Are special education services necessary for gifted LD students?
There is no definite answer to that question. When a student’s learning disability is so severe that specialized instruction is needed, then special education services would certainly appear to be appropriate. In addition, when a student is identified as having a special education need, he or she is entitled to certain modifications or accommodations within the classroom and/or during testing (such as reduced assignments, extended time, etc.) which can be very helpful. However, in most cases, gifted LD students are able to cope quite well with standard classroom expectations, especially if they have a good understanding of their disability and are working hard to compensate for their own difficulties. Often, with just a little push in the right direction, gifted LD students can develop learning strategies which are far better than anything which a special education teacher might provide. In other words, these students often have the ability to ‘take care of themselves’ if they are just
