A Brief Introduction for Parents What Twice Exceptional Means Generally speaking twiceexceptional 2e learners meet the criteria for both giftedness as well as learning disabled Some 2e students will be identified as ID: 476802
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Slide1
The Twice Exceptional Learner
A Brief Introduction for ParentsSlide2
What Twice Exceptional Means
Generally speaking, twice-exceptional (2e) learners meet the criteria for
both
giftedness as well as learning disabled.
*
Some 2e students will be identified as
gifted only
Some 2e students will be identified as
learning disabled
only
Some 2e students will not have been identified for either because the cognitive abilities from their giftedness mask their disability,
resulting in the appearance of an average learnerSlide3
Characteristics of Twice Exceptional Learners
*
Indicators of Ability
Interest ranges beyond school
High levels of problem solving or reasoning skills
Unusual imagination
Superior vocabularyBizarre sense of humorCreative approaches to tasks to compensate
Indicators of Challenge
Discrepant verbal and performance abilities: difficulty explaining or expressing ideas/feelings
Uneven academic skills: appear unmotivated, lack initiative, fail to complete assignments
Problems with long-term or short term memory
Lack organizational and study skills
Unable to control impulses
Poor social skills
Easily frustrated and have difficulties maintaining attention for extended time periods.Slide4
What is the Relevance to Me?
Because 2e students have the ability to mask their areas of challenge by compensating with their areas of strength, usually high cognitive ability and reasoning or problem-solving skills, they may have hidden the disability through the elementary years.
Middle school represents a shift in the educational process for students and areas of challenge may suddenly appear or seem to “get worse;” they can suddenly become underachievers.
*
Early intervention is key in providing the specific and targeted supports for 2e students, including modifications or accommodations in the student’s IEP.
As parents, you know your child best and can provide an excellent source for advocacy and supportSlide5
Areas of Challenge
All twice exceptional students will qualify as gifted
Autism
ADHD/ADD
Physical Impairments: deaf, blind, or other physical/orthopedic disability
Emotional Disturbance; struggle with relationships, inappropriate behaviors
Specific Learning Disability: struggles with language; reading, written language, mathematical calculations, processing disorders-including executive functioningSpeech or Language ImpairmentTraumatic Brain injury
There are more; see resources for details on how these can manifest.Slide6
What to do if a Disability is Suspected
Talk with your child; they can provide valuable information on the nature of the challenge and what they have done to compensate for it in the past.
Schedule a conference with teachers, especially through the counseling office at school; teachers can then begin to observe and document discrepant performance.
Check your child’s test results from the initial diagnostic report; 2e learners usually have large discrepancies between subtests indicating an area of challenge.
Use the resources with your child to find new strategies for learning; they may not have a disability but just need a new approach to learning.
Do not be afraid to pursue this! You are your child’s best and strongest advocate and you have rights under the law.Slide7
Information and Resources
Hoagies Gifted Education: Twice Exceptional
Links
hoagiesgifted.org
Child Mind Institute: strategies for executive function skills; these include organization and task completion
executive function and organization
strategiesLDOnline: resources including descriptions and strategies for the variety of disorders that existwww.ldonline.org/indepth topicsSlide8
Additional Resources
New Mexico Special Education Department: includes links to federal law and parent and student rights.
Public Education Department Special
Education
Wrights Law: devoted to parent advocacy for special education
Wrightslaw.com
Special Education Advocacy: information for parents to advocate for all special education services including gifted and twice exceptionalspecialeducationadvocacy.orgSlide9
Bibliography
Beckley, D. (1998, Spring).
Gifted and learning disabled: Twice exceptional students.
Retrieved from
http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/nrcgt/newsletter/spring98/sprng984.html
Davis, L. M. (2015).
Special education advocacy. Retrieved from http://www.specialeducationadvocacy.org/Ehmke, R. (2012, August 20). Helping kids who struggle with executive functions. Retrieved from
http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2012-8-20-helping-kids-executive-functions-organization
Inspiretomorrw10. (2011, January 25).
Twice exceptional.
Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pAI5FhNnyo&feature=related
K. C. (2015, July 8).
Twice exceptional.
Retrieved from
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/twice_exceptional.htm
LDOnline
. (2015).
LD
topics.
Retrieved from
http://www.ldonline.org/indepth
New Mexico Public Education Department. (2015).
Special education bureau.
Retrieved from
http://ped.state.nm.us/ped/SEB_index.html
Nielsen, E. (1994). Characteristics of twice-exceptional children
.
In Idaho State Department of Education (Ed.),
Twice-exceptional: Students with both gifts and challenges or disabilities
(pp. 5-8)
.
ID: Idaho State Department of Education.
Trail, B. A. (2011).
Twice-exceptional gifted children: Understanding, teaching, and counseling gifted students.
Waco, TX:
Prufrock
Press Inc.
Wright, P. W. D. and Wright, P. D. (2013, October 10).
Special education advocacy.
Retrieved from
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/advo.index.htm