Gifted and Talented Exceptionality Report Introduction Students that are considered gifted, creative, and talented students

require accommodations and special instruction to help them succeed, but they are not included in IDEA. According to the Women's and Children's Health Network , a combinations of factors such as genetics, prenatal development, and the nurturing of the child can lead to giftedness (2013). Children that show signs of gifted, creative, and/or talented abilities should be assessed and then educated according to their individual needs. Definition and Prevalence Indiana Code, IC 20-36-1-3, defines a student with high abilities as one whom: (1) performs at or shows the potential for performing at an outstanding level of accomplishment in at least one (1) domain when compared with other students of the same age, experience, or environment; and (2) is characterized by exceptional gifts, talents, motivation, or interests. As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.20. (Office of Code Revision Indiana Legislative Services Agency, 2005). According to Hardman, Drew, & Egan, prevalence estimates are highly variable (2013). Politicians, policy makers, researchers, and professionals views have caused the number to fluctuate over the past decade. The most current estimate is 3 to 25 percent of school-age children have been identified as being gifted (Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 2013, p. 412). Classifications Classification Creative Thinking Abilities Independent thinker Exhibits original thinking in oral and written expression Comes up with several solutions to a given problem Possesses a sense of humor Creates and invents Challenged by creative tasks Improvises often Does not mind being different from the crowd Formulates abstractions Processes information in complex ways Observant Excited about new ideas Enjoys hypothesizing

General Intellectual Ability

 Learns rapidly Uses a large vocabulary Inquisitive Self-starter Specific Academic Ability Good memorization ability Advanced comprehension Acquires basic skill knowledge quickly Widely read in special interest area High academic success in special interest area Pursues special interest with enthusiasm and vigor Leadership Assumes responsibility High expectations for self and others Fluent, concise self-expression Foresees consequences and implications of decisions Good judgment in decision making Likes structure Well-liked by peers Self-confident Organized Psychomotor Challenged by difficult athletic activities Exhibits precision in movement Enjoys participation in various athletic opportunities Excels in motor skills Well-coordinated Good manipulative skills High energy level Visual/ Performing Arts Outstanding in sense of spatial relationships Unusual ability in expressing self, feeling, moods, etc., through dance, drama, music, etc. Good motor coordination Exhibits creative expression Desire for producing own product (not content with mere copying) Observant (National Society for the Gifted & Talented, 2013) Characteristics Gifted students are often perfectionist and idealistic.

Gifted students may experience heightened sensitivity to their own expectations and those of others. Gifted students are asynchronous. Some gifted students are mappers (sequential learners), while others are leapers (spatial learners). Gifted students may be so far ahead of their chronological age mates that they know half the curriculum before the school year begins! Gifted children are problem solvers. Gifted students often think abstractly and with such complexity that they may need help with concrete study and test-taking skills. Gifted students who do well in school may define success as getting an A and failure as any grade less than an A (National Society for the Gifted & Talented, 2013). Positive Behavior Memorizes and masters basic facts quickly Reads, uses library on own Exceptional accomplishments Ready recall and responses Sticks with task of personal interest Asks questions, gets excited about ideas, takes risks Creates and invents beyond assigned tasks Recognizes problems Able to laugh at self Able to solve problems alone Appreciation of the arts Fluent with words, numbers, leads peers in positive ways Asserts self and ideas, has small circle of friends; sense of own uniqueness Negative Behavior Gets bored easily, resists drill, disturbs others, underachieves Neglects other responsibilities Intolerant of mistakes Resists repetitions, know it all Resists class routine, dislikes interruptions Goes on tangents, no followthrough, disorganized Refuses to work with others Impolitely corrects adults Plays cruel jokes or tricks on others Interferes in the affairs of others Poses personal values/judgments on others Leads others into negative behaviors, monopolizes discussion Stubborn in beliefs

Characteristic Learns rapidly/ easily Reads intensively Perfectionist Retains quantity of information Long attention span Imaginative, curious, many interests Works independently Alert, observant Good sense of humor Comprehends, recognizes relationships Aesthetic Insight, awareness Highly verbal, extensive vocabulary Individualistic, strongwilled

