Smart Kids with Learning Difficulties: Overcoming Obstacles and Realizing Potential » (New Edition)

Smart Kids With Learning Difficulties: Overcoming Obstacles and Realizing Potential is an engaging must-read for any parent, educator, or counselor of smart kids who face learning difficulties. The authors, who have more than 20 years experience working with and advocating for gifted and learning-disabled children, provide useful, practical advice for helping smart kids with learning challenges succeed in school.

The purpose of Smart Kids With Learning Difficulties is to guide parents and educators toward identifying and planning for smart kids with learning challenges so that they will reach their true potential. This book deals with research and experience the authors have gained from working directly with students who are smart, but struggle in school. The authors present learning and teaching methods that have been applied successfully to both the gifted and talented and the learning-disabled populations. These methods can, and should, be used with all bright kids with learning difficulties, whether or not they have official labels.

Topics covered in the book include identifying and recognizing gifted/learning-disabled students, what the law says about this population, planning and developing accommodations that empower these students, what works and doesn't work in the classroom, tools and checklists to build supportive learning environments, and the roles and responsibilities of parents, students, and school personnel.

VOYA

This excellent guide provides an invaluable resource for parents and educators of youth who are identified as both gifted/talented and learning disabled. Also known as "twice-exceptional," these students defy the conventional perception of what constitutes gifted individuals. Those who work with these young adults know that the educational obstacles that they face can be daunting. The challenge lies in helping them to realize their full potential while recognizing and accommodating their different learning styles. The four authors, all acknowledged as pioneers in the field, address how to identify these students, what they need from authority figures, and what should be expected from a good academic program. The text is easy to read, with chapters divided into manageable topics and subtopics. This layout is helpful to the reader searching for specific issues particular to their needs. Updated legal aspects and responsibilities are included as well as instructional and social strategies for success. Charts detailing what works and does not work in the classroom are particularly helpful. In addition, there are self-analysis questions appropriate for those of middle and high school age to reflect on their goals and progress. For those who work with or parent twice-exceptional children, this book will be an important reference to which they will refer time and again.