1) Amber is a student who struggles with organization, focus, and task completion in her 5th grade classroom and qualifies for 504 services for her ADHD diagnosis. 2) In middle school, Amber's social studies teacher notes her creativity, thoughtfulness, and inquisitiveness during a class project. Through encouragement and extra support, Amber tests and qualifies for gifted services. 3) Dual exceptional students are those who are identified as gifted but also have a recognized disability such as a specific learning disability, emotional disability, physical disability, sensory disability, autism or ADHD.

1. GIFTED AND LEARNING
EXCEPTIONALITIES “TWICE
EXCEPTIONAL”
Amber Bean
Sarah Boltz
Sophie Lee

3. AMBER’S STORY
Amber is all over the place. Her teachers say her binder is an absolute
mess, she is consistently off task, she is never sitting in her chair, and that
they email her parents for missing and/or incomplete work almost weekly.
Her teachers note her unrelated comments and actions distract her and
her classmates so much so that she has her “own space” in the classroom.
It’s the end of her 5th grade year, and Amber has qualified for 504 services
from her diagnosis of ADHD.
When Amber gets to middle school, her Social Studies teacher, Ms. Smith,
notes how creative, thoughtful, and inquisitive she is during their two-
week economic simulation. Amber chooses her topic, completes her
portion of the work, and enacts her role to perfection. Through
encouragement and an extra watchful eye, her teacher has enough
documentation that she includes Amber in the CISS qualification process.
Amber tests, and she qualifies for being gifted.

4. DUAL EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS
ARE:
1. Students who are identified as gifted and talented in one
or more areas of exceptionality (Specific academics,
general intellectual ability, creativity, leadership, visual,
and performing arts);
And also identified with
2. A disability defined by Federal/ State eligibility criteria:
specific learning disability, significant identifiable,
emotional disability, physical disabilities, sensory
disabilities, autism or ADHD.

5. OTHER STRATEGIES
Nurturing environment
Specifically differentiated resources
IEP with accommodations (academic, behavioral, social)
504 Plan with accommodations (academic, behavioral, social)
Use of technology
Student choice
Peer/Adult mentor (“check in, check out”)
Understanding of both exceptionalities
Flexibility

6. FINAL TAKEAWAY
Linda Silverman, Ph.D., the director of the Gifted
Development Center has found that fully 1/6 of gifted
children tested at the GDC have a learning difference of
some type.
So what does that mean?
Unidentified students whose gifts and disabilities may be
masked by average achievement. How can be more aware
of these students?