IDENTIFICATION OF GIFTED STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IN A RESPONSE-TO-INTERVENTION ERA

The identification of children who are twice-exceptional-those who are gifted and have concomitant learning disabilities (LDs)-has historically posed a number of challenges for school psychologists and other school personnel. With the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act and the shift to the use of a Response-to-Intervention (RtI) model to identify students with LDs, the task of identifying those who are twice exceptional is even more daunting. This article proposes an integrated model for the identification of gifted children with LDs that blends standardized assessment methods with practices consistent with RtI. This balanced approach brings together the best of both worlds to more accurately identify twice-exceptional students and better meet their educational needs. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.