lucy Jo Palladino

Lucy Jo Palladino defines the Edison Trait (named after Thomas Edison) as divergent vs. convergent thinking. Edison Trait kids--one in five children--have the qualities that make innovative leaders, inventors, explorers, yet they often have a hard time in school where their personality traits may be seen as weak or negative. Palladino recasts these children in a positive light and gives specifics on understanding and becoming an ally for your Edison Trait child. The book is convincing, reassuring, and accessible. Perhaps it will help parents of nonconforming kids resist the pressure to make their kids "just fit in."

Genres: Parenting, Education, Nonfiction, Psychology

310 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

I'm a psychologist, author, educator, and blogger with a special interest in attention and neuroscience, My newest book is Parenting in the Age of Attention Snatchers (2015). Before that, I wrote Find Your Focus Zone (2007). My first book, Dreamers, Discoverers and Dynamos, was published in 1997 as a hardcover titled The Edison Trait. I'm grateful to my readers for supporting my work through the years.

As a child, I constantly had my nose in a book. After graduating from Fordham, I taught school in NYC, then moved West to Arizona State University for my PhD. I completed my internship in psychology at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas, joined the clinical faculty at the University of Arizona, and served as principal investigator for a federal research grant in Tucson, AZ. In 1986, I moved to San Diego, CA.

I've had a clinical practice for 35 years. Currently, I counsel parents and families in Encinitas, CA, teach professional development, give talks and workshops, and blog at http://lucyjopalladino.com.

I look forward to being part of the GoodReads community, to listen and learn and share the joy of reading.

Reviews

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Does your child come up with angles nobody else does—sometimes humorous, sometimes mind-boggling? Does he seem to live in his own personal world, where a quest for novelty and stimulation reigns? Is he easily distracted from assigned tasks, but intensely focused on his own?”

Um, YES.

This is the first book I’ve read that made me say, “Someone truly understands my child!” I was already familiar with the “Edison trait” because I’ve read some of Thom Hartmann, but I appreciated reading Palladino directly, as she is the originator of the term and an accomplished psychologist experienced with “Edison-trait” kids.

In summary, Edison-trait kids are divergent thinkers. They are imaginative and creative with a high tolerance for chaos. They are global, “big picture” thinkers who tend to be highly visual. They can maintain an intense focus on tasks of high personal interest. They can multitask. However, they struggle with tasks that are more convergent (focusing on other people’s ideas, remembering things, finishing things, or repeated practice)—the very tasks, of course, in which our education system demands competence.

Palladino offers both general maxims and concrete strategies for parents of Edison-trait children. She also discusses what the children need in the classroom, including

-autonomy and choice
-clear, concise directions
-tasks in manageable chunks
-visual cues
-multisensorial experience
-learning through self-expression
-learning through story, image, metaphor, and humor
-novelty
-in terms of output, quality, not quantity
-to experience success in order to be motivated
-to learn to manage their own thinking
-someone who believes in them!

Not all Edison-trait children have ADD, Palladino says. ADD should be diagnosed only if the child’s behaviors constitute significant impairment and dysfunction (within the most extreme 5 percent of agemates) AND cannot be better explained by other causes (such as stress or anxiety). She gives advice about diagnosis and testing.

Great book.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outdated but still helpful, particularly in reframing deficits as strengths

[ru7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say it's worth a read if you are a parent. I am, in general, tired of being told what I should and shouldn't do in parenting by books. I don't need any more "dos and don'ts" because I'm already tired from just being a mom. This book is good because it explains more in theory: how divergent and convergent child tends to be and what they do, need and want. I felt these tendencies of Edison trait could be applicable not only to difficult children but to anyone, even us parents, so get to know these tendencies would makes me tackle and handle difficulties at hand more efficiently, I suppose. The last half is more of practical how-to, so maybe you can pick up one or two techniques.

[Mary Ellen Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book and the insights the author shares on divergent kids! A must read for those parents who are struggling with ADD kids and even non-ADD kids who are non-conformists. You must learn how special these kids are and nurture their abilities to see the world in a way that 90% of us do not.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Accurate description and helpful insights on “Edison-trait” children. Though a secular book, most of it is compatible with a Christian worldview.

[Tales Untangled · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Edison trait is a personality characteristic, which Dr. Palladino has now classified as divergent thinking. She has done extensive research through her practice to help convergent thinkers gain a greater appreciation for their children who see the world differently.

