This book is designed to help classroom teachers identify and plan for gifted children from special populations. It examines ways in which teachers can help these students reach their potential. The first section of the book, "Background for Changing the Present Educational Paradigm," includes chapters that discuss reasons for the failure to integrate gifted education into the fabric of the school and the relationships between multiple intelligences philosophy and the curriculum. Section 2, "Twice Exceptional: Gifted Children with Disabilities," discusses the need to include gifted children with physical disabilities in the regular classroom, how to identify and support gifted children with sensory disabilities, challenges involved in educating children with learning disabilities, and gifted students who have attention deficit disorders. Section 3, "Special Populations of Gifted Children," includes discussions of gifted children from diverse backgrounds, exceptionally gifted children, young gifted children, and gifted females. Section 4, "Issues and Concerns: Addressing the Needs of Students with Exceptional Abilities in the Twenty-First Century," presents different views regarding the social and emotional development of the gifted and the need to change the focus of the educational paradigm from a deficit model to a strength model. (Contains over 400 references.) (CR)