The JAVITS Iowa Twice Exceptional Project: Profiles of Iowa’s Twice-Exceptional Learners Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellenc The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development The University of Iowa College of Education Susan G. Assouline, Ph.D. Professor, Associate Director Megan Foley Nicpon, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Supervisor of Psychological Services
The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development The University of Iowa College of Education. The JAVITS Iowa Twice Exceptional Project :. Profiles of Iowa’s Twice-Exceptional Learners. Susan G. Assouline, Ph.D. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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The JAVITS Iowa Twice Exceptional Project:
Profiles of Iowa’s Twice-Exceptional Learners
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center
for Gifted Education and Talent Development
The University of Iowa College of Education
Susan G. Assouline, Ph.D.Professor, Associate Director
Megan Foley Nicpon, Ph.D.Assistant ProfessorSupervisor of Psychological Services
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
What is the Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project?
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Javits Twice Exceptional ProjectBackground:
•2005 Federally funded joint effort of the Iowa DOE and the Belin-Blank Center
•PI: Susan Assouline; PM: Megan Foley Nicpon
Purpose:
•Examine the unique issues related to assessing the learning needs of twice-exceptional (2XE) students
The Belin-Blank Center Twice-Exceptional Research (2002-2008)
• Three-year Javits-funded project to investigate best practices (2005-2008)– Built on the foundation of research from
2002-2005 • Javits Project team:
– Iowa DOE• Rosanne Malek and Jim Reese
– Belin-Blank Center• Susan Assouline, Megan Foley Nicpon, Claire Whiteman,
Nicholas Colangelo, Greg Feldmann, Nancy Whetstine
The Grant
• The main goal is to address the Javits “Absolute Priority” to carry out a coordinated program of scientifically based research to build and enhance the ability of elementary and secondary schools to meet the special educational needs of gifted and talented students.
• Response to the first time fact that children who are gifted and talented are recognized in federal legislation concerned with disabilities
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Twice-Exceptional Project Goals:1.Increase awareness of 2XE student characteristics.
2.Gain knowledge of best practices for comprehensively evaluating 2XE students.
3.Provide appropriate interventions for 2XE students.
4.Increase understanding of unique learning needs.
5.Change behavior by applying new knowledge, attitudes, awareness, and skills when working with 2XE students.
“A student is considered twice-exceptional when he or she is identified as gifted/talented in one or more areas while also possessing a learning, emotional, physical, sensory, and/or developmental disability” (from Assouline, Foley Nicpon, & Huber, 2006)
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
“It is difficult to describe the ‘typical’ twice-exceptional student because of the variability demonstrated among them. The one common characteristic of this group, however, is that they simultaneously possess attributes of giftedness as well as learning, physical, social/emotional or behavioral deficits” (The Twice-Exceptional Dilemma,
National Education Association)
Twice-Exceptional Diagnosis Debacle
Twice- Exceptionality
Relative to
• Disability • Giftedness• Grant Diagnosis
Intervention
Advocacy
Twice Exceptional (2X)
• Two separate (and not equal) federal legislative actions form the foundation to understanding 2X– 1972 Marland Report – predominant basis for
identification and programming of gifted and talented in 5 broad areas (definition, but no mandate)
– 1975 PL-94 142 (renamed IDEA); a mandate for identification and provision of services for students with disabilities
Special Education• 1975 Federal Legislation
• Evolution of the categories (currently 13) as understanding increased
• Dramatic increases in numbers– From 1991 to 2000 an increase of 28.4% in the
number of students ages 6 to 21 receiving services (approximately 10% of the K-12 population)
– In 1976, only ¼ of students were considered LD, but by 1990, LD represented ½ and LD has maintained its first-place rank
Special EducationNumber of students (ages 6 – 21) served by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) in 2001 by disability category, Adapted from the U.S. Department of Education (2005); Number of students (ages 6 – 21) served under IDEA in 2001 (Sattler, 2008).________________________________________________________________________Disability # of children %IDEA total % of US student
Gifted and Talented Students with a disability are recognized as one of the groups of students whose needs have priority in US DOE grants to guide research, personnel preparation, and technical assistance the Javits Twice-Exceptional Research Grant
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Types of Twice-Exceptionality1.GT with physical disabilities2.GT with sensory disabilities3.GT with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)4.GT with emotional and/or behavioral disorders5.GT with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD)6.GT with specific learning disabilities (SLD)
Main focus of our project: 1.Academically gifted students with Autism
Spectrum Disorder (ASD)2.Academically giftedstudents with specificlearning disabilities (SLD)
Initial FocusGifted and talented students who have learning difficulties or social
impairments. Students – who we are referring to as twice-exceptional -- face a double-risk in the educational environment
• (1) because of their strong academic potential, their disability often is not recognized until they spend enough time in the system “waiting to fail”;
• (2) meanwhile, because they “fail to flourish” their strong academic potential is not realized.
The double impact of these systemic flaws results in a very vulnerable group of twice-exceptional learners with unique issues that will be addressed in our project.
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Why focus on ASD?
•Diagnosis of ASD has grown tremendously in the past 10 years
•Limited to no research at present with gifted students
Gifted StudentsStudents with an Autism Spectrum
Disorder
Gifted/ASD students
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Why focus on SLD? 1.It represents more than 50% of students in
the 13 diagnostic categories. It is the one category that has grown the most.
2.The changes in IDEA are very much reflected in the SLD issues.
3.Increased use of curriculum-based assessment (CBA) and response to intervention (RTI) strategies greatly affect gifted/LD
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
What is known about twice-exceptional students in schools?
