Twice exceptional
Also conditions like hyperlexia or precocious development in some aspects, while having difficulties in common or day-to day tasks, these people may frequently face contradictory situations which lead to disbelief, judgements, alienation, and other forms of epistemic injustice.
The term twice-exceptional first appeared in Dr. James J. Gallagher's 1988 article titled National Agenda for Educating Gifted Students: Statement of Priorities.
Giftedness is often defined in various ways and is influenced by entities ranging from local educational boards to national governments;[3] however, one constant among every definition is that a gifted individual has high ability compared to their age-level neurotypical peers.
They might present any of the three profiles identified by educator and researcher Dr. Susan Baum: In the case of behavioral/socioemotional, rather than cognitive problems, both strengths and deficits can be intensified.
This struggle to accomplish tasks that appear easy for other students can leave twice-exceptional children frustrated, anxious, and depressed.
[citation needed] Some other common situations may involve some amazing performance or contributions by such individual may be mistakenly distrusted, discredited, or undervalued because they are not known to be brilliant in other areas, or because they are way ahead than their peers in some aspects.
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.
Some are unable to stay focused, find it hard to sit still and work quietly, and have difficulty controlling anger or frustration.
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.
[11] Twice-exceptional (2e) children possess both giftedness and learning disabilities, requiring specialized support to thrive academically and socially.
[21] While both gifted individuals who are also identified as ASD or ADHD may exhibit high intelligence and unique interests, a key difference lies in their social interaction patterns.
Some autistic individuals have unique profiles that may challenge reciprocal communication and understanding social cues and pacing,[22] which can dramatically impact their learning opportunities.
Counselors are positioned to be valuable resources for teachers, other school personnel, and community members who might need to become more familiar with twice-exceptionality.
Both professionals are essential in creating supportive educational environments that recognize and nurture the unique abilities of twice-exceptional students.
Counselors, psychologists, and educators must adjust their approaches based on the 2e students’ developmental levels[26][27][28] to help ensure that environmental factors comply with and appropriately accommodate for these needs to ensure accelerative opportunities and talent development commensurate with individuals’ talents, skills, and creative gifts.
For this reason, a number of parents choose alternative educational options for their 2e children, including homeschooling and virtual schools.
