Saturday, April 18, 2009

Are You Aware? XVI

One of the most annoying issues that schools like to sweep under the carpet is the "twice exceptional" child: children who are both "gifted" and "disabled." Autistic kids aren't the only ones who suffer from the reluctance of school to place children in both the Gifted and Talented program and the Special Education program, but certainly ignoring gifted kids simply because they are also special needs is something that needs to stop. Frustration and boredom are terrible enemies to learning, progress, and development.

What can be especially dangerous is in the push to get gets "mainstreamed", intellectual gifts can be used to end much-needed special education services, or can mask special needs in the controlled settings of the classroom. Just because a child is able to complete a worksheet and hand it back to a teacher with all the answers right doesn't mean that child doesn't need accommodations to function!

One place to begin your look at gifted special needs kids is Uniquely Gifted. Also, check out this article.

2 comments:

Sally's World said...

its scary how the same issues arise the world over...i am so tired of people thinking deion isn't gifted 'cos of the chair...no one tries to understand...he has a shirt that says 'my legs don't work but my brain does' its fab!

mumkeepingsane said...

I'm finding the opposite right now. They're so surprised that Patrick is smart that they automatically assume he's gifted when really he's just a bright child. So it seems like there's ignorance on the part of schools in many different situations. If only they would just take each case on its own merits and, I dunno, teach to the child?