GATE Student with a Learning Disability?

Does it seem as thought she is not doing things because she is a perfectionist and doesn't want to be wrong? Perhaps she needs to learn not to be so hard on herself. Maybe you could have her go work things out with a counselor. It may help her learn some study habits and to learn how to let go of the need to be perfect all the time.

Also, while it could be that she is struggling with ADD, do you think that maybe she is just highly imaginative or creative and gets stuck in her train of thought? My dad is a genius engineer type and he is frequently in his own world because he is thinking too hard.

Just be open minded about the cause I guess and try exploring different methods to help her.
Best wishes, S.

ABSOLUTELY~!! Try these websites: SENG (supporting emotional needs of Gifted children), California Association for Gifted Childrens, and, National Association for Gifted Children. Very, very common. Good luck!

Yes, you can have a GATE child w/ a learning disability. What does she say when you ask her why she isn't getting her assignments done? Talk to her teachers. You may want to ask for a Student Success Team meeting (SST). This is a formal problem-solving meeting involving many different professionals at school but talk to her teachers first and see what they suggest. Good luck!

Oh my! This IS ME in the sixth grade. (No, really, I am stunned at the similarities).

My sixth grade year was the year my Mom pushed for me to be tested for learning disabilities. She was right! I have dysgraphia, and difficulty transferring written information from one page to another. The difficulty I had writing, plus being a bit of a perfectionist contributed to my late and absent assignments. I was never proud of my assignments; they were never to the level of what I was comprehending in my brain.

My Mom pushed to have me evaluated over the objection of many of the teachers and administrators ("But C. is so smart, I am sure of she just _applied_ herself more she could do better") and I was given extra help in school (an extra study hall with staff who were used to kids with learning disabilities), but what really made the difference was my Mom. She helped me with my homework until I went to college. She typed for me as I spoke out loud what I wanted to write until I could do it myself. I had to learn punctuation all over again. I used music/singing as a tool to help me understand where the punctuation marks and capitals went. I stopped worrying about wasted paper and began to solve math problems, one page for each problem. so I had enough room to figure in the margins. Because my learning disabilities were documented, I was able to take tests un-timed- the extra time boosted my grades considerably. By my Junior year of high school I had caught up to my peers in the gifted program. I received the English award in my Senior year and took the SAT's un-timed, and did well!

Get your child evaluated for a learning disability (mine is in writing), get her some counseling (I went through a deep depression and was suicidal for my year abroad in the 8th grade). I disagree with with the suggestion of some of the other posters that your child may have ADD. ADD is a specific disorder that definitely has an impact on academic success but it is a whole different "animal" from dyslexia (a reading problem) and dysgraphia (a writing problem). You may also like to read-up about learning styles. I discovered I am a strong auditory learner; I can make connections better and faster if I concentrate on thinking- not on writing during lectures. Diligent note taking actually hinders my comprehension. I now take fewer notes and remember better what was said- because I am not distracted by trying to write (my more challenging skill). Your child is going to discover her strengths too and learn to use them to her academic advantage.

I am very proud of my academic writing as an adult. Without fail, I get glowing recommendations on my technical writing skills, so there is hope if you can get your child the right help. There is nothing wrong that cannot be overcome with hard work, patience and loving understanding from a caring mother. I do not write with the ease that others do, and I will never write for pleasure, but I am proud of my writing skills. My handwriting is still terrible, but it is legible. I have a special spelling book that I carried for my written work in college exams. It is like a dictionary but no definitions, just the spelling of the words. It was a Godsend. It is on my desk right now- I still use it- even here in the days of instant spell check.

Write me privately if you want more details about exactly how I overcame my learning disabilities and finally found my self esteem and academic success.

Warmly,

C.

Your daughter sounds just like mine and I recently found out that she is Dyslexic. This is not just looking at letters backwards, etc... I have learned that it is a whole different way they look at things in life. I have found that with Dyslexia that they need to visually picture things ( ie: if you see the word CAT your mind pictures a cat ). Also, school books on tape, or record them onto a tape yourself helps immensely. Have your daughter read along with listening to it.

You can ask your doctor or check out the dyslexia center's website (www.dyslexiacenter.com ) They are located in Las Vegas, recently moved from No. California and I believe they have tutors all over. They are a wealth of information and are world known. Has worked miracles for my daughter, it may help you! Good luck ~ D.

