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The Multi-Faceted, Twice Exceptional Child
Presented by Rebecca Lopez M.A., Ed.S.SPED Coordinator – Twice ExceptionalCherry Creek School [email protected]
A Note on Communication from My Heart to Yours…I speak because I know my needs, butI speak with hesitation because I know not yours.My words come from my life’s experiences.Your understanding comes from yours.Because of this, what I say, and what you hear, may not be the same.So if you will listen carefully, not only with your ears but with your eyes and with our hearts together…maybe, somehow, we can communicate.
Professional Credentials 12 years in Education Regional Director of Marketing, Pepsi - 6 years prior to
teaching Bachelor of Arts in English Literature & Education from
Eastern Washington University Masters of Arts in Special Education with emphasis in
GT/2X and At Risk Populations from the University of New Mexico
Educational Doctoral Specialist in Educational Leadership from the University of Northern Colorado
Credentialed in Secondary Language Arts/Literature, K-12 Special Education, K-12 Gifted Education, and K-12 Principal’s License
Colorado’s Definition of Twice-Exceptional Twice-exceptional students are:
Students who are identified as gifted and talented in one or more areas of exceptionality recognized by CDE: Specific Academics, General Intellectual
Ability, Creativity, Leadership, Visual or Performing Arts
Colorado’s Definition of Twice-Exceptional (cont.)
AND also identified with a disability defined by Federal/State eligibility criteria in one or more of the following areas: Specific Learning Disability, Significant
Emotional Disability, Autism, Visual impairment, including blindness, Deafness, Deaf-Blindness, Hearing Impairment, or Speech & Language Disability, Intellectual Disability, Orthopedic impairment, Traumatic brain injury, Other health impairment, or Multiple disabilities
Characteristics of Twice-Exceptional Children It is important to note that the content of
characteristic lists should be viewed as typical of many children who are gifted and who also have a disability rather than characteristics which ALL such children possess. Twice-exceptional children do not form a simple, homogeneous group. Rather, they are a highly diverse group of learners.
The profiles of 2E students are atypical of both a gifted student and a student with disabilities.
Slide adapted from Twice-Exceptional Child Project (Nielsen, Elizabeth 1994.)
Twice-Exceptional Students
Strengths Superior Vocabulary Highly Creative Resourceful Curious Imaginative Questioning Strong Problem-Solving Skills Sophisticated Sense of
Humor Wide range of Interests Advanced Ideas & Opinions Special Talent or Consuming
Interest
Challenges
Easily Frustrated Stubborn Manipulative Opinionated Argumentative Written Expression Highly Sensitive to Criticism Inconsistent Academic
Performance Lack of organization and
Study Skills Difficulty with Social
InteractionsSlide adapted from Twice-Exceptional Child Project (Nielsen, Elizabeth 1994.)
Cognitive Characteristics of Twice Exceptional Learners Discrepancy among standardized test scores Superior verbal & communication skills Visual learner with strong perceptual reasoning
skills High level of reasoning and problem-solving
abilities Conceptual thinker who comprehends “big picture” Unable to think in a linear fashion Auditory processing deficits & difficulty following
verbal instructions
Characteristics of twice-exceptional learners. Adapted from Nielsen, 1993.
Cognitive Characteristics of Twice Exceptional Learners Slow processing speed and/or problems
with fluency and automaticity Executive functioning deficits in planning,
prioritizing, and organizing Highly creative, curious, and imaginative High energy level Distractible, unable to sustain attention, or
problems with short-term memory Sensory integration issues
Characteristics of twice-exceptional learners. Adapted from Nielsen, 1993.
Academic Characteristics of Twice Exceptional Learners Demonstrates inconsistent or uneven
academic skills Advanced ideas and opinions Wide range of interests Advanced vocabulary Penetrating insights Specific talent or consuming interest Hates drill and practice assignments
Characteristics of twice-exceptional learners. Adapted from Nielsen, 1993.
Academic Characteristics of Twice Exceptional Learners Difficulty expressing feelings or
explaining ideas or concepts Work can be extremely messy Poor penmanship and problems
completing paper-and-pencil tasks Avoids school tasks and/or frequently
fails to complete assignments Appears apathetic, is unmotivated, and
lacks academic initiative
Characteristics of twice-exceptional learners. Adapted from Nielsen, 1993.
Interpersonal Characteristics of Twice Exceptional Learners Difficulty relating to peers, poor social skills,
and/or antisocial behavior Capable of setting up situations to own
disadvantage Isolated from peers and do not participate in
school activities Target of peer bullying Cannot read social clues Lack self-advocacy skills Disruptive or clowning behavior
Characteristics of twice-exceptional learners. Adapted from Nielsen, 1993.
Intrapersonal Characteristics of Twice Exceptional Learners Highly sensitive to criticism Perfectionist who is afraid to risk making mistakes Denies problems and/or blames others for
mistakes and problems Believes success is due to ability or “luck” Behaves impulsively Self-critical, has low self-esteem and self-efficacy High levels of anxiety and/or depression Easily frustrated, gives up quickly on tasks
Characteristics of twice-exceptional learners. Adapted from Nielsen, 1993.
Dyslexia: The World The Way I See It…
Distinguishing Characteristics of Gifted Students with Disabilities
Skill Traditional Gifted Characteristics
Twice-Exceptional Characteristics
Basic Skills Ability to learn basic skills quickly and easily and to retain information with less repetition
Often struggle to