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Twice Exceptional:

Gifted or Learning Disabled?

Researched & Complied by: A. Wills

The gifted

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ADHD- Deficit DisorderHyperactivit

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y Attention Attention Attention Attention

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Read the Following Directions:

1. Sätt dina fötter lätt avsides, rätt tillbaka, huvud upp, och kvadrat dina skuldror.

2. 橫跨你的身體的中線遇到你的右臂，然後重複具你的左臂的運動。這麼很多次做。

3. With you sarm at your sid , wing your lft leg ac ros the mIlin of your boody and the re pet moshon with your riht l g.

4. Now, cross your arm and left to the body. Left arm and right midline. Repeat

Watch your instructor & listen as you are given

instructions

1. Set your feet slightly apart, straight back, head up, and square your shoulders.

2. Cross your right arm across the midline of your body and then repeat the motion with your left arm. Do this a couple of times.

3. With you arms at your side, swing your left leg across the midline of your body and then repeat the motion with your right leg.

4. Now, cross your right arm and left leg across the midline of your body. Cross your left arm and right leg across the midline of your body. Repeat the action.

Corpus Callosum: synapses firing -Communications

are now openThe right side of your brain controls the left side of your body and the left side of your brain controls the right side of your body.

The corpus collosum is a wide, flat bundle of neural fibers that bridges the left and right hemispheres of your brain allowing interhemispheric communication.

Left SideLeft SideBody ControlBody Control

Right SideRight SideBody ControlBody Control

Corpus CallosumCorpus Callosum

the Cross Midline Activity,required you to use both sides of our brain. Now, our synapses are firing and our brains are warmed-up ready to think & learn.

Gifted& Talented/learning –disabled (gt/ld)

“Those students who posses an outstanding gift or talent and are

capable of high performance, but who also have a learning disability that makes some aspect of academic

achievement difficult” (Weinfeld, Barnes-Robinson,

Jeweler, & Shevitz, 2006), also known as the twice-exceptional.

Twice Exceptional:

Educators and parents have been puzzled by students who demonstrate significant learning capabilities in some areas; but, they demonstrate equally dramatic learning deficits in other areas.

The term “twice exceptional” was coined by Dr. James J.

Gallagher, author and senior investigator at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Twice Exceptional students require the same experiences as other gifted students. In addition, they need the same learning strategies used with other learning disabled students.

Every student has their way of blending in with the crowd:Most student will use behavior to hide what they don’t understand. This can make it difficultfor the teacher to determine if the student isnot engaged, a selective consumer, or if there

is another under lying issue that is interfering with the student’s ability to learn.

Individuals with a high IQ are often able to mask their learning problems due to their high intellect (Rakow, 2005).

Characteristics of GT/LD High Verbal Ability -- but extreme

difficulty in written language. Strong observation skills -- but may have

deficits in memory skills. Attention deficit problems -- but may

stay focused for long periods of time in areas of interest.

Unwilling to take risks in academic areas -- but will take risks in non-school areas without consideration for consequences.

Creative thoughts and ideas -- but may appear to daydream when generating ideas.

Strategies for all learners:

Teach to their Strengths, Not their Weakness- Multi-Sensory: Visual, Auditory, Tactile/Kinesthetic

Provide Instruction & Skills in Areas of Academic Weakness-

Reading, Writing, Math, Organization, Test taking

Keep the Work Challenging- Work that requires higher level thought: Reasoning/Critical

Thinking

Allow Choice of Product- Demonstration of mastery as a song, reenactment, poem etcetera.

Graphic Organizers- Organizes the information for the brain making it easier for the

brain to process the information.

ELLs: the language barrier

In 1979, approximate 1 in 10school children spoke alanguage other than English at home. By 2003, 1 in 5 spoke a language other than English at home.By 2005, ESL/ELL enrollment in U.S. public school doubledto more than 5.1 million students.

(Harris, Plucker, Rapp, & Martinez, 2009)

Reduce verbiage by limiting the amount

of words used for an explanation. Encourage students to elaborate verbally. Diagram Notes. Introduce key vocabulary before the

lesson. Divide information into smaller chunks. Have students create visual

representations of vocabulary words. Use graphic organizers.

REMBRANDTS TO PICASSOS & CHAUCERS TO HEMINGWAYS,

VISUALIZING LANGUAGE

Frayer Model basics

Frayer Model- the next level

Talk & Share Time:Discuss with your group: How do you as a classroom teacher

address the needs of your ESL/ELL learners?

Which of the strategies listed do you feel would be most appropriate for your students & why?

What other types of successful strategies have you used to help your ESL/ELL students be more successful academically in your classroom?

Dyslexia: more than just reading & writing

Dyslexia is a neurologically-based disorder that interfereswith the acquisition and processing of language. Characterized by the inability to translate sounds from their written form to their spoken form. It affects aperson's fluency, comprehensionaccuracy and ability to read,speak, and spell.

