Gifted Students with Information Processing and Retrieval Problems—The Students Who Really Don’t Know What

They Don’t Know.

Timothy L. King Ph.D.1078 Taylorsville Road

Washington Crossing, PA 18977215-493-7380

info@drkingtesting.com

I My Background with Gifted Students

1. Over three decades in my practice; over two decades in the schools.

a) School goal: (Are you eligible for special education?) Helpful for classification but not necessarily for intervention b)My practice goal: (Identifying how a child learns best)

II Presentation Objectives

1. Define processing disorders (not how quickly you look at things, but how the mind assimilates, encodes and retrieves information i.e., input and output sides)

2. What are the consequences for Gifted Students who have processing disorders.

3. Strategies to address processing disorders in Gifted Students.

III Introduction

1. Definition of a Processing Disorder: A significant discrepancy between the speed of a student’s reasoning application and the speed at which they attach meaning to the information they see and hear. The disorder impacts information assimilation, encoding and retrieval. (Brief visual display of language processing.) Neuropsychological Concept—We don’t learn anything new. True “learning” occurs by building connections with what we know.

2. Categorical versus dimensional disorders: You can’t be mildly pregnant but you can have a mild processing disorder.

III Introduction (cont’d)

3. How encoding and retrieval problems are evaluated and identifieda)Encoding tasks (current and 90 minutes later)b)Retrieval tasks (CTOPP, Jordan L-R)

4. Why most processing disorders with gifted students are identified later (i.e. 4th grade or later) than other Learning Differences

a)The Human Brain’s capacity to develop redundant systems and gifted students’ reasoning “scaffolding”. b)Early Elementary level curriculums tendency to reinforce new concepts multiple times.

III Introduction (cont’d)

c)Being “average” is not a problem for the education system.(Unfortunately, “average” skills in one or more areas can feel like retardation to Gifted Students). Interpretive guidelines need to be different for Gifted Students.

5. Why it is easy for psychologists to stay humble when we are talking about Gifted Students with processing disorders—different presentations(e.g., slow reading, slow writing); different compensations (e.g., background knowledge, reasoning strength, etc.)

6. Co-morbid possibilities we will not be discussing: ADHD, other learning disabilities (30 to 40% risk that a student’s processing problem is not a “Lone Ranger.”)

IV What is a Processing Disorder?

1. Case Example Kathy---IQ 141, 10th grade, C student, brilliant creative writer, performing poorly on tests and structured writing assignments.

2. Simultaneous information processing versus accessing/retrieving “archived data” critical for academic skills applications (WAIS IV Matrix Reasoning versus CTOPP Rapid Naming Tests). How holes in processing are created. Why one test is affected and the other is not.

IV What is a Processing Disorder? (cont’d)

3. Giftedness—Advanced and distinguished cognitive ability to make connections in what they see and hear, as well as develop advanced logic systems to synthesize and assimilate what they have seen and heard. Thus, gifted students have natural “tools” for masking processing problems.

4. Slow Processors—As soon as they hit the hallway, they start to forget. Gifted level reasoning competencies and their ability to “mask” the gaps—everything makes sense until you have to use it for homework or remember it for a test. One part of their brain says “Don’t study for the test; take the weekend off”. The other part (if it could speak) says “Don’t even think about it”.

5. Processing Disorders: The type of learning problems students grow into rather than grow out of.

V The Consequences of Slowed/Impaired Information

Processing.1. Reading comprehension is spectacular for books in a

series: poor for textbooks and assigned reading.2. “Forgetting” what to do for assignments. 3. a)students; “It all made sense when I heard it, but I didn’t

know what to do when I did my homework.” b)parents; “Did they really attend their classes today?”

4. Inability to evaluate one’s performance on a test---”I am sure I aced that test”---Next day, “How did I end up with a D?”. “I did poorly because my teacher put things on the test we never covered in class.”

V The Consequences of Slowed/Impaired Information Processing. (cont’d)

4. Refusal to study for tests or to put in necessary preparation time. “No, I don’t need to study or take notes. I am best if I just listen” (Unfortunately, Gifted students with processing problems really don’t know what they don’t know unless they talk about it or write about it.)

5. Slow Participation Speeda)By the time I thought of it, they moved on to the next subject area.b)Those who need most to participate in class discussions often speak the least.

V The Consequences of Slowed/Impaired Information

Processing. (cont’d)

6. Asking for Help: “I don’t ask for help: I don’t need it.” (The truth: “What would I ask the teacher when I got there?” or, “I’m not going to embarrass myself in front of my friends. I can’t think of what to say.”)