Self-motivated, self-

Requires minimum

Aggressive, challenges authority

sufficient Prefers older peers Highly sensitive, passionate Views with a different perspective (Richter, n.d.)

teacher direction or help Wise beyond years Emphasizes fairness, and morality, compassionate Observes across boundaries, makes connections

Isolated or misunderstood Over-reacts to situations Resists limitations and narrowly focused content

Diagnostic Assessments According to Hardman, Drew, & Egan, assessments identifying giftedness are being selected more carefully. Now, multiple sources are being used to help determine who is potentially gifted (2013). Below are a few resources that are used to help screen those who may have gifted or talented abilities: Teacher Nomination - This has been the beginning step in screening for giftedness. However, this is not an adequate assessment due to the possibility of bias reasoning. Intelligence and Achievement Tests This is the major source of information that is used when screening students. These assessments must be carefully selected; some are not designed to identify students with intellectual abilities. Achievement tests are similar to intelligence tests, but they are more useful with helping to identify students with high academic achievements. Creativity Tests These tests give a more accurate capacity of students abilities, but they are more difficult to construct. Creative tests are useful in confirming creative qualities. After the screening process, the identification process and selections of students begin. In this stage, the students are re-evaluated by using individualized testing (Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 2013, p. 418). Eligibility Criteria 511 IAC 6-9.1-2 Program requirements Authority: IC 20-19-2-8; IC 20-31-4-17 Affected: IC 20-31-4; IC 20-36-1 Sec. 2. (a) To qualify as a program for high ability students under this rule, each school corporation shall meet all of the criteria in this section. (b) The school corporation shall develop and periodically update a level of services program to provide educational opportunities to encourage high ability students to reach the highest possible level at every stage of development. (c) The differentiated program for high ability students must include the following: (1) A multifaceted student assessment plan, including the following: (A) Performance-based assessment. (B) Potential-based assessment. (C) Alternative assessment. (2) A curriculum and instructional strategies plan.

(3) A counseling and guidance plan. (4) A systematic program assessment plan. (5) A professional development plan. (d) Educational experiences offered outside the school day may be used to supplement, but not to supplant, the levels of services provided for high ability students offered during the school day. (e) The governing body shall create a broad-based planning committee to design and monitor the continuous development and implementation of the levels of services program for high ability students. (f) The program must be approved by the governing body. (g) The plans described in subsection (c) must be available for public inspection and filed with the department. (Indiana State Board of Education; 511 IAC 6-9.1-2) Strategies, Interventions, and Adaptive Materials Below are some tips to help with children that show signs of giftedness. Try to: Provide your child with lots of opportunities to learn and try new things. Make sure that your child has some things to do that he or she finds challenging, as well as some that he or she likes and can do easily. Encourage your child to participate in a broad range of educational and recreational activities. Support your child with both their successes and failures. Help your child to develop skills needed to relate to friends who may not be gifted and talented. Talk with your child about his or her particular talents, what it means to be gifted, and ways to deal with any difficulties that may arise. Teach and encourage the social skills that will enable your child to fit comfortably in his social world. Being gifted is not an excuse for bad behavior. Try not to: Push or place undue pressure on your child. 'Show-off' your child or talk a lot about him or her in public. Expect your child to be gifted and talented in all areas of his or her development. Be too 'bossy' in your parenting. Forget that your gifted child is still a child, and has all the normal needs of children, including the need for love, support, stability, routine and fun ( Women's and Children's Health Network , 2013). Strategies Depth and Complexity Flexible grouping In-depth questioning Learning contracts Tiered assignments Curriculum compacting

Creative problem solving Independent study Acceleration activities Interest centers

