Question:
I have children who are highly intelligent, but have learning disabilities. While the school is providing tem with accommodations based on their learning disabilities, they refuse to allow them to participate in the gifted program. Aren’t they entitled to participate in the gifted program as well as special education?
Answer:
YES they are entitled! Children who are Twice Exceptional (Learning Disabled and Gifted) must have their strength areas addressed in addition to having accommodations for their weaker areas. My experience with students I have taught is that if we only dwell on their weaknesses, they develop what I call the "fraud complex". They believe they are intelligent at one point in their lives and then begin to feel like a fraud when they realize that they cannot produce as quickly as their classmates. They begin to feel that those great ideas that they have are not of any value because all they see is what is wrong with themselves, not what is right. If there are no children in the "gifted classes" who are entitled to accommodations, there are children who are not being properly identified as gifted. The number of gifted students with disabilities is much higher than most teachers and administrators realize. The experts aren't even sure of the exact number because so many of them are perceived as "average" students because their gift masks their disability and their disability masks their gift. Our mantra for all children, especially Twice Exceptional children should be: Nurture the Gift and Respect the Child - both are essential to help these children develop into productive adults.
There is a wealth of information online at Hoagies Gifted: www.hoagiesgifted.org/twice_exceptional.htm
I have children who are highly intelligent, but have learning disabilities. While the school is providing tem with accommodations based on their learning disabilities, they refuse to allow them to participate in the gifted program. Aren’t they entitled to participate in the gifted program as well as special education?
Answer:
YES they are entitled! Children who are Twice Exceptional (Learning Disabled and Gifted) must have their strength areas addressed in addition to having accommodations for their weaker areas. My experience with students I have taught is that if we only dwell on their weaknesses, they develop what I call the "fraud complex". They believe they are intelligent at one point in their lives and then begin to feel like a fraud when they realize that they cannot produce as quickly as their classmates. They begin to feel that those great ideas that they have are not of any value because all they see is what is wrong with themselves, not what is right. If there are no children in the "gifted classes" who are entitled to accommodations, there are children who are not being properly identified as gifted. The number of gifted students with disabilities is much higher than most teachers and administrators realize. The experts aren't even sure of the exact number because so many of them are perceived as "average" students because their gift masks their disability and their disability masks their gift. Our mantra for all children, especially Twice Exceptional children should be: Nurture the Gift and Respect the Child - both are essential to help these children develop into productive adults.
There is a wealth of information online at Hoagies Gifted: www.hoagiesgifted.org/twice_exceptional.htm
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