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Gifted students with disabling conditions remain a major
group of underserved and understimulated youth (Cline, 1999). The focus
on accommodations for their disabilities may preclude the recognition
and development of their cognitive abilities. It is not unexpected, then,
to find a significant discrepancy between the measured academic potential
of these students and their actual performance in the classroom ((Whitmore
& Maker, 1985). In order for these children to reach their potential,
it is imperative that their intellectual strengths be recognized and nurtured,
at the same time as their disability is accommodated appropriately.
Assessment
Identification of giftedness in students who are disabled
is problematic. The customary identification methods (standardized tests
and observational checklists) are inadequate, without major modification.
Standard lists of characteristics of gifted students may be inadequate
for unmasking hidden potential in children who have disabilities. Children
whose hearing is impaired, for example, cannot respond to oral directions,
and they may also lack the vocabulary which reflects the complexity of
their thoughts. Children whose speech or language is impaired cannot respond
to tests requiring verbal responses. Children whose vision is impaired
may be unable to respond to certain performance measures, and although
their vocabulary may be quite advanced, they may not understand the full
meaning of the words they use (e.g., color words). Children with learning
disabilities may use high-level vocabulary in speaking but be unable to
express themselves in writing, or vice versa. In addition, limited life
experiences due to impaired mobility may artificially lower scores (Whitmore
& Maker, 1985). Since the population of gifted/disabled students is
difficult to locate, they seldom are included in standardized test norming
groups, adding to the problems of comparison. In addition, gifted children
with disabilities often use their intelligence to try to circumvent the
disability. This may cause both exceptionalities to appear less extreme:
the disability may appear less severe because the child is using the intellect
to cope, while the efforts expended in that area may hinder other expressions
of giftedness.
The following lists are intended to assist parents and
teachers in recognizing intellectual giftedness in the presence of a disability.
Characteristics of Gifted Students with Specific Disabilities
Gifted Students with Visual Impairment
- (Whitmore & Maker, 1985)
- fast rate of learning
- superior memory
- superior verbal communication skills and vocabulary
- advanced problem-solving skills
- creative production or thought that may progress
more slowly than sighted students in some academic areas
- ease in learning Braille
- great persistence
- motivation to know
- sometimes slower rate of cognitive development than
sighted students
- excellent ability to concentrate
Gifted Students with Physical
Disabilities - (Cline, 1999; Whitmore & Maker, 1985; Willard-Holt,
1994)
- development of compensatory skills
- creativity in finding alternate ways of communicating
and accomplishing tasks
- impressive store of knowledge
- advanced academic skills
- superior memory
- exceptional problem-solving skills
- rapid grasp of ideas
- ability to set and strive for long-term goals
- greater maturity than age mates
- good sense of humor
- persistence, patience
- motivation to achieve
- curiosity, insight
- self criticism and perfectionism
- cognitive development that may not be based on direct
experience
- possible difficulty with abstractions
- possible limited achievement due to pace of work
Gifted Students with Hearing
Impairments - (Cline, 1999; Whitmore & Maker, 1985)
- development of speech-reading skills without instruction
- early reading ability
- excellent memory
- ability to function in the
regular school setting
- rapid grasp of ideas
- high reasoning ability
- superior performance in school
- wide range of interests
- nontraditional ways of getting
information
- use of problem-solving skills
in everyday situations
- possibly on grade level
- delays in concept attainment
- self starters
- good sense of humor
- enjoyment of manipulating
environment
- intuition
- ingenuity in solving problems
- symbolic language abilities
(different symbol system)
Gifted Students with Learning
Disabilities - (Baum, Owen, & Dixon, 1991; Silverman, 1989)
- high abstract reasoning ability
- good mathematical reasoning ability
- keen visual memory, spatial skills
- advanced vocabulary
- sophisticated sense of humor
- imaginative and creative
- insightful
- exceptional ability in geometry, science, arts, music
- good problem-finding and problem-solving skills
- difficulty with memorization, computation, phonics,
and/or spelling
- distractibility and/or disorganization
- supersensitivity
- perfectionism
- grasp of metaphors, analogies, satire
- comprehension of complex systems
- unreasonable self expectations
- often, failure to complete assignments
- difficulties with sequential tasks
- wide variety of interests
Research indicates that in many cases, a child is diagnosed
with ADHD when in fact the child is gifted and reacting to an inappropriate
curriculum (Webb & Latimer, 1993). The key to distinguishing between
the two is the pervasiveness of the "acting out" behaviors.
If the acting out is specific to certain situations, the child's behavior
is more likely related to giftedness; whereas, if the behavior is consistent
across all situations, the child's behavior is more likely related to
ADHD. It is also possible for a child to be BOTH gifted and ADHD. The
following lists highlight the similarities between giftedness and ADHD.
