Tracy C. Missett Doctoral Student in Educational Psychology, Gifted Education University of Virginia

 “The defining characteristic of a twice- exceptional learner is evidence of high performance or potential in a gift, talent, or ability combined with a disability that suppresses the student’s ability to achieve according to his or her potential.” Kalbfleisch, M.L., & Iaguchi, C.M. (2008). Twice-Exceptional Learners. In J.A. Plucker, & C.M. Callahan (Eds.). Critical issues and practices in gifted education: What the research says (pp ). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

 Specific Learning Disabilities (dyslexia, dysgraphia, auditory processing disorders, visual processing disorders)  Autism Spectrum Disorder: Asperger’s  ADHD

 Strong verbal, listening comprehension, oral, problem solving, spatial skills  Poor spelling, writing, reading, handwriting, time management, sequencing skills  Wide discrepancies and high variability on WISC subtests (Verbal vs. Performance scales- GA, VC, PS, WMI, PR) and psychosocial scales

 Poor motor coordination, formal speech, hypersensitivity to certain sensory stimuli, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, difficulties reading social cues and perceiving emotions of others  Strong visual-spatial ability, exceptional memory, strength of focus on areas of interest  Extremely high IQ often confounded with Aspergers

 Is ADHD a misinterpretation of giftedness or creative behavior?  Common characteristics include: rapid speech, impulsivity, intense curiosity, creativity, extreme sensitivity to environmental stimuli, behavior extremes, use of metaphor and imagery, inconsistent academic performance, poor handwriting  Difficulties in IQ testing situation

 We know they are there.  41% of 2E students are not identified as gifted until college.  Not typical gifted students so teachers fail to refer or focus on disability.  Inadequate Diagnostics --  Discrepancy Formula now disfavored for SPED  RtI might miss 2E students due to “masking”

 Achievement and Ability levels are discrepant.  Twice Exceptional students are under- identified because their disability may mask advanced ability and their giftedness may mask their disability.  Ability and disability, in effect, cancel each other out.   Underserved for both exceptionalities.

“Contrary to the recent interest and research in the identification and needs of gifted students with LD…, a paucity of empirical research has addressed the characteristics, identification, and needs of gifted students with emotional and behavioral disorders” Bianco, M. (2005). The effects of disability labels on special education and general education teachers’ referrals for gifted programs. Learning Disability Quarterly, 28,

 Colangelo and Davis’s Handbook on Gifted Education does not discuss ED in the 2E chapter.  In Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education, the authors state: “Despite negative and problematic characteristics of students with emotional and behavior disabilities (EBD), those who are gifted display high academic ability and creative thought…. There are currently no controlled studies that examine the profiles of these types of students in depth.”

 ED = persistent and marked maladaptive behavior which interferes with student’s learning process AND  Not explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors;  Can’t build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers;  Inappropriate behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances;  Unhappy, angry or depressed;  Physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

Verbally adept Poor impulse control Intense emotions Impatience Experienced isolation from peers Intense value systems Creative Perfectionists Underachieving/Boredom Morrison

 A study involving 112 gifted seventh- and eight- graders found 7/8 were perfectionists. Most (58 %) were in the healthy range of perfectionism, while 29.5% were in the neurotic range. Neurotic perfectionists were limited by their fixation on making mistakes, which resulted in a constant state of anxiety. Schuler notes the potential for “intense frustration and paralysis” resulting from the gifted person’s perfectionism. Schuler, P.S. (2000). Journal of Secondary Gifted Education.

 Links exist between mental illness and high creativity in the arts and in writing (Holden, 1987).  Links exist between psychopathology and creativity (Richards, 1981).  Investigation of eminent people in many professions often exhibited signs of emotional handicap (Ludwig, 1995).  While moderately gifted individuals present a picture of positive emotional development, profoundly gifted individuals show poor social and emotional adjustment.

 Tannenbaum (2003) points to research indicating a “disproportionate number” of highly creative and gifted individuals show “clear signs of mental disorder” (p. 52).  Shekerjian (1990) cites research supporting the proposition that “madness and creativity” are linked, and highly creative and gifted individuals are more likely to be manic depressive (p. 182).

“Professionals and literature related to the education of individuals labeled with an emotional/behavioral disability (EBD) have been reluctant to concentrate on high achieving and high potential individuals within the population in lieu of behavior modification.” Morrison, W.F. (2001). Emotional/Behavioral disabilities and gifted and talented behaviors: Paradoxical or semantic differences in characteristics? Psychology in the Schools,38(5),

 Research shows that general ed., special ed. and gifted ed. teachers are negatively influenced by disability labels when making referrals for gifted programs.  Teachers were more likely to “strongly agree” or “agree” to refer non-labeled students for gifted programs than identically described students with an ED label, even in the absence of any information about specific behaviors.

 Terman’s subjects were found to have superior mental health.  Gifted students are not at greater risk, and may have lower incidents, for depression, anxiety, suicide, or social maladjustment than their non- gifted peers (Robinson, Reis, Neihart and Moon, 2003).  Gifted students do not heightened rates of neuroticism or personality difficulties.

 Parents report that approximately 2.5% of elementary/middle school students and 1.8% of the secondary students participate in programs for the gifted and talented.  27.7% of parents of the elementary and intermediate students with ED and 62.7% of secondary parents rate the cognitive functioning of their children as being high.

 The national trend towards inclusive practices are not being applied as much to students with ED who continue to be represented disproportionately in non-general education settings.  They are the least desirable students to have in the general education classroom and most teachers feel least prepared to work with them.  Destructive D’s – dysfunctional, deviant, disordered, defiant, depressed, disobedient, disappointing, disorganized  Wagner, M., et al (2006). Educating students with emotional disturbances: A national perspective on school programs and services. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 44(1), pp

 Advocate for curricular experiences beyond repetition and remediation  Focus on talent development  Request additional learning activities emphasizing verbal and critical thinking skills  Seek out projects growing out of personal interests  Time management, planning/organizing, setting work priorities, sequencing activities  Look for mentors, independent projects