Social-Emotional Learning & Gifted/Asynchronous Learners

GT SEL, Gender, and Sexuality

Common Issues Faced by Girls

Common Issues Faced by LGBTQ+ Youth

Common Issues Faced by Boys

2E SEL Needs

When educators don't have a complete picture of a student's needs, or if a school focuses only on one aspect of a child's exceptionality, 2E students are likely to struggle socially, emotionally, and academically.

• Frustration or low self-esteem
• Extreme sensitivity (supersensitivity)
• Learned helplessness
• Lack of motivation
• Poor executive functioning skills
• Perfectionism or unrealistic self-expectations
• Poor interpersonal skills
• Disruptive classroom behavior
• Struggles with attention, listening, and/or concentration.

Viewed as strengths

• Task commitment
• Good memory
• Varied (often eclectic) interests
• Advanced vocabulary
• Strong problem solving skills
• Above-average analytic abilities
• Exceptional creativity
• Extreme strength in a particular area (art, mechanical, logic, number sense, music, etc.)
• Out-of-the-box, divergent thinkers

2E Student Characteristics

(adapted from Reis, Neu, & McGuire, 1995 )

Requiring SEL Support

Often hampering GT identification

2E SEL Needs

Parent Resources

When it comes to 2E students, an individual approach is essential (Nicpon et al., 2011; Baum et al., 2014). These 5 critical factors are necessary for the growth and development of 2E students:

1. Psychologically safe peer groups, classrooms, and campuses. Provide time for emotional check-ins with students.
2. Teacher, student, and parent acceptance of asynchrony. This includes an expectation of differentiated strategies, a social-emotional curriculum for students (that includes supports for GT), and parent information sessions.
3. Students are given time to grow, with extra time embedded in the student's learning plan.
4. Positive school relationships are cultivated with the help of after school clubs based on common interests and connecting students with mentors.
5. Provide a strengths-based curriculum that helps students discover and grow talents. A challenging curriculum with differentiated learning products and outcomes is expected.

2E SEL Needs

2E children are rarely exposed to 2E role models or anecdotes of 2E success. In ELA, share 2E stories and poetry. In SS, when you mention a historical figure, look into whether they had a disability, and mention it out loud. For math and science, celebrate 2E innovators in their fields. Another way to expose them to 2E role models is through developing mentoring programs.

mentoring programs

MTSS for All

This model was developed to address the other side of the MTSS "pyramid" model, i.e. students who are not growing or are acting out because they are not being appropriately challenged.

GT SEL Myths & Facts

More Myths from SENGifted.org

Soundtrack

CLI

District/Campus Suggestions to Meet GT SEL Needs

Provide GT SEL PD

Schedule SEL

Embed SEL

• Foundational GT PD
• Teacher GT Updates
• Admin/Counselor Updates
• Push for 2E inclusion in SpEd trainings (MTSS) and EB/GT inclusion in Multilingual trainings
• Strengths-Based PD

Maximize time for differentiated SEL support by leveraging and improving your current structures. Ensure GT students have opportunities to work together.

• Campus embraces asynchrony, appropriate acceleration, and OE
• Periodic GT SEL check ins
• GT SEL/executive functioning skills embedded in rubrics
• GT IEPs include SE growth and executive functioning

appropriate acceleration

rubrics

+Info

General Classroom Suggestions to Meet GT SEL Needs

• Recognize students with GT potential and refer them for testing
• Focus on the excellence of their work and achievements
• Emphasize effort as the key to success instead of an empty, "Great job! You're so smart!"
• Correct them when they attribute their success to luck
• Provide opportunities to practice leadership, independence, and risk-taking

General Classroom Suggestions to Meet GT SEL Needs

• Provide creative outlets and opportunities to explore interests and passion

• Provide stories and examples of real people that dispel stereotypes and the mixed messages that society proclaims about gender roles, disability, cultures, intelligence, achievement, etc.
• Give students from underrepresented groups a chance to demonstrate abilities in STEM clubs or other opportunities
• Monitor, recognize, and protect students who are being teased or bullied

Intentional Closure

Write down one way you might be more inclusive with GT SEL in the work you do.

Thank you!

Click to open a reusable version of this presentation:

Blake Haygood, M.Ed.

CC0, Public Domain Please feel free to use or remix this presentation however you like. No attribution is necessary.

