Innreach's Blog – Leslinks Ireland- Gifted, Talented & Creative Support/Edu Page

On being Gifted and twice exceptional (such as LD and gifted) or maybe… having twice as many gifts…..

Life can be very funny sometimes, you never know what it will hand you. As parents, when our children are born, we look at the little babies, so full of promise, and wonder what life will bring them, and wonder where their paths will lead.  If they move along the developmental highway at the same speed as most other children, than baring a normal amount of hiccups and pitfalls, things in the bringing up department should go relatively smoothly..

However, sometimes their mode of locomotion, may determine a different level/rate of speed, or even an exit off the main highway onto a slip road..

On one side, you may have many slip roads which may be marked LD (learning disabled), Ph/D (Physically Disabled), N/PDD (Neuro, or Pervasive Developmentally Disorderd/disabled -austistic spectrum).. and so on.. and then each of these may have their own slip roads, dependent on severity, type, and place on the indivicual spectrums of need.

On the other, you may have slip roads which may be marked SSA (single subject abled), VSA (Visual, Spacial and Artistic Abled), PKA (Physical, Kinestetic Abled, MAA (Multiple Academically Abled).. and so on… and then these too each may have their own slip roads , dependent on the degree or distance from the main high way (or norm) that they may be…

Parents will do their best to navigate the slip roads and try to help their children gain the tools and skills, help them grow along the way so they can motor along not to far from the main highway, and join in now and again..

But what if, a child is taking two opposing slip roads?  One that is moving significantly faster than the traffic on the main highway, and another or several that are moving at a significantly slower/different pace?, causing a great pull and streach between the two, that is so significant, it almost arrests any forward movement at all?? The pressure may even tear the main highway apart for them….

This is what it sometimes feels like when you are ‘Gifted, but are challenged with another significant issue’.. and this was one of our topics on the Fridays #gtchat .  For transcript on the chat and a wealth of information and links that were shared click here.

There is great information to be found from Hoagies G&T Page on this subject.  More information on some  second exceptionalities which may include:

Dyslexia

Dyscalcula

PDD’s (Autism, Aspergers, and NOS)

AdhD-ADD (Which is now thought closely linked to the Pdd spectrum)

OCD also see here

Sensory and Sensory Modulation

Combinaitons of the Above..

and others…

On the flipside, however, it is often that the very existance of the second exceptionality may bring many gifts along with it.. Many of these children are extraordinarlily creative, may see the world in 3D, and be able to precieve the world around them in extraordinary ways.

Many are Visual Spacial Learners:

For a good U Tube video on Visual Spacial Learners see VS1, VS2, VS3 and the book- Upside Down Brilliance, by Dr. Linda Silverman

All of the above however, may have difficulties that are indeed compounded depending on the degree of giftedness a child may be struggling with  Indeed, identification may be further complicated as  some of  the conditions have behaviours that are so like some of the inherently gifted behaviours of these children have  it may be difficult to tell a disability from an ability, and be a cause of misdiagnosis…see Overexcitabilities more here from SENG.

There are many people, due to the misfit of these children on the highways of life, that choose to homeschool see GHF (Gifted homeschool forum)

If you enjoyed joining us on Friday and got to  know more about these issues,    help us explore other issues around giftedness, a very exciting and very interesting subject… pls go to#gtchat or join us on twitter at #gtchat.

More useful information:

A wonderful Website. compiled by  Meredith G. Warsaw MSS MA, with more information on the topic is ‘Uniquely Gifted’ which was developed around the book, by the same name, and edited by Kiesa Kay.  It has a wealth of information on all exceptionalities that can co-exist with giftedness, as well as many wise insights on same.

Dr. Linda Silverman Phd, founder of the Gifte Development Center, has found that fully  1/6th of gifted children she has tested were twice exceptional.

The Belin Blank Centre for Excellence in at Iowa University is running the NITE  or National Institute for Twice Exceptionality, and can offer assistance in this area