Max deArriz, a five-year old in the Washington, DC area can do double-digit subtraction in his head, yet is unable to recognize the number two. Max, in addition to hundreds of other students in the Washington area, has been identified as simultaneously gifted and learning disabled, or as researchers refer to it, "twice exceptional". Susan Baum, a national expert in this area, points out that these "twice exceptional" children should be placed in specialized programs that will recognize their gifts while simultaneously giving them techniques to manage their disabilities. Montgomery County, Maryland, has developed such a program-their students use technological devices such as tape recorders and laptops with spell-check to help the students study advanced books.

Source: The Washington Post, Sunday, June 23, 2002

Submitted by: Stefanie Reisfeld, American University