Gifted students with learning disabilities: implications and strategies for school counselors

Professional School Counseling, Oct, 2001 by Adriana G. McEachern, Javier Bornot

In the past, many educators saw learning disabilities and giftedness as mutually exclusive, although today it is generally accepted that an individual can exhibit characteristics of both (Brody & Mills, 1997). However, students who are gifted and have learning disabilities still are often not identified and frequently are under served in school systems (Dix & Schafer, 1996; Hishinuma & Tadaki, 1996; Rosner & Seymour, 1983). For these reasons, such students have been referred to as being "invisible in many school settings" (Rosner & Seymour, 1983, p. 77). Appropriate identification of these students can be difficult for educators, because the learning disability often inhibits or masks the giftedness (Maker & Udall, 1985; Silverman, 1989). Conversely, the giftedness can also mask the learning disability, as many of these students, because they are gifted, are often able to compensate for the learning deficiencies imposed by the disability (Maker & Udall, 1985; Silverman, 1989).

Moreover, identifying gifted students with learning disabilities for placement in appropriate educational programs can be problematic because of the ambiguity of the definitions for giftedness and learning disabilities (Hannah & Shore, 1995). Educators currently attempting to identify those students must often rely on the separate definitions for giftedness and learning disability, but these definitions are almost always inadequate for accommodating students who exhibit the characteristics of both groups simultaneously" (Brody & Mills, 1997, p. 283). One definition that includes the characteristics of both exceptionalities is critically needed for appropriate diagnosis and placement (Brody & Mills, 1997).

Intelligence tests such as the Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) are often used to identify gifted individuals (Kirk, Gallagher, & Anastasiow, 2000). An intelligence quotient of 140 and above, first proposed by Terman in 1925, was the accepted definition for giftedness for many years (Milgram, 1991). However, the Marland (1972) definition, adopted by the U.S. Department of Education and most state education departments and school districts (Brody & Mills, 1997), recognized that giftedness included a broader conception of other abilities. The gifted and talented are those who demonstrate high achievement or potential in "general intellectual ability, specific academic aptitude, creative or productive thinking, leadership ability, visual and performing arts ... compared with others of their age, experience, or the environment" (Kirk et al., 2000, p. 118). Most recently, the U.S. Department of Education (1993) has acknowledged that these talents can be present in individuals who come from all cultural groups and economic conditions.

Students with learning disabilities can experience a variety of learning problems, most notably in the areas of language acquisition and usage (Kirk et al., 2000). Students exhibiting these cognitive-processing problems tend to achieve below their intellectual ability (Hannah & Shore, 1995). A learning disability has been defined as a discrepancy between a child's academic achievement and his or her capacity to learn (Brody & Mills, 1997; Marsh & Wolfe, 1999). A discrepancy greater than one standard deviation below the mean on an achievement test is typically indicative of a learning disability (Mendaglio, 1993). This discrepancy between achievement and intelligence is critical for the purpose of diagnosis (Brody & Mills, 1997). Prior to establishing a diagnosis, however, alternate reasons for low achievement should be examined and excluded (H. Rosenberg, personal communication, September 28, 1999).

For counseling purposes, researchers have contended that students with both these exceptionalities can be viewed as underachieving gifted students (Gallagher, 1997; Mendaglio, 1993; Silverman, 1989). These students appear to have significant intellectual potential yet academically are functioning at the average level or below (Gallagher, 1997). School counselors can assume important roles in helping these students succeed in the schools. This review provides a discussion of the following: (a) the issues associated with appropriate identification and educational placement of gifted students with learning disabilities; (b) the characteristics of these students; and (c) academic strategies and counseling interventions for working with this special group in the schools.

Identification and Educational Placement

Being able to identify gifted students with learning disabilities is of importance to school counselors for several reasons. First, these students need to be identified so they can be referred for psychological testing and diagnosis. Approximately 80%-85% of all referrals are made by regular classroom teachers, many of whom do not have the necessary training and time needed to distinguish these students from others in their classrooms (Hishinuma & Tadaki, 1996). Teachers are also less likely to refer students with learning disabilities for giftedness testing, as most teachers consider them ineligible for gifted placement (Minner, 1990). Counselors, familiar with the characteristics of these dual exceptionalities, can assist teachers in accurate identification of these students and development of effective classroom learning strategies for them. Second, the services provided by school counselors can help gifted students with learning disabilities cope with the interpersonal, emotional behavioral, and academic issues they face. Third, parents also have problems understanding their children's dual diagnoses and can benefit from consultation with school counselors on the unique qualities and educational needs of their children (Mendaglio, 1993). Finally, school counselors participating in child-study team meetings will be better prepared to understand the needs of these students and to recommend vital interventions (Van Tassel-Baska, 1990).