About 20% of all children are now estimated to have divergent thinking patterns, and the number is quickly increasing due to the fast pace in our modern world. The school system caters to convergent thinking, making it more difficult for divergent thinkers to find success and happiness within the existing system.

In the past 17 years of being a mother I have run across many parents who claim their child is brilliant and they are bored in school. In my experience many parents overstate their child's intelligence, and want an excuse for poor behavior. With that said, many of these same children probably are viewing the world differently from their peers and certainly differently than their teachers. In my opinion...

To read the full review go to http://talesuntangled.wordpress.com

[Milka · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have a smart, active child who is having a hard time in school, this book is for you. Palladino covers the three (sometimes overlapping) types of Edison-trait personalities: the dreamers, the discoverers and the dynamos. These children exhibit divergent thinking (always thinking what if?) while most school systems cater to and encourage convergent thinkers. However you'll quickly notice most people who have helped improve the human condition were Edison-trait personalities, so the key is to help your child develop his/her talents while finding ways to cope with an inflexible educational structure. And if you wonder if your child may have ADD or ADHD, there are a few chapters on that subject and how to find the information you need to get your child properly diagnosed. A great read!

[R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great book in helping me understand my oldest child. He is so much a little “discoverer” type that she describes in her book. It helped me to see all of the aspects of him that are sometimes exasperating to me as positives. I now can see how he understands information well when he is explained things in metaphor or analogy. That type of thinking makes so much sense to him. I now see that he gets board easily with the same old things. Change stuff up and make it new or novel. He is a “spy” doing a “mission” when he does homework or He is a Knight on a quest when doing homework, or he is on a game show on TV and the questions are his homework! Don’t try to do the same thing with him too many times in row!

[Angelica McMurtray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting parenting book on how kids who seem like they are 'troublemakers' and inattentive or hyperactive/impulsive could actually have what the author calls 'The Edison Trait'. Thomas Edison along with many brilliant inventors and geniuses failed in school because of their 'divergent' thinking. I especially liked the part in the book that gave tips on how exactly to talk to your kid, to bring out their confidence in their beliefs and gifts. Often times they are looked down upon because they cannot concentrate in school, have a difficult time learning despite being bright, and they end up not putting forth any effort in learning.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really good ideas on things to do as parents to help kids who are "dreamers, dynamos or discoverers." But, although she tried to make a distinction between this "Edison-Trait" and ADHD, I'm still confused as to when it would be one and not the other.

They seem to be the same, except when the traits begin to "significantly impair" their life, it can be diagnosed as ADHD (at least that is what I think the author is trying to say). The definition of "significantly impaired", however, is open to interpretation.

At any rate, her ideas would apply regardless of what you call it.

[Marissa Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a coping manual for teachers and parents of kids who are unfocused and struggling/making trouble in school. It includes parent pep talks for staying positively minded about these kids and tips on how to alter the learning environment to better suit them. A lot of the advice here is good for teaching in general--i.e. model the way something should be done rather than criticizing students for doing it the wrong way. Likewise, the discipline recommendations would be wonderful for all kids.

[Marilee Freshley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for parents/teachers dealing with a child with LOTS of energy, VERY bright, "nonconforming", super motivated and driven. If you're pulling your hair out over your child's "behavior", this might be the book for you.

It explains the Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, & Thomas Edisons of this world: extremely driven and bright, unrelenting thoughts and energy, possibly lacking in social skills or "schoolwork" ethic.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolute must read if you either think your child exhibits ADD tendencies or if you just think your child processes thought significantly differently than you do and you're having trouble getting through to them or understanding them.

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite quote of the book, "Children can ouplot, outfigure, and outlast their parents. The result is that parents come to the end of their endurance, shake their heads, and cry out in misery, "I don't know what to do!"

[Karen M.]

This book is full of hope for parents of 'exceptional' children who don't always fit the expected mold in school.

[Gerry]

am reading this about helping children who are bright, bored and haveing difficulty in school - maybe it will help me

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book changed our lives. I can now understand my son and it will help us live more peaceful lives. this book was truly amazing.

[Yukari Watanabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book 10 years ago. Main messages in this book are still true today.

[Yassin Salama · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books about Children Psychology ever!!

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talks about Edison-trait children, or divergent thinkers, and why they don't usually do well in school. I didn't find very much useful information on helping them do better.