As a special education teacher, know that it is entirely possible for an extremely bright child to have a learning disability - often, the two go hand and hand. Even children with severe disabilities and special needs have extreme brightness in one or more academic subjects. Don't let this scare you though: has your daughter always been this unfocused, and had this much trouble staying on task? If not, bright children often become bored and completely lose any motivation to do schoolwork, stay on task in class, or attend to academics in any way.
If she has always seemed this way when it comes to school, I would strongly suggest that you have her evaluated by your school district. Talk to a teacher that you feel knows your child well, and see what she thinks about your daughters performance and habits in school. By law, your school district has to provide assesment of children for learning disabilities, free of charge: you might want to speak to the child psychologist/school nurse/principal to put you in touch with the school district to arrange for an assessment.
I was a gifted child, skipped a grade in elementary school, and was always in the same gate, honors, and ap classes throughout my school career, always travelling through these classes with the same group of "bright" children. Now, as a special education teacher, I suspect that more than a few of them may have suffered from sensory integration disorder, aspergers syndrome, and even mild autism.
Speak with that teacher about your concerns, or go right to the principal. Try to get her assessed as soon as possible.

Hi R.!
I am not a Mom, but I am an educator by profession. I also work with the movement arts and am very interested in how the brain works. When I read what you right, it doesn't sound too uncommon, based on my experience, especially with other emotiona stresses right now, chiefly among them, the pre adolescent on set....
My suggestions are to also look at what sort of physical activity she has, her large and small motor skill coordination, and other mental/physical integration activities she has. Google brain gym for kids, qi gong, or yoga. Learnign to breathe and relax while using a tool or skill is very benefical. She will press less hard on the pencil. also brain hemispehere integration can help with bringing forth information in the brain to spoken or written word. These things can help support her academics.
Of course diet is often an enormous factor in ability to focus...
Yoga also develops ability to concentrate and focus and bring about greater awareness of one's body and environment.
Often students even gets bounced bewteen special ed(learning disabilities), and Gate, because there is often misunderstanding about SPECIAL needs of ALL students. Some of the most brilliant achievers in the world were considered disabled in their learning. These are the same gifts as those her get the label the other way, the baby genius. Autism shows us extreme high levels of intelligence that is out of this world.
It seems you have a good attitude about wanting to support her with a way that serves her learning style and personal needs. Continue to stay hopeful that she will have what she needs to grow beautifully. Its important for her not to feel bad about the situation. Compassion, even if you are at wit's end.
I am oin the McCloud area and I homeschool two children and work with people of all ages one on one. If you are interested in talking some more, contact me.
Blessings!
J. devi

Dear R.,
Yes it's possible for child to be gifted in may areas and challenged in others. My oldest son is extremely gifted, but very challenged with organization and focus. We had him tutored for two years with a great tutor who focused on how to solve a problem and how to approach a written assignments. Kids that can jump from question to answer never learn how to go through a step by step solution process. They are so bright they don't learn how to learn, as other kids do, they just know they answers. That can work for them up through fifth or sixth grade but then more complex problems are given and they get frustrated and confused. They can also have real self esteem issues because of the great difference in what they could always do so easily and what they are challenged with now so we also had our son see a therapist/counselor for awhile to help support him through this tough time. He is now in seventh grade and doing very well. He still needs support from us as most kids do, but the counseling and tutoring made a HUGE difference.
Hope this helps.
All my best to you,
S. L.

I totally feel for you. Your note reminded me of my son who is now in 10th grade. Both my kids are GATE kids and only 14 months apart, but what a difference. My daughter stood here and listened to me read out loud your concern and we both said "This reminds me of Jeff" (my son). I too struggled with him because he was obviously smart enough, but hated to write. The math teacher would ask them to show their work and if they didn't they'd get marked down in grades. Jeff felt that wasnt' fair so long as he got it right why does he have to show how he got the answer. He does things in his head much better than on paper. (I'm the reverse of that but love math too). So I just kept reminding him that he's ruining his grade when he doesn't show his work. That I know he knows how to do it but he should prove it to his teacher by doing what he asks. Show the work. He fought it all the way, but ended up with a decent grade. I figured that so long as he could show me that he really does know the material I wasn't going to be upset if he decided not to be anal about showing his work. The next year he found a teacher who told him that so long as he gets the answers right he doesn't have to show his work. This worked well for him.
So hang on, it's going to get better, not all teachers are the same. Some will be able to better tell what she's going through than others. I say, so long as she can tell you she knows the work and understands it, then you can relax. Be glad she's smart. She may just be bored. Jeff was.
Let her have some freedom and give yourself a break from worrying. She's just a kid still, so let her enjoy life a little, you are doing your best, you can't MAKE her do the homework, but you CAN give her little prizes when she does. If the negative scolding doesn't work, try a positive approach and let her know that you know she's trying and when you see the slightest improvement make a really big deal about it. Celebrate! Give hugs and tell her how proud you are of her. She could be looking for attention too. Tired of being good all the time. Kids are like that.
I wish I had this site when I was going through things like this. I hope it helps to know you arent' alone. :)

