General Advice Sheets - Free to Download
Potential Plus UK has a wide selection of advice sheets covering many of the issues likely to face parents and carers of a child with high learning potential.
The General Advice Sheets on this page are available to download as free pdfs. Other advice sheets are available for non members to purchase and download at £3.60 each. See our Parent Advice Sheets Page for more advice sheets on subjects such as: assessments, education and social and emotional issues. For a quick way to identify our family advice sheets visit the Parent Advice Sheets – Alphabetical Index
Family members can access all of our family and children’s advice sheets and download them free of charge by logging into the members area and visiting the Family Member Resources page.
F01 – Dual or Multiple Exceptionality
In the UK, the term Dual or Multiple Exceptionality (DME) is used to describe those who have one or more special educational need or disability and who also have high ability (which Potential Plus UK calls high learning potential or HLP). Potential Plus UK has produced this fact sheet to inform, support and advise teachers, professionals and parents/carers of children with DME. Issues related to educating, parenting and supporting a child with DME are covered in this fact sheet. Support for specific special educational needs alongside high learning potential are covered in other Potential Plus UK Fact Sheets relating to particular diagnoses.
F02 – Autism and High Learning Potential
Children who have high intelligence alongside another neurodiversity are considered to be “dual or multiple exceptional” (DME). The term dual or multiple exceptionality is used in the UK to describe children who have both high learning potential and what would be classed as a special educational need. DME means the same thing as “twice exceptional”, or “2e”, a term which is used in other parts of the world. This fact sheet is for teachers, professionals, parents and carers who would like clear information on how children with autism as part of their DME may present in terms of behaviours and characteristics, and provides strategies to support strengths and possible weaknesses at home and at school.
F05 – Sensory Processing Difficulties and High Learning Potential
Sensory processing difficulties affect how a child interprets, organises and responds to the information they receive through their eight senses. In more severe cases, such difficulties can significantly affect participation in activities of daily life. This fact sheet discusses the symptoms of sensory processing difficulties and outlines pathways to diagnosis and support for parents, carers or teachers of children with sensory processing difficulties and high learning potential.
Free Advice Sheet F05 – Sensory Processing Disorder and High Learning Potential
F07 – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and High Learning Potential
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety-related disorder. This is characterised by disturbing thoughts that can lead to compulsive or ritualistic behaviour. Such behaviour is carried out to prevent or disarm these thoughts. Psychologists think that there may be some overlap between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and high intelligence. However there is little research to back up this view. Potential Plus UK has produced this fact sheet to inform, support and advise teachers, professionals and parents/carers of children with high ability. At Potential Plus UK we use the term high learning potential or HLP to describe children of high ability. This fact sheet will consider what OCD is, how it relates to high learning potential, how to treat OCD, how to parent a child with both high learning potential and OCD and how to support children with OCD in the classroom.
Free Advice Sheet F07 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and High Learning Potential
PA101 – High Learning Potential
Potential Plus UK has taken the decision to use the term High Learning Potential to describe the children who we support, instead of the word ‘gifted’ or ‘gifted and talented’ or ‘more able’ or ‘most able’; which are all terms that have been used in schools and the media in the past. This advice sheet, aimed at parents and professionals, describes why we have adopted the term and what we mean when we use it.
PA102 – Characteristics of Children with High Learning Potential
Parents are often the first to recognise that their children are bright for their age when they learn quickly and sometimes surprise people with their advanced thinking. However, parents may not realise that other parts of their children’s personality are connected to their abilities. There are some characteristics that are common amongst children with high learning potential, though not every child with high learning potential will have all of them. This advice sheet is aimed at parents of children with high learning potential children also gives more information about where the list comes from, its use and why these characteristics are present.
Free Advice Sheet PA102 Characteristics of Children with High Learning Potential
PA103 – Needs of Children with High Learning Potential
Children with High Learning Potential (HLP) often need more support than others at home and in the classroom, but this does not necessarily mean that they need more structured activities. Sometimes it means they need more freedom and a little more guidance instead. Sometimes the need is for social and emotional support. This advice sheet, exploring the general needs of children with high learning potential, is aimed at parents.
Free Advice Sheet PA103 Needs of Children with High Learning Potential
PA104 – Early Years and High Learning Potential
This advice sheet is aimed at parents who would like to consider whether their young child has high learning potential. It offers a guide to some characteristics and abilities that are common amongst children with high learning potential aged between 12 months and 4 years. However, not all of them will apply to every individual child. Whilst the ages given are a rough guide, as each child is unique and progresses in different areas at different rates, they provide a useful resource to help you determine whether your young child has high learning potential.
Free Advice Sheet PA104 Early Years and High Learning Potential
PA105 – Profiles of Children with High Learning Potential
In 1988, following extensive research in gifted education, Maureen Neihart and George Betts proposed six profiles of children with high learning potential. The profiles have been widely used in supporting high learning potential children and were revised in 2010 based on the authors’ experiences since they were developed. This advice sheet is aimed at parents and carers wanting to find out more information about high learning potential or looking for ways to support their child with high learning potential.
Free Advice Sheet PA105 Profiles of Children with High Learning Potential
PA106 – Reading List for Early Years Children with High Learning Potential
This advice sheet comprises a list of some materials suitable for a high learning potential Early Years advanced reader. It includes a variety of different kinds of reading material, as well as general advice on supporting early readers with high learning potential.
Free Advice Sheet PA106 Reading List for Early Years High Learning Potential Children
PA107 – Reading List for Key Stage 1 Children with High Learning Potential
This advice sheet comprises a list of some materials suitable for confident Key Stage 1 readers who are ready to move on. The materials are listed in ascending order of difficulty. There is also a list of reading material for high learning potential Key Stage 2 readers, as well as a list of comic books suitable for younger readers, available.
Free Advice Sheet PA107 Reading List for Key Stage 1 High Learning Potential Children
PA108 – Reading List for Key Stage 2 Children with High Learning Potential
This advice sheet offers a list of some materials suitable for Key Stage 2 readers who are significantly advanced. Materials are listed according to maturity of theme and/or language. In the fiction list a single asterisk* denotes that part of a series or individual titles by an author are of more advanced content; a double asterisk** denotes works that overlap Key Stage 3 material in school. Additional advice sheets containing lists of reading material for high learning potential Key Stage 1 and Early Years readers are also available.
Free Advice Sheet PA108 Reading List for KS2 Children with High Learning Potential
PA109 – Comic Books Suitable for Younger Readers
Early readers often progress through different types of books quickly, and they appreciate the mixture of visual information and text that comic books offer. However, popular comic books sometimes deal with mature subjects so can be unsuitable for younger readers. This advice sheet contains a list of comic books that are suitable for younger readers.
Free Advice Sheet PA109 Comic Books Suitable for Younger Readers
PA110 – Grants, Funds and Scholarships Information
Children with high learning potential sometimes need specialist provision in or out of school to nurture their potential and encourage them to flourish. This provision can be expensive and families may not be able to pay for this without support. This advice sheet is about grants, funds and scholarships which may be available to help pay for the learning needs of a child with high learning potential.
Free Advice Sheet PA110 Grants, Funds and Scholarship Information