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Educating Gifted Students with Asperger's Syndrome: a Case Study of Three Students and Their Classroom Experiences

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Educating Gifted Students with Asperger's Syndrome: a Case Study of Three Students and Their Classroom Experiences University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2012 Educating Gifted Students With Asperger's Syndrome: A Case Study Of Three Students And Their Classroom Experiences Beverly S. Horn University of Central Florida Part of the Education Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Horn, Beverly S., "Educating Gifted Students With Asperger's Syndrome: A Case Study Of Three Students And Their Classroom Experiences" (2012). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 2139. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/2139 EDUCATING GIFTED STUDENTS WITH ASPERGER’S SYNDROME: A CASE STUDY OF THREE STUDENTS AND THEIR CLASSROOM EXPERIENCES by BEVERLY S. HORN B.A. University of South Florida, 1979 M.A. University of South Florida, 1980 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2012 Major Professor: Michele G. Gill ABSTRACT Much research has focused on students with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), and much research has also been done on gifted students with special needs, yet very little has been published that looks at the characteristics of students who have been identified as both Gifted and as having Asperger Syndrome (G/AS), and what teachers are doing in the classroom to meet their needs. This is an important topic because this group of twice exceptional students has characteristics of both exceptionalities, and trying to meet the special needs of both groups in the same classroom would likely be a challenge for the teacher. Without understanding what these students are like, and how classroom teachers are trying to meet the needs of this special population, little can be recommended that will help the students succeed. This study examined the academic, social, and behavioral characteristics of three students with G/AS through observations and interviews of students, as well as interviews of their teachers and parents, and records reviews. Using an individual case study approach, information was gathered that was designed to understand the behaviors of specific students with G/AS and what their teachers were doing to meet their needs. By examining characteristics of students with G/AS and their teachers’ practices, information pertinent to an improved understanding of the varying profiles of students with G/AS can be described that may improve decision making and planning when attempting to meet the needs of this population of students. Keywords: gifted, Asperger’s Syndrome ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ x LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1: EDUCATING GIFTED STUDENTS WITH ASPERGER’S SYNDROME; A CASE STUDY OF THREE STUDENTS AND THEIR CLASSROOM EXPERIENCES ........... 1 Statement of Problem .................................................................................................................. 3 Background. ............................................................................................................................ 3 Problem. .................................................................................................................................. 4 Purpose. ................................................................................................................................... 5 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................... 5 Significance of the Study for Practice ........................................................................................ 8 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................... 9 Definition of Key Terms ........................................................................................................... 10 Gifted. ................................................................................................................................... 10 Autism. .................................................................................................................................. 11 Asperger’s Syndrome............................................................................................................ 11 Students with G/AS............................................................................................................... 12 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ............................................................. 14 Asperger’s Syndrome................................................................................................................ 14 iii History................................................................................................................................... 14 Definition. ............................................................................................................................. 18 High functioning Autism versus Asperger’s Syndrome. ...................................................... 20 High functioning Autism. ..................................................................................................... 20 Prevalence. ............................................................................................................................ 25 Causes. .................................................................................................................................. 27 Characteristics. ...................................................................................................................... 31 Cognitive/academic............................................................................................................ 31 Social.................................................................................................................................. 35 Comorbidity. ......................................................................................................................... 41 Adolescents with AS. ............................................................................................................ 44 Teaching implications. .......................................................................................................... 47 Giftedness ................................................................................................................................. 49 History and definitions. ......................................................................................................... 49 Characteristics. ...................................................................................................................... 58 Cognitive/academic............................................................................................................ 63 Reading. ............................................................................................................................. 65 Social/emotional. ............................................................................................................... 67 Twice exceptional. ................................................................................................................ 71 iv Educational implications for gifted adolescents. .................................................................. 75 Gifted Students with Asperger’s Syndrome ............................................................................. 79 Identification. ........................................................................................................................ 80 Characteristics. ...................................................................................................................... 81 Misdiagnosis. ........................................................................................................................ 86 Educational implications for gifted students with Asperger’s Syndrome. ........................... 90 Review ...................................................................................................................................... 97 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ............................................... 100 Research Questions ................................................................................................................. 100 Population and Sampling ........................................................................................................ 100 Procedures ............................................................................................................................... 102 Time frame. ......................................................................................................................... 102 Albert. .............................................................................................................................
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