Identification and assessment of gifted students with learning disabilities

Abstract

More is known about the characteristics and needs of gifted students with learning disabilities today than in the past, as more educators understand that children with high potential can simultaneously struggle with academic tasks at school. However, many of these students are not identified as requiring services, and if they are, it is for only 1 exceptionality. This absence of knowledge about the consequences of the coincidence of gifts and disabilities has resulted in misidentification and minimal services for many students. In this article, current identification and assessment practices are reviewed within a framework of a broadened view of giftedness; connections are made between identification and assessment, and the provision of appropriate interventions. The authors contend that a scholarly exchange of ideas in the fields of learning disabilities and giftedness can enable researchers and practitioners to discuss the best ways to translate research into practice to find the most appropriate methods to identify students with dual exceptionalities.