Unearthing the Mystery of the Gifted with Learning Disabilities - Essay Example

Unearthing the Mystery of the Gifted with Learning Disabilities In days of old, people whose minds work differently from most are thought of as eccentric and strange and need to be treated in a special way. Some children who seem talented but exhibit poor performance in school are often misunderstood. Highly intelligent or talented children, considered gifted in today’s standards were looked upon with awe and interest, while those who seem to be normal children in all aspects except for a difficulty in some ways of learning, considered learning disabled today, were either labeled retarded or discriminated upon. Today, research is unearthing much information about giftedness and learning disabilities. It is about time as both merit the attention, considering many children are slowly being recognized as being one or the other or both. This paper will be discussing some fruits of such research, specifically about learning disabilities and giftedness. It will first discuss each in detail, and then analyze a chosen research paper that has studied both at the same time. Learning Disabilities A lot of normal children have difficulty in some areas of their cognitive development. “Learning disabilities are neurobiological disorders that interfere with a person’s ability to store, process and retrieve information. Most often, these disabilities affect children’s reading and language skills (including writing and speaking). They can also impair math computation skills and social skills.” (Shalaway, 1997). The earliest and most widely used definition of learning disabilities (LD) is as follows: “The term “specific learning disability” (SLD) means those children who have a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in imperfect ability to listen, think, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia. The term does not include a learning problem which is primarily the result of visual, hearing or motor handicaps or mental retardation, or emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage” (U.S. Office of Education, 1977, p. 65083) Assessment of learning disabilities are somewhat more difficult to determine because one cannot see a learning disability. Often called the hidden disability., it leaves many individuals that have it suffer in silence and isolation. “Learning disabilities typically originate in childhood and if identified early, parents and teachers can use various interventions to help the child cope with his or her disability. Some important signals that parents can look for that may be a sign of a learning disability include: difficulty understanding and/or following directions; poor memory; failure to master major milestones in scholastic development on time (i.e. reading, math, writing) usually resulting in poor performance in school, problems with reversing letters and/or numbers, lack of hand-eye-movement coordination, and other behaviors that seem out of the ordinary when considering the childs age and developmental stage.” (http://ohp.nasa.gov/cope/a_ld.htm ). “Several types of assessments and procedures are used in testing for LDs: Intelligence Tests: Also called IQ tests, these instruments measure aptitude. IQ tests include activities designed to provide a complete picture of how students learn. Typical tests include language-based and visual reasoning. Developmental and Social History: Usually completed by parents or guardians, these narrative questionnaires provide important facts about the students development. Records Review: Research on the students background can help examiners rule out or identify other factors that may have caused the students learning problems. Behavioral Observations: May identify factors in the classroom that are affecting the students learning. Achievement Testing: Determines the childs current skill levels in reading, math, written language, or content areas such as science and humanities. Adaptive Behavior: Assesses a students ability to perform tasks necessary to maintain self care, interact in socially appropriate ways, and to work in and around his school and home in a responsible and safe manner.” (Logsdon, n.d.) Once diagnosed, children may be given the intervention that is appropriate for his or her learning disability. Learning strategy instruction appears to hold great educational potential because strategy training emphasizes helping students learn how to learn and how to use strategies found to be effective in promoting successful performance of academic, social, or job-related tasks. Students need these skills not only to cope with immediate academic demands but also to address similar tasks in different settings under different conditions throughout life. They are resources for an individual to use, especially when faced with new learning situations. (Sturomski, 1997). An important intervention tool for people with learning disabilities is the IEP or Individualized Educational Plan. It gives a child a customized plan for instruction that considers his unique needs and ways of learning best. The IEP builds on the initial detailed diagnosis of the his learning disabilities. The best IEP’s are based upon a thorough assessment of the brain dysfunction of the child so that remediation works around and improves upon the brain’s capabilities. Some accommodations/ interventions included in most IEP’s for learning disabilities are: special education classes for several hours per week, or assignment to a special education classroom, or even assignment to a special school for students with learning disabilities; equipment to aid the learning disabled: word processors, voice synthesis programs, voice recognition programs, portable tape recorders, talking calculators, electronic spellers