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Summary of Contents
Introduction defining students who are twice extraordinaryAre twice exceptional cases readily missed?5 Students who mask their focus and learning problems with their giftedness5 students whose attentional and learning difficulties conceal their talentFive students who exhibit overlapping patterns of giftedness, focus problems, and academic difficultiesFive pupils in gifted education who are twice exceptional5 Is academic underperformance among talented students a problem?5 What traits do pupils who receive two exceptional grades share?6 Teaching Program7 How can the underachievement patterns among the twice exceptional students be reversed?7 What advice is given to teachers who work with pupils who are twice exceptional?7
Motivation 8
How can Teachers Motivate twice exceptional Students in the Classroom? 8
Reflection and Conclusion to the Literature Review 8
References
10Introduction
Disability as a human right is a broad topic that focuses on the issues and challenges that individual with disability faces from time to time. This essay focuses on the twice exceptional students, how the condition is considered to as a disability and measures that can be put in place in addressing the issue. Twice exceptional students are referred to as those students that are intellectually gifted but have some forms of disability. The children are considered exceptional due to their intellectual gifts and special needs. The twice exceptional students are commonly misunderstood and may have their grades varying from high to low. The students may also have excellent vocabulary skills but fail to organize the same ideas on paper. The child may have diagnosis of auditory processing disorder, anxiety or depression. A section of the twice exceptional students also tends to find that some of the topics in their curriculum uninteresting since they already have an area of specialization that is interesting to them. The paper focuses on the twice exceptional students in their early elementary years and some of the strategies that can be embraced to help in addressing issues of underperformance among this group of students.
Defining twice exceptional students
Identification of twice exceptional students in the elementary schools may be a daunting task. However, several indicators can be utilized in the determination of whether a student is a twice exceptional or not. Over the years, IQ (Intelligent Quotient) has been used as a tool for determining whether a student is a twice exceptional. A standardized intelligence test is used to assess a student’s level of IQ. Those students who score below 120 are categorized under average performers in the class. According to (Pfeiffer, 2015), underachievement occurs when the child’s performance at school is below what is expected based on the child’s capability and ability. For instance, a child that scores more that 90% on a standardized test is supposed to perform well in class. However, a child with high potential and earns less than grade B in school is said to be twice exceptional. Some of these students score high in tests for giftedness but may not score high in gifted programs. Teachers employ various criteria that help them identify whether a child is twice exceptional. First and foremost, poor grades serve as a key indicator that the child is underachieving. The student may have full potential in school but fail to replicate it in class hence the poor grades. Teachers also look at the classroom participation in determining whether the child falls under the category of twice exceptional. These children also have extraordinary talents in fields such as verbal communication, math, and drawing, but may have a significant gap between their performance in school and aptitude tests. Finally, weakness in skills and organization is another factor that teachers use to identify the children’s underachievement within the classroom setting. Some of the students will always fail to give their best during physical exercises or other programs that require similar skills. As a teacher, it is always vital to keep records of the fields where the child excels and those where he or she struggles. For the purpose of this study, it would be important to consider underachievement among the students in the elementary schools as their failure to meet the expected performance level in school.
Are twice exceptional easily overlooked?
Some organizations across the U.S. estimates that there are hundreds of thousands of exceptional students across the country, but there are no hard numbers because these children are never formally identified as being gifted or having a disability. The twice exceptional students are always placed under the following categories.
Students that have their giftedness masks their learning and attention issues
Under this category, the children in elementary schools score high in tests because of their giftedness but fail to replicate the same performance in gifted programs. By using their exceptional abilities, they tend to compensate their weaknesses, but as they grow old, they may be labeled to as “underachievers.”
Students whose learning and attention issues mask their giftedness
In most cases, learning and attention issues affect IQ and other forms of assessments for the giftedness. A good example is that of students with challenges in language based tests not performing well in the fields. The kids may be placed in special education classes where they end up being bored and act out because they aren’t fully challenged. In the end, these students may be wrongly classified as having relational problems.
Students that have giftedness, attention issues and learning issues masking each other
Usually, these kids appear to have average abilities because their strength and weaknesses cancel each other. In most cases, these students fail to qualify for the gifted programs or special education programs.
Twice exceptional students in Gifted Education
Here, the first question to answer will be how the twice-exceptional students are affected when it comes to education. It includes the assessment of some of the problems that these students face in the classroom and how teachers are contributing to these students’ underachievement. The next focus will be directed to the characteristics of the twice exceptional students.