PS. Jeff took Digital Electronics, Biology, Algebra 2, and honors english 9, in 9th grade. All advanced classes. He didn't get straight A's, but about half A's and half B's. The Digital Electronics class earned him college credits!
This year he's taking Principles of Engineering, Chemistry, Geo/Trig (Geometry& Trig), AP Honors History, and Honors English 10. The POE (Principles of Engineering) also earned him college credits. So why did I worry back in middle school when he was not doing his homework? ;)
Wish you the best!

I can tell you I was that kid. Not exactly the same issues, but basically. I was a GATE student in honors classes and yet teachers constantly told me I was not living up to expectations. I would lose focus and often not complete work that would have been seemingly easy. I was 22 before anyone even thought of assessing me for ADD. It can often be much more masked in girls. I am not sure if that is what is going on with your daughter but sometimes getting an assessment or knowing where to start can help. There are many choices other than medication, and lots of medications that don't make your kids nutty like you hear. If someone had sat down with me at her age and helped me to understand my brain a little better, life would have been much easier, but I turned out fine anyway. Maybe that's why I am a teacher now... Good luck.

Hi R.,

It sounds like your daughter has been through a lot of changes lately which can be unsettling. I am no expert and really don't like labeling people as this or that, but it's possible she has some characteristics of ADD (or ADHD as they now officially call it) or another learning challenge. To answer your question - it is VERY common for highly intelligent individuals (GATE or Seminar) to also have neurological challenges such as ADD, BiPolar, etc. I have learned through experience the ADD/high IQ brains thrive on routine and know what they can count on. My son would have a 2-week transition any time there was a break in routine - Christmas vacation would go great, and then the first 2 weeks back to school would be a roller coaster, emotionally and behaviorally. Talk about meltdowns!

I have two GATE kids, and my husband has pretty strong ADD, and although they're all very bright, they're very different. My son (8th grade) is very smart, slight ADD, and has done well in school for quite some time. But 4th/5th grade were serious prep years to help him understand the importance of being organized, and also accepting responsibility for the quality of his work. It took a lot of time working with him, mostly encouraging him with positive feedback that he is smart, he can do the work. When he does something well, we ask him how he feels about it (usually his response is "good!"), and teach him that he can have that feeling any time he wants by simply choosing to focus. He also did the "hard writing" thing you describe, and being a lefty, he would come home with pencil lead smeared all over the side of his hand! I finally just laid off trying to get him to change that, and eventually he seemed to find his way.

Sugar and/or caffeine can also be huge problems for smarties. My husband is an absolute nut job if he does not eat regularly, or eats a bunch of sweets and then crashes. It is just awful to deal with him. Almost like hypoglycemia or something. My son is the same - sugar absolutely sends him into orbit and he doesn't come down for hours. So you might watch how that works for your daughter and be sure her nutrition is balanced.

A lot of positive encouragement can go a long way, but it can also be exhausting to be constantly "hands on" with a challenging child. You have your hands full with 4 kids so I can only imagine you're also feeling spread a bit thin.

I would encourage you to seek professional evaluation for your daughter before it gets too far out of hand. Middle school and high school will be much more difficult if she and you are still struggling with organization and management skills going into it. She may just need a different learning tactic, some counseling, or medication, or some combination. My husband resisted medication for a long time and life was very difficult for our whole family. He finally found one that works well, and I can't tell you how thankful we all are.