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
Results from the Needs Assessment
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
• The Needs Assessment was designed to be brief. The information was fairly general:
1. Basic demographics2. Familiarity with Special Education, G/T, and Twice-
Exceptional3. Confidence in making an appropriate referral4. Which professional should be the primary provider of
• 48 ASD assessments– 6 had no diagnosis– 5 did not meet cognitive ability criteria
• 37 total GT/ASD (1+ IQ score in Superior range or above; ASD diagnosis*)– 17 (46%) Asperger’s Disorder– 13 (35%) Autistic Disorder– 7 (19%) Pervasive Developmental Disorder
*Diagnosis based on ADOS/ADI-R results and DSM-IV criteria
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
ASD Demographics31 (84%) boys / 6 (16%) girls20 ES / 10 MS / 7 HS34 white / 2 Latino / 1 Biracial
• 46% exhibited motor difficulties • 23% exhibited advanced motor
skills
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
ASD Profile Analysis – Achievement
•Sight word reading > reading speed > comprehension – Means from High Average to Superior
•Math reasoning > calculation > math speed – Means from Average to Superior range
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
ASD Profile Analysis – Achievement
•Spelling > written expression > writing fluency– Means from Average to Superior range
•Expressive > receptive language – Means from Average to High Average range
– Delayed > immediate
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Profile Analysis – Adaptive Behavior
•Communication Domainoverall in Average range (93; 32nd percentile)
written > expressive > receptive
•Daily Living Skills Domainoverall in the Low Average/Average range
(89; 23rd percentile)community > personal = domestic
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Profile Analysis – Adaptive Behavior
•Socialization Domainoverall in Borderline range (74; 4th
percentile)Mildly deficient range = 9 (25%)Borderline range = 15 (42%)Low Average range =11 (31%)
•1 student in the Average range
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
What does all this mean?1. Our sample of gifted students with ASD
exhibited extremely large discrepancies in their cognitive, academic, and adaptive functioning profiles
2. These discrepancies are confusing to the child/adolescent as well as to those who work and live with him/her (e.g., why are some things so easy and others so hard?)
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
What does all this mean?3. Verbal and nonverbal reasoning skills are
typically much stronger than are working memory and processing speed skills
4. These cognitive discrepancies can, and often do, affect academic functioning
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
Cognitive, academic and adaptive functioning profiles: GT/SLD
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
SLD Assessment Process
1. Cognition (SB5; WISC-IV; WAIS-III)2. Achievement – two measures in area of difficulty
language • Large differences in adaptive functioning
(communication and socialization)• Psychosocial functioning variable (Carrie =
elevated parent and teacher scores consistent with ASD)
• ASD assessment clearly differentiated the two girls
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Conclusions• Comprehensive assessment crucial for
appropriate diagnosis• ADOS/ADIR and Vineland-II most useful
instruments for determining whether ASD is present
• IQ and Achievement testing did not reliably differentiate the girls
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Case study: A gifted student with SLD
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
How can educators help twice-exceptional students?
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The Paradox of Giftedness and Autism: Packet of Information for Professionals
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Suggestions from PIP• Reading
– Materials in area of interest – Diverse genres – Abstract vs. concrete– Comprehension over speed – Partner up
• Math– New material at an individualized pace– Diversify topic areas
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Suggestions from PIP• Processing Speed
– Allow time to respond in class – Write facts and deadlines on the board– Minimize timed activities– Quality over quantity – Encourage pre-planning– Reduce copying– Praise persistence – Make an outline / notes available
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Suggestions from PIP• Written Language
– Offer an assortment of writing utensil options– Print or cursive– Share notes – Use graph paper– Assistive technology – Extra time on writing assignments – Tape record– Write about special interests – Content first and mechanics second (drafts and proof
reading)
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Suggestions from PIP• Social Skills
– Cultivate social awareness at every opportunity – Encouragement and recognition– Specific instructions– Specific opportunities
• Communication Skills– Feedback about conversations – Monitor bullying behavior – Praise attempts at participation – Straightforward and direct communication
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Suggestions from PIP• Behavior
– Remove student from source of stress – Safe place– Make options available for free time– Consult with professionals re. a behavior
management plan– Use interests in a positive way– Post schedules – Provide warnings to change
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The Paradox of Giftedness and Autism: Packet of Information for Families
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Suggestions from PIF• Disclosure of information to staff• Discussing the program• Taking a proactive approach• Planning for social activities • Avoiding potential behavioral problems
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
How should the student’s gifts be addressed?
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
• Listen, listen, listen, and support • Highlight the child’s strengths and interests,
and use this information to stimulate learning • Employ alternate (nontraditional) ways to
demonstrate understanding• Ensure that GT participation is not contingent
on good behavior
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
How should the student’s disability be addressed?
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
• Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility, and support • Be actively involved in IEP or 504 planning• Communicate with the child and his/her
parents • Be positive!!! • Be consistent • Provide examples of appropriate behaviors • Encourage learning of various strategies to
address areas of difficulty (study skills, time management, coping skills, etc.)
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
What can I tell parents?
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
• Obtain support (web communities, literature for parents, 2e newsletter, etc.)
• Seek ways in and out of school to accommodate for gifts and disabilities/difficulties
• Emphasize the student’s strengths – Recognize the value of highlighting gifts
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
• Help the student and their parents think about and plan for the future– College – what environment would be the
best fit?– Investigate careers that are good fits with
the student’s gifts and areas of difficulty• Help the student and parents develop self-
advocacy skills
Nurturing Potential Inspiring Excellence
The JAVITS Iowa Twice-Exceptional Project
• Emphasize resiliency and persistence • Consider finding mentors in student’s area of
interest• Reframe ideas of “learning disability” or “ASD”