Is underachievement in gifted education a problem?
Underachievement among students is a problem that is experienced across all the schools in the U.S., and over 25% of the student population is affected either directly or indirectly. Twice exceptional students often have problems adapting to the school’s curriculum. On a bigger picture, these children may be excellent in areas that are out of the school environment. However, when it comes to matters about classwork, these children have poor grades and lower participation when compared to the other students in the class. Gifted children that are underachievers suffer from various effects that may include poor grades, disapproval from their parents and teachers and lack of active participation in class activities. As these children develop unpleasant experiences, so does their attitude towards school become negative leading to the development of poor motivation results.
Unfortunately, these children that end up being underachievers are also affected by self-esteem issues. They may end up perceiving themselves as inadequate in other fields of learning experience other than academic areas. In some school settings, the strengths, and potential of the gifted underachievers is always neglected and this may end up leading to these children feeling unappreciated. However, some experts have argued that gifted children working below their potential may not necessarily be underachievers. The experts believe that these children may be scoring lower grades in class, yet they actively participate in musical programs and community assistance programs. In as much as research has been done on identifying whether underachievement in gifted education is a problem, the area still requires modifications to dig out on some of the measures that can be put in place to help these students.
What characteristics do twice exceptional students have?
There are various characteristics that have been identified among the twice exceptional students in the elementary schools. Below are some of those features that are observable in twice exceptional students.
Strengths
The students have superior vocabulary
Advanced ideas and opinions
Excellent visual memory
High levels of creativity and problem-solving skills
Penetrating insights into complex issues
Sophisticated sense of humor
Weaknesses
Discrepancy between verbal and performance skills
Poor social skills among the students
Lack of organization and study skills
High impulsivity and are frustrated easily
High sensitivity to criticism
Most authors try to link the characteristics of these twice-exceptional students to their performance in class. They also connect the poor performance that these students have in various academics fields due to the lack of motivation from the parents and the teachers. Finally, these characteristics may vary with time, depending on the effort that the teachers make in improving the performance of these underachieving students.
Teaching Curriculum
After looking at the characteristics of twice exceptional students and some of the issues of underperformance, it will be vital to come up with measures that can be employed to address the issue. It will also be imperative to look at some of the recommendations that exist in literature, about dealing with the issue of underachievement among the twice exceptional students.
How can we reverse trends of underachievement among the twice exceptional students?
There are various measures that can be put in place to address the issue of underachievement among the twice exceptional students. Jablon and Wilkinson, (2006), highlight the importance of ensuring that the students are monitored closely by both the teachers and the instructor. The authors believe that teachers need to provide the right amount of challenging work to the students and help them out in those areas of their assignment that may be complex. The teachers have a first-hand advantage when it comes to addressing the issue of underachievement among the twice exceptional students. The teachers play a significant role in the development of the curriculum. In that case, there is the need to redesign the curriculum in a way that will accommodate the underachieving students. The gifted underachievers deserve a program with a specialized form of education.
The teachers and the parents need to be on the frontline in enhancing the capacity of the twice exceptional students in coping with their mixed abilities. Apparently, this can be achieved by fostering the student’s social and emotional development. The parents and teachers also have to play a role of nurturing the strengths and interests of these twice-exceptional students. In so doing, this helps in ensuring that the students are confident in their abilities and that they experience success in their strength areas. Finally, the teachers need to pay a lot of attention for these students and ensure that they document their performance to help in gauging the progress of these students. Children will always get impressed when they look at their progress on a documented platform.
What recommendations are provided to teachers who teach twice exceptional students?
First and foremost, it is vital for the teacher to familiarize him or herself with the characteristics of the twice exceptional students. In so doing, this makes the teacher have a clear view of the type of students that he or she is teaching as well as the approaches that the teacher can embrace to ensure that these students feel appreciated. Wang & Neihart, (2015), further suggests that the curriculum needs to be student-centered and flexible. Also, the teacher will have to conduct informal assessments on the students. The twice exceptional students have to perform according to the curriculum goals. The formal assessments will thus be critical in orienting them towards the same. The teachers will also be encouraged to involve the student’s parents as resource locators. The parents will provide useful information to the teachers that can help in ensuring that these students enjoy the learning experience.