and dictionaries, and audio textbooks; assistants to help your child: tutors, note-takers, readers, proofreaders, and transcribers; different strategies of teaching, such as outlining the lesson at the beginning of class or reading out loud the notes on the board and transparencies; or individualized accommodations, such as preferential seating or alternative homework assignments. (from: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/learning_disabilities_treatment_help_coping.htm Giftedness The definition of giftedness has undergone evolution over the years. In the past, the label belonged to children who possessed exceptional skills that everyone could see such as reading and writing skills, or ability to solve difficult mathematical problems. This usually meant children who scored well on standardized tests. Since it was realized eventually that standardized tests do not accommodate children’s different learning styles, new definitions of intelligence have stretched the definition of giftedness and talent. Now, there are many ways of assessing how children perform, interact with their learning and problem-solve, beyond just reading and writing, to find out who is gifted (Murray, 1994). The definition of giftedness in the Marland report was stated as follows: "Gifted and talented are those ... with demonstrated achievement and/or potential ability in ... (a) general intellectual ability, (b) specific academic aptitude, (c) creative or productive thinking, (d) leadership ability, (e) visual and performing arts, and (f) psychomotor ability." (Cooper, 1995). This definition now included skills which are not easily manifest, and to successfully and credibly label someone as “gifted” many processes are necessary than mere parental observation. In assessing giftedness, a suspected gifted child undergoes a battery of individual tests administered by a team of professionals as well as an extensive series of interviews, observations, case histories and subjective evaluation about his abstract thought processes, intensity, complexity, sensitivity and awareness. These are all considered for a comprehensive assessment. (Silverman, 1998). Basically, there are three types of programs or interventions currently used with gifted students: Enrichment: extending classroom work either by using more in-depth material or by adding topics/ areas of study not typically found in schools. Acceleration: offering content at an earlier age so a child can complete schooling in less time. Affective programs – address gifted students social and emotional needs focusing on concerns such as career choices, values and coping strategies. (Shalaway, 1997) Research on learning disabilities and giftedness seem to be yielding rich information that benefits those concerned very well. However, there is growing recognition of children who may be exhibiting both. We shall now focus on a current research paper which chronicles the growing pains of new developments. Benjamin J. Lovett and Lawrence J. Lewandowski (2006) did a thorough research on the identification of students who are gifted and at the same time have learning disabilities entitled, “Gifted Students With Learning Disabilities: Who Are They?” published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities. It attempts to pin down a concrete system of screening of the population of the gifted with learning disabilities (G/LD). Davis and Rimm (1989) emphasized that identifying giftedness in students with disabilities requires procedures different from those in a typical giftedness assessment. Specifically, they recommended the use of behavior rating scales, creativity inventories, peer or self-nominations, and prolonged student observation. Daniels (1983) described two groups of children for which the G/LD label was appropriate: children with reading problems who have high intelligence but who have never been given an IQ test, and children who perform at grade level but who could progress at a faster rate were it not for undiagnosed LD “This latter group is the first description of the “masking hypothesis”—the idea that G/LD children may appear ordinary and average in the general education classroom, as their giftedness and learning disabilities “cancel each other out.” The masking hypothesis is crucial to the claim that such a large group of G/LD students remains undetected.” (Lovett & Lewandowski, 2006) The ingrained concept that IQ testing is the gold standard for measuring intelligence is responsible for the neglect of the possibility that there are people who may exhibit a high IQ but does not perform at par with it. This discrepancy was exploited by McCoach et al (2001) and further recommended the use of IQ tests, achievement tests and other tools such as curriculum-based assessments and portfolio reviews but they were reluctant to endorse a specific IQ cutoff value. Brody and Mills (1997) concluded that three factors are especially important when considering whether to label a child as G/LD: (a) evidence of outstanding talent, (b) an aptitude–achievement discrepancy, and (c) a processing deficit. This led to assessment recommendations that included identification of the giftedness aspect of the G/LD diagnosis through an integration of IQ scores with more subjective indices, such as structured interviews, behavioral observations, creativity tests, and teacher nominations. Nielsen (2002) stressed the need for comprehensive psychoeducational batteries, an examination of discrepancies between performance on different measures, and flexibility in identification criteria such as cutoff scores. Finally, Silverman (2003) provided an overview of different types of G/LD students (e.g., gifted students with dyslexia, gifted students with “spatial disorientation”) and described modifications to