1 Twice Twice Exceptional - Exceptional - Gifted and Gifted and Learning Learning Disabled Disabled Gifted and Talented Services
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Twice Twice Exceptional - Exceptional -
Gifted and Gifted and Learning Learning DisabledDisabled
Gifted and Talented Services
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Definition of Giftedness
United States Office of Education definition of Gifted and Talented Students
"those who have outstanding
abilities, are capable of high
performance and who require
differentiated educational
programs (beyond those normally
provided by regular school
programs) in order to realize their
contribution to self and society."
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Characteristics of Giftedness
Reasons well Learns rapidly Extensive
vocabulary
Excellent memory Long attention span Sensitive
Compassionate Perfectionistic Intense
Morally sensitive Strongly curious
Perseveres in interests
High degree of energy Prefers older companions Wide range
of interests
Great sense of humor Avid reader Concerned with
justice
Mature judgment Keen observer Vivid
imagination
Highly creative Tends to question authority
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Definition of Learning Disabilities
Public Law 94 - 142
"a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability in one or more of the following areas:(I) oral expression(ii) listening comprehension(iii) written expression(iv) basic reading skill(v) reading comprehension(vi) mathematics reasoning
"disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical calculations."
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
A Learning Disability is a neurological/physiological difference in the
way the brain is organized.
The U.S. Department of Education, in a written response to questions
from the Learning Disabilities Association of North Carolina, states that,
"...each child who is evaluated for a suspected learning disability must
be measured against his or her own expected performance, and not
against some arbitrary general standard."
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Characteristics of Twice Exceptional LearnersSigns of Giftedness Signs of Learning Disabilities
~excellent long-term memory ~poor short-term memory
~extensive vocabulary ~speaking vocabulary more sophisticated than
written
~ excels in reading comprehension ~struggles with decoding words
~excels in mathematical reasoning ~does poorly at computation
~advanced verbal skills in discussions ~refuses to do written work
~facile with computers ~handwriting is illegible
~grasps abstract concepts ~has difficulty with spelling and phonics
~performs better with challenging work ~struggles with easy, sequential material
~thrives on complexity ~difficulty with rote memorization
~highly creative, imaginative ~often inattentive in class
~reasons well ~emotions can overpower reasoning
~is a keen observer ~poor auditory memory
~may have acute hearing ~poor listening skills
~has very interesting ideas, extremely curious ~weak in language mechanics
~had high degree of energy ~may be unable to learn unless interested
~perceptive ~performs poorly on timed tests
~insightful (seems "wise") ~hopelessly disorganized
~excellent sense of humor ~finds clever ways to avoid weak areas
~may excel at art, science, geometry, ~may fail at foreign languages and subjects
mechanics, technology, or music emphasizing audition, sequencing, memory
(Silverman)
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Strengths vs. Deficiencies
Strengths DeficienciesThinking Abilities Self ExpressionHigh Creativity Organizational AbilitiesLong-term Memory Short-term MemoryAbstractions Sense Perceptions (distractibility, static
on the auditory channel, sensori-motor)Problem Solving Social InteractionsInsight Self-esteem
(Coleman, 1996)
Organizational Difficulties can be: Thoughts going in
Thoughts coming outStuffTime
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Indicators of Ability - Achievement Discrepancy
Look for kids whose performance varies significantly in different areas.
Look beyond test scores.
WISC Studies have shown no consistent pattern in twice exceptional students
There may be a discrepancy between Verbal and Performance IQ but it is much more important to look at the subtests.
There is a tendency for twice exceptional children to have: Trouble with: Arithmetic, Digit Span, Coding
sometimes: Picture Completion High scores in: Comprehension, Vocabulary
often: Information, Similarities, Picture Arrangement, and Block Design
Divergent answers bring down the score. Twice exceptional children tend to elaborate during testing. That is their way of demonstrating their knowledge or creativity.
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Categories of Twice Exceptional Learners
Identified Gifted - Unidentified Learning Disabled
Unidentified Gifted - Unidentified Learning Disabled
Unidentified Gifted - Identified Learning Disabled
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Identified Gifted - Unidentified Learning Disabled
~good verbal skills
~poor spelling and/or handwriting
~disorganized in their classwork
~discrepancies between strengths and weaknesses widen as they grow
older
~often viewed as "underachieving"
~if identified LD - tremendous weight lifted off their shoulders
~often passed over for LD support because they are achieving at grade
level
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Unidentified Gifted - Unidentified Learning Disabled
~bright enough to compensate for their learning disability
~usually appear as average students
~usually recognize their giftedness and disability as adults
~need occasions where they can show their superior thinking in creative
ways
~LD masks gifts and gifts mask LD
~often gifts emerge in specific content areas or in learning environments where non-traditional methods are used
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Unidentified Gifted - Identified Learning Disabled
~usually excel in an area of interest
~disability depresses their intellectual performance
~good reasoning and thinking skills detected by teachers and/or parents
~first noticed for what they cannot do
~most "at risk" because the LD label tends to have a focus on deficits
~focus is so much on their disability it is difficult for them to give
themselves credit for their abilities
~often have incredible projects in the works at home
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Gifted Learning Disabled or Underachievement?
Just because a gifted student is not producing does not
mean he or she is learning disabled.