The teachers also have to be encouraged to employ the use of outside resources when teaching twice exceptional students. According to Reis et al., (2005), some of these twice-exceptional students feel that the repetition of contents by their teachers is boring. By introducing outside resources, boredom, which is a major issue during learning process by the twice exceptional students, the issue of boredom maybe mitigated. The teachers also need to allow the twice exceptional students to share some of those areas that they face challenges. Finally, learning from the experience of others can help the teachers handle the twice exceptional students with much ease.
Motivation
According to Schultz, (2012), low motivation among the students is one of the reasons behind their underachievement in education. Most of these students tend to have that feeling of lack of appreciation from their instructors, and this ends up affecting their classwork. Therefore, increasing motivation can help in addressing the issue of underperformance and lack of interest in education among the twice exceptional students.
How can Teachers Motivate twice exceptional Students in the Classroom?
There are various measures that teachers can employ to motivate the underachieving gifted students within the classroom setting. According to Montgomery, (2009), the teacher needs to use differentiation instructions when addressing a group of twice exceptional students. Employing differentiation instructions provide the students with a better understanding of the educational content. The teacher also needs to collaborate with the parents of the twice exceptional student to ensure that they attain their needs. Apparently, this serves as a motivation to the student and may boost his or her zeal to learn. Obadia et al., (2013), further suggests that the teacher has to ensure that he conducts the regular assessment of the student’s performance. Conducting periodic evaluation on the student helps in assessing their progress within the classroom setting. Coming up with discussion forums can also serve as a motivation to the underachieving gifted students. Through the discussion forums, the twice exceptional students get an opportunity to highlight some of the challenges that they face as well as things that can be altered to ensure that their learning experience is enjoyable. In such forums, the teacher needs to be on the frontline in encouraging the students to engage in active participation.
Reflection and Conclusion to the Literature Review
A lot of research has been done on this topic, but none of the research has been able to provide an amicable solution in dealing with the issue of twice exceptional students in the elementary schools. Recognition of the complexity of the twice exceptional students requires the collaboration of both the regular education teachers and the specialists in special education. It is possible to resolve the underperformances among the twice exceptional students through motivation models. Teachers and parents play a vital role in addressing some of the challenges that these students face within the classroom settings. Teachers, for instance, need to ensure that the curriculum that is embraced by the school addresses some of the needs that the gifted underachieving students face. Parents, on the other hand, need to be the source of motivation to these students. Parents need to provide a safe and nurturing home environment because the school can be a frustrating place for the twice exceptional students.
References
Buică-Belciu, C. & Popovici, D. (2014). Being Twice Exceptional: Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities. Procedia - Social And Behavioral Sciences, 127, 519-523. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.302
Jablon, J. R., & Wilkinson, M. (2006, March). Using Engagement Strategies to Facilitate Children’s Learning and Success [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200603/JablonBTJ.pdf
lynne hannah, c. & Shore, B. (2008). Twice-Exceptional Students' Use of Metacognitive Skills on a Comprehension Monitoring Task. Gifted Child Quarterly, 52(1), 3-18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0016986207311156
Montgomery, D. (2009). Index, in Able, Gifted and Talented Underachievers, Second Edition. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons. doi:10.1002/9780470741252.
Obadia, M., Dettmer, E., Birken, C., Boydell, K., Manlhiot, C., Parkin, P., & McCrindle, B. (2013). Supporting Physicians With Education and Know-How in Identifying and Motivating Overweight Kids: A Feasibility Pilot Study. Canadian Journal Of Diabetes, 37, S240.
Pfeiffer, S. (2015). Gifted students with a coexisting disability: The twice exceptional. Estudos De Psicologia (Campinas), 32(4), 717-727. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0103-166x2015000400015
Reid, M. (2011). Teaching implications of gifted and talented learners within the mainstream classroom. Journal of Student Engagement: Education Matters, 1(1), 29–32.
Reis, S. M., Colbert, R. D., & Hebert, T. R. (2005). Understanding Resilience in Diverse, Talented Students in an Urban High School. Roeper Review, 27(2), 110-120.
Schultz, S. (2012). Twice-Exceptional Students Enrolled in Advanced Placement Classes. Gifted Child Quarterly, 56(3), 119-133. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0016986212444605
Wang, C. & Neihart, M. (2015). How Do Supports From Parents, Teachers, and Peers Influence Academic Achievement of Twice-Exceptional Students. Gifted Child Today, 38(3), 148-159. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1076217515583742