Support/Services Providers According to Hardman, Drew (2013), & Egan, parents can also provide learning experiences by: Introduce a broad range of topics through books and reading material, Provide adequate equipment, Provide access to technology, Arrange regular trips to the library, museums, and other resource centers, Encourage participation in cultural events, lectures, and exhibits, Encourage participation in extracurricular and community activities, and Adopt relationships with mentors and other resourceful individuals in the community (Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 2013, p. 420). Indiana Resource Center for Families with Special Needs This website has information that pertains to children that have gifted abilities. There are several links on this site that have helpful information and service providers. http://www.insource.org/AgencyLinks-IN.html (Indiana Resource Center for Families with Special Needs, 2012). The Arc of Indiana This site has helpful resources and links, plus it has a support and service link. It also has listings of providers in Indiana that can assist exceptional children. http://www.arcind.org/supports-services/helpful-resources-links/ (The Arc of Indiana, n.d.). Resources Website National Society for the Gifted and Talented http://www.nsgt.org/ The National Society for the Gifted & Talented (NSGT) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization created to honor and encourage gifted and talented (G&T) children and youth. It is committed to acknowledging and supporting the needs of G&T children and youth by providing recognition of their significant academic and artistic accomplishments and access to educational resources and advanced learning opportunities directly related to their interests and talent areas. National Organization The Council for Exceptional Children E1110 North Glebe Road Arlington, VA 22201 (800) 328-0272 http://www.cec.sped.org/

State or Local Organization Indiana Association for the Gifted Michael Thompson, President E-mail: mith@earthlink.net Carol Savitsky Membership Chair 1107 Indian Pipe Lane Zionsville, IN 46077 www.iag-online.org Informational Book for Parents Smutny, J. F., Veenker, K., & Veenker, S. (1989). Your gifted child: How to recognize and develop the special talents in your child from birth to age seven. New York: Facts on File. Overview Your Gifted Child covers all the major issues that arise for gifted children and their parents, from birth to age seven. The authors have combined their years of experience studying gifted children, raising their own, and conducting workshops for families. In Your Gifted Child, they share their knowledge on how to recognize the early signs of giftedness, stimulate curiosity and creativity, choose the right books and science projects, foster sound social and moral development, evaluate preschool and primary school programs, develop language skills, and much more. Encouraging a gifted child is not the same as pumping a "superbaby" full of facts. Rather, it is a way of bringing an extraordinary inborn potential to its full flowering without pressure or intrusiveness. Parents of gifted children and professionals who work with them will find Your Gifted Child the indispensable volume on the subject. Childrens Book on Gifted and Talented Tolan, S. (n.d.). A Time to Fly Free. Gale Cengage (January 1, 1983). Overview Fifth grader Josh Taylor is passionate about learning, specifically science, and has a transcendent love of nature, all of which is lost on his classmates and the school officials. One day he simply walks out, determined never to return to school. While walking home, Josh comes upon the house where Rafferty lives and runs his hospital for sick and injured birds. Until now, it had never occurred to Josh than anyone else might share his fascination for birds. Some of Rafferty's birds are healed, some are not. It's the failures that haunt Josh and lead him on the lone, courageous adventure that teaches him a lot about birds, about freedom, and even more about himself. (This book is a fine examination of the power a mentor can have on a child). For more books visit the following website: http://schools.indep.k12.mo.us/gen/indep/IMPACT_Books_about_Gifted_Kids_p2898.html

References

The Arc of Indiana (n.d.). Helpful Resources & Links The Arc of Indiana. Retrieved November 6, 2013, from http://www.arcind.org/supports-services/helpful-resourceslinks/ Hardman, M. L., Drew, C. J., & Egan, M. W. (2013). Human exceptionality: School, community, family (11th ed.). Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Indiana Department of Education (n.d.). TITLE511 Indiana State Board of Education. Retrieved November 6, 2013, from http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/highability/ndianaadministrative-code-high-ability-students-rule-511.pdf Indiana Resource Center for Families with Special Needs (2012). Welcome to IN*SOURCE. Retrieved November 6, 2013, from http://www.insource.org/AgencyLinks-IN.html National Society for the Gifted & Talented (2013). NSGT - Giftedness Defined. Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://www.nsgt.org/giftedness-defined/ Office of Code Revision Indiana Legislative Services Agency (2005). Indiana Code 20-36-1. Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/2010/title20/ar36/ch1.html Richter, M. (n.d.). Characteristics of Gifted Children. Retrieved November 6, 2013, from http://www.nhsd.net/webpages/mrichter/index.cfm?subpage=314273 Women's and Children's Health Network (2013, October 3). Parenting and Child Health - Health Topics - Gifted and talented children. Retrieved November 11, 2013, from http://www.cyh.com/healthtopics/healthtopicdetails.aspx?p=114&id=2253&np=122#1