Twice-Exceptional: Students with Both Gifts and Challenges Or Disabilities
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TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL: STUDENTS WITH BOTH GIFTS AND CHALLENGES OR DISABILITIES IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION P. O. BOX 83720 BOISE, ID 83720-0027 TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL: STUDENTS WITH BOTH GIFTS AND CHALLENGES OR DISABILITIES SUPERINTENDENT TOM LUNA 2010 Superintendent’s Message Thank you for reading Twice-Exceptional: Students with Both Gifts and Challenges or Disabilities by the Idaho State Department of Education. The State Department of Education is accountable for the success of all Idaho students. As leaders in education, we provide the expertise and technical assistance to promote educational excellence and highly effective instruction. The Twice-Exceptional manual provides the awareness and technical assistance to those who are working with Idaho’s Twice-Exceptional students. These children truly are exceptional. Not only are they gifted, but they are also coping with learning challenges or disabilities. It is our responsibility to give these students the extra assistance they need to become successful. Thank you again for reading this manual and for your continued dedication to serving Idaho students. I also want to thank all the educators, parents and Department staff who contributed to this manual for their hard work and vision. Sincerely, Tom Luna Superintendent of Public Instruction Table of Contents Executive Summary PART 1 - INTRODUCTION 1 0LVVLRQ 'HÀQLWLRQ Characteristics of Twice-Exceptional Children 5 ,GHQWLÀFDWLRQ The Law 22 PART 2 – EDUCATIONAL SETTING 27 Introduction 27 Response-To-Intervention Model 27 Accommodations and Instructional Strategies 35 Differentiated Curriculum 45 Adolescent Twice-Exceptional Learner 50 Differentiation at the Secondary Level 57 Being “Twice-Exceptional”: Strategies for Student Success 64 Role of School Psychologists 74 Role of School Counselors 86 PART 3 - Parent Persceptive 93 ,QWURGXFWLRQ /LIHZLWKD7ZLFH([FHSWLRQDO&KLOG7KUHH3DUHQW3HUVSHFWLYHV 3DUHQWLQJ7ZLFH([FHSWLRQDO6WXGHQWV7RZDUG6XFFHVV :KHQ7ZLFH([FHSWLRQDO&KLOGUHQ([SHULHQFH3UREOHPVLQ6FKRRO PART 4 – Case Studies 103 PART 5- Resources, Research and Best Practices 107 Appendices 115 I Special Education Categories 115 ,, ([DPSOHVRI$VVHVVPHQW0HDVXUHV III Looking for Solutions in Your Classroom Assessment Matrix and Plan 121 IV Dear Colleague Letter: Access by Students with Disabilities to Accelerated Programs 123 V School & Parents: The Need for Collaboration Concerning Twice-Exceptional Students 127 VI Finding the Best Education Setting for your Child’s Unique Academic, 6RFLDODQG(PRWLRQDO1HHGV VII Glossary of Terms 131 Acknowledgements Twice-Exceptional: Students with Both Gifts and Challenges or Disabilities The Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) appreciates the time and effort spent by the Twice-Exceptional State Leadership Group in contributing to the development of this manual. Writing Team Marcia Beckman Dr. Diane Boothe Sherrie Bosserman Therese Clifford Sherry Dismuke Dr. Allison Etnyre Nancy Gregory Vickie Green Jo Henderson Dr. Stephanie Hoffman Rita Hoffman Mary Jonas Misty Knuchel Roy McConaughey Nancy Thomas Price Dr. Larry Rogien Rene Rohrer Dr. Val Schorzman Cathy Smith Robin Sly Special Thanks to Dr. Daphne Pereles Dr. Lois Baldwin Cheryl Kary Executive Summary Purpose of the Manual • To provide a resource to support the stated mission of this manual. 'HÀQLWLRQ 6WXGHQWVZKRDUH7ZLFH([FHSWLRQDODUHLGHQWLÀHGDVJLIWHGDQGWDOHQWHGDQGDUHDOVRLGHQWLÀHGZLWKRQHRU more disability or condition. Educational Implications ,GHQWLÀFDWLRQLVWURXEOHVRPH\HWHVVHQWLDO$VSUHDGLQDVVHVVPHQWVFRUHVLVFRPPRQDQGQHHGVWREH interpreted with care. 5HVSRQVH7R,QWHUYHQWLRQKDVEHHQLGHQWLÀHGDVDQHIIHFWLYHPRGHOIRULQWHUYHQWLRQ • Social/emotional development is a consistent and critical area of need. Parenting • P arenting students who are Twice-Exceptional is often frustrating. Collaborative support and understanding are essential. Law • S tate and federal laws provide information regarding the education of students who are gifted and students who have disabilities. PART 1: INTRODUCTION 0LVVLRQ 'HÀQLWLRQ Mission MISSION To recognize and nurture the exceptional capabilities of gifted students who have My daughter, Marcia, did not tend to disabilities and help them achieve their produce much written work in school potential. even though her thoughtful observations and questions added an immense amount to the classes she attended. This resource book provides a framework to She was placed in the accelerated identify students who are Twice-Exceptional courses because it was felt that even if and implement appropriate strategies across she was not good at producing material, all settings. being in the higher level classes would stand a better chance of meeting her