Each month, we ask you to give us your toughest questions about raising a gifted child. Our resident gifted expert and CTD Director, Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, offers her insight. This month: How to motivate a gifted learner to try new things, and educating children who are both gifted and have learning disabilities.
Q: How does one get a school to take learning disabilities seriously in a gifted child who is performing above grade level? Also, how do you get help for a child who is gifted at one school but doesn't make the "cut" for the gifted program at another school? -Pamela
A: Getting detailed information about the achievement of your child, relative to his or her advanced abilities, is one of the ways to bring attention to the possible existence of a learning disability along with giftedness. It is this mismatch between ability and achievement that defines learning disabilities. The mismatch may not be obvious for a child who is performing above grade level expectations in the classroom. Typically, you would need an evaluation by a psychologist who is trained in giving cognitive and psychological assessments to children, is experienced in reading and interpreting patterns of test data, and is knowledgeable about the complexities involved in working with gifted, learning disabled children. In your case, a psychologist who is knowledgeable about twice-exceptionality is especially critical because above grade level performance is not typically associated with a learning disability, but can be for a highly gifted child. A battery of tests may be costly and takes time, but could provide the best evidence about the existence of both giftedness and a specific learning disability. The website of the National Association for Gifted Children has some
position papers on twice-exceptionality that might be helpful to you and also to teachers and administrators at your child's school.
Regarding the issue of the changing definition of giftedness across schools, this is very frustrating. Because the field does not have a single definition of giftedness and because schools can vary so much in the characteristics of the children they serve, this is an all too common experience for families of gifted children. I would recommend that you provide some evidence of what your child was able to do within the gifted program at his or her previous school, including a recommendation or evaluation from the gifted program teachers--as well as detailed information about the curriculum. The key here is to demonstrate that despite different entrance criteria, your child is well suited for the gifted program in the new school. If you child was successful in an advanced class in the previous school, information about the class and his or her performance might help administrators at the new school determine that their gifted program is also a good fit for your child. You might also ask whether the new school would be open to a "trial placement" in the gifted program, meaning letting your child into the program and assessing, through his performance, if it is a good placement for him or her. A final possibility is to submit or obtain through private testing, any additional information about your child's abilities or achievement that would help with a placement decision.
Q: How do you motivate a child who is profoundly gifted in one area to still put in effort in weaker areas or areas of less interest?
-Shannon
A: I think the best way to motivate a child to work in his or her "weaker" area is to show him the importance of that area for high level performance in his or her area of strength. So, if you child is very interested in math and science, and does not like to write, talk to him about how scientists have to write journal articles and grant proposals and how important writing is to being a successful scientist. Similarly, if you child is interested in art, but says he or she hates math, show him the connection between the two--perhaps through reading about architecture or talking with an architect. If your child loves to write creatively and complains about studying math or science, show him or her examples of fiction that combine science and math with amazing stories. The best approach here is to help children see the connections between various disciplines and to stress, through examples of people or various jobs, how individuals who are creative producers or innovators need to be well versed in multiple disciplines.
Do you have a question for Paula? Leave it in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.
Each month, we ask you to give us your toughest questions about raising a gifted child. Our resident gifted expert and CTD Director, Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, offers her insight. This month: How to motivate a gifted learner to try new things, and educating children who are both gifted and have learning disabilities.
Q: How does one get a school to take learning disabilities seriously in a gifted child who is performing above grade level? Also, how do you get help for a child who is gifted at one school but doesn't make the "cut" for the gifted program at another school? -Pamela
A: Getting detailed information about the achievement of your child, relative to his or her advanced abilities, is one of the ways to bring attention to the possible existence of a learning disability along with giftedness. It is this mismatch between ability and achievement that defines learning disabilities. The mismatch may not be obvious for a child who is performing above grade level expectations in the classroom. Typically, you would need an evaluation by a psychologist who is trained in giving cognitive and psychological assessments to children, is experienced in reading and interpreting patterns of test data, and is knowledgeable about the complexities involved in working with gifted, learning disabled children. In your case, a psychologist who is knowledgeable about twice-exceptionality is especially critical because above grade level performance is not typically associated with a learning disability, but can be for a highly gifted child. A battery of tests may be costly and takes time, but could provide the best evidence about the existence of both giftedness and a specific learning disability. The website of the National Association for Gifted Children has some position papers on twice-exceptionality that might be helpful to you and also to teachers and administrators at your child's school.
Regarding the issue of the changing definition of giftedness across schools, this is very frustrating. Because the field does not have a single definition of giftedness and because schools can vary so much in the characteristics of the children they serve, this is an all too common experience for families of gifted children. I would recommend that you provide some evidence of what your child was able to do within the gifted program at his or her previous school, including a recommendation or evaluation from the gifted program teachers--as well as detailed information about the curriculum. The key here is to demonstrate that despite different entrance criteria, your child is well suited for the gifted program in the new school. If you child was successful in an advanced class in the previous school, information about the class and his or her performance might help administrators at the new school determine that their gifted program is also a good fit for your child. You might also ask whether the new school would be open to a "trial placement" in the gifted program, meaning letting your child into the program and assessing, through his performance, if it is a good placement for him or her. A final possibility is to submit or obtain through private testing, any additional information about your child's abilities or achievement that would help with a placement decision.
Q: How do you motivate a child who is profoundly gifted in one area to still put in effort in weaker areas or areas of less interest? -Shannon
A: I think the best way to motivate a child to work in his or her "weaker" area is to show him the importance of that area for high level performance in his or her area of strength. So, if you child is very interested in math and science, and does not like to write, talk to him about how scientists have to write journal articles and grant proposals and how important writing is to being a successful scientist. Similarly, if you child is interested in art, but says he or she hates math, show him the connection between the two--perhaps through reading about architecture or talking with an architect. If your child loves to write creatively and complains about studying math or science, show him or her examples of fiction that combine science and math with amazing stories. The best approach here is to help children see the connections between various disciplines and to stress, through examples of people or various jobs, how individuals who are creative producers or innovators need to be well versed in multiple disciplines.
Do you have a question for Paula? Leave it in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.