Twice- Exceptional Children
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V OLUME XL, I SSUE 1, 2019 Journal of the Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented • Member, National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) TISSN 2168-4731 (Print) E• ISSN 2168-4774 (Online) • AvailableMPO on EBSCOhost databases Twice- Exceptional Children STEM Early College Residential Program BE UNIQUE BE CHALLENGED BE TAMS tams.unt.edu V OLUME XL, I SSUE 1, 2019 TEMPO IN EVERY ISSUE FROM THE EDITOR 4 Krystal Goree, Ph.D. FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 5 Paulina van Eeden Hill, CAE FEATURES TEACHING GREEN FOR 2E: A TIERED REFLECTION 6 Claire E. Hughes, Ph.D. INCREASING THE VISIBILITY OF THE NEEDS OF GIRLS WHO ARE 13 GIFTED WITH ADHD: A COLLECTIVE CASE STUDY C. Matthew Fugate, Ph.D. IF I’M SO SMART, WHY DO I . ?: THE INTERNAL STRUGGLES OF 21 GIFTED STUDENTS WITH ADHD STEM Early College Residential Program Debra A. Troxclair, Ed.D. WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS REGARDING TWICE- 26 EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS Corina R. Kaul and Susan K. Johnsen, Ph.D. BE UNIQUE TEMPO EDITOR TAGT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Krystal Goree, Ph.D. Paulina van Eeden Hill, CAE MANAGING EDITOR TAGT PRESIDENT Lacy Compton, M.A. D’Lana Barbay, M.Ed. BE CHALLENGED DESIGN EDITOR COPY EDITOR Marjorie Parker Katy McDowall The Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented (TAGT) is a non-profit organization BE TAMS dedicated to connecting and empowering educators and parents to meet the unique social, emotional, and intellectual needs of gifted and talented students. TEMPO is the official journal of TAGT and subscriptions are a member benefit. Material appearing in TEMPO may be reprinted unless otherwise noted. When copying an article, please cite TEMPO and TAGT as the source. We appreciate copies of publications containing TEMPO reprints. TEMPO can be found on EBSCOhost databases. ADDRESS CORRECTION: Please notify TAGT if you are moving or if your mailing address has changed. TAGT publications are sent via third-class mail and are not forwarded by the post office. Be sure to renew your membership; you will not receive this publication after your membership expires. Opinions expressed by individual authors do not necessarily tams.unt.edu represent official positions of TAGT. FROM THE EDITOR by Krystal Goree, Ph.D. he term twice-exceptional emerged as an be successful in school. And, with 28 kids in their classrooms educational lexicon in the mid 1990s and has and high-stakes testing on the line, what are teachers to do? garnered a great deal of attention in the field After all, if the students do not spend their school days having of gifted education. The term was coined to disabilities addressed and, instead, time is taken to develop describe students who possess outstanding their areas of talent, how might they perform on the bench- skills, abilities, and/or academic talents and mark, STAAR, or End-of-Course (EOC) assessments? also struggle with academic, attention, or behavioral disabil- These kids have potential and the ability to be success- Tities. Due to the fact that the nature and abilities of twice- ful and excel in so many ways; however, the disabilities and exceptional students are so varied, there is no concise pro- challenges they face often discourage them from realizing file of twice-exceptionality. And yet, if you are the parent of a twice- exceptional child, teach a twice-exceptional stu- success and their dreams as they navigate the educational dent(s), or happen to be a twice-exceptional individual, you environments that are a part of living, of growing up, of fitting are most likely able to quickly provide a personal example in socially . sometimes, of living productive, fulfilling, and or two of twice-exceptionality that is quite descriptive. For happy lives. But, does it have to be this way? twice-exceptional children, their parents, and their teachers, Some might say that the answer to this question is school and learning can be frustrating and daunting aspects “No!”—if those of us who love and work with these children of day-to-day existence. take a different approach, possess the knowledge and skills For example, many parents of twice-exceptional children to focus on the abilities and scaffold learning to address the share that their days often include despair at the thought of: disabilities, and turn learning into a productive and positive • waking their child up for school in the morning and see- experience. Is that even possible? Do we need to reevaluate ing that look of desperation; approaches that we—with the best of intentions—have taken • delving into the homework that must be completed for historically to help this population of talented learners? And, the next day knowing that there will be more tears and where do we find the support to do just that? struggles over spelling words or math problems to tackle This TEMPO features the work of Claire E. Hughes, before reading