Giftedness and Learning Disabilities - Page 3

• sickly and physically fragile
• quirky and predisposed to emotional problems
• prone to feelings of grandiosity and superiority over peers
• likely to lose some of their special abilities and "intelligence" over time
• at greater risk than other students for "acting out" with socially inappropriate behavior in school if their academic learning needs are not met

Challenges Looking Forward

There is much that we don't know about students who are gifted and even more that we need to learn about students who are "twice exceptional," embodying the challenges of both giftedness and learning disabilities:

• How should school practices (and education law) be changed to address the unmet needs of these students?
• How can we assure that gifted children with LD from culturally/linguistically diverse or economically disadvantaged families are identified and provided services and support as special needs learners?
• What evaluation measures and assessment protocols are most likely to identify these students before they show signs of frustration and struggle?
• Can criterion other than IQ scores be used reliably to identify these students, and what kinds of data (e.g., performance-based assessments, portfolios) can be used to accurately reflect accellerated learning potential?
• What instructional services and supports are most beneficial for these students at different ages and stages of development, and how well are they matched to screening and evaluation measures?
• What kinds of information and support do teachers need to meet the needs of these students at different points during the pre-K through 12 years?
• What types of instructional adaptations and modifications have proven to be effective in supporting students with LD who are also gifted learners?

Readings and Resources 

• Imagine Teaching Robin Williams -- Twice-Exceptional Children in Your School offers classroom strategies for working with gifted students with LD.
• LDonline provides readers with a number of articles about "twice exceptional" learners and the unique challenges faced by individuals with LD.
• The Council on Exceptional Children's (CEC) Information Center on Disabilities and Gifted Education offers answers to some frequently asked questions, as well as an information center.
• Gifted and Learning Disabled: Twice Exceptional Students from the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Connecticut.
• The Twice Exceptional Dilemma from the National Education Association.
• Visit Project U-Stars~Plus to learn more about how the needs of young gifted students from culturally/linguistically diverse and/or economically disadvantaged families can be recognized and nurtured.

Sheldon H. Horowitz, Ed.D. is the Director of LD Resources & Essential Information at the National Center for Learning Disabilities.