As a developmental pediatrician, I’ve had the privilege of meeting children whose abilities are nothing short of extraordinary. These children might be the ones who read books meant for older kids, solve complex problems with ease, or create art that leaves you awestruck. They are often described as gifted but in India, this label isn’t always understood or embraced. Many gifted children go unnoticed, and as a result, their exceptional abilities remain untapped. Their needs aren't met, and their potential stays hidden. The time has come to recognize and nurture these gifted children.
Gifted and talented students need well-trained teachers who will challenge and support them in developing their abilities. However, teachers receive no formal professional learning or development focused on teaching academically advanced students, especially those with disabilities. Consequently, gifted and talented students with disabilities are often not given sufficient opportunity to thrive in the classroom. The study assessed the teaching of gifted and talented learners with disabilities. The respondents were 30 parents of Manggahan Elementary School. The researcher utilized a descriptive correlational design. Statistical treatments used were utilized frequency and percentage, weighted mean, t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient. The findings revealed that parent-respondents were mostly in the 50–54 age bracket, predominantly female, and largely composed of parents rather than grandparents or guardians. The results showed that parent-respondents generally viewed the teaching of gifted learners with disabilities positively. The highest rating was given to teachers providing opportunities for enrichment activities, showing that parents particularly noticed efforts that extend the learners’ abilities and interests. The findings also revealed that parent-respondents also assessed the teaching of talented learners with disabilities positively. The highest-rated indicator was teachers’ creativity in addressing both giftedness and disability, which suggests that parents value innovative and flexible teaching approaches. There is a significant difference in the assessment of the parent-respondents on the teaching of gifted and talented learners with disabilities when grouped according to age, sex, and role in the family. Furthermore, there is no significant relationship in the teaching of gifted and talented learners with disabilities based on the computed correlation coefficient and significance value.
