| Summary: | Schools with an inclusive orientation can be considered as an effective way of preventing
discriminatory attitudes. They provide plural educational environments that value diversity,
individual interests, and skills. Over the last decades, there has been a growing interest by
researchers and educators regarding gifted students who present behavioral, emotional,
learning difficulties and high ability—simultaneously. The overlap of these apparently
antagonistic characteristics is named twice exceptionality. The purpose of this study is to
analyze educational practices used in the inclusion process of three groups of students— gifted
students, ADHD students, and gifted students with ADHD—of elementary and secondary
school, according to school principals, teachers, family members and the students themselves.
This is an investigation with a qualitative approach of multiple case study. Six students enrolled
in inclusive common classes of the public education network of the Federal District (aged
between 12 and 17 years), who attend specialized educational services for gifted students or
students with specific functional disorders, participated in the research: two gifted female
students, two ADHD male students, and two twice-exceptional students, being one female
ADHD gifted student and one male gifted ADHD student. School principals, teachers and
family members, totaling 20 participants, contributed to the elucidation of cases. Research
information was built through semi-structured interviews with all participants, as well as
interviews mediated by the production of free drawings with students. In addition, a
documentary analysis of the school trajectory and development of students was carried out with
the purpose of characterizing them. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data.
The results indicate that the adoption of inclusive educational practices (promoted in favor of
the three groups of students) is a complex process that depends on multiple factors for its
implementation: (a) public policies, (b) offer of specialized educational service, (c) academic
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and socio-emotional support for both gifted students with ADHD and ADHD students, (d)
adoption of formative assessment and compensatory practices for both gifted students with
ADHD and ADHD students, (e) teacher training, and (f) involvement of the entire school
community and family. In addition, it was found that specialized educational services favor the
development of the high potential of gifted students and gifted students with ADHD, as well
as offering support to their socio-emotional needs. It was also observed that ADHD students
have more intense and persistent limitations than gifted students with ADHD with respect to
academic performance, executive functions and socio-emotional issues. This study intends to
contribute to the engagement of researchers, teachers, support professionals and family
members regarding the development of inclusive educational practices aimed at assisting
students with such characteristics. Furthermore, we hope that this research offers subsidies for
the implementation of specialized educational assistance services to these students, as well as
guide the implementation of public policies aimed at the inclusion of these students in common
classes, particularly the ones who are gifted with ADHD.
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