Well, I hope this is helpful. I totally understand your struggle and can empathize fully with what you're up against. Being the calm, supportive voice in the family is usually my role and it helps a lot when the high-strung people are in chaos. Of course, then I have to go lay down and recharge myself!

good luck!

I have no grand wisdom for you, but I can offer a teacher's perspective. It's very common for GATE students to underperform in exactly the ways you have described. I don't know if anyone knows exactly why, but I definitely have some ideas.

1. Many GATE students are bored at school. They don't feel challenged or that the learning experiences offered to them are meaningful. They often refuse to do work that they don't see a real reason to do.

2. Many students feel disempowered at school. Many math classes are taught with an emphasis on the 'right' answer being the only thing that matters. Thus, students are afraid to commit to any idea unless they are sure that it's right. They constantly need reinforcement because they think it's a bad thing to be wrong.

I think that your daughter needs to be challenged in meaningful ways and that she needs to be encouraged to think and assured that her thoughts are valid, even if they don't lead directly to the one right answer. Does that make sense?

I hope this helps: both of my children are extremely bright and my oldest (now 15) has been in honors/gate classes since she was in 4th grade and totally thrived. My son, on the other hand is probably more intelligent, but has ADHD, and wasn't able to read well until he was in 3rd grade. He has struggled at school with his inability to stay focused, lack of organization skills, and pretty much lazy attitude. Even though we knew he COULD do the work, we did NOT put him in the gate classes because we knew it would be a struggle. I think it's okay to say "let's do what we can" instead of making things unnecessarily difficult. We struggled all the way through elementary school, but now he's in 7th grade, loving the Jr High atmosphere and getting straight A's. Because he is capable, some of his teachers are giving him the gate/honors coursework to keep him challenged. Has she ever been tested for ADD or ADHD, etc. I have a friend who's son has not been able to get his classwork done in the time alotted and thus it became homework on top of the homework he already had and they could never get thru it. She finally had her kid tested (6th grader) and they've put him on a low dose of meds for ADHD (same as my son) and within days she and the teacher both saw an improvement in his ability to stay focused and get his work done. Perhaps the classes are just too much for her at this time (keeping in mind her hormones are probably all over the place), see if you can switch her to regular classes for the remainder of the year to help her regain control. Once control is lost, it just tends to spiral and get worse. I strongly believe it will get better as she finds her way and matures. I seriously doubted there was any light at the end of the tunnel for years, but I'm finally seeing it! Good luck and God bless.

It is possible for her to have a disability, although it sounds more like she is simply struggling emotionally. It never hurts to request an assessment from the school though. Even if she doesn't qualify, they may be able to offer her some other type of assistance, or recommend ways to help her.

My son was extremely gifted, but had 3 learning disabilities. One of them was an automatic writing disorder. That meant that he would forget how to write the letters, I remember when he was in 4th grade and he asked me "mom, how do you write a j?" I was shocked. Have you had any assessments done on your daughter? The schools have both the money and the resources to do assessments and put together a plan for your daughter. I would strongly recommend that you take advantage of it. It is very difficult to be so bright and not able to keep up, and yes even GATE kids can have learning disablities. By the way, I was the one who first mentioned learning disabilities with my son. He was so gifted verbally that the teachers didn't recognize he had problems. He had a short term memory disorder and something to do with sequencing that made math almost impossible for him to learn. He could read anything and understand even difficult technical things, it's so interesting how we're all wired so differently. Hope this helps, blessings to you and your family.

Hi R.,

I just wanted to write to give you some encouragement. Couple of experiences... I used to be very good friends with someone who's elementary school teacher told his mother he would at most amount to flipping burgers because he had a learning disability. He went on to a BS at UCLA and started a PhD program at UCSD. My husband had always been a lack luster C average student so when he came home from his first year in college and told his mother he has decided on an engineering major and will be getting straight A's, she laughed. He got his straight As, went on to a full scholarship at an Ivy League and PhD from CalTech. Both my husband and my friend are in their mid thirties. My point is that back than, they didn't have the same way of determining learning disabilities and certainly no medication to control them. The professionals do their best to categorize the kids and give them help but they learn new things all the time. I believe the most important thing is to be there for them as their parents. Of course use the professionals as much as possible but let your instincts guide you. Every child learns in their own way. Be patient and be there for your daughter as you have been. I think it helped my husband that his father was a scholar and shared (not pushed) his love of study. My husband finally had a learning disability test done when he was getting his Masters at Dartmouth. It turns out that he has short term memory loss but he was so smart that they never caught onto this in his earlier years. Unless he commits his knowledge into long term memory, it is forgotten. Being left handed didn't help because he covered up what he wrote with his hand. Plus he tells me the reason he didn't do well until college is because he was plain bored. Everything was too easy. Once he discovered a challenging subject like Physics, he really excelled. Now he is known world wide in his field because instead of memorizing things, he understands everything from the basic level and can come up with new ideas and scientific fields. It's funny that his "learning disability" is what makes him special now. :)

Hang in there,
A.

