ABSTRACT
Gifted education and special education have very different histories and goals. However, they both focus on the individual needs of students who learn differently from typical students and on the necessary adaptation of curriculum and instruction so that these students can learn. Curriculum for twice-exceptional learners must be an integration of special education and gifted education to develop abilities and talents while mediating the impact of the disability. While special education focuses on the concept of access through the model of Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 2018), gifted education curriculum develops strengths through acceleration and enrichment with the use of such approaches as the Integrated Curriculum Model. This chapter proposes a Meshed Methods model through which teachers can provide students multiple opportunities for representation, engagement, and expression, while providing opportunities for challenging content, processes, products, and conceptual instruction within a nurturing context. This chapter also lays the groundwork for substantive collaboration across educational fields.
