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Why is an Aptitude-Achievement Discrepancy Not Synonymous with Disability?

“We can only be kept in the cages we refuse to see.”
– Stefan Molyneux

Why Can’t We Use the Word Gifted?

I often ponder this question and wonder why “gifted” causes teachers, parents and students (some, not all) to bristle at this word.  In his address to the Iowa Association for the Gifted (2005) Michael C. Thompson said, “Somehow, in our egalitarian society, the fact of gifted intelligence puts us in a state of ethical dissonance.  What we know about gifted children appears to clash with what we know about social equality and universal human value.  But the...

TED Talk: What is Dyslexia

Dyslexia affects up to 1 in 5 people, but the experience of dyslexia isn't always...

Gifted and Learning Disabled?

For many, the notion of an individual being both gifted and learning disabled is a paradox that is not easily comprehended.  These children and adults do exist however, and the identification and teaching of such individuals is a great and immediate challenge to those of us who are evaluators and educators.  While the field of gifted/LD is one of potential controversy, research has shown us that these two conditions can, and do, exist simultaneously.  Children...

Why Should an Evaluation of a Gifted Child Require Unique Knowledge?

Assessing gifted children is not like assessing any other type of child. I am often asked whether or not it matters if a psychologist or specialist who routinely evaluates children necessarily needs to have a working understanding of the complexities of gifted children, and each time I say, “Yes!” Unlike other populations of children, the test performances of gifted children on measures of cognitive abilities vary tremendously. Without getting too complicated, let me list some...

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a language-based reading disorder for which the primary characteristic is poor reading fluency (see Overcoming Dyslexia, by Dr. Sally Shaywitz, Yale Child Study Center). In younger children learning to read may be slow and difficult. Handwriting, spelling, and fluent recall of math facts may also be problematic. In preschool and kindergarten children, the difficulty may be seen with rhyming, articulating words, especially multi-syllable words, naming letters, and colors, and there is often a...