3.8.6 UDL for Gifted and 2e Learners: Integrating Special Education and Gifted Education Strategies

For years, special education has been focused on the challenge of “access” or determining how a student can access the curriculum, most often defined as the general curriculum. In contrast, gifted education focuses on accessing curriculum that is beyond the age-grade paradigm of typical schools. The goal of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is to “make learning accessible for all students” (Novak, 2019). Making learning accessible for all students means that not only do you have to determine the barriers to entrance or participation, but the barriers to the learning process that moves a child forward. The objective of UDL is to remove the barriers, not just provide strategies for specific children, through proactive curriculum design (Meyer, Rose & Gordon, 2014). UDL emphasizes that ALL children should be learning and moving forward from where they currently are in the learning process. While UDL is often discussed as a concept for students with disabilities, advanced, gifted, and twice-exceptional (2e) children’s needs often go unmet in traditional classrooms. The National Center on Universal Design for Learning (CAST 2012), has concluded that “One of the groups that has not been effectively reached within the general education classroom is learners with gifts and talents” (para. 3). Providing instruction that allows a twice-exceptional child to engage at high levels, use their creativity, and yet provides structure for essential skills can be a challenge. Special education can be too basic, yet gifted education can be too challenging. Teachers of twice-exceptional children can use the strategies of both sides to meet the diverse needs of these students and allow them to soar. This session will provide a set of instructional decisions that lead to strategies and ideas that can allow a teacher to build in enriching, accelerated concepts while providing the task-analysis and structured learning experiences in the areas of challenge. UDL is a means of developing instructional activities that are based on neurologically-based learning principles of representation, engagement and expression (Meyer, Rose & Gordon, 2014). This session will explore how characteristics of 2e learners are impacted by, and can be developed through these complementary strategies and so that classrooms can truly be accessible to all.

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