Can Special Needs Also Encompass Gifted and Talented?
Special needs, to me, specifically in the school, has many meanings, beyond the traditional. This month we have been assessing O, but rather for Special Needs in the traditional way, his needs are unlike those I typically write about.
O is gifted. I know we all feel our children are gifted and talented in their unique way, but he is gifted academically. At two he knew all of his letters, was able to put together 25 piece puzzles, and was beginning to recognize sight words. He fought hard to keep up with his brother that is four years older. He was potty trained in 24 hours. Give the boy a challenge, and his competitive nature takes over, and he does everything in his power to succeed.
By three he was reading independently. His favorite book... a dictionary. he wanted desperately to understand the words that grown ups around him were saying. He made it through the Children's Dictionary in a week, and quickly moved on to the Webster Edition.
A was in 1st grade, and O was enthralled with his homework assignments. He wanted homework too, so we purchased Pre-School Workbooks to encourage his love of learning. We quickly realized that he had mastered the skills presented in his age appropriate workbook, and moved on to the Kindergarten Lessons.
By 4, he was able to write all of his letters, his name, and he had basic addition and subtraction facts memorized. You could see the wheels in his brain turning, as he was determined to solve problems in his head, without the help of his fingers and toes. He was far beyond his Pre-K peers, and his teachers also embraced his love of learning, by trying to take the lessons they had prepared for the class, and altering them to accommodate his need for a challenge.
By Kindergarten O was reading the same books as A, desperate still, to stay on pace with his 5th grade brother. He would complete his Kindergarten homework assignments, and move next to A to review math facts along side his brother. It became a game... could we challenge O, and stump him once and for all? He learned the terms multiplication and division, and quickly was able to process those facts in his head. We broke the terms down... 4 times 5 means 4 added 5 times over... and he would count out loud, "4, 8, 12, 16, 20!!!". It seemed there was no problem too large for our boy to solve, and he loved it. We would go around the dinner table trying to stump him, and rather than become frustrated when the answer was wrong, he would ask how to solve it correctly.During our last Parent Teacher Conference of his Kindergarten year, we asked the teacher what we could do over the summer to foster his love of learning, and ensure that he didn't loose his enthusiasm, his desire for a challenge, without burning him out. It became clear that we worked so diligently on math facts, that his writing and comprehension skills had plateaued. He was now right on track with his peers, rather than ahead.
We created a reward system. We encouraged our boys to choose books from the library, and then they were to write a journal entry on what they read, or even what they experienced during the day. For every page they logged in their journal, they received an hour of electronic time. They could bank their hours, to redeem all at once, or they could use them as they earned them. We did this for the entire summer, and the end result, for both A and O, was what we hoped... Both boys are off the charts in Reading Comprehension and Language Arts.
As the year has progressed, the gap for O has increased. He finishes his work ahead of his peers, he reads his assignment, and then pulls out his novel while the others continue their work. His teachers have provided as many opportunities as they have been able, to continue to challenge him, but with a class of 24 students, it is hard to teach to just one. We continue to work at home, challenging him with math facts, letting him check out books from the library that are intended for an older audience, and he continues to lurch ahead.
SO... we requested an assessment for Advancement. The request and subsequent meeting is as arduous as a request for an IEP. As a matter of fact, the meeting to review the assessment was very similar to our request for an IEP. Many of the same players sit at the table, but rather than Special Educators, you have Specialists, reading and math. The process is much the same, testing upon testing, IQ tests, and ending with a thorough psychological evaluation.
Special Needs indeed. O is in need of an academic environment that continues to challenge him, fosters his desire to learn, and is executed with his specific needs in mind.
We focus our efforts on our children with special needs, and advocate for their best educational environment. We need to do the same for our gifted children, who are special in their own and unique way. While I understand that there are literally thousands of children our school system has in their care, we, as parents, need to ensure that our children are getting the educational services they are entitled to. Just as I feel when walking into an IEP meeting - "Am I asking too much", "What accommodation can C live without, and what is essential to his continued academic growth" - I found myself asking, when walking into O's meeting. I had the same anxiety, the same reservations, "How special is my child, really?", "Is he really so outside the box, that he simply cannot make his way back in?", "At what point am I asking too much, and what determines how much is just right, and I can't fail my child by asking for too little". It is daunting, but as I have learned, I am my child's best advocate, and so fight I will, for what I believe will provide the best academic outcome for O.