bedtime stories; C. Matthew Fugate, and Debra A. Troxclair, researchers seeing the phone number from the school on their cell • and scholars who have spent a great deal of time studying phone as they are trying to work and dreading what they twice-exceptional students. Both of them provide excellent will hear from the caller; or information, examples, strategies, and guidance for anyone • watching their child withdraw, appear to no longer care, and/or not want to go to school the following day. working to support twice-exceptional students. In addition, Corina R. Kaul and Susan K. Johnsen share myriad informa- Teachers share similar sentiments in light of doing their tion on the topic of twice-exceptional children in the What best to meet the needs of these talented children with dis- the Research Says article that is included. Shall we each abilities who may feel frustrated in school and, oftentimes, share a copy of this issue of TEMPO with decision makers enter teachers’ classrooms with an educational background to help them build their understanding of twice-exceptional that has not supported them in their quest to fit in and/or students? 4 TEMPO • VOL. XL, ISSUE 1, 2019 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR by Paulina van Eeden Hill, CAE s you transition into summer mode, it’s It is more important than ever that we remain united time to celebrate, relax, and recover from and well-informed, as these changes allow us all the oppor- the hustle of 75,600+ minutes of teach- tunity to continue to educate our communities about G/T ing students, interacting with our unique students’ needs and of the responsibilities to which Texas youth, and supporting one another to make school districts are accountable. We will continue advocating it through another day. for you and your students, and we hope you will continue to This summer also brings change and opportunity for G/T look to TAGT as a resource to help you solve challenges and Aprograms and services in Texas. strengthen your programs. Not only did we all make it through another school year This issue of TEMPO sheds light on some of the chal- but we endured the 86th legislative session, 140 days (or lenges you may face—particularly those of your twice-excep- 3,300+ hours) of law making. Although we are disappointed tional students. May the strategies in this issue help to guide at the repeal of designated G/T funding, through collective you as you work with these unique learners. If you need more voices, strong advocate members, and legislative work, we were able to strengthen G/T program certifications, policy guidance, we encourage you to consider attending giftED19 requirements, and reporting obligations. To build on the December 4–6, where TAGT will offer many opportunities legislative changes, at the time of this publication, the State to learn from experts on gifted education, including experts Board of Education plans to vote to adopt the revised State on twice-exceptional students. Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students in early Above all, as the summer progresses and we all adapt to June. changes in gifted education, I encourage you to keep showing TAGT remains your guide to navigate these changes, the resilience and grit we ask our students to display when continue to advocate for G/T students in your districts and faced with challenges. We encourage them not to give up on campuses, and provide professional learning to update you themselves, let’s make sure we don’t give up on what gifted and your teams on law and policy related to gifted students. education is in Texas. Noteworthy Congratulations to the graduating members of the Class of 2018–2019 TAGT Emerging Leaders Program: Linda Autrey, Shana Dillon, Michael Flusche, Kristin Graham, Gypsy Mishoe, Jada Mullins, Robyn Olsen, Stacey Parker, Lori Ruiz-Wamble, Cynthia Sauceda, Rachel Stogner, and H. Trey Wright III. TAGT would also like to thank ELP Facilitator Marcy Voss and the ELP mentors: Shirley Bachus, Mary Ann Clark, Karen Green, Janet Helmcamp, Pam Johnson, Harleigh Jones, Omega Loera, Lori Mabry, Sherry Myers, Gina Peddy, Monica Simonds, and Ellen Williams. Members and mentors were honored at the April 2019 TAGT Leadership Conference in Georgetown (pictured here). TEXAS ASSOCIAtiON FOR THE GIFTED & TALENTED 5 Teaching Green for 2e A Tiered Reflection Claire E. Hughes, Ph.D. In the immortal words of Kermit the Frog, “It ain’t easy being green.” Susan Baum, a longtime advocate for twice-exceptional or reviewed in a different manner before they can under- children, uses the analogy that disabilities and challenges stand it (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015). When chil- are blue, strengths and talents are yellow, and twice- dren are twice-exceptional, teachers and parents are often exceptional children are green—which is both a combi- challenged with trying to determine what can be done nation and yet its own unique color (Baum, Schader, & with these difficult-to-understand and difficult-to-teach Owen, 2017; see Figure 1).