Programming+for+Gifted+Students+with+Disabilities

Home The Solution Part 2: Programming for Gifted Students with Disabilities Now that we have identified them. . . **How do we teach gifted students with disabilities?** 

"The rule to follow when teaching twice-exceptional students is simple. When teaching these students in their areas of strength, offer them the same compacting and differentiation opportunities available to other gifted students. When teaching in their areas of challenge, teach them directly whatever strategies they need to increase their learning success. Never take time away from their strength areas to create more time on their deficiencies." - Susan Winebrenner (2003, p. 133)

  **General Teaching Tips**
 * Gather information about the student's needs and strengths. Find this information through formal/informal assessments and conferences with parents. If in doubt, ask the student!
 * Develop IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) that include gifted instruction (such as enrichment).
 * Identify student's learning style, and teach to that preferred learning style (Besnoy, 2006).
 * Collaborate with professionals - experts in gifted education, special education, or school counseling
 * Explore special considerations to meet student's needs, including special education or gifted programming and access to after-school programs (NEA, 2006).
 * Teach organizational skills (for their physical space and their mental space).
 * Communicate with parents to make sure there is "school-to-home cohesion" (Besnoy, 2006, p. 23).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Break large tasks into smaller steps (concepts first, then details).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Provide peer-modeling to learn coping strategies.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Immerse all the senses in learning activities (Winebrenner, 2003).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Use technology that will increase productivity (especially in the area of the student's weakness).

<span style="color: #800000; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">**Addressing Social/Emotional Issues**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Provide intellectually challenging instruction in a stimulating learning environment (Besnoy, 2006). This improves self-concept because students can utilize their strengths and therefore feel successful.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Establish mentorship programs. Working with adults who care about their social and academic needs builds self-esteem.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Give opportunities for students to experience SUCCESS.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Provide occasions when they can socialize with twice-exceptional peers.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">"Social coaching" might be necessary so they can avoid behaviors that will cause rejection (Davis, Rimm, & Siegle, 2011)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Teach other children to be sensitive to differences in others, specifically to those with disabilities.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Use mix-learning teams and peer tutoring.

**<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Addressing Behavioral Issues **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Identify the function of the behavior (attention, escape, sensory need)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Make sure the classroom environment is consistent with limits and expectations
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Teach appropriate replacement behaviors
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Teach self-regulation skills (NEA, 2006)

<span style="background-color: #48b805; color: #800000; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 140%; text-align: center;">Successful Programs <span style="color: #800000; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #800000; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">**An Enrichment Program for Gifted Learning Disabled Students** **(Baum, 2004)** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: left;">Dr. Baum discusses a pilot program for 7 gifted learning disabled students that she researched. They met once a week for 2.5 hours at the district's gifted resource center, and instruction was planned and implemented by two teachers with experience teaching gifted and special education students. The teachers chose to use the Enrichment Triad Model, which introduces new knowledge through independent or small group investigations based on the student's interests. First, the child is encouraged to identify an area of interest, then participates in three types of activities: exploratory (Type I), group training (Type II), and individual investigation (Type III). The teachers provided Type I and Type II experiences during their weekly sessions designed to spark interest and improve effective communication to compensate for SLDs in reading and writing. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: left;">The students engaged in a group project to write and illustrate a children's book on ways to pop a balloon. They designed and photographed scenes, wrote rhyming couplets to go along with the pictures, and used press type letters to avoid poor handwriting. After they had completed the book, each student had a conference with the teacher to identify a real problem, find a concerned audience for their study, and choose what type of final product they would create. Students worked out step-by-step plans with clear expectations to assist them to complete the project. Two students chose to design computer programs, one conducted a qualitative research study and produced a slide show (with audio tape) that is on permanent display at the Noah Webster House, and another compared attitudes about wearing bike helmets. One prepared a slide show about attitudes concerning nuclear war and sent it to her state senator, while another created castle models with Legos and gave a series of talks about castles during the Middle Ages. The students had the opportunity to meet with professionals and experts in the fields they were studying (even consultants from Lego offered advice to the student with the castle project). <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: left;">The success of the program was measured by the extent that it met the program objectives. First, all but one student successfully completed an individual creative product (the first objective) as assessed by a student product assessment form. The second two objectives were assessed by an outside evaluator. One, that student learning behavior measured by time and effort spent on task completion would show improvement, was overwhelmingly met as students increased the time and concentration spent on tasks by several hours. The other, that students will show improvement in self-esteem, was documented by teacher and parent interviews. This improvement was noted in all children but one (the one who didn't complete the project). <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: left;">One unintended result was also noted. Four of the seven children improved dramatically in their academic achievement. One no longer needed supportive services after taking the class and another gained four grade levels in reading! The implications for teachers are:
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Attention should be focused on the developments of gifts and talents. For the first time, these students were singled out for their abilities rather than their disabilities.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Gifted learning disabled students require a supportive environment that will appreciate individual differences and abilities.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Teachers must give students strategies to compensate for learning problems and direct instruction.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Gifted disabled students should be aware of their strengths and weaknesses so they can cope with the discrepancy between them.

<span style="color: #800000; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">**Dr. Higgins' Class of Gifted Learning Disabled Students** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: left;">Please watch this incredible video of a successful program for twice-exceptional students. media type="custom" key="10101185" align="center"

**<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">The GOLD Program ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: left;">GOLD is a special secondary program for gifted students who are also learning disabled. This video includes an interview with a student in the class and his parents. While the video is a bit long, it is interesting to hear this student's experience as a twice-exceptional learner. media type="youtube" key="H2xnk_6Z3RA" height="349" width="425" align="left"