Twice exceptional

The term twice exceptional, often abbreviated as 2e, entered educators' lexicons in mid 1990s and refers to gifted children who have some form of disability.^[1] These children are considered exceptional both because of their giftedness (e.g., intellectual, creative, perceptual, motor etc.) and because of their special needs (e.g., specific learning disability, neurodevelopmental disability etc.) Ronksley-Pavia (2015) presents a useful conceptual model of the co-occurrence of disability and giftedness.^[2]

A 2e child usually refers to a child who, alongside being considered gifted in comparison to same age-peers, is formally diagnosed with one or more disabilities.^[3] Although 2e can refer to any general disability, it is often used to refer to students with learning disabilities, although research is not limited to these areas, and a more holistic view of 2e can help move the field forward^[4][5]The disabilities are varied: dyslexia, visual or auditory processing disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, sensory processing disorder, autism spectrum disorder, Tourette Syndrome, or any other disability interfering with the student's ability to learn effectively in a traditional environment.^[3] The child might have a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or diagnoses of anxiety or depression.^[6] Often children with 2e have multiple co-morbid disabilities that present as a paradox to many parents and educators.^[7]

There is no clear-cut profile of twice-exceptional children because the nature and disabilities of twice exceptionality are so varied. This variation among twice-exceptional children makes it difficult to determine just how many of them there might be. Best estimates of prevalence range from 300,000^[8] to 360,000^[9] in the U.S. (on the order of 0.5% of the total number of children under 18^[10]). Linda Silverman, Ph.D., the director of the Gifted Development Center has found that fully 1/6 of the gifted children tested at the GDC have a learning difference of some type.^[11] In Australia, in 2010 a conservative estimate of the prevalence of 2e children was around 40,000^[12], or approximately 10% of gifted Australian children, although other estimates have placed this much higher at 30% of gifted Australian children as being 2e.^[13]

Misunderstood children

Brody and Mills [1997] argue that this population of students "could be considered the most misunderstood of all exceptionalities".^[14] In each situation, the 2e student’s strengths help to compensate for deficits; the deficits, on the other hand, make the child’s strengths less apparent ^[15] although as yet there is no empirical research to confirm this theory. The interplay of exceptional strengths and weaknesses in a single individual results in inconsistency in performance. They might present any of the three profiles identified by educator and researcher Susan Baum:

• Bright but not trying hard enough
• Learning disabled but with no exceptional abilities
• Average.

In the case of behavioral/socioemotional, rather than cognitive problems, both strengths and deficits can be intensified. A 2e student’s grades commonly alternate between high and low, sometimes within the same subject. The child might have advanced vocabulary and ideas but be unable to organize those ideas and express them on paper. They might be a skilled artist or builder but turn in assignments that are messy or illegible. They might complete assignments but lose them or forget to turn them in. To the parents and teachers observing this behavior, it may seem that the child just isn’t trying. In fact, many 2e children work as hard if not harder than others, but with less to show for their efforts. This struggle to accomplish tasks that appear easy for other students can leave 2e children frustrated, anxious, and depressed. It can rob them of their enthusiasm and energy for school and damage their self-esteem.

Identifying twice exceptionality

Twice exceptionality is not something that can solidly be diagnosed and therefore is not easily identified in students. Children identified as twice exceptional can exhibit a wide range of traits, many of them typical of gifted children. Like those who are gifted, 2e children often show greater asynchrony than average children (that is, a larger gap between their mental age and physical age). They are often intense and highly sensitive to their emotional and physical environments. The following chart summarizes characteristics commonly seen in this population.

^[17] Twice exceptionality often does not show up until children are in school. In their early years, these children often seem very bright, with varied interests and advanced vocabularies (particularly with reference to same-age peers); and many times parents are unaware that they have a child with 2e. Teachers sometimes spot problems in school; sometimes parents are the first to notice their children's frustrations with school. During the early years it may be social difficulties. The 2e child may find it hard to make friends and fit in. Academic problems often appear later. As work demands increase, teachers may see a drop or inconsistencies in the student’s performance, sometimes accompanied by an increase in problem behaviors. Some 2e students withdraw, showing reluctance to speak out or take other risks in class; while others play the class clown. Some are unable to stay focused, find it hard to sit still and work quietly, and have difficulty controlling anger or frustration.

If these difficulties persist, school personnel or parents may decide that evaluation is needed. Along with a physical examination, children may undergo psycho-educational testing to determine the cause of their struggles. The professionals who take part in the process should be knowledgeable about giftedness. Some characteristics of giftedness can look very much like those of a learning disability or disorder and, as a result, gifted children are sometimes incorrectly diagnosed with disorders.^[18] Evaluation results should indicate the child’s areas of strength and weakness and identify whether any disorders or learning disabilities are present. In addition, the results should include information on what the child needs in order to build on the strengths and compensate for the weaknesses that have been identified. Teaching to students' abilities rather than disabilities increases self-concept scores.^[19]

Support

Their strengths are the key to success for twice-exceptional children. They thrive on intellectual challenges in their areas of interest and ability. Many 2e children do best when given work that engages multiple senses and offers opportunities for hands-on learning. However, a requirement for success for these students is support, either given informally as needed or formalized in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan.