Your question really struck a chord with me. I have a 7th grade daughter who has also been in GATE, and now in jr. high, has 3 honors classes. However, homework has always taken her FOREVER to complete. Seriously, taking 5-6 hrs a night is not normal, and she has no real life because of it. I finally told her to ask her Guidance teacher how it takes other kids so much less time for their work, and from there, he's been talking to her, having her write down the time it takes for each subject at night so he could get a better feel for it. Then, he helped set up a parent/teacher conference, including the counselor, so we could figure out how to help her.

Her language arts and science teachers were stunned at how long she takes each night, they had no idea. We (without my daughter, by the way, she wasn't in this) talked about the possibilities of what might be causing this, including some type of disability. I told them her achilles heel is having to extract answers from something she has read. Unfortunately, having to answer questions from reading happens in more than just one class, and it will continue that way throughout school, so it isn't something we can just ride out for one year and be done with it. We talked about if there is a reading comprehension problem, and if so, what could be done, but ultimately we just didn't really know. I shared with them how she often laments while doing work like this, that she wishes it was math instead because it's easier. It's just straightforward, no looking around for anything, it's just the problem and that's it. I know that doesn't help you, because this is just such a unique problem. Her Guidance teacher said that it has been years since he's seen a child like my daughter; one that is smart, yet really slow to get things done. It is an odd combination, and I've had such a hard time trying to figure out what to do for her too.

Ultimately, we decided that because in our case anyway, we'd keep her in the honors classes because they really weren't all that different from the standard ones, at least not different enough to make the change. She will have to face her nemesis of finding answers in that which she reads no matter what type of class she is in anyway, so there really isn't an "out". I wish there was, I would sure appreciate an easy way to solve this. We ended up deciding to have her stay for Homework Center after school, 3 days a week, to see if at least having that time to get some of her work done would help. Being in Homework Club in 6th grade had helped, so figured we may as well try it here too. So far (she just started), it hasn't helped that much, but I'll take what I can get. I, too, am at my wit's end with this. She is sleep-deprived from staying up insanely late to get all her work done, and yet if I cut her off from doing her work at a certain time, she'd end up doing terribly because she would be missing so much of her work to turn in.

I know I don't have any great advice or answers, but I guess I just wanted you to know you are not alone in this type of situation. It is hard to know what to do, and I completely empathize with you. I hope that you get some great answers from others though, I'd sure like to see some too!

yes. I,m a special ed. teacher and it's not uncommon at all.
sounds like ADD
Whether you end up doing meds or not, being diagnosed or not, learning how to help kids/students who have trouble focusing, to cope and manage their work/life, these skills would be helpful to you.
CHADD is a helpful group.
knowledge will help you all. focusing problems are tough.
Best to you,
J.
Also, HIGH quality fish oil, and 5htp has been helping me with my ADD/peri-menopause. And fish oil has lots of other benefits.
Dr. Amen has a book, healing ADD. I have it but haven't read it.
there is so much pressure on the kids these days. Pressure on everyone. The years go by fast, good luck finding a balance that is right for you and your family.

I would treat her with homeopathy...it really works, I recomend Houston Homeopathy Center, they do it over the phone and help your child get rid of toxicity, which fogs the brain!!! AUTISTIC children recover from their interventions...imagine what it can do for your daugter...
The first thing parents notice with this doctors is the calmness and focuss this children get!!! Love, G.. :0)

P.S. ADD and ADHD are also in the spectrum. 75% of children in GAP program are in the spectrum!!!!