intellectual needs. After a short time DEFINITION in her English course and without any attempt to strategize a way she could Disabilities/Challenges have success, her teacher excused her from the class stating she “did not see 6WXGHQWVZKRDUHLGHQWLÀHGDVJLIWHG the gift” in Marcia. The teacher felt and talented in one or more areas of that any child in an accelerated course H[FHSWLRQDOLW\ VSHFLÀFDFDGHPLFV should not require and did not deserve intellectual ability, creativity, leadership, any kind of accommodation. Marcia visual or performing arts) and also did take the SAT test four years earlier LGHQWLÀHGZLWKRQHRUPRUHVSHFLÀF than normal and scored high enough to diagnosable conditions [which may qualify for attendance at the national not be diagnosed], such as learning talent search program in English. disabilities, mental health problems, neurological disorders, physical — Idaho Parent of handicaps, or the asynchronicity that Twice-Exceptional Child occurs due to the discrepancy between mental age and chronological age that may or may not impede their progress in life. IDAHO STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL: STUDENTS WITH BOTH GIFTS AND CHALLENGES OR DISABILITIES 1 MASKING Students who are gifted with learning challenges are at-risk because their educational and social- emotional needs often go undetected. Research indicates that 2-5% of the population will have GLVDELOLWLHVDQGRIVWXGHQWVZLWKGLVDELOLWLHVDUHJLIWHG 'L[ 6FKDIHU:KLWPRUH 0DNHU 7KHLQWHOOHFWXDOVWUHQJWKVRIJLIWHGFKLOGUHQRIWHQPDVNVSHFLÀFDUHDVRI challenge or weakness. Their inconsistent academic performance may lead educators to believe these students are not putting forth adequate effort. The effects of a learning disability can suppress a child’s giftedness and the child’s giftedness can hide (mask) his or her learning challenge. These children can often “get by” in a standard curriculum, as intellectual strengths and weaknesses often conceal each other. “Getting by” means achieving at an academic level commensurate with their same-aged peers. The expectation is that these children should be given the opportunity to achieve at an academic level commensurate with their intellectual potential. Gifts & Disabilities Talents & Challenges 2 TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL: STUDENTS WITH BOTH GIFTS AND CHALLENGES OR DISABILITIES IDAHO STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Figure 1.1 Twice-Exceptional Combinations Some Examples of Twice -Exceptional Combinations Learning Challenges Disabled • Academic Gifts • Intellectual Gifts out weigh challenges Gifts out weigh challenges Sensory • Intellectual Gifts Challenges Integration • Leadership Disorder Gifts and challenges mask each other Gifts and challenges mask each other • Creativity Gifts • Performance • Bipolar Challenges • ADHD Challenges out weigh gifts Challenges out weigh gifts IDAHO STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL: STUDENTS WITH BOTH GIFTS AND CHALLENGES OR DISABILITIES 3 Characteristics of Twice- Indicators of Cognitive/Affective Exceptional Children Problems Printed with permission. Elizabeth Nielsen, • H ave discrepant verbal and performance 1994, University of New Mexico abilities. +DYHGHÀFLHQWRUH[WUHPHO\XQHYHQDFDGHPLF The following list should be viewed as skills which cause them to lack academic characteristics that are typical of many initiative, appear academically unmotivated, children who are gifted and who also have a avoid school tasks, and frequently fail to disability, rather than characteristics that all complete assignments. such children possess. Children do not form a • Are extremely frustrated by school. simple, homogeneous group; they are a highly diverse group of learners. • H ave auditory and/or visual processing problems which may cause them to respond Indicators of Cognitive/Affective slowly, to work slowly, and to appear to think Strengths slowly. • H ave a wide range of interests that are not • H ave problems with long-term and/or short- related to school topics or learning. term memory. +DYHDVSHFLÀFWDOHQWRUFRQVXPLQJLQWHUHVW +DYHPRWRUGLIÀFXOWLHVH[KLELWHGE\ area for which they have an exceptional clumsiness, poor handwriting, or problems memory and knowledge. completing paper-and-pencil tasks. • A re interested in the “big picture” rather than • Lack organizational skills and study skills; small details. often appearing to be extremely “messy.” • A re extremely curious and questioning. • A re unable to think in a linear fashion; have GLIÀFXOW\IROORZLQJGLUHFWLRQV • P ossess high levels of problem-solving and reasoning skills. • A re easily frustrated; give up quickly on tasks; are afraid to risk being wrong or making • H ave penetrating insights. mistakes. • A re capable of setting up situations to their +DYHGLIÀFXOW\H[SODLQLQJRUH[SUHVVLQJLGHDV own advantage often as a coping method. “getting-to-the-point,” and/or expressing • A re extremely creative