Gifted and Learning Disabled:
What Can We Do?
Dr. Agnes Meyo
Cyrie Wilson
Kelly Roth
St. Louis Association for Gifted Education
St. Louis, Mo
Outline
• Definition of Gifted with Learning
Diabilities
• Strategies for Intervention
• Environment
• Reading
• Mathematics
• Writing
• Testing
Definition of Gifted with Learning
Disabilities (Twice-Exceptional)
1. Children who are identified as gifted and talented in
one or more areas of exceptionality (specific
academics, general intellectual ability, creativity,
leadership, visual, spacial, or performing arts).
and also identified with:
2. A disability defined by Federal/State eligibility criteria:
Reading, math, written expression, and/or oral
language disorders, significant identifiable emotional
disability, physical disabilities, sensory disabilies,
autism, or ADHD.
Learning Disorders
• Reading Disorder
Reading achievement, as measured by
individually administered standardized tests of
reading accuracy or comprehension, is
substantially below that expected given the
person’s chronological age, measured
intelligence, and age-appropriate education.
Learning Disorders (2)
• Mathematics Disorder
Mathematical ability, as measured by
individually standardized tests, is substantially
below that expected given the person’s
chronological age, measured intelligence, and
age appropriate education.
Learning Disorders (3)
• Disorder of Written Expression
Writing skills, as measured by individually
administered standardized tests, is
substantially below that expected given
the person’s chronological age,
measured intelligence, and age
appropriate education.
Learning Disorders (4)
• Learning Disorder, Not Otherwise
Specified
This category is for disorders in
learning that do not meet criteria for
any specific learning disorder.
Strategies for Intervention:
Environment for Learning
1. Awareness of individual strengths and
weaknesses
2. High, yet flexible standards and structure
3. Promotion of learning from mistakes
4. Appreciation of self-advocacy
5. Praise and encouragement
6. Use of assistive technology
Strategies for Intervention
Environment for Learning (2)
7. Extended time for tests
8. Extended deadlines for assignments
9. Individualized curriculum
10.Pre-testing and post-testing
11.Curriculum compacting
12.Use of mnemonics
13.Multimedia resources
Strategies for Intervention
Environment for Learning (3)
14. Personal choice regarding assignment topics
whenever possible
15. Instruction for active listening
16. Preferential seating and freedom of
movement
17. Alternative projects or testing for the
demonstration of mastery (e.g., oral testing
versus written)
Strategies for Intervention:
Reading
1. Determination of goals for instruction:
amelioration or accommodation
2. When seeking amelioration with younger
children, use of a structured reading program
(e.g., Wilson, Barton, Reading Reflex)
3. When seeking accommodation with older
children, use of methods that minimize
reading (e.g., texts of tape/CD, hands-on)
Strategies for Intervention:
Reading (2)
4. Clearly defined goals for progress
5. Rewards for effort and practice
6. Personal choice for reading material
7. Multiple sensory approaches for instruction
(e.g., textured letters, songs)
8. Only one-on-one reading aloud
9. Incorporation of demonstrations
Strategies for Intervention:
Reading (3)
10. Computer graphics, maps, and illustrations
for emphasizing content
11. Chunking of reading material into smaller
amounts with breaks between
12. Oral explanations to ensure comprehension
of abstract concepts
Strategies for Intervention:
Mathematics
1. Assessment of difficulties: conceptual or
computational
2. With conceptual problems…
• provision of mathematical rational and
reasoning
• Hands-on, visual, and manipulative devices to
demonstrate concepts
• Computer graphics and programs that
illustrate numerical properties
Strategies for Intervention:
Mathematics (2)
3. With computational problems…
• Provision of alternative methods for
determining answers
• Instruction and practice regarding use of
calculators and mathematical technology
• Counting knuckles for recalling multiplication
facts
• Nine and Eight tricks for addition and
subtraction.
Strategies for Intervention:
Mathematics (3)
• Song for enhancing to recall and math facts
• Mnemonics for remembering the order of
operations and formulas
• Symbols adjustments to prevent confusion of
plus/minus signs
• Graph paper to align/organize problems
• Conceptual applications of computational
problems (e.g.,rounding up/down)
• Rules (e.g., fractions cannot have wheels)
Strategies for Intervention:
Writing
1. Assessment of difficulties: muscular
strength/control, spacing, graphomotor,
“concrete thinking”, sequencing, sentence
structure, spelling, capitalization,
punctuation, letter reversals and transposals
2. With muscular problems…
• Occupational therapy strategies, such as
pencil grips and voice recognition programs
• Teacher notes (instead of note-taking)
Strategies for Intervention:
Writing (2)
3. With sequencing, grahomotor, “concrete
thinking”, and/or sentence structure problems…
• Computer graphic organizers and programs that
illustrate concepts
• Templates, mind-mapping methods, and writing
prompts for organizing thoughts
• One-on-one review sessions with teachers (prior
to writing) for clarifying expectations for grading
and organizing thoughts
Strategies for Intervention:
Writing (3)
• Personal choice for writing assignments
3. With capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and
letter reversals/transposal errors…
• Use of computer highlighters to indicate
mistakes and options for corrections
Strategies for Intervention:
Testing
1. Multiple options for assessing mastery or
“testing”: projects, oral presentations,
teaching others, papers, artwork, plays,
written tests, Power Point presentations
2. Choices regarding test methods
3. Determination of the optimal time for testing
during the day
4. Clearly defined expectations for testing and
grading (e.g., review sheets, pre-testing)
Strategies for Intervention:
Testing (2)
5. Options for correcting mistakes to obtain a
higher grade
6. Quiet testing environment and/or earplugs
7. Access to oral reading of test questions and/or
oral expressions of answers
8. Extra credit options
9. Breaks during long testing sessions
10. Computer for recording answers to test items
Strategies for Intervention:
Testing (3)
11.Freedom of movement during testing
12.Unlimited time for test completion
13.Credit for written work that contains
misspellings, punctuation mistakes, and
grammatical errors if the content is accurate
14. Separate grading for progress and effort
15. Access to tests that can be written on and
handed in to prevent errors from recopying
References
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manual of mental disorders-fourth edition. Washington, DC: Author.
Baum, S. (2008). Bumps along the road. In M.A. Gosfield (Ed.), Expert
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Free Spirit.
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D. Robson, & J.F. Brenneman (Eds.), High IQ kids: Collected Insights,
information, and personal stories from the experts (311-343).
Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit.
Neville, C.S. (2007). Of importance, meaning, and success: Application
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References (2)
Quart, A. (2006). Hothouse kids: The dilemma of the gifted child. New
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References (3)
Shaywitz, S. (2003). Overcoming Dyslexia, New York, NY: Vintage
Books.
Silverman, L.K. (2008). The power of images: Visual-spatial
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Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit.
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