Characteristics of Gifted Students Who Are Bored v.s. ADHD

Characteristics of Gifted Students Who Are Bored compared to ADHD
Poor attention and daydreaming when bored
Low tolerance for persistence on tasks that seem irrelevant
Begin many projects, see few to completion
Development of judgment lags behind intellectual growth
Intensity may lead to power struggles with authorities
High activity level; may need less sleep
Difficulty restraining desire to talk; may be disruptive
Question rules, customs, and traditions
Lose work, forget homework, are disorganized
May appear careless
Highly sensitive to criticism
Do not exhibit problem behaviors in all situations
More consistent levels of performance at a fairly consistent pace

Characteristics of Students with ADHD
Poorly sustained attention
Diminished persistence on tasks not having immediate consequences
Often shift from one uncompleted activity to another
Impulsivity, poor delay of gratification
Impaired adherence to commands to regulate or inhibit behavior in social contexts
More active, restless than other children
Often talk excessively
Often interrupt or intrude on others (e.g. butt into games)
Difficulty adhering to rules and regulations
Often lose things necessary for tasks or activities at home or school
May appear inattentive to details
Highly sensitive to criticism
Problem behaviors exist in all settings, but in some are more severe
Variability in task performance and time used to accomplish tasks.

Implications for Students with Dual Exceptionalities
Commitment to identifying and nurturing the gifts of students with disabilities implies specific changes in the way educators approach identification, instruction, and classroom dynamics.

Identification
Include students with disabilities in initial screening phase.
Be willing to accept nonconventional indicators of intellectual talent.
Look beyond test scores.
When applying cutoffs, bear in mind the depression of scores that may occur due to the disability.
DO NOT aggregate subtest scores into a composite score.
Compare with others who have similar disabilities.
Weight more heavily characteristics that enable the child to effectively compensate for the disability.
Weight more heavily areas of performance unaffected by the disability.
Allow the child to participate in gifted programs on a trial basis.

Instruction
Be aware of the powerful role of language; reduce communication limitations and develop alternative modes for thinking and communicating.
Emphasize high-level abstract thinking, creativity, and a problem-solving approach.
Have great expectations: these children often become successful as adults in fields requiring advanced education.
Provide for individual pacing in areas of giftedness and disability.
Provide challenging activities at an advanced level.
Promote active inquiry, experimentation, and discussion.
Promote self-direction.
Offer options that enable students to use strengths and preferred ways of learning.
Use intellectual strengths to develop coping strategies.
Assist in strengthening the student's self concept.

Classroom Dynamics
Discuss disabilities/capabilities and their implications with the class.
Expect participation in all activities; strive for normal peer interactions.
Facilitate acceptance; model and demand respect for all.
Candidly answer peers' questions.
Treat a child with a disability the same way a child without a disability is treated.
Model celebration of individual differences. Gifted students with disabilities must be provided with appropriate challenges.
The personal and societal costs of not developing their potential cannot be overstated.


Home News Meetings & Conferences Articles Links & Resources Ask the Expert Chapters Books	Characteristics of Gifted Students Who Are Bored v.s. ADHD Characteristics of Gifted Students Who Are Bored compared to ADHD Poor attention and daydreaming when bored Low tolerance for persistence on tasks that seem irrelevant Begin many projects, see few to completion Development of judgment lags behind intellectual growth Intensity may lead to power struggles with authorities High activity level; may need less sleep Difficulty restraining desire to talk; may be disruptive Question rules, customs, and traditions Lose work, forget homework, are disorganized May appear careless Highly sensitive to criticism Do not exhibit problem behaviors in all situations More consistent levels of performance at a fairly consistent pace Characteristics of Students with ADHD Poorly sustained attention Diminished persistence on tasks not having immediate consequences Often shift from one uncompleted activity to another Impulsivity, poor delay of gratification Impaired adherence to commands to regulate or inhibit behavior in social contexts More active, restless than other children Often talk excessively Often interrupt or intrude on others (e.g. butt into games) Difficulty adhering to rules and regulations Often lose things necessary for tasks or activities at home or school May appear inattentive to details Highly sensitive to criticism Problem behaviors exist in all settings, but in some are more severe Variability in task performance and time used to accomplish tasks. Implications for Students with Dual Exceptionalities Commitment to identifying and nurturing the gifts of students with disabilities implies specific changes in the way educators approach identification, instruction, and classroom dynamics. Identification Include students with disabilities in initial screening phase. Be willing to accept nonconventional indicators of intellectual talent. Look beyond test scores. When applying cutoffs, bear in mind the depression of scores that may occur due to the disability. DO NOT aggregate subtest scores into a composite score. Compare with others who have similar disabilities. Weight more heavily characteristics that enable the child to effectively compensate for the disability. Weight more heavily areas of performance unaffected by the disability. Allow the child to participate in gifted programs on a trial basis. Instruction Be aware of the powerful role of language; reduce communication limitations and develop alternative modes for thinking and communicating. Emphasize high-level abstract thinking, creativity, and a problem-solving approach. Have great expectations: these children often become successful as adults in fields requiring advanced education. Provide for individual pacing in areas of giftedness and disability. Provide challenging activities at an advanced level. Promote active inquiry, experimentation, and discussion. Promote self-direction. Offer options that enable students to use strengths and preferred ways of learning. Use intellectual strengths to develop coping strategies. Assist in strengthening the student's self concept. Classroom Dynamics Discuss disabilities/capabilities and their implications with the class. Expect participation in all activities; strive for normal peer interactions. Facilitate acceptance; model and demand respect for all. Candidly answer peers' questions. Treat a child with a disability the same way a child without a disability is treated. Model celebration of individual differences. Gifted students with disabilities must be provided with appropriate challenges. The personal and societal costs of not developing their potential cannot be overstated.
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