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Twice Exceptional Learners

Twice Exceptional Learners. These are students that have a dual diagnosis. One can easily mask the other. Most are identified for their disability. Famous and Twice Exceptional. Place the following people under one of the following categories: Learning Disabled ADD/ADHD Physically Disabled

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Twice Exceptional Learners

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  1. Twice Exceptional Learners These are students that have a dual diagnosis. One can easily mask the other. Most are identified for their disability.

  2. Famous and Twice Exceptional Place the following people under one of the following categories: Learning Disabled ADD/ADHD Physically Disabled Autistic No known Disabilities

  3. Satoshi Tajiri (Creator of Pokémon)

  4. Whoopi Goldberg

  5. Frida Kahlo

  6. Eleanor Roosevelt

  7. Walt Disney

  8. Madonna

  9. Beethoven

  10. Steven Spielberg

  11. Bill Gates

  12. Oprah Winfrey

  13. Let’s See how many you have right! • Asperger’s (High Functioning Austim): • Bill Gates and Satoshi Tajiri • Learning Disabled: • Walt Disney and Whoopi Goldberg • ADHD: • Eleanor Roosevelt and Steven Spielberg • Physical Disabilities: • Beethoven (Deaf) • Frida Kahlo (Polio and Severe and Traumatic Injuries) • Madonna and Oprah have no known disabilities

  14. Imagine being gifted AND • Learning disabled • ADD/ADHD • Physically disabled • Blind • Deaf • Autistic As we explore this topic, please use your graphic organizer to record two to four characteristics of each type of exceptionality. Use your Window Notes page to record your answers to the questions. Be sure to answer questions in at least two different learning styles.

  15. Diagnosing Gifted Students That Are Also Learning Disabled It is very difficult to diagnose both because the gifted student is adept at being able to compensate for his disabilities. • Review school records to look for patterns of strengths and weaknesses. • Look for discrepancies between their high ability and achievement. Do NOT compare these students to ones their own age. • There may be evidence of a processing deficit. They may seem to tune out, but this is because of the extra effort that is required for them to compensate in their area of weakness. • Early intervention is needed to help the student reach their full potential.

  16. Characteristics of a Gifted Child With a Learning Disability • Compensates better than peers • Wide variety of interests • High risk for becoming dropouts • High abstract reasoning ability • Good mathematical reasoning ability • Advanced vocabulary • Imaginative and creative • Sense of humor • Overly sensitive • Perfectionist • Unreasonable expectations for self • Failure to complete assignments

  17. Suggestions For Working With Gifted and Learning Disabled Students The twice exceptional learner needs a supportive environment that meets all their needs. • Enrichment for his gifted area • Remediation for his learning disability • Developmental instruction in subjects of average growth • Counseling (the gifted child’s need to succeed often leaves them very frustrated). Twice exceptional learners benefit from support groups in the home and educational setting. These can be accomplished in a variety of different learning settings.

  18. Time to think about Working With Gifted and Learning Disabled Students

  19. Giftedness and ADD/ADHD • What do you think you know about ADD/ADHD? Take a moment to discuss.

  20. What is ADD/ADHD? • ADHD-Not a learning disability but can affect a child's ability to achieve in the classroom. Typical manifestations are: trouble paying attention, sitting still, or finishing tasks. • ADD- (inattentive type)- is when a child has difficulty focusing/staying focused on a task. • These difficulties usually begin before the person is 7 years old. However, these behaviors may not be noticed until the child is older.

  21. What signs can I look for to determine ADD/ADHD? Inattentive Type Hyperactive-impulsive type get out of their chairs when they're not supposed to; run around or climb constantly; have trouble playing quietly; talk too much; fidget and squirm; blurt out answers before questions have been completed; have trouble waiting their turn; interrupt others when they're talking; and Butt- in on the games others are playing. (APA, 2000, p. 86) • can't stay focused on play or school work; • don't follow through on instructions or finish school work or chores; • can't seem to organize tasks and activities; • get distracted easily; and • lose things such as toys, school work, and books. (APA, 2000, pp. 85-86) NOTE: Parents and teachers do not cause AD/HD. Still, there are many things that both parents and teachers can do to help a child with AD/HD. FIRST, rule out other reasons for the child's behavior, and find out if the child has other disabilities along with AD/HD. SECOND, determine what is specifically hard for that child....

