Transcript No Slide Title

MELISSA SIMPSON
DESLIE THOMAS
“Howard's teachers say he just isn't working up to
his ability. He doesn't finish his assignments, or
just puts down answers without showing his work;
his handwriting and spelling are poor. He sits and
fidgets in class, talks to others, and often disrupts
class by interrupting others. He use to shout out
the answers to the teachers' questions (they were
usually right), but now he day-dreams a lot and
seems distracted. Does Howard have Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is he gifted,
or both?” (Latimer)
Many people see giftedness and ADHD as
mutually exclusive. They do not understand
that when a child is diagnosed with ADHD, he
or she may still benefit from a talented and
gifted program. For such a child, this program
can be very useful and influence the child’s
life. To fully comprehend what needs to be
done to help, parents and teachers need to
know the characteristics of ADHD and
“giftedness.” Then they can support, assist,
and find the curriculum that will meet the
child’s needs.
•Definitions of Giftedness and ADHD
•Characteristics to determine professional evaluation
•Characteristics of gifted ADHD children vs. normal
ADHD children
•ADHD vs. Giftedness Characteristics
•What Teachers and Parents Can Do To Help
•Curricular Needs
“High intellectual abilities or potential, rather than specific
accomplishments. Most commonly depicted as having exceptional
abilities or potential for learning and problem solving.”
“A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and
learning disorders. A disorder in which hyperactivity is
present.”
The 14 diagnostic characteristics are as follows:
1.
often fidgets with hands or feet and squirms in seat
2.
has difficulty remaining seated when required to
3.
is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
4.
has difficulty awaiting turns in games or group situations
5.
often blurts out answers to questions before they have been completed
6.
has difficulty following through on instructions from others
7.
has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
8.
often shifts from one uncompleted activity to another
9.
has difficulty playing quiet
10.
often talks excessively
11.
often interrupts or intrudes on others
12.
often does not seem to listen to what is being said to him or her
13.
often loses things necessary for tasks or activities at school or at home
14.
often engages in physically dangerous activities without considering
possible consequences.
BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH ADHD
(BARKLEY, 1990)
BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH
GIFTEDNESS (WEBB, 1993)
1. Poorly sustained attention in almost all
situations
1. Poor attention, boredom, daydreaming in
specific situations
2. Diminished persistence on tasks not
having immediate consequences
2. Low tolerance for persistence on tasks that
seem irrelevant
3. Impulsivity, poor delay of gratification
3. Judgment lags behind development of
intellect
4. Impaired adherence to commands to
4. Intensity may lead to power struggles with
regulate or inhibit behavior in social contexts authorities
5. More active, restless than normal children 5. High activity level; may need less sleep
6. Difficulty adhering to rules and regulations 6. Questions rules, customs and traditions
SIGNS OF GIFTEDNESS
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Excellent long-term memory
Extensive vocabulary
Excels in reading comprehension
Excels in mathematical reasoning
Advanced verbal skills in discussions
Facile with computers
Grasps abstract concepts
Performs better with challenging work
Thrives on complexity
Highly creative, imaginative
Reasons well
Is a keen observer
May have acute hearing
Has very interesting ideas, extremely
curious
Had high degree of energy
Perceptive
Insightful (seems “wise”)
Excellent sense of humor
May excel at art, science, geometry,
mechanics, technology, or music
SIGNS OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
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Poor short-term memory
Speaking vocabulary more sophisticated than
written
Struggles with decoding words
Does poorly at computation
Refuses to do written work
Handwriting is illegible
Has difficulty with spelling and phonics
Struggles with easy, sequential material
Difficulty with rote memorization
Often inattentive in class
Emotions can overpower reasoning
Poor auditory memory
Poor listening skills
Weak in language mechanics
May be unable to learn unless interested
Performs poorly on timed tests
Hopelessly disorganized
Finds clever ways to avoid weak areas
May fail at foreign languages and subject
emphasizing audition, sequencing, memory
Ways a teacher can be a support to their students:
1. recognize and nurture behaviors usually demonstrated by gifted students
2. create a learning environment in which all students will be stretched to learn
3. allow students to demonstrate and get credit for previous mastery of concepts
4. provide opportunities for faster pacing of new material
5. incorporate students’ passionate interests into their independent studies
6. facilitate sophisticated research investigations
7. provide flexible grouping opportunities for the entire class
•Howard needs a professional evaluation to determine whether he
has giftedness or ADHD.
•The first step in helping a child is observing the characteristics for
a period of time and which settings they display those
characteristics.
•Teachers and parents need to cooperate with one another and set
curricular standards that the student will benefit from.
•Children need the best support from parents and teachers.
•Having an unmet learning need can make growing up even harder
for a child.