A special education department presentation for a faculty workshop and development training.

1. The Special Education Department of Phoenix Academy
presents our
Gifted & Talented Program
Workshop
Steven Acevedo
512 - Teaching the Exceptional Learner
May 20, 2019
Professor Regina Maldonado

2. Gifted & Talented Students
have…
an extraordinary amount of knowledge because of
their insatiable curiosity, keen memory, unusual
ability to concentrate, wide variety of interests, high
levels of language development and verbal ability,
and ability to generate original ideas. They also
have an advanced ability to comprehend
information using accelerated and flexible thought
processes, a heightened ability to recognize
relationships between diverse ideas, and a strong
capacity to form and use conceptual frameworks.
(Friend, 2019 p.259)

3. Some Characteristics
• Unusual alertness, even in infancy
• Excellent memory
• Unusually large vocabulary and complex sentence structure for
age
• Advanced comprehension of word nuances, metaphors and
abstract ideas
• Enjoys solving problems, especially with numbers and puzzles
• Often self-taught reading and writing skills as preschooler
• Deep, intense feelings and reactions
• Highly sensitive
• Thinking is abstract, complex, logical, and insightful
• Idealism and sense of justice at early age
• Concern with social and political issues and injustices
Our gifted students display an array of traits our faculty should be
aware of including but not limited to:

4. Assessments
• Achievement Tests
Ø Test of Mathematical Abilities for Gifted Students
Ø Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary
Students (SAGES).
• Ability Tests
Ø Stanford Binet (L-M)
Ø Wescher Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th Edition.
Ø Woodcock Johnson IV
There are different types of test, both objective and subjective
assessments . A usage of both is the best strategy in identifying a
gifted learner.
While experts have differing opinions on whether to test young
children, researchers generally agree that it is difficult to make
accurate IQ determinations at an early age (under 6). For
younger children, alternative measures of giftedness include
characteristic checklists, parent/teacher surveys and interviews,
observations, and portfolios.

5. Services & Supports
• Acceleration
Ø Grade-skipping, early entrance to kindergarten or college,
dual-credit courses such as Advanced Placement and
International Baccalaureate programs and subject-based
acceleration
• Flexible ability grouping
Ø Access to appropriate levels of challenge and complexity
• Pull out programs
Ø Special classes, local magnet schools; afterschool, Saturday, or
summer programs; Advanced Placement, International
Baccalaureate, or other dual-enrollment courses; distance learning;
and other similar services.
Teaching gifted children requires special strategies like:

6. Services & Supports
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Ø LRE is the setting in which they can succeed that is most
like the setting for other students. The Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that school
children be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment.
This denotes, to the extent possible, they will be educated
with their non-disabled peers, and school systems will
provide additional supports and modifications to make this
happen.
• Placement decisions are made on an individual basis by the
child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team. The court has
found that a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is
the overarching goal of IDEA. There are times when FAPE isn’t
compatible with full inclusion.

7. Accommodations
Accommodations and supports can be found in
the students Individual Education Plan (IEP).
Some of these accommodations can made on:
• Assessments
• Curriculum
• Physical or Intellectual
• Social emotional environments

8. References
Webb, J., Gore, J., Amend, E., DeVries, A. (2007). A parent's guide
to gifted children. Retrieved from www.greatpotentialpress.com.
M. Friend, W. Bursuck (2019). Including students with special
needs, 8th Edition. Pearson.
National association for gifted children. (2019). NAGC website. Tests
and assessments. Retrieved from https://www.nagc.org/
resources-publications/gifted-education-practices/identification/
tests-assessments
Masters in special education. (2019). Special education in the least
restrictive environment. Retrived from https://www.masters-in-
special-education.com/special-education-in-the-least-restrictive-
environment-inclusion