Through a longitudinal study focused on identification policy that is inclusive of underrepresented gifted students (Van Tassel-Baska & Feng, 2003; Van Tassel-Baska, Feng, & deBrux, under review; Van Tassel-Baska, Feng, & Evans, in press; Van Tassel-Baska, Johnson, & Avery, 2002), a team of researchers developed case studies of special needs gifted students from four groups: (1) low income African American; (2) low income Caucasian; (3) twice exceptional; and (4) high nonverbal/low verbal. The purpose of the study was to more fully understand these youngsters--particularly their characteristics related to aptitude, achievement, gender, socio-economic status, and ethnicity--and how these characteristics interact in school settings. Children profiled in the study were identified as gifted four to five years prior to the study, allowing exploration of student reactions to gifted program participation. Across the varied perspectives of students, parents, and teachers, participation in the gifted program was seen as positive. Students saw the benefits in the form of more challenge in the classroom, faster paced studies, and opportunities to be in classroom settings with like-minded peers focused on learning. This study of special needs gifted learners underlines the importance of finding students with potential and placing them in gifted classes. Even though some types of students included in this study may not have opportunities to participate in highly challenging academic classes, they do tend to develop more skills when placed in rigorous courses.