Investigating cognitive and psychosocial variables related to diagnosis of SLD in writing among high ability students

Students with exceptionally strong abilities in some area(s), along with diagnosed disabilities in other area(s), are referred to in the field of gifted education as “twice-exceptional”. These students can present a puzzling paradox for their families and teachers, and they may be viewed as “lazy” or “unmotivated” when in fact, they have disabilities that impair their functioning in some areas. The current study focuses on one group of twice-exceptional students: students with high intellectual abilities and specific learning disability in writing (SLD-W). Research regarding twice-exceptional students is limited, but some previous research has considered the impact of various factors, including cognitive abilities, academic achievement, and emotional and behavioral functioning, on high-ability students with SLD. Results of this previous research have been inconsistent. The current study selected specific cognitive and behavioral/emotional variables to examine how they influenced the probability of being diagnosed with SLD-W, based on a sample of high ability students without disabilities and high ability students with SLD-W.

Results of the statistical analyses indicated that performance on the writing composite significantly predicted SLD-W diagnosis. Additionally, grade level, parent ratings of attention, and, in one model, nonverbal reasoning were identified to significantly impact the likelihood of SLD-W diagnosis. The importance of these findings were discussed, and directions for future research were offered.