Hi, R.. Have you heard of Brain Gym? Check out their website braingym.org. This technique uses simple moves to integrate the brain and body so they work together easily. It can specifically help with focus issues, and even works with integrating the limbic(emotional center of the brain) with the frontal lobes for rational thinking. Hope this s a useful tool. They have a great manual that show the moves.
M. bell (menlo park)

It is absolutely possible to be both gifted and have a learning disability or mental health disorder. One of the best books that I have ever read is "The misdiagnosis and dual-diagnosis of gifted children". This book was a godsend to me and my family as we have a gifted child who also exhibits ADHD symptoms. I had to fight for my child and his educational rights, so I have learned a lot in the last few years. My suggestion is to search in your area for a child psychologist who specializes in gifted children. They can help you tailor a plan for working on the specific issues (lack of focus, taking too long to do homework, food suggestions and supplements that help with attention etc). Fish oil is amazing for helping kids focus and there are supplements on the market such as "Attend", which helps with anxiety, concentration and focus... www.vaxa.com. Making sure that she has protein every 3-4 hours is essential for focus and concentration (eggs, cheese sticks, peanut butter, tofu). Often in order to help our gifted and often challenging children enjoy and feel successful is school we have to deal with the behaviors that are interfering with their ability to enjoy their intelligence. Working with a teacher or therapist who has experience with gifted and learning/mental health disabled children could do your family wonders!!!

Hope this helps,
M.

Dear R.,

Your story sounds very similar to my 5th grade son, even to the details of having just moved to a new city and new school. I've been to come GATE programs in Ventura County (where we used to live) and they say that it is not uncommon for some Gifted and Talented kids to excel in some areas and have learning disabilities as well. However, based on insights from my son, I think alot of it is emotional. And remember that there are plenty of hormones and brain development going on as well. The behavior sounds alot like your daughter is a perfectionist and may not be able to tolerate being wrong. I think this also happens when school starts to get more difficult, and the sheer smarts aren't enough to get them around the harder, larger volume of work and the time management and organization needed to excel in the higher grades. I'm struggling with this as well. I've tried to get a counselor to help, A psychologist might be able to help as well. There are some excellent books referenced on the CA GATE website that help explain some of the emotional and performance issues with GATE kids. The key is to support them and not let them lose self-confidence.
Hope this is of some comfort, and points you in a helpful direction. I understand what you are going through, and I haven't solved the problem myself. I'm just working on it.

my finacee's nephew is like this. he is smarter than most of the adults in the family, and he's only 11. i saw his test scores for the year end testing, and they were through the roof. however, when he was 9 he was diagnosed with A.D.D. which answered all his mother's questions about getting him to focus. he had many of the same issues.... highly intelligent, but no focus. it would take him hours, sometimes days to get through his homework, and he was failing in school... despite being put in the GATE program. once his doctor diagnosed him, they began behaivior modification therapy and he is a completly different child now. he's doing awsome in his classes, his test scores are the highest they have ever been, and he's getting his work done properly, and on time. i know that A.D.D is highly overdiagnosed in children, but sometimes they really do have it. maybe you can try getting her into some behaivior modification therapy sessions and see how that works out. it worked for us!

I went throught this with my son in 6th grade he is a honor role.Know one knows our children as much as we do.I would encouge my son daily to ask the teacher lots of question,raise his hand and don't worry about the kids around you.then I got together with his teachers and spoke with then to find out other ways of to work with him.Ask the teachers is there after school help?(free)speak to the teachers about maybe extra help.there is help out there just ask around.

Just to let you know, most of my students with ADD, ADHD, auditory processing, as well as all sorts of learning disabilities are identified as GATE students. Being identified as a GATE student means you look at things in other ways or other modes of solving a problem not just that you are the smartest person out there. Our brain works in multiple ways so if she is frustrated in some areas, she will master others. So in answer to your question, absolutely she can have a learning disability along with the GATE identification. I teach middle school also so 6th graders go through a lot emotionally and socially that overrides most other thoughts at that age. Chances are she is struggling with the adjustments of her move, her new surroundings, trying to fit in, and her hormonal changes. School might be harder or less interesting this year than it was in the past. If you feel she is being challenged and not just bored, the next step would be to schedule a Student Study Team type meeting with the administration, teachers and yourself. You can work together to come up with a plan, look at her assessments, see if she needs further modifications in the classroom or testing. There may be a need for a 504 plan. I would also look into ADD possibilities with your doctor. Most of my ADD kids are GATE kids too. ADD doesn't have the stigma it once had and if you get it identified, teachers can help her to receive the accommodations she deserves so that she succeeds which is everyone's goal! Good luck!

