Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
Supporting Gifted Students with Dyslexia: A Qualitative Case Study of An Independent Middle School116 views
Author
Myers, Charles, Curriculum and Instruction - School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia0009-0009-9811-5351
Advisors
Jennings, Tish, ED-CISE, University of Virginia
Abstract
Deacon School, an independent school in a mid-sized Southern U.S. city, has a significant population of a specific group of twice-exceptional students: gifted students with dyslexia (2e-D learners). Programmatically, the school is well-prepared to address dyslexia. Additionally, some faculty also have expertise in gifted education. However, the school’s current structures address only one dimension of a given student’s identity. This leaves marked gaps in support for 2e-D learners. Faculty report that inconsistencies in the current structures and varied teacher perspectives exacerbate these challenges, prompting the need for solutions. The literature review contained herein examines the meaning of twice-exceptionality, drawing on Subotnik et al.'s (2012) conception of giftedness. This study examines dyslexia as the relevant learning disability. The literature review further considers the following: (1) the characteristics of 2e-D learners, (2) effective instructional practices for such learners, and (3) barriers and facilitators teachers encounter in serving such students. A theoretical framework centered on Critical Disability Theory as articulated by Devlin and Pothier (2006) provides the underpinning of this study. This study explores teacher descriptions of 2e-D students, effective instructional practices, and the barriers and facilitators teachers face in providing this instruction. This study uses an exploratory, qualitative case study approach of ten teachers, relying on classroom observations and a two-round sequence of semi-structured interviews to analyze teachers’ descriptions, practices, and perspectives. After data analysis yielded findings, I offered commendations and recommendations for addressing the needs of 2e-D learners.
Myers, Charles. Supporting Gifted Students with Dyslexia: A Qualitative Case Study of An Independent Middle School. University of Virginia, Curriculum and Instruction - School of Education and Human Development, EDD (Doctor of Education), 2026-03-19, https://doi.org/10.18130/xr81-jc92.