Austin ISD GT CoordinatorBlake.Haygood@austinisd.org

Sources:

Adelson, Jill L., and Hope E. Wilson. Letting Go of Perfect: Overcoming Perfectionism in Kids. 1st ed., Routledge, 2009. Assouline, Susan, et al. “The Paradox of Twice-Exceptionality, Packet of Information for Professionals - 2nd Edition (PIP-2).” Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, The University of Iowa College of Education, belinblank.education.uiowa.edu/research/docs/pip2.pdf. Accessed 18 June 2024. Barnes, Sharon M. “Seven Tips to Help the Creative, Sensitive or Gifted Sleep Peacefully.” Therapist for Sensitive and Gifted, Academy of Creative Living, 24 Apr. 2018, therapistforsensitiveandgifted.com/2018/04/24/tips-to-help-creative-sensitive-gifted-people-sleep/. Council for Exceptional Children. “Response to Intervention for Gifted Children.” National Association for Gifted Children, cdn.ymaws.com/nagc.org/resource/resmgr/knowledge-center/position-statements/Framing_RtI.pdf. Hollingworth, L.S. Gifted children: Their nature and nurture. New York, Macmillan, 1926.

Sources:

Green, Joanne, et al. “The Diamond Model, A Unique Elementary RTI Model That Meets the Needs of All Learners.” ResearchGate, Hammill Institute on Disabilities, www.researchgate.net/publication/235946339_The_Diamond_Model_A_Unique_Elementary_RTI_Model_That_Meets_the_Needs_of_All_Learners. Accessed 18 June 2024. Goertzel, Ted George, et al. Cradles of Eminence 2nd Edition: Childhoods of More than 700 Famous Men and Women, 20 Apr. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1080/15332276.2004.11673046. Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration, National Association for Gifted Children, and Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted. (2009). Guidelines for developing an academic acceleration policy. Iowa City, IA: Authors. Kircher-Morris, Emily, and Lisa Van Gemert. “Episode 6: Overcoming Perfectionism.” Edited by Dave Morris, The Neurodiversity Podcast, The Neurodiversity Alliance and Morris Creative Services, 4 May 2018, neurodiversitypodcast.com/home/2018/4/4/episode-6-overcoming-perfectionism?rq=perfectionism.

Sources:

National Center for Education Statistics. “Students with Disabilities.” The Condition of Education, 2024, U.S. Department of Education, nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/pdf/2021/cgg_508c.pdf. Accessed 18 June 2024. Raypole, Crystal. “Existential Depression: What to Do When Your Search for Meaning Overwhelms You.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 29 Apr. 2021, www.healthline.com/health/depression/existential-depression. Robinson, Nancy M. “Chapter 3: The Social World of Gifted Children and Youth.” Handbook of Giftedness in Children, Springer, 2008, pp. 33–51. 2008 Edition. Sandhu, Inderbir Kaur. “Developmental Milestones of an Advanced Child.” Brainy Child, brainy-child.com/experts/gifted-child-developmental-milestones.shtml. Accessed 18 June 2024. Smutny, Joan Franklin. “Meeting the Needs of Gifted Underachievers – Individually!” Davidson Institute, Davidson Institute, 13 Dec. 2004, www.davidsongifted.org/gifted-blog/meeting-the-needs-of-gifted-underachievers-individually/.

Sources:

Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students, Texas Education Agency, tea.texas.gov/academics/special-student-populations/gifted-and-talented-education/gtstateplan20191.pdf. Accessed 18 June 2024. Webb, James. “Dabrowski’s Theory and Existential Depression in Gifted Children and Adults.” Davidson Institute, 9 July 2020, www.davidsongifted.org/gifted-blog/dabrowskis-theory-and-existential-depression-in-gifted-children-and-adults/. Webb, James. “Existential Depression in Gifted Individuals.” Davidson Gifted, Davidson Gifted, 24 Aug. 2020, www.davidsongifted.org/gifted-blog/existential-depression-in-gifted-individuals/. Zeeble, Bill. “She Started College at 12. Now 15, This North Texas Prodigy Is Headed to Medical School.” 88.9 KETR, KETR, 12 Dec. 2023, www.ketr.org/2023-12-12/she-started-college-at-12-now-15-this-north-texas-prodigy-is-headed-to-medical-school.

Fact 1:

When it comes to social-emotional wellbeing, gifted children have both advantages and vulnerabilities (Andronaco, Shute, & McLachlan, 2014). GT children share common traits that are rooted in asynchrony that affect the way they experience the world. They may also experience heightened sensitivities relative to non-gifted peers (Bailey, 2011).

