Student Categories and Family Therapy

Section 1

Twice exceptional students are said to show dual exceptionality. These students show high academic or artistic performance, they additionally possess a permanent or impermanent cognitive, behavioural, physical, emotional disability (National Educational Association, 2006). Teachers believe that twice-exceptional students fail to input sufficient effort within the classroom. Thus, they are often described as lazy or unmotivated. These learners perform inconsistently through the curriculum. The frustrations associated to unidentified abilities and disabilities could result to emotional and behavioural.

Gifted students refers to the category of students whose potential is noticeably above average; measuring one or more amongst the following; creativity, intellectuality, social and physical. Gifted students are said to develop asynchronously, that is, their minds develop faster than their bodily growth.  Some gifted students might not show outstanding levels of attainment as a result of environmental circumstances for instance, cultural barriers, emotional problems, poverty or discrimination (Assouline, Nicpon, & Whiteman, 2010).

There are several myths that tutors and parents hold towards gifted learners. For instance, gifted learners require no help, they are fine on their own. Secondly, tutors usually challenge all the learners equally, assuming that gifted students are fine with the technique and that they fit perfectly in such a setting. A third myth is that gifted learners make every other student smarter by being role models or challengers. Fourthly, a student can never be gifted and acquire bad grades. A fifth myth entails believing that gifted students are easily or effortlessly taught.

These myths extend negative implications towards the gifted learners’ academic performance due a number of reasons. To start with, gifted learners require guidance from their tutors who should adequately challenge them to sufficiently develop their skills and abilities. Many gifted students may acquire knowledge ahead of their peers that is they might study a grade further prior to the beginning of the class. Consequently, this results to boredom and frustration leading to reduced achievements. Thus, teachers have a crucial role in identifying and nurturing gifted students talents’ in school. Additionally, teachers tend to challenge all studentsequally; this tendency renders the gifted learners skills underutilized. This boredom and reduced challenges makes the students fail irrespective of the giftedness. Thus, teachers require extending challenging questions and tests to bright students, meaning every student should be challenged according to their abilities. The myths regarding gifted learners should therefore be avoided and shunned by all parties.

Parents and counsellors should know that both gifted and twice-exceptional learners require assistance and attention, this is because they are very vulnerable (Assouline, Nicpon, & Whiteman, 2010). Support in their studies coupled with constant counselling removes the barriers that impede the performance of these learners. Additionally, regarding underachievement, learners are capable of scoring bad grades as result of unfavourable learning environment. Therefore, parents and counsellors should look beyond a student’s bad performance and seek the reasons behind the reduced grades.

Section 2

Human development comprises of three dimensions namely; biological, psychological along with social development (Barker & Chang, 2013). The environment in which the 12-year old kid is living in is affecting him, that is, he is experiencing social development issues. The negative happenings around him are affecting his studies since he lacks the ability to withstand the things his family is undergoing. In addition, the mother seems to suffer from the psychological effects motivated by several factors such as the husband’s job loss and the grandfather’s health needs. The events affecting her family are negatively influencing her psychologically and may have led have her illnesses.

In this case study, I would further evaluate the genetic factor regarding the father and mother. This is because this family is undergoing lots of healthiness problems that would be explained from a genetics viewpoint. The grandfather would also undergo the same tests since he is at the top of family line.

Family systems therapy is an extremely important approach to family counselling. This is because a behavioural inconsistency involving one family member is usually a function of the family’s behavioural setting (Barker & Chang, 2013). This is because most problems encountered by individuals originate or are motivated by the family conditions. For instance, if a student is failing in academics the initial cause to be tested should their families.

In the case of this family, resilience will involve helping the family identify their strengths. Identifying ones strengths helps them to overcome difficult situations (Barker & Chang, 2013). For instance, through my expertise, I would assist the kid focus on his studies and away from the family’s problems by making him realize that it is through the studies that he would be able to help his family. Additionally, I would assist the father evaluate his strengths, regarding areas he is capable of exploiting to deal with his income deficiency.

For purposes of advocacy in this family’s situation, I would seek to prevent future family distress, encourage healthy relationships, and foster child assistance and attention. This would be achieved through constant meetings till such a time that their relationships and communication between them is improved.

References

Assouline, S. G., Nicpon, M. F., & Whiteman, C. (2010). Cognitive and Psychosocial Characteristics of Gifted Students With Written Language Disability. Gifted Child Quarterly.doi:10.1177/0016986209355974

Barker, P., & Chang, J. (2013).Basic family therapy. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.

National Educational Association.(2006). The Twice-exceptional Dilemna. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/twiceexceptional.pdf