standard assessment protocols for giftedness when students may have LD. Silverman argued that the inspection of separate subtest scores is imperative, as giftedness and LD can “mask” each other in a variety of ways, such that G/LD students frequently are undetected or misdiagnosed. She also noted that additional conditions such as attention problems, learning styles, and anxiety can influence test performance and should be taken into account when interpreting discrepancies between different tests and subtests. Numerous research, including the aforementioned ones subscribe to one or more of the four practices that aid in the identification of G/LD students: Scatter analysis (comparing the highest and lowest scores in the subtests of an IQ test such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, fourth edition (WISC-IV)). Profile analysis examines specific subtest clusters of tests or batteries, viewing certain patterns of poor performance as diagnostic of different underlying disorders. broad definitions of intelligence and giftedness- including those not measured by IQ tests ability–achievement discrepancy models of LD – a gap between ability and performance is created because the mind processes words and information differently These four practices to identify G/LD students are further dissected and criticized for lack of validity and reliability. As usual, wide research results in many conflicting findings and conclusions leaving the problem of proper identification of the G/LD population bleakly unclear. Lovett & Lewandowski (2006) suggest the following projects in the meantime while a more cohesive, objective and reliable system of identification is being developed: These suggested projects entail more empirical research to give credence to previous ones which hold much promise: Base-rate data on gifted children’s ability and achievement profiles and discrepancies to have a more valid assessment of candidates who are vying for free programs for the gifted. Investigate those students who meet the most conservative criteria for G/LD status: IQ above 130 and significantly below-average achievement (standard score < 85) in a subject area, with certain alternative explanations (e.g., motivation) ruled out. Attempt to test the controversial “masking hypothesis,” the idea that giftedness and LD mask each other. The previous and ongoing research on the gifted with learning disabilities have a long way to go in terms of truly helping the students concerned. While intellectual giants are locking horns in identifying those deserving to fall under this criteria, time is running out and the students concerned are left to languish in regular school systems without the appropriate interventions to meet their specific needs. It is more important to focus on helping even those suspected to be G/LD to learn to both nurture their gifts and cope with their weaknesses to survive their condition. It is not to be forgotten that such individuals are not only made up of cognitive functions. Their emotional, psychological and physical well-being likewise needs attention. References Brody, L. E., & Mills, C. J. (1997). Gifted children with learning disabilities: A review of the issues. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 30, 282–296. Cooper, C.R. (1995) Integrating gifted education into the total school curriculum. School Administrator. Volume: 52. Issue: 4 Davis, G. A. and Rimm, S. B. (1989). Education of the gifted and talented (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Daniels, P. R. (1983). Teaching the gifted/ learning disabled child. Rockville, MD: Aspen Systems. Kim, H., ed., (2004) Learning Disabilities. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Learning Disabilities (n.d.) Retrieved on March 3, 2007 from http://ohp.nasa.gov/cope/a_ld.htm Learning Disabilities (n.d.) Retrieved on March 3, 2007 from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/learning_disabilities_treatment_help_coping.htm Logsdon, A. (n.d.)How are learning disabilities diagnosed through assessment? Retrieved on March 3, 2007 from http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/learningdisabilitybasics/a/LDdiagnosproces.htm Lovett, B.J., & Lewandowski, L.J.,(2006) Gifted students with learning disabilities: who are they? Journal Of Learning Disabilities Vol 39, No. 6, November/December 2006 McCoach, D. B., Kehle, T., Bray, M. A., & Siegle, D. (2001). Best practices in the identification of gifted students with learning disabilities. Psychology in the Schools, 38, 403–411. Murray, W. (1994) New ways to think about giftedness - interview with national association for gifted children pres. carolyn callahan. Instructor, Sept, 1994 Nielsen, M. E. (2002). Gifted students with learning disabilities: Recommendations for identification and programming. Exceptionality, 10, 93–111. Shalaway, L. (1998) Learning to Teach. New York: Scholastic Professional Books Silverman, L.K. (1998) Through the lens of giftedness. Roeper Review. Volume: 20. Issue: 3. Silverman, L. K. (2003). Gifted children with learning disabilities. In N. A. Colangelo & G. A. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of gifted education (3rd ed., pp. 533–543). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Sturomski, N. (1997), Teaching students with learning disabilities to use learning strategies. News Digest 25 (ND25) Retrieved on March 3, 2007 from http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/newsdig/nd25txt.htm U.S. Office of Education (1977). Assistance to states for education of handicapped children: Procedures for evaluating specific learning disabilities. 42 Federal Register 65082-65095. Vogel, S.A. & Reder, S., (1998) Learning Disabilities, Literacy and Adult Education. Baltimore: Paul Brookes Publishing Co. Read More