Other reasons for underachievement:
Unrealistic expectations by others
May seek rewards in different environments
Motivation, interest, and specific aptitude influence the amount of effort
Student's self-expectations can be too high
(a task may never be able to be completed to perfection)
Student may have a conflict with the school value system i.e. grades are
trivial
May have never learned study skills due to ease of curriculum in earlier
grades
Social or emotional problems(Baum, 1991)
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
ADHD vs. Gifted
ADHD (DSM-IV, 1994) G/T (Silverman,
1993)
~difficulty with sustained attention, daydreaming ~poor attention, often due to
boredom, daydreaming
~failure to concentrate unless in one-to-one ~lack of persistence on tasks
that seem irrelevant
~failure to complete independent activities ~task completion often reliant
on personal interests
~ability to listen attentively seems diminished ~often appears bored during
discussions
~messy, disorganized environment ~possible disinterest in
organization
~impulsivity, poor judgment in situations ~judgment lags behind intellectual
development
~problems adhering to rules for regulating behavior ~intensity possibly leading to
struggles with authority
~activity level often heightened ~frequently high activity
~trouble following directions ~questions rules, directions
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
ADHD HIGHLY CREATIVE
~often fails to finish tasks, ~broad range of interest often especially those demanded externally prohibits task completion
~distractible but not in all situations ~great attention in self-selected work
~frequent shifts in activities ~labile and sometimes erratic
~does not appear to listen ~hypomanic to the point of not listening
~daydreams ~imaginative
~often misplaces items needed for work completion ~so preoccupied as often to overlook the concrete
~difficulty organizing work ~finds order amidst chaos
~needs a lot of supervision in order to meet ~freedom of spirit that rejects externally deadlines imposed limits
~excessive activity ~high energy level
~often engages in challenges without ~willing to take risks in order to satisfy considering consequences plans for creative pursuits
~frequently acts without thinking ~often impulsive in actions
~solitary activities often preferred ~independent often preferring to be alone
~social interactions may be negative ~little interest in relationships
~talks while tackling tasks ~self-talk during creative work
~prone to rapid changes in mood ~often experiences emotional variability
(Cramond, 1994)
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Is it ADHD or Giftedness?
Does the child show these behaviors at home?
Could a lack of interest or relevancy play a part? Is the child unable to concentrate even when interested in the subject?
Have any curricular modifications been made in an attempt to change the behaviors?
Has the child been interviewed? What are his or her feelings about the behaviors?
Does the child feel out of control? Do the parents perceive the child to be out of control?
Has the child been taught strategies to limit stimuli and deal with stress? Has the child been taught appropriate social skills?
Can the "inattentive" child repeat the instructions?
Do the behaviors occur at certain times of the day, during certain subjects, with certain teachers, in certain environments and not in other circumstances?
Is the child getting the appropriate amount of teacher attention? Does the child demand constant attention from the teacher?
Is the child just demonstrating his or her personality, type of giftedness, or intensity?(Lind and Silverman, 1994)
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Strategies for Teaching the Twice Exceptional Student
NURTURE GIFTS, RESPECT CHILD
Curricular Needs
Differentiation
Challenging material at advanced level
Interdisciplinary
Don't make everything a secret Language Arts lesson
Make the curriculum relevant
Provide an individually paced curriculum in areas of giftedness and
disability
Using strengths to compensate for weaknesses
Find a mentor in the child’s area of interest who likes child
Find the child’s interest area and use that area to remediate
Love sharks + poor reader = start with books about sharks
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Strategies for Teaching the Twice Exceptional StudentAccommodations
Books on tapeAlphaSmart or other word processorSpell checker/spelling guideInspiration softwareAssisted note takingComputers for instructionStudy guidesHighlight in different colors
Yellow for spelling errorsPink for grammar errors
Gather information through interviews, videos, experiments, visitationsOptions for communicating ideas
Slides, models, speeches, mime, mural, video production
Avoid rote memorization and timed testsTape lecturesCalculatorOral testsAbbreviate written assignmentsAllow extra time for assignments and tests
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Strategies for Teaching the Twice Exceptional StudentTeaching Strategies
Equate success with effortPromote active inquiry involving discussion and experimentationProvide open-ended challenges that require divergent thinkingOffer options that enable child to use his strengths and learning styleIncorporate projects that investigate real problems and have real
audiencesHighlight abstract thinkingDesign enrichment activities to circumvent weaknessesProvide options to all students so child doesn't feel singled outEncourage looking for relationships and patternsCreate a supportive environmentModel celebrating individual differencesMinimize "teacher talk"Use mnemonics for concepts requiring recallEncourage visualizationGet eye contact before speakingTeach goal settingIndependent Projects in area of interest
Teach child how to break down project into partsAllow child opportunity to share with class - showcase the talent
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Strategies for Teaching the Twice Exceptional Student
Counseling
Provide emotional support
Teach child to be his or her own advocate
If possible, have child work with group of other twice exceptional students
Help child become aware of strengths and weaknesses
Teach social skills
Find role models
Organizational Strategies
Color code book covers and notebooks
Graphic organizers
Create flow charts
Colored stickers on desk
Red for turn in homework
Yellow for put homework in backpack
Blue for take lunchbox home
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
Strategies for Teaching the Twice Exceptional Student
Time management
How long do you think it will take? Have student time himself or herself.
Use egg timer
Get watch with alarm
Strategies for parents
Take photos of things to remember and tape to the back of the door or
mirror
Rearrange room to make it practical
Find a tutor - don't be the homework heavy - celebrate child's gifts
Work with the school to create a supportive team
Be a role model
Focus on effort, not grades
Do not allow child to use learning disability as an excuse
Expect child to use skills; have child do practical tasks (I.e. thank you
notes)
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled
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Twice Exceptional - Gifted and Learning Disabled