Characteristics of Gifted Students
Who Are Bored - (Cline, 1999; Webb & Latimer, 1993)
- Poor attention and daydreaming when bored
- Low tolerance for persistence on tasks that seem
irrelevant
- Begin many projects, see few to completion
- Development of judgment lags behind intellectual
growth
- Intensity may lead to power struggles with authorities
- High activity level; may need less sleep
- Difficulty restraining desire to talk; may be disruptive
- Question rules, customs, and traditions
- Lose work, forget homework, are disorganized
- May appear careless
- Highly sensitive to criticism
- Do not exhibit problem behaviors in all situations
- More consistent levels of performance at a
fairly consistent pace
Characteristics of Students with
ADHD - (Barkley, 1990; Cline, 1999; Webb & Latimer, 1993)
- Poorly sustained attention
- Diminished persistence on tasks not having immediate
consequences
- Often shift from one uncompleted activity to another
- Impulsivity, poor delay of gratification
- Impaired adherence to commands to regulate or inhibit
behavior in social contexts
- More active, restless than other children
- Often talk excessively
- Often interrupt or intrude on others (e.g., butt
into games)
- Difficulty adhering to rules and regulations
- Often lose things necessary for tasks or activities
at home or school
- May appear inattentive to details
- Highly sensitive to criticism
- Problem behaviors exist in all settings, but in some
are more severe
- Variability in task performance and time used
to accomplish tasks.
Questions To Ask in Differentiating
between Giftedness and ADHD
Could the behaviors be responses to inappropriate
placement, insufficient challenge, or lack of intellectual peers?
Is the child able to concentrate when interested in
the activity?
Have any curricular modifications been made in an
attempt to change inappropriate behaviors?
Has the child been interviewed? What are his/her feelings
about the behaviors?
Does the child feel out of control? Do the parents
perceive the child as being out of control?
Do the behaviors occur at certain times of the
day, during certain activities, with certain teachers or in certain
environments?
Implications for Students with Dual Exceptionalities
Commitment to identifying and nurturing the gifts of
students with disabilities implies specific changes in the way educators
approach identification, instruction, and classroom dynamics.
Identification
- Include students with disabilities in initial
screening phase.
- Be willing to accept nonconventional indicators of
intellectual talent.
- Look beyond test scores.
- When applying cutoffs, bear in mind the depression
of scores that may occur due to the disability.
- DO NOT aggregate subtest scores into a composite
score.
- Compare with others who have similar disabilities.
- Weight more heavily characteristics that enable the
child to effectively compensate for the disability.
- Weight more heavily areas of performance unaffected
by the disability.
- Allow the child to participate in gifted programs
on a trial basis.
Instruction
- Be aware of the powerful role of language;
reduce communication limitations and develop alternative modes for thinking
and communicating.
- Emphasize high-level abstract thinking, creativity,
and a problem-solving approach.
- Have great expectations: these children often become
successful as adults in fields requiring advanced education.
- Provide for individual pacing in areas of giftedness
and disability.
- Provide challenging activities at an advanced level.
- Promote active inquiry, experimentation, and discussion.
- Promote self-direction.
- Offer options that enable students to use strengths
and preferred ways of learning.
- Use intellectual strengths to develop coping strategies.
- Assist in strengthening the student's self
concept.
Classroom Dynamics
- Discuss disabilities/capabilities and their implications
with the class.
- Expect participation in all activities; strive for
normal peer interactions.
- Facilitate acceptance; model and demand respect for
all.
- Candidly answer peers' questions.
- Treat a child with a disability the same way a child
without a disability is treated.
- Model celebration of individual differences.
Gifted students with disabilities must be provided
with appropriate challenges. The personal and societal costs of not developing
their potential cannot be overstated.
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References
Barkley, R. A. (1990). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment. New York: Guilford
Press.
Baum, S. M., Owen, S. V., & Dixon, J. (1991).
To Be Gifted & Learning Disabled. Mansfield Center, CT: Creative
Learning Press.
Cline, S. & Schwartz, D. (1999). Diverse Populations
of Gifted Children. NJ: Merrill.
Silverman, L. K. (1989). Invisible Gifts, Invisible
Handicaps. Roeper Review, 12(1), 37-42.
Thurlow, M. L., Elliott, J. L. & Ysseldyke, J.
E. (1998). Testing Students with Disabilities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Press.
Webb, J. T. & Latimer, D. (1993). ADHD and Children
Who Are Gifted. ERIC Digest #522
Whitmore, J. R. & Maker, C. J. (1985). Intellectual
Giftedness in Disabled Persons. Rockville, MD: Aspen.
Willard-Holt, C. (1994). Recognizing Talent: Cross-
Case Study Of Two High Potential Students with Cerebral Palsy. Storrs,
CT: National Research Center on the Gifted/Talented.
Colleen Willard-Holt, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor
of Education at Pennsylvania State University-Capital College.
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