Gifted+Students+with+ADHD


 * Gifted Students with ADHD **

Gifted children and children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often share many of the same characteristics. ADHD is marked by immature levels of impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention. There are three types: hyperactive/impulsive, inattentive, and a combined type. The [|DSM-IV] lays out specific criteria for diagnosis. As with any twice exceptional student, the disability can mask the giftedness and vice versa, meaning that the educational needs of the child are not being met.


 * Gifted Students with ADHD**

Some research suggests that gifted students with ADHD suffer more, and are more impaired than students who just have ADHD. These students are commonly overlooked for identification for gifted programming, due to their behaviors. Teachers often label these students as problem students. Because of their high intellectual functioning, these students may be prime candidates for learned helplessness, underachievement, and finding ways to get whatever they want. Usually, the student's ADHD masks the giftedness causing a delay in their identification and admission to gifted programs. Like most students with ADHD, gifted students with ADHD tend to lag behind their same age peers in maturity. The implication here is that since most gifted students are on par with students several years their senior, gifted students with ADHD are not. This may pose a challenge for gifted students with ADHD when they are placed in a class with their same age gifted peers. Gifted students with ADHD are often more sensitive than their gifted non-ADHD peers, pursue more intense interests, and have a greater degree of developmental asynchrony.

media type="youtube" key="eiArMwrUr-4" height="315" width="420"


 * Testing ADHD Students for Gifted Programming**

There are challenges in testing ADHD students for gifted programming due to the similarities in characteristics as seen below outlined by [|The National Association for Gifted Children]. There are many similarities between the two groups, which often leads to misidentification. It is crucial that parents, educators, and health practitioners understand the intricate differences between the two, and work together so that students can be properly identified and receive the appropriate services.
 * **Characteristics of Gifted Children Who are Bored**
 * Poor attention and daydreaming when bored
 * Low tolerance for persistence on tasks that seem irrelevant
 * Begin many projects, see few to completion
 * Development of judgment lags behind intellectual growth
 * Intensity may lead to power struggles with authorities
 * High activity level; may need less sleep
 * Difficulty restraining desire to talk; may be disruptive
 * Question rules, customs, and traditions
 * Lose work, forget homework, are disorganized
 * May appear careless
 * Highly sensitive to criticism
 * Do not exhibit problem behaviors in all situations || **Characteristics of Children with ADHD**
 * Poorly sustained attention
 * Diminished persistence on tasks not having immediate consequences
 * Often shift from one uncompleted activity to another
 * Impulsivity, poor delay of gratification
 * Impaired adherence to commands to regulate or inhibit behavior in social contexts
 * More active, restless than other children
 * Often talk excessively
 * Often interrupt or intrude on others (e.g., butt into games)
 * Difficulty adhering to rules and regulations
 * Often lose things necessary for tasks or activities at home or school
 * May appear inattentive to details
 * Highly sensitive to criticism
 * Problem behaviors exist in all settings, but in some are more severe ||

media type="youtube" key="RiZZgymGwEI?=3m16s" height="315" width="560" (Skip to 3m16s for an in depth discussion of giftedness vs. ADHD)

In terms of traditional intelligence testing, many gifted students with ADHD do not do well on the WISC or similar tests. They often miss what would be considered easier questions, and get the harder questions right. This is believed to be due to their problems with sequential processing. Therefore, it is not recommended that we rely on Weschler tests to identify gifted students among the ADHD student population. Research recommends the Stanford-Binet LM.

For classroom evaluation, it is recommended that the environment of the classroom be taken into account. Gifted students with ADHD should ideally be compared against their own norms, compiled from a variety of settings, rather than age norms as oftentimes using age norms can overlook deficiencies in this group of students. It is also recommended that if possible, gifted students with ADHD be assessed against gifted students in a stimulating environment rather than non-gifted students in an average classroom.


 * Intervention for and Teaching Gifted ADHD Students**

Intervention and treatment of these students should be tailored to the individual. As with any other situation where a twice-exceptional student is involved, it is agreed upon that with gifted students who have ADHD, the best intervention is to focus on talent development rather than the student's deficits. It is important for teachers and parents to know that in some cases, traditional treatment and interventions for ADHD children may not be appropriate for gifted students. For instance, "since gifted children tend to prefer complexity, shortening work time and simplifying tasks may increase frustration for some gifted ADHD students who would handle better more difficult and intriguing tasks." [|(Gifted Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)]

It is recommended that gifted students with mild ADHD can benefit from highly stimulating school environments and smaller class sizes, but for students with moderate to severe ADHD a change in school environment is not likely enough of an intervention because these students do not have the ability to self-reflect on their behaviors.

Some considerations for educators of gifted students with ADHD are as follows:
 * Students have a hard time working in groups
 * Students may rush through work, or not complete it
 * Students may change topics often
 * Students may take an abnormally long time to complete simple assignments
 * Students are usually not rewarded by completion of a project, unless it is self-selected
 * Students have a hard time with self-control and self-monitoring

The most important thing to remember here is that gifted students with ADHD require programming where they can be accelerated through their strengths, but at the same time be allowed to build upon their weaknesses; they require not only placement into an acceleration or enrichment program, but differentiated instruction as well.


 * References**

[|Gifted Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder] [|NAGC - Dual Exceptionalities] [|ADHD and Children who are Gifted] [|Gifted Children with ADHD]