Fact 4:

Being gifted is not a guarantee that you won’t struggle with a subject, skill, or social situation.

Soundtrack Activity

Creative Teaching Strategy

In Soundtrack, students can:

• Review: Reflect on a story, story elements, theme, mood, or relationships
• Compare and Contrast

Instructions:

• Facilitator plays a piece of music
• Ask participants to respond to the piece of music
• Synthesize participants’ answers
• Review or transition into the story or lesson related to the music

Gifted Girls

• Elementary girls tend to over-commit, are expected to be well-behaved, polite, and agreeable, and focus on relationships
• Middle school girls may appear to lose interest/ability due to:
• Self-esteem
• Loss of interest in STEM subjects, or growing interest in other areas (sometimes social)
• Loss of focus due to puberty
• Modify behaviors to fit in
• Stereotypes, assumptions, and expectations

Source: Difficult Passage: Gifted Girls in Middle School, Davidson Gifted

MTSS for Growth

As with the usual MTSS pyramid/triangle, the MTSS Diamond functions to pull all learners back to Tier 1 while ensuring appropriate growth for all learners. This may require educators to do more than adding depth and complexity to support asynchronous learners. Acceleration is a key component of Tier 2 and Tier 3.

• Tier 1 includes general differentiation, enrichment, and extension
• Tier 2 involves targeted, small group enrichment and extensions or content acceleration
• Tier 3 involves individualized interventions supporting growth, such as content or whole-grade acceleration, mentoring, projects in passion and interest, etc.

< Click the image above to pop out >

Gifted Boys

• One study showed that hopelessness among gifted boys strongly increased during later adolescence. It suggested that males receive targeted “interventions during high school” to avoid increased feelings of hopelessness (Bolland, et. al., 2019)
• Highly asynchronous boys may have more difficulty than girls at forming peer bonds.

Source: The effects of academic giftedness and gender on developmental trajectories of hopelessness among students living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Gifted Child Quarterly

Leverage Systems

Build off of what you have...

• If you are cluster grouping, minimize the levels of support needed with the Schoolwide Cluster Grouping Model.
• If you are doing Pull Out, embed SEL Lessons in the Pull Out that can then be expanded to the classroom.
• Leverage advisory time to work with GT students on GT-specific SEL.

• If a campus has SEL lessons, make sure it is relevant to your GT audience.

Fact 5:

Intelligence, creativity, and general ability are not enough to guarantee that a child will become a successful and happy adult. If we don’t consider the whole child, we set them up for failure. Multipotentiality, choice paralysis, perfectionism, anxiety, lack of guidance, boredom, executive functioning, and more can interfere with future prospects.

Fact 2:

A recent meta-analysis found significant mean effect sizes for all five overexcitabilities; the GT-OE relationship is more pronounced among highly gifted individuals (Steenbergen-Hu, 2017).

Gifted LGBTQ+

• Asynchronous learners may become more aware of or start questioning their gender and sexuality before their age peers.
• Approximately 30% of gifted children are LGBTQ or “Questioning.” Students with intellectual gifts are more likely to identify as LGBTQ or questioning due to their exploratory, non-conformist, and accepting nature (Wexelbaum, R & Hoover, J, 2014).
• Little to no representation in books, role models, etc.
• Increased chances of isolation and feelings of loneliness, especially when they have non-heteronormative behaviors or interests.
• Experienced extremely elevated levels of violence, harassment, and discrimination.

Fact 8:

Advanced courses bring the rigors of college-level classes down to secondary. Advanced courses are incomplete as a service because: One, the course options aren’t always in a GT student’s area of interest or strength. Two, rigor is not differentiation, especially in terms of pacing. And three, the social-emotional needs of asynchronous learners are not met by rigor.

Fact 7:

While many gifted children do well and may be “natural leaders,” asynchrony, sensitivities, and intensities can make it difficult for gifted learners to form friendships with their age peers. Their differences can lead to isolation and even bullying.

Fact 3:

When gifted learners’ asynchronies are not addressed, they can begin to act out or find stimulation in disruptive ways.

Fact 6:

Asynchronous learners can feel bored or out of place with their age peers. Adding another exceptionality can greatly increase the disconnect. Studies show that many students are happier with older students who are “intellectual peers” or who share their interest (Colangelo, Assouline, & Gross, 2004).