  22. What strategies can I implement in my classroom to help students with this issue? • Post rules, schedules, and assignments. • Clear rules and routines • Give step by step directions verbally and in writing. • Let the student work on the computer • Hold high expectations

  23. Time to think about Working With Gifted and ADD/ADHD Students

  24. Gifted students with Physical Disabilities • Underserved and under stimulated • Focus is usually on accommodations for disabilities instead of cognitive abilities • Students often focus their gifted strengths on accommodating for their disability which can diminish the appearance of both.

  25. Characteristics of Gifted students with Visual Impairment Hearing Impairment 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)(Cline, 1999; 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 • (Whitmore & Maker, 1985)

  26. Characteristics of Gifted students with Physical Disabilities • 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(Cline, 1999; Whitmore & Maker, 1985; Willard-Holt, 1994)

  27. Time to think about Working With Gifted and Physically Disabled Student

  28. Autism and Giftedness • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that is characterized by: • Severe communication difficulties • Illegible handwriting • Rote memorization difficulties • Poor spelling, phonics, and decoding • Social impairments/ Behavioral difficulties and intensities • Difficulties in group settings • Yelling out (inappropriate timing or comments) • Specialized or limited (almost obsessive) interests • Extensive and advanced vocabulary (more advanced oral than written performance)

  29. Diagnosis of Twice-Exceptional Children • ASD students with advanced abstract reasoning abilities can be difficult to detect: • because of their giftedness they can develop strategies to mask their learning disability. • Adequate performance is the result of high cognitive ability, which allows for the student to compensate in a less-than-challenging curriculum. • The high cognitive ability may not fully realized because the disability prevents the student from fully expressing his or her talents (Silverman).

  30. Understanding Autism

  31. Time to think about Working With Gifted and Autism

  32. Differentiating for Twice Exceptional Children Supportive teachers that teach to their strengths and programs that provide the necessary accommodations are a must! • Enrichment • Don't water down the curriculum. Find alternate methods of presentation/communication: interviews, pictures, videos. Provide experiential learning not just instructional learning. • Provide advanced organizers or technological supports to help students receive, i.e., outlines of class lectures, assistive technology, study guides.

  33. Differentiating for Twice Exceptional Children: • Communication – Focus on Strengths! • Offer alternate modes for students to communicate their ideas • Instead of an essay: murals, speeches, mime, film productions, visual presentations and demonstrations, etc. • Allowing students to hand in work using technology provides students the opportunity to submit work they can feel proud of. • Plan for student-directed learning - use centers! • Offer students strategies for remembering information such as mnemonics (allow students to create these!), visualization, etc.

  34. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that there are approximately 360,000 twice-exceptional children in American schools “Giftedness can be combined with blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, other physical handicaps, and psychological dysfunctions. It provides no immunity against physical diseases and accidents that impair functioning.” “The gifted are not immune, although they may present a more complicated picture.”-Winebrenner, S

  35. Now what? • Create an action plan on how you will know if you have gifted students • Develop differentiation strategies that you add to your “bag of tricks” that incorporate these type of learners! • And Remember: • Work with your school experts (Special Education Department, Gifted teachers, Social Workers, etc.) • The worse you can do, is “do nothing”

  36. For more information . . . • http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/What_is_Gifted/2echildren.htm • http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/adhd • http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10126.aspx • Baum, S. (1990). Gifted but learning disabled: A puzzling paradox. ERIC Resource Center, doi: ED321484 • NAGC position statement: Twice-exceptionality. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=5094 • Silverman, L. K. (n.d.). Gifted children with learning disabilities: Lost Treasures. Retrieved from http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/What_is_Gifted/2echildren.htm • http://giftedkids.about.com/od/giftedandld/Gifted_Children_with_Learning_Disabilities.htm • http://giftedkids.about.com/od/giftedandld/a/gt_and_ld_2.htm

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