Fast Facts: Famous Dyslexics Walt Disney Einstein Cher Picasso Bill Gates Woopie Goldberg Jay Leno Leonardo Di Vinci Orlando Bloom Steve Jobs Thomas Edison General George

Patton Salma Hayek Nelson Rockerfeller

Mohammed Ali Pablo Picasso George Burns Hans Christian Anderson Leonardo de Vinci Danny Glover John Lennon Sir Winston Churchill Alexander Graham Bell Henry Ford Thomas Jefferson John F. Kennedy Steven Spielberg George Washington Babe Ruth

Writing Strengths-

Focus on Content & Quality of the ideas. Allow the use of electronic spellers, word

processors, speech to text software.

Proofread for one error at a time.

Reading Strengths-

Place emphasis on comprehension of important information.

Allow books on tape or CD. (Resource: Recording for the Blind and the Dyslexic,

www.rfbd.org)

Include oral discussions that require support of textual references.

(Examples: Shared Inquiry or Socratic Seminars)

Talk & Share Time: Discuss in your group the challenges you

as a teacher have had working with a dyslexic in your classroom.

How can you as a teacher apply the recommended strategies while maintaining high expectations, keeping the curriculum challenging, and receiving quality student work?

ADHD: Working with intermittent receptors

The specific cause of ADHD is known;but, brain scans suggest it may havesomething to do with the dopamine transmitters in the brain.ADHD is characterized by Inattentiveness, over-activity,impulsivity, or a combination. Students with ADHD have a lower patience threshold, and attentionfor tasks, that have a low-interest, are repetitive, or that they find unstimulating.

Teach Organization- Structure assignments with clear

instructions and steps.

Establish due dates & checkpoints for assignments.

Use planners and calendars to keep track of due dates and assignments.

Designate a place for completed work, homework, & work in progress.

Teach Memory tricks-Use mnemonic devices.

(Rainbow’s name: Roy G. Biv = red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet)

Have student sequence activities after a lesson or event.

Connect to prior knowledge or personal experience.

Use outlines and note-taking.

Visual imagery. (Create a visual story to remember information.)

talk & Share Time: Discuss in your group successful

strategies you have used with ADHD students in your classroom to improve,

-Organization-Memory

What other strategies have you used in your classroom to help ADHD students be more successful?

Why intervene?: education is not survival of the fittest

Twice-exceptional students’ inability to successfully balance the school’s expectations, their area of academic difficulty, and their giftedness frequently results in low academic performance (Nielsen & Higgins, 2005).

Underachievement is a cycle, that if not broken, can lead to low self-esteem, depression, and lower performance.

Placement of a GT/LD student in a special education program tends to reinforce low self-esteem by focusing on disability rather than strengths.

References Brain Gym, http://igreen.tripod.com/gerpe/id29.html Brain Gym International, http://www.braingym.org/about Bright Solutions for Dyslexics, Inc. http://www.dys-add.com/define.html Direct Learning, http://www.dyslexia-test.com/famous.html Ellis, E., Farmer, T., Newman, J. (2005). Big ideas about teaching big

ideas. Teaching Exceptional Children. 38(1), 34-40. Harris, B., Plucker, J. A., Rapp, K. E., Martinez, R. S. (2009). Identifying gifted

and talented English Language Learners: A case study. Journal for the Education of the Gifted. 32(3), 368-393.

I am Dyslexic – About Dyslexia http://www.iamdyslexic.com/ Kerr, B. & Cohn, S. (2001). Smart boys: Talent, manhood, and the search

for meaning. Scottsdale Az: Great Potential Press, Inc.  Nielsen, M. E., Higgins, L. D. (2005). The eye of the storm: Services and

programs for twice-Exceptional learners. Teaching Exceptional Children. 38(1), 8-15.

Peer, L., Tresman, S. (2005). Dyslexic and gifted: Are the two really compatible? How can a learner with this challenge be nurtured? Gifted

Education International, 20, 29-35.

References Continued Rakow, S. (2005). Educating gifted students in middle school. Waco,

Tx: Prufrock Press. Reis, S. M., McCoach, D. B. (2002). Underachievement in gifted and

talented students with Special needs. Exceptionality, 10(2), 113-125.

Rimm, S. (2008). Why bright kids get poor grades: and what you can do about it. Great Potential Press. Scottsdale Az: Great Potential Press, Inc.

Siegle, D., McCoach, D.B. (2005). Making a difference: Motivating gifted students who are not achieving. Teaching Exceptional Children. 38(1), 22-27.

Weinfeld, R., Barnes-Robinson, L., Jeweler, S., Shevitz, B. (2006). Smart kids with learning difficulties. Waco, Tx: Prufrock Press.

Winebrenner, S. (2003). Teaching strategies for twice-exceptional students. Intervention in School and Clinic, 38(3), 131-137.

Yssel, N., Margison, J., Cross, T., Merbier, J. (2005). Puzzles, Mysteries, and Picasso: A summer camp for students who are gifted and learning disabled. Teaching Exceptional Children. 38(1), 42-46.