The Application of the Response To Intervention Model

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This article is about “the difficulties of meeting the needs of twice-exceptional (2e) students, including students who are gifted with learning disabilities (LD)” (Yssel, 2014, p. 42). The problem with identifying students like this, is that they either mask their disability with their giftedness or vice versa. This masking effect “may cause both exceptionalities to appear less extreme; a student may fail to meet gifted criteria because the disability affects testing performance, or the student is performing at grade level and thus does not qualify for services under LD. In the past schools throughout the United States used the discrepancy model to identify students with LD” (Yssel, 2014, p. 44). “One major argument against the discrepancy model was that it makes early identification of a learning disability difficult” (Taylor, 2009, p 109). The twice exceptional students’ “needs were not evident until upper elementary or even middle school, at which point their frustration and LD might have permanently affected their motivation and ability to make appropriate progress in the curriculum with the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act in 2004, some states have since mandated use of the Response to intervention model. RTI replaces the wait-to-fail component of the discrepancy model with early intervention. The RTI model is divided into three tiers, in the first tier there is, observations and a Universal screening (which) identifies students who are academically at risk; during this screening, however, is when teachers and other professionals should consider whether they might be missing students who are gifted with LD.” (Yssel, 2014, p. 44).Ali, Mark and Lacy are three students that have a learning disa...

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...and/or gifted education”. (Yssel, 2014, p. 48). “It is imperative not to put enrichment on hold while an academic weakness is being remedied; both exceptionalities should be addressed at all times”. (Yssel, 2014, p. 49). Some Professionals have express their concern that social-emotional needs are not addressed in RTI models. Early intervention in all areas of need is critical to ensure that issues such as low
Motivation, do not prevent students from reaching their full potential (Yssel, 2014, p. 51).

Works Cited

Taylor, Ronald L., Lydia Ruffner Smiley, and Steve Richards. Exceptional students: preparing teachers for the 21st century. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. Print.
Yssel, N., Adams, C., Clarke, L. S., & Jones, R. (2014). Applying an RTI Model for Students With Learning Disabilities Who Are Gifted. Teaching Exceptional Children, 46(3), 42-52.

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