Support can come in several forms. An essential form is encouragement; others include compensation strategies and accommodations in the child’s areas of weakness. For example, 2e students may benefit from learning time-management skills and organizational techniques; and they may need to have extra time on tests and reduced homework. It should be remembered, however, that the student's strengths should not merely be viewed as means through which they can compensate for their areas of weakness. Proper support for a twice-exceptional student must include accommodations to allow them to develop and challenge their gifts as well. It is essential for these students to feel as though they are being noticed for their gifts more than just their weaknesses, otherwise the student may fall into negative behavioral patterns such as the ones aforementioned. In sum, appropriate interventions should address both the academic and social emotional needs of 2e learners.

Education

Twice-exceptional education is a movement that started in the early 1970s with "gifted-handicapped" education,^[20] a term essentially referring to the same population. 2e education is an education approach backed by 35 years of research and best practices tailored to the unique needs of 2e students. It is a marriage between special education and gifted education—a strengths-based, differentiated approach that provides special educational supports. Many argue that talent development is the most critical aspect of their education.^[21]

When teaching 2e students there are methods an educator should avoid. Twice exceptionality students do not respond well to lectures, and tend to gravitate more toward "big picture" learning. It's also important to understand that these students have a hard time following unnecessarily strict rules, and should not be expected to conform to them. Instead, being flexible with them, and focusing more on holistic, big-picture learning is recommended.

Still, finding schools that can meet the needs of twice exceptional children can be a challenge for many parents. Public and private schools with programs that combine the appropriate levels of challenge and support for these learners are in the minority. For this reason, a number of parents choose alternative educational options for their 2e children, including homeschooling and virtual schools.^[22]

Only a handful of schools in United States offer a curriculum specifically tailored to 2e children. Some public schools offer part-time programs for twice exceptional students, where they can progress in subjects like math at their own pace, and meet other students like themselves.

See also

• Bridges Academy
• The Lang School
• The Quad Preparatory School
• Gifted and talented education
• Exceptional education
• Learning disability
• Min-maxing
• ACCESS Academy

References

Further reading

• Bellis, T. J. (2002). When the Brain Can’t Hear: Unraveling the Mystery of Auditory Processing Disorder. New York: Atria.
• Bireley, M. (1995). Crossover Children: A Sourcebook for Helping Children Who Are Gifted and Learning Disabled. Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.
• Curtis, S. E. (2008). Understanding Your Child’s Puzzling Behavior: A Guide for Parents of Children with Behavioral, Social, and Learning Challenges. Bainbridge Island, WA: Lifespan Press.
• Dare, L., & Nowicki, E.A. (2015). Twice-exceptionality: Parents’ perspectives on 2e identification. Roeper Review. 37(4), 208-218. doi: 10.1080/02783193.2015.1077911
• Dendy, C. A. Z. (2000). Teaching Teens with ADD and AD/HD: A Quick Reference Guide for Teachers and Parents. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.
• Eide, B. & F. (2006). The Mislabeled Child. New York: Hyperion.
• Johnsen, S. K. & Kendrick, J. (2005). Teaching Gifted Students with Disabilities. Waco: Prufrock Press.
• Kaufman, R.K (2014). Autism Breakthrough . The Son Rise Program Developmental Model, New York: St. Martin's Press - www.stmartins.com
• Levine, M. (2002). The Myth of Laziness. New York: Simon & Schuster.
• Lovecky, Deirdre (2004). Different Minds: Gifted Children With AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and other Learning Deficits. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
• Miller, L. J. (2006). Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
• Probst, B. (2008). When the Labels Don’t Fit: A New Approach to Raising a Challenging Child. New York: Three Rivers Press.
• Rivero, L. (2002). Creative Home Schooling: A Resource Guide for Smart Families. Scottsdale: Great Potential Press.
• Schultz, S. M. (2009). Twice-exceptional Students Participating in Advanced Placement and other College Classes while Still in High School. USA: VDM
• Silverman, L. (2002). Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner. Denver: DeLeon Publishing, Inc.
• Vail, Priscilla (1989). Smart Kids with School Problems: Things to Know and Ways to Help. New York: Plume.
• Weinfeld, R., Jeweler, S., Barnes-Robinson, L., Shevitz, B. (2006). Smart Kids with Learning Difficulties: Overcoming Obstacles and Realizing Potential. Waco: Prufrock Press.

External links

• 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter
• Hoagies' Gifted Education Page
• Uniquely Gifted
• Gifted Homeschoolers Forum
• The Twice-Exceptional Dilemma
• The Quad Preparatory School
• TECA 2e - Twice Exceptional Children's Advocacy