Dual Exceptionalities

Gifted students with disabling conditions remain a major group of underserved and understimulated youth (Cline, 1999). The focus on accommodations for their disabilities may preclude the recognition and development of their cognitive abilities. It is not unexpected, then, to find a significant discrepancy between the measured academic potential of these students and their actual performance in the classroom (Whitmore & Maker, 1985). In order for these children to reach their potential, it is imperative that their intellectual strengths be recognized and nurtured, at the same time as their disability is accommodated appropriately.

Identification of giftedness in students who are disabled is problematic. The customary identification methods—standardized tests and observational checklists—are inadequate, without major modification. Standard lists of characteristics of gifted students may be inadequate for unmasking hidden potential in children who have disabilities. Children whose hearing is impaired, for example, cannot respond to oral directions, and they may also lack the vocabulary which reflects the complexity of their thoughts. Children whose speech or language is impaired cannot respond to tests requiring verbal responses. Children whose vision is impaired may be unable to respond to certain performance measures, and although their vocabulary may be quite advanced, they may not understand the full meaning of the words they use (e.g., color words). Children with learning disabilities may use high-level vocabulary in speaking but be unable to express themselves in writing, or vice versa. In addition, limited life experiences due to impaired mobility may artificially lower scores (Whitmore & Maker, 1985). Since the population of gifted/disabled students is difficult to locate, they seldom are included in standardized test norming groups, adding to the problems of comparison.

In addition, gifted children with disabilities often use their intelligence to try to circumvent the disability. This may cause both exceptionalities to appear less extreme: the disability may appear less severe because the child is using the intellect to cope, while the efforts expended in that area may hinder other expressions of giftedness.

The following lists are intended to assist parents and teachers in recognizing intellectual giftedness in the presence of a disability.

Fast rate of learning
Superior memory
Superior verbal communication skills and vocabulary

advanced problem-solving skills
Creative production or thought that may progress more slowly
than sighted students in some academic areas
Ease in learning Braille
Great persistence
Motivation to know
Sometimes slower rate of cognitive development than sighted students
excellent ability to concentrate
(Whitmore & Maker, 1985)

Development of compensatory skills
Creativity in finding alternate ways of communicating and accomplishing tasks
Impressive store of knowledge
Advanced academic skills
Superior memory
Exceptional problem-solving skills
Rapid grasp of ideas
Ability to set and strive for long-term goals
Greater maturity than age mates
Good sense of humor
Persistence, patience
Motivation to achieve
Curiosity, insight
Self-criticism and perfectionism
Cognitive development that may not be based on direct experience
Possible difficulty with abstractions
Possible limited achievement due to pace of work
(Cline, 1999; Whitmore & Maker, 1985; Willard-Holt, 1994)

Development of speech-reading skills without instruction
Early reading ability
Excellent memory
Ability to function in the regular school setting
Rapid grasp of ideas
High reasoning ability
Superior performance in school
Wide range of interests
Nontraditional ways of getting information
Use of problem-solving skills in everyday situations
Possibly on grade level
Delays in concept attainment
Self starters
Good sense of humor
Enjoyment of manipulating environment
Intuition
Ingenuity in solving problems
Symbolic language abilities (different symbol system)
(Cline, 1999; Whitmore & Maker, 1985)

High abstract reasoning ability
Good mathematical reasoning ability
Keen visual memory, spatial skills
Advanced vocabulary
Sophisticated sense of humor
Imaginative and creative
Insightful
Exceptional ability in geometry, science, arts, music
Good problem-finding and -solving skills
Difficulty with memorization, computation, phonics, and/or spelling
Distractibility and/or disorganization
Supersensitivity
Perfectionism
Grasp of metaphors, analogies, satire
Comprehension of complex systems
Unreasonable self expectations
Often, failure to complete assignments
Difficulties with sequential tasks
Wide variety of interests
(Baum, Owen, & Dixon, 1991; Silverman, 1989)

Research indicates that in many cases, a child is diagnosed with ADHD when in fact the child is gifted and reacting to an inappropriate curriculum (Webb & Latimer, 1993). The key to distinguishing between the two is the pervasiveness of the "acting out" behaviors. If the acting out is specific to certain situations, the child's behavior is more likely related to giftedness; whereas, if the behavior is consistent across all situations, the child's behavior is more likely related to ADHD. It is also possible for a child to be BOTH gifted and ADHD. The following lists highlight the similarities between giftedness and ADHD.