7. Emotional Consequencesa)The fear that a slow pace equals a slow mind.b)G.T. Students and self-critical tendencies.

VI In the Direction of Solutions: Proactive, Simultaneous, Retroactive

Interventions to Help Close the Gap—Getting more “Glue” in Place.

1. The Conceptual Model of Proactive/Simultaneous and Retroactive Interventions/Practical adult examples. Processing problems only block your future if you do nothing.

2. Specific Applicationsa)Reading– don’t read without preparation; use of books on CD’s for Gifted Students.b)Math– use of re-do’s.

VI In the Direction of Solutions: Proactive, Simultaneous, Retroactive

Interventions to Help Close the Gap—Getting more “Glue” in Place.(cont’d) c)Written Expression: Interventions for older

students.1)Use of Software, e.g. “Write Out

Loud” (donjohnson.com); Organizational Software: “Inspiration 9” (sunburst.com); “Draftbuilder” (donjohnson.com)

VI In the Direction of Solutions: Proactive, Simultaneous, Retroactive

Interventions to Help Close the Gap—Getting more “Glue” in Place.(cont’d)

d) Class Participation—”You don’t know what you don’t know until you write about it or talk about it”—Don’t let a class pass without speaking.

e)Retrieval delays that impact class participation---use of “key words”.

VI In the Direction of Solutions: Proactive, Simultaneous, Retroactive

Interventions to Help Close the Gap—Getting more “Glue” in Place.(cont’d)

f)Test preparation---the use of practice tests—good idea for all students. Critical intervention for gifted students with processing problems. Don’t trust what you know until a practice test proves it.

g)Test-taking—re-read the question and your responses.

VII The First Steps toward Intervention

1. Evaluate the need for action—maybe now is the time to monitor not intervene.

2. Watch for signs that some intervention is needed:a)Declining interest in readingb)Declining motivation to study/complete assigned workc)Variable test performance; declining grades

VII The First Steps toward Intervention (cont’d)

d)Progressively longer periods of time required to complete homework. (Maybe natural compensation has already begun—re-reading assignments; taking hours longer to complete homework than should be requires; inability to effectively initiate and complete long term assignments.

VII The Second Steps toward Intervention (cont’d)

3. Take action, but small steps.a) Begin with education and use “trials” of methods that are needed and appropriate for your son or daughter. (feel free to use me as an example) Try this one thing and see if it helps—math, reading, test-taking, etc.b)watch for teaching moments—Maybe it’s not you, it’s the “glue” that does get there fast enough. Try this---if you can’t tell me, maybe you didn’t know it; sometimes your eyes will see what you think you wrote, etc.

VII The Second Steps toward Intervention (cont’d)

c)If your child is ready to listen. 1)being gifted helps—if they are ready to

talk and learn about their learning weakness (because they know it doesn’t take away their giftedness; their prognosis is generally favorable).

2)conveying that gifted kids sometimes have to use tools just because they don’t learn everything as fast as they want, or they forget it too easily.

VII What if Nothing Works

1. Possible Conclusionsa)maybe your child is not ready for changeb)maybe the problem is more complex than you think.(i.e. co-morbid conditions are primary not secondary)

2. What if the “warning signs increase in intensity”?

VII What if Nothing Works (cont’d)

a)Seek assistance from you child’s teachers, the counselor, the Child Study Team, etc. You’re in a better then average District with better than average resources. I would encourage trying to make use of the resources your District has.

VII What if Nothing Works (cont’d)

b)If the above is not successful, schedule a consultation with a diagnostic expert to explore in greater depth whether testing or some other intervention is needed.

(Remember testing is not a “hunt” for a diagnosis. It should be an in-depth exploration of how your child learns the best.) So, parents ask, “What if you don’t find anything wrong?” I say, “that’s not t he point.”

VIII What if Nothing Works?(cont’d)

c) Keep in mind that Gifted Students can be eligible for accommodations. (Sometimes “re-do’s” require extra time; other interventions may necessitate teacher intervention, etc.)d)Keep in mind that even a formal educational intervention (e.g. IEP, 504 Plan) is not successful, teacher support may be.e)For older Gifted Students, being turned down at a high school level for accommodations does not mean ineligibility for accommodations at a collegiate level.

IX Conclusion

1. These are worth repeating:a)Processing Disorders occur on a spectrum; every manifestation can have some similarities but significant differences.b) Processing Disorders only limit the lives of people who have them, but can’t treat them.