Supporting Adolescents with High IQ and Language/Literacy Needs

It may come as a surprise to many that adolescents with high IQs can still experience significant language and literacy challenges. Just like any other struggling reader, adolescents with high IQ follow a similar assessment and intervention trajectory. Let’s explore why—and how—these learners require tailored support that addresses their specific needs.

Comprehensive Assessment: The First Step for All

Whether a child has a high or average IQ, the first step in addressing language and literacy difficulties is the same: a thorough, psychometrically sound evidence-based assessment. This involves evaluating all areas of language and literacy, from decoding and fluency to comprehension and metalinguistic abilities, to ensure that any deficits are identified and targeted in treatment.

Why is this important? High IQ doesn’t shield students from language-related challenges. In fact, many students with high IQs experience what’s known as “twice-exceptionality,” where they excel in some areas (such as problem-solving) but struggle significantly in others, such as reading or writing (Alloway, 2009). Without a comprehensive assessment, these students’ needs are often misunderstood or overlooked.

The Power of Motivation and Cognitive Strengths in Therapy

Once assessment data is gathered, treatment begins. However, when working with adolescents with high IQ, a key consideration is that these students may have certain therapeutic advantages—if they are motivated and not experiencing behavioral difficulties:

1. Faster Learning Curves: High IQ students often have stronger cognitive processing abilities, which can facilitate quicker understanding of intervention strategies. For example, their advanced reasoning skills may help them understand abstract concepts like morphology or inferencing more rapidly than their peers (Jung, 2007).
2. Retention and Application: High IQ students, especially those without behavioral challenges, can often retain and apply learned strategies with greater ease. This can result in more successful generalization of skills across settings, leading to faster progress (Swanson & Siegel, 2001).
3. Problem-Solving Skills: Students with high IQ often have strong problem-solving skills, which can help them to independently troubleshoot their reading challenges. When provided with strategies, they may be able to adapt them creatively to fit different academic demands.
4. Self-Regulation: When behavioral issues are not present, students with high IQ tend to have stronger self-regulation abilities. They can sustain attention and persevere through challenging tasks when motivated, which can be crucial for tasks like reading comprehension that require sustained effort (Berhenke et al., 2011).

Challenges That May Persist

However, it’s important to recognize that high IQ doesn’t guarantee a smooth intervention process. Motivation is a key variable. Adolescents with high IQ may feel frustrated when faced with tasks that are typically “easy” for them in other domains, potentially leading to disengagement. Similarly, if their challenges have led to a history of academic struggle, they may be more prone to anxiety or avoidance behaviors (Josephson et al., 2018).

Final Thoughts: Tailored Support for All Readers

In conclusion, while students with high IQ may have certain therapeutic advantages, they still require the same evidence-based assessment and intervention that all struggling readers need. The key is to individualize intervention so that these students’ unique strengths, such as advanced problem-solving and strong self-regulation, are leveraged to maximize progress.

In short, even when faced with language or literacy deficits, adolescents with high IQ have the capacity to overcome these challenges—especially when they’re met with a thoughtful, evidence-based treatment approaches.

References:

1. Alloway, T. P. (2009). Working memory, but not IQ, predicts subsequent learning in children with learning difficulties. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 25(2), 92-98.
2. Berhenke A, Miller AL, Brown E, Seifer R, Dickstein S. (2011) Observed Emotional and Behavioral Indicators of Motivation Predict School Readiness in Head Start Graduates. Early Child Research Quarterly. 26(4):430-441.
3. Josephson, J., Wolfgang, C., & Mehrenberg, R. (2018). Strategies for Supporting Students Who Are Twice-Exceptional. The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship, 7(2).
4. Jung RE, Haier RJ. (2007) The Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory (P-FIT) of intelligence: converging neuroimaging evidence. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Apr;30(2):135-54
5. Swanson, H. L., & Siegel, L. S. (2001). Learning disabilities as a working memory deficit. Issues in Education, 7(1), 1-48.