Hi R.,
It all sounds so overwhelming! I could see how all the changes may have made her feel unsettled, leading to insecurity and apprehension. I have a GATE daughter too, and I have noticed that this sort of intelligence goes with a slight compulsive tendency...
I don't really have any definitive wisdom around this, but just wanted to show support!
-Y.

Yes, it is completely possible - intelligence and learning differences are separate animals. She sounds like she could benefit from some remediation. Talk to the school about what assessments are available through the district or what outside resources they would recommend to you. Armed with results you can then ask for an IEP that will address her specific learning difficulties. GOod luck!

It could be possible she is feeling the strain of academic pressure being put upon her. Yes, her potential may be at that level, but if it is causing this much strife in her life, perhaps it might be best to take her out of the GATE program and put back into the regular class environment, for now. Perhaps at a future point, she will be more ready for the GATE program standards.

Also, as to all the changes that have gone on in her life as of recently, it might help her to sort out her feelings about them with a professional therapist.

In addition, I would get her assessed by an educational school psychologist to rule out potential learning disabilites/challenges that if are present and are dealt with may help her to have less difficulty with completing her schoolwork.

Good luck!
Sincerely,
S. M. Wolf, M.A., MFT

It is very common for gifted children to have a learning disability. Can you get her assessed? I think she might need some individual attention.

Dear R.,

Yeeeessss! It could be! Maybe she needs to be tested. If the school will not do it, then look in the yellow pages for someone you can pay to do it. They might do a better, quicker more thorough job anyway. Also, she is a very sensitive person - that is the way it is when one is highly intelligent - they know a lot of things, feel a lot of things deeply, and know when things are not right.

That Gate Program isn't the big deal that people seem to think that it is. Leave her in a regular classroom so that she will be with lots of different kinds of people. Sometimes the Gate kids have very smarty personalities, sometime not too. I always regretted having my son be in the Gate Program. I didn't think that it was the best learning environment anyway. Kids need to be somewhere that they feel comfortable and safe and cared for - . ESPECIALLY at school. Give her a break. Love the heck out of her, and stop griping at her because of her writing. Maybe you could get her a tape recorder to speak into to get her thought out in the open. Also, the computer can print when a person speaks. I don't know if every computer has a program for it, but you can buy one and install it.

Writing is a very personal thing and you are daming it up - you know like a DAM holds back the water? Who cares that she misspells some words - that is something that you can help her with - gently and respectfully of course. Yes, I am being mean. I used to be a teacher and I got so sick of parents being so hard on their kids.

One time I had a boy in my class that was obviously very intelligent, but was not doing hardly any work. I corrected each one of his papers very carefully, and made marks where the changes needed to be made - no, he did not have to recopy them. Just to let him know where the errors were -THEN I gave him a little bit better grade than the paper as a whole deserved. AND, I did not cut his overall grade down for the papers that he did NOT turn in. Consequently, he got better grades than he had ever gotten before - Um hum, yes, I did do that and I would do it again.

He and his parents were so proud of him that he was rewarded at home as well as at school. Then a couple of grading periods later, I didn't have to give him better grades, he earned them himself, and no one harrassed him to do his work more carefully. Yes. He became much more happy and enjoyed his classmates more too.

You know, don't you, that our peers are more important to us all than other people are - until, of course, we become mature, then we can adjust to the world other ways. Peers give us confidence , that is, of course, if they are friendly peers. That is one reason that I suggested forgetting about the Gate Program. We don't go through life with only Gate people surrounding us. We have to learn how to get along with all sorts of people, as we are learning growing and studying - which is something that we hopefully do all of our lives. Also, Gate people are very competetive and that is not a healthy environment. I still hate to compete - and I am 76 years old. That trait stayed with me for quite a while. I like to do my own thing, and so do a lot of students, but they are sometimes intimidated by more agressive
people and hate to show their talent fearing failure. Umhuh, that is right.

Back to doing well on spelling tests. Well, of course, she does better on the tests. She had been paying a lot of attention to those words and had them in the front of her mind at test time. When a person is writing he or she is concentrating on the general overall subject at hand. Give her a break. How would you like to be a child nowadays and face all of the crazy things that are happening in our world today?

Yes, this is all true. C. N.