Your son, the math whiz who also has an extensive vocabulary, seems unable to understand his reading assignments or complete his homework. At the advice of your child’s teacher, you agree to have him evaluated for a learning disability. When the results come in, you are more confused than ever. Your child performed at an advanced level in some areas, but extremely poorly in others. Is it possible that your child is both gifted and learning disabled? What does this mean and what can you do to make sure your child gets the help he needs?

As of now, the national percentage of students who are both gifted and learning disabled (GLD) remains unknown. Part of the problem is that experts have been unable to agree on a universal set of identifying criteria. Therefore, finding an educational approach for a student who learns some things effortlessly and struggles greatly in other areas can be very challenging, explains Courtney Crim, an assistant professor of early childhood education at the University of Texas at San Antonio. 

“There is still a lack of agreement and a variety of definitions that makes a discussion of students with GLD [gifted and learning disabilities] difficult,” said Crim. “With training and funding issues always on the agenda, finding appropriate programs for children who struggle in the ‘one size fits all’ model is a daily battle. Parents also struggle to find schools that will provide for their gifted children in a way that both challenges their potential and enriches their learning.”  

Despite these challenges, there is still much that parents can do to help their children receive a fulfilling education. Your first step should be to learn more about your child’s learning needs. Several useful sites include 2enewsletter.com, uniquelygifted.org, allkindsofminds.org, and hoagiesgifted.org. 

In addition, assess the learning recommendations in your child’s educational evaluation, says Wendy Eisner, a psychology professor at Nassau Community College and the coordinator of the “Achilles Project,” a program for GLD college students. “Think of it as a map for the way your child thinks,” suggests Eisner. “Show it to your child’s teachers and see if they can accommodate your child’s needs.” 

If you are not satisfied with your school’s approach and moving or providing home schooling are not viable options, there’s still hope. At the very least, parents can use instructional methods that have been found to be effective with GLD students. Listed below are several useful learning strategies recommended by a number of researchers and education experts.

• Ask your child’s teacher to accept alternative projects that play to your child’s strengths but still fulfill the learning objective. For example, if your child is unable to write a book report, have him dictate his thoughts, design a mural, or create a PowerPoint presentation.  
• Request extended deadlines for your child to complete assignments.  
• If your child has difficulties with organization, teach how to use brainstorming techniques to map her thoughts.  
• For short-term memory problems, use mnemonics to help your child jumpstart her memory.  
• Provide mentoring experiences with adults who are GLD.  
• Develop routines for daily activities — e.g., set specific times for meals, doing homework and preparing clothing and school materials for the next day.

Parents who have similar experiences are another great resource. Talk to as many people as possible,” advised Karen Port, a mother from Missouri whose two children are both GLD. “From speaking with a teacher and another parent, I found a child psychologist [who was more affordable] which was very helpful.” In addition to speaking with people in your community, join an online mailing list. Here are some suggested groups:

GT - an online community for gifted and talented individuals; includes an email discussion list for families with GLD children (gtworld.org/gtspecialist.html).

LD Online’s Discussion Boards - read messages posted by parents and educators about LD and ADHD issues (ldonline.org).

Yahoo!: Gifted but Learning Disabled – an email discussion list for families with GLD children (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gifted_but_learning_disabled/).

Most important, remember to be supportive of your child. Karen Miller from New Jersey remembers when her son, who was recently admitted to a Master’s program in creative writing, received the results of his educational evaluation. “Shortly after my son was tested in 11th grade he came to me and said, ‘Look at my scores; in this area I'm a genius, but over here I'm practically retarded,’” recalled Miller. “‘What does that make me?’ I told him it just made him human.” 

Association for the Education of Gifted Underachieving Students (AEGUS) www.AEGUS1.org

The bulleted list of learning strategies were referenced from this website: http://www.tki.org.nz/r/gifted/reading/theory/disabilities_e.php