• ADHD and Children Who Are Gifted - Frequently, bright children have been referred to psychologists or pediatricians because they exhibited certain behaviors (e.g., restlessness, inattention, impulsivity, high activity level, day-dreaming) commonly associated with a diagnosis of ADHD. Formally, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R) (American Psychiatric Association) lists 14 characteristics that may be found in children diagnosed as having ADHD. At least 8 of these characteristics must be present, the onset must be before age 7, and they must be present for at least six months.

• American Association for Gifted Children (AAGC) - To foster a better understanding of the needs and capabilities of gifted children, to encourage research in the field of education and nurturing of gifted children, and to accomplish and encourage other initiatives relating to the development of gifted children.

• Common Myths & Truths About Gifted Students

• Dual Exceptionalities - Gifted students with disabling conditions remain a major group of underserved and understimulated youth (Cline, 1999). The focus on accommodations for their disabilities may preclude the recognition and development of their cognitive abilities. It is not unexpected, then, to find a significant discrepancy between the measured academic potential of these students and their actual performance in the classroom (Whitmore & Maker, 1985). In order for these children to reach their potential, it is imperative that their intellectual strengths be recognized and nurtured, at the same time as their disability is accommodated appropriately.

• Gifted But Learning Disabled: A Puzzling Paradox - How can a child learn and not learn at the same time? Why do some students apply little or no effort to school tasks while they commit considerable time and effort to demanding, creative activities outside of school? These behaviors are typical of some students who are simultaneously gifted and learning disabled. For many people, however, the terms learning disabilities and giftedness are at opposite ends of a learning continuum. In some states, because of funding regulations, a student may be identified and assisted with either learning disabilities or giftedness, but not both.

• Hoagies' Gifted Education Page - the all-things-gifted resource that you've been searching for.  Hoagies' Gifted Education Page offers resources and links for Parents, for Educators, Counselors, Administrators and other Professionals, and for Kids & Teens.  Pick your entrance, but investigate them all!

• Hollingworth Center for Highly Gifted Children - A National Volunteer Resource and Support Network for Highly Gifted Children, their Families, Schools and Communities

• How do elementary school programs that rely heavily on a pull-out model compare with inclusion-type programs? What are the pros and cons of ability grouping in an inclusion-type program? When attempts are made to evaluate the effect of a particular school environment, such as the resource room, or ability grouping, or a particular instructional method such as Creative Problem Solving, the range and diversity of results is impressive. It is clear that resource rooms work well sometimes, and not at all well at others.

• How is it possible to meet the needs of gifted students in the regular education (inclusion) classroom? - The term "inclusion" may refer to schools, classrooms, or even curricula. It is both a philosophical approach and an instructional method. When used to refer to classrooms, it typically means all students are learning in the same classroom setting—that is, heterogeneous grouping. Many people use the term to imply that all students will learn best in the same general education classroom and teachers will be able to make learning equally meaningful for all students. Research does not support these assumptions.

• Identifying the Gifted Child - Gifted students are not necessarily those who bring home the best report cards, but may well be the students at the back of the classroom whose abilities go unnoticed. Find out more about the task of identifying gifted students and the development of special programs to address their needs.

• Is it possible for a gifted child to have a disability, or a child with a disability to be gifted? - Children who are gifted and have disabilities share many of the traits and challenges of both groups—gifted and disabled. Their intellectual capacity may be equal to that of an adult. Other strengths include short- and long-term memory, intellectual curiosity, ability to conceptualize abstractly and see cause-effect relationships. Like most gifted learners, they have a love of justice, truth, and equity; heightened intensity and sensitivity; and they are perfectionistic, especially about subjects of interest. However, there are differences. A student may be using giftedness to compensate for a disability.

• I think my child is gifted. My child's teacher says he might have an attention deficit disorder. Is this possible? Where can I get information on children who are gifted and might have an attention deficit disorder? During the past five years, an increasing number of gifted children have been identified or diagnosed as having attention deficit disorder, with or without hyperactivity. This dramatic increase is somewhat disturbing, and has been explained in many different ways including greater awareness on the part of educational professionals and improved diagnostic techniques. However, ADD in gifted students is difficult to assess because so many of the behavioral characteristics are similar to those associated with giftedness or creativity. A child who is gifted may have ADD. Without a thorough professional evaluation, including a physical examination by a physician, it is hard to tell.

• Internet Resources for Gifted Education

• Internet Gifted Resources for Teachers/Parents

• Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted, Inc. (SENG) - SENG seeks to inform gifted individuals, their families, and the professionals who work with them about the unique social and emotional needs of gifted persons. We support programs that foster in gifted individuals the mental health and social competence necessary for them to be free to choose ways to develop and express their abilities and talents fully.

• Teaching Strategies for Twice-Exceptional Students - For many years, parents and teachers have been perplexed about youngsters who have dramatic learning strengths in some areas and equally dramatic learning weaknesses in others. These students appear to defy accurate labeling: Are they gifted or learning disabled? Finally, the debate has stopped, and educators are now recognizing these students as “twice-exceptional.” Rather than trying to use evidence from their weak learning areas to prove they are not “truly gifted,” savvy teachers are now learning how to allow these students to experience the same opportunities available for gifted students when they are learning in their strength areas. When students are learning in their areas of weakness, teachers are learning to provide the same compensation strategies used by other students with learning disabilities. This article offers specific instruction to empower teachers to effectively teach twice- exceptional students. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader )

•  National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) - non-profit organization of parents, teachers, educators, other professionals and community leaders who unite to address the unique needs of children and youth with demonstrated gifts and talents as well as those children who may be able to develop their talent potential with appropriate educational experiences.

• The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented

• Visual-spatial learners (from the Gifted Development Center) - We serve parents, schools, and advocacy groups for gifted children with information about identification,
  assessment, counseling, learning styles, programs, presentations, and resources for gifted children and adults.

• What diagnostic instruments might be used to identify a learning disability when a child is also gifted? - This file includes information about the use of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) to identify learning disabilities in gifted students. Services for children with learning disabilities are covered under P.L. 94-142 and IDEA. However, those Acts do not address giftedness, and there is no federal legislation that addresses the rights and responsibilities of children who are both gifted and disabled.

Contact the Families Together Center near you for more information