Services and programs for academically talented students with learning disabilities

Theory Into Practice, Spring, 2005 by Sally M. Reis, Lilia Ruban

Since the creation of the major legislative efforts related to students with disabilities and gifted students, and the initial work completed on twice-exceptional students (i.e., students who have both giftedness and learning disabilities), researchers and professionals have tried to identify the characteristics, needs, and appropriate services for this special population of students. An accumulated research base supports the need for a continuum of service options and intervention strategies for gifted students who may have mild, moderate, or more severe learning disabilities. This article provides a discussion of the intervention services for these students, emphasizing the importance of developing a wide range of compensation strategies, attending to their social and emotional needs, identifying elements of supportive environments, and providing talent development opportunities for students with learning disabilities who also have diverse gifts.

**********

STUDENTS WHO DEMONSTRATE gifted characteristics and behaviors and who also have learning disabilities are often viewed as being "doubly at risk" (Robinson, 1999, p. 195) and are often overlooked by the regular educational system (Newman & Sternberg, 2004; Winner, 1999). Too often, academically talented students with learning disabilities and learning problems fail to achieve at levels commensurate with their potential. In an overview of the current state of research on interventions and services for twice-exceptional students (i.e., students who are both gifted and learning disabled), Newman (2004) indicated that, although some of these students are provided with services based on either their identified giftedness or their learning disability, few receive both types of services. Therefore, few individuals are recognized as being eligible for specialized services that both help them develop areas of weakness and explore areas of strength. Research suggests that such oversights, if not addressed, may have significant negative spillover effects on the students' opportunities to succeed academically in school and succeed in careers that capitalize on their areas of strength (Newman, 2004; Reis, Neu, & McGuire, 1995).

Students with both gifts and learning disabilities must have a unique set of educational programs and services that address both their academic and affective development if they are to achieve at appropriately high levels (Baum & Owen, 2004; Nielsen, Higgins, Wilkinson, & Webb, 1994; Reis, Neu, & McGuire, 1995). Researchers and practitioners must consider a new area of focus, from being preoccupied with the current pervasive emphasis to meet the minimum required, to mobilizing energies and resources to strive to reach the maximum possible, whether it relates to standards, level of services, or desirable educational outcomes and goals such as talent development in all students. As Nielsen (2002) eloquently emphasized, "twice-exceptional children must be viewed as being 'at promise' rather than being 'at risk'" (p. 93).

In this article, two brief case studies of gifted students with learning disabilities are presented, the importance of interventions for these students is discussed, and some of the services that can help enable these students to realize their potential are reviewed. Research-based recommended curricular interventions and strategies in three service delivery models are summarized in a table, and a discussion is provided about five critical ideas that must be integrated into the educational services provided for this population.

Two Case Studies of Gifted Students With Learning Disabilities

It is necessary for educators and parents to work together to develop individualized programs for these students, as research with successful adults with learning disabilities (Gerber & Ginsberg, 1990) suggests that many of the behaviors that contribute to their success can be learned and developed. Students who learn these strategies can be successful in challenging academic situations (Reis et al., 1995), as illustrated by the two brief case studies:

   Joe: A tall, heavy set, intense-looking young man
   with dark curly hair, a beard, and glasses, was a college
   junior with a major in physics who had experienced
   many problems in school due to the interaction
   between his learning disability and his
   academic talents. His verbal IQ was over 140 but he
   struggled with reading throughout school. His father
   was an attorney, and his mother, who attained a
   bachelor's degree in English, was a researcher. Joe's
   older brother was pursuing a doctorate at the same
   time that Joe was in danger of flunking out of college.
   Joe's academic problems began at a very early
   age, as he struggled to learn to read. In fact, he experienced
   so many learning problems in the primary
   grades that he was placed in a self-contained special
   education classroom for students with disabilities.
   During his time in a self-contained classroom, Joe
   became depressed and his academic progress was
   compromised. Reading remained a struggle for him
   throughout middle and high school, and although he
   eventually learned to read slowly, he continued to
   struggle with reading new material. He was involved
   in a university learning disabilities program, but
   whether he would complete college was questionable
   as he was on academic probation due to low
   grades he had received in the required liberal arts
   classes outside of his major area. He also continued
   to struggle to attain compensation strategies and to
   self-regulate his learning.

      Sara: An intense young woman with dark eyes
   and hair was not identified as having a learning disability
   until fifth grade, but she experienced academic
   difficulties in several areas from the time she
   entered first grade, despite her verbal precocity and
   broad knowledge base. Each year her teachers tested
   Sara and reassured her parents, professors at a large
   state university, that she would eventually learn to
   read and understand math. After Sara had received
   remedial help for years, her parents, frustrated with
   her lack of progress, asked for a full psychological
   and educational evaluation. Despite her advanced
   verbal abilities, Sara was identified as having learning
   problems in several areas, including dyslexia, information
   processing, auditory processing, mathematical
   computation and nonverbal learning
   disabilities. The low scores she received in some areas
   were matched by extremely high scores in other
   areas, including verbal abilities, general knowledge,
   problem solving, and reasoning skills. Sara's parents,
   working closely with her teachers, provided individualized
   reading instruction at home, accompanied
   by their commitment to help Sara learn good
   work habits and self-motivation strategies. Television
   watching was curtailed, time was devoted each
   evening to homework and studying and during the
   next few years, Sara learned to apply herself, work
   hard and earn high grades in middle school. When
   she entered high school, Sara experienced difficulty
   in her advanced classes due to her reading and processing
   problems and was forced to make difficult
   choices about the number of challenging classes in
   which she could enroll. Over time, she learned to
   make choices about the advanced opportunities she
   could pursue. She is currently attending a competitive
   college, and although she does not earn high
   grades in all classes, she has continued to work extremely
   hard and excel in the areas she most enjoys.
   (p. 39-40)