Poor attention and daydreaming when bored
Low tolerance for persistence on tasks that seem irrelevant
Begin many projects, see few to completion
Development of judgment lags behind intellectual growth
Intensity may lead to power struggles with authorities
High activity level; may need less sleep
Difficulty restraining desire to talk; may be disruptive
Question rules, customs, and traditions
Lose work, forget homework, are disorganized
May appear careless
Highly sensitive to criticism
Do not exhibit problem behaviors in all situations
More consistent levels of performance at a fairly consistent pace
(Cline, 1999; Webb & Latimer, 1993)

Poorly sustained attention
Diminished persistence on tasks not having immediate consequences
Often shift from one uncompleted activity to another
Impulsivity, poor delay of gratification
Impaired adherence to commands to regulate or inhibit behavior in social contexts
More active, restless than other children
Often talk excessively
Often interrupt or intrude on others (e.g., butt into games)
Difficulty adhering to rules and regulations
Often lose things necessary for tasks or activities at home or school
May appear inattentive to details
Highly sensitive to criticism
Problem behaviors exist in all settings, but in some are more severe
Variability in task performance and time used to accomplish tasks.
(Barkley, 1990; Cline, 1999; Webb & Latimer, 1993)

Could the behaviors be responses to inappropriate placement, insufficient challenge, or lack of intellectual peers?
Is the child able to concentrate when interested in the activity?
Have any curricular modifications been made in an attempt to change inappropriate behaviors?
Has the child been interviewed? What are his/her feelings about the behaviors?
Does the child feel out of control? Do the parents perceive the child as being out of control?
Do the behaviors occur at certain times of the day, during certain activities, with certain teachers or in certain environments?

Commitment to identifying and nurturing the gifts of students with disabilities implies specific changes in the way educators approach identification, instruction, and classroom dynamics.

Include students with disabilities in initial screening phase.
Be willing to accept nonconventional indicators of intellectual talent.
Look beyond test scores.
When applying cutoffs, bear in mind the depression of scores that may occur due to the disability.
DO NOT aggregate subtest scores into a composite score.
Compare with others who have similar disabilities.
Weight more heavily characteristics that enable the child to effectively compensate for the disability.
Weight more heavily areas of performance unaffected by the disability.
Allow the child to participate in gifted programs on a trial basis.

Be aware of the powerful role of language; reduce communication limitations and develop alternative modes for thinking and communicating.
Emphasize high-level abstract thinking, creativity, and a problem-solving approach.
Have great expectations: these children often become successful as adults in fields requiring advanced education.
Provide for individual pacing in areas of giftedness and disability.
Provide challenging activities at an advanced level.
Promote active inquiry, experimentation, and discussion.
Promote self-direction.
Offer options that enable students to use strengths and preferred ways of learning.
Use intellectual strengths to develop coping strategies.
Assist in strengthening the student's self concept.

Discuss disabilities/capabilities and their implications with the class.
Expect participation in all activities; strive for normal peer interactions.
Facilitate acceptance; model and demand respect for all.
Candidly answer peers' questions.
Treat a child with a disability the same way a child without a disability is treated.
Model celebration of individual differences.

Gifted students with disabilities must be provided with appropriate challenges. The personal and societal costs of not developing their potential cannot be overstated.

Barkley, R.A. (1990). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment. New York: Guilford Press.

Baum, S.M., Owen, S.V., & Dixon, J. (1991). To be gifted & learning disabled. Mansfield Center, CT: Creative Learning Press.

Cline, S., & Schwartz, D. (1999). Diverse populations of gifted children. NJ: Merrill.

Silverman, L.K. (1989). Invisible gifts, invisible handicaps. Roeper Review, 12(1), 37-42.

Thurlow, M.L., Elliott, J.L. & Ysseldyke, J.E. (1998). Testing students with disabilities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Webb, J.T. & Maker, C.J. (1993). ADHD and children who are gifted. ERIC EC Digest E522.

Whitmore, J.R., & Maker, C.J. (1985). Intellectual giftedness in disabled persons. Rockville, MD: Aspen.

Willard-Holt, C. (1994). Recognizing talent: Cross-case study of two high potential students with cerebral palsy. Storrs, CT: National Research Center on the Gifted/Talented.