Children who have a special talent are very lucky; however it can also single them out, and many prefer to stay under the radar rather than in the spotlight. Similarly, young people with special needs may feel they stand out, but for the wrong reasons. Put the two together and you have what professionals refer to as DME – dual or multiple exceptionalities.
According to nasen, an organisation that supports special needs practitioners, 60,000 children in England have DME, meaning they can be defined as ‘individuals who have one or more special educational needs or disabilities and who also have high learning potential.’ One father puts it more succinctly: “They are high fliers, who are still lumbering along the ground”.
Potential Plus UK, a charity dedicated to raising the profile of children with high learning potential says: “School work may not stretch them and yet other aspects of life may appear quite daunting. This can set them apart from their classmates and make it difficult for them to feel one of the crowd.” Potential Plus UK offers consultancy to schools, challenges for children and Big Family Weekends, where children can take part in workshops and activities, learning and having fun at the same time. “These weekends were a lifeline for me,” observes one mother. “They allowed me to meet parents who knew what I was dealing with, and people who genuinely understood the term DME, and its implications.”
As we start a new school year, it’s clear that some of these children will just have arrived in secondary schools for the first time; their parents are likely to want to be in touch not just with the Senco but maybe also with the form tutor, the nominated person for most able, and the subject tutor for the area where they feel their children’s talents lie. Some of them will be vocal, especially if they have had a disappointing or frustrating experience in primary; developing a good relationship between school and home from the beginning could make all the difference to their child’s experience of secondary education.
The parents’ perspective
Kyle is 11 and has just finished year six at an independent school. He had an assessment from an educational psychologist in year four which showed that he had dyslexia but also a cognitive ability in the upper range. His parents were pleased to get the assessment, which presented a clear and accurate profile of their son’s talents and weaknesses. The school set out to address his dyslexia: a learning support assistant helped him with his handwriting and he was given a laptop and touch typing tuition to speed up his writing.
That is the deficit model. On the plus side, Kyle is an 11-year-old who plays rock guitar, has formed a band, produced a CD and performed in public. He is also a talented photographer and an exceptionally good experimental cook. The problem is that music and cookery are not seen to be as important as mathematics or literacy in the world of schools today.
“My particular issue is that the school has never recognised, rewarded or praised him for the things that he can do well,” says his mother. “It would’ve made such a difference if there had been a teacher at the school to take him under their wing.”
She is hoping that secondary will be a fresh start. “He needs a school where instead of being told every day what he cannot do, his gifts will be celebrated and his talents nurtured,” she points out.
Strengths and struggles
Jamie lives in Wales and is on his county’s Most Able and Talented register. He could read fluently by the age of three and had a passion for maps, and journey planning. He drew many, many versions of the London Underground map, memorising it entirely. When Jamie was in reception class, he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome / High Functioning Autism. He changed schools in the middle of year 3 and managed the transition very well despite having to learn a whole new language: Welsh.
Unlike Kyle’s mother, Jamie’s mum is pleased with her son’s current school. “The teachers recognise his exceptional abilities and try to provide challenges so he has been able to excel at those things he is good at,” she explains. “However, they have also taken time to give him confidence to try things he is scared of or struggles with.”
In contrast to many children Jamie thrives on tests because he likes the structure and formality inherent in exams but he struggles with anxiety, finds change hard to deal with and does not always understand jokes or sarcasm. With help from school staff he has learnt a selection of coping strategies so that he can now shop in the supermarket and handle unplanned timetable changes.
His mum is anxious that the secondary school will prove inflexible. “I am deeply worried,” she confirms. “We have a number of meetings lined up. I hope they are open to new ideas and to working with his abilities, and supporting his struggles. I am not encouraged by anything I have heard from them yet. We are informed that the transition to secondary school is the make or break time for people with Asperger’s Syndrome and High Functioning Autism; and Jamie will need additional support because he is highly able as well.”
What can schools do?
Joy Morgan, specialist leader in education for CPD and provision for the more able at Parliament Hill school in London, offers these suggestions for secondary schools looking to improve DME provision:
1. START with the idea that every child must be given the opportunity to excel.
2. WORK with feeder primary schools to identify children with DME and find ways of working with them before they join the school.
3. ASSESS students in different ways: don’t just rely on one-off performances or KS2 SATs results.
4. LOOK beyond spelling and handwriting for evidence of cognitive abilities, creativity and originality.
5. ASK students to present work in unusual ways: verbally, making a short film, through art.
6. ASK staff to devise games, role plays, problem solving activities that will identify children who can think widely.
7. USE some of your professional development days to focus on DME, to look at research and think about the characteristics of very able and exceptionally able children.
8. ASK staff to work in pairs or groups to devise, experiment and refine non-traditional approaches that will challenge children of high ability.
About the author
Sal McKeown is a freelance special needs journalist and author of Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Inclusive Classroom (Routledge) and a book for parents, How to help your Dyslexic and Dyspraxic Child (Crimson Publishing).
