Gifted and Learning Disabled

Pedro—An Expert Who Is a Poor Reader

Eight-year-old Pedro is an expert on bugs. He can name and classify a hundred species of insects. He has a huge personal collection that is displayed methodically in boxes all over his room. Narrow pins carefully inserted through the bodies of each insect hold them in place in neat rows on Styrofoam. Each insect is categorized according to type and color.
Pedro was automatically excluded from consideration for gifted programming at his school because he cannot read at grade level. 

Janet—Big Difference between Expectations and Performance

Janet's parents had her evaluated by a psychologist when she was four. On a widely accepted intelligence test she achieved an IQ score of 140. Her parents assumed that Janet would breeze through school with little effort, but as she advanced through the grades the discrepancies widened between expectations and actual performance.

Janet is very articulate, so her teachers are usually impressed with her ability to share her knowledge verbally. Her spelling and handwriting, however, are atrocious. She also has a hard time finishing assignments and getting notes to and from school. Her desk and notebook are a mess. Her teacher and parents are convinced that if she would only try harder, she would succeed. 

Elizabeth—Identified As LD, but Has High-Level Interests At Home

Elizabeth is not doing well academically. She was identified as learning disabled in the first grade. Her parents and teachers focus on her difficulties learning at school. Her self-image is lacking and she is quite disruptive in class. She is frequently off task, does a lot of day dreaming, complains of headaches and stomachaches, and does everything possible to avoid her school work. 

What her parents and teachers tend to disregard is her high-level interests at home. She has an incredible ability to build complicated structures with Lego bricks, and she recently started a neighborhood campaign to save endangered animals. 

Discovering the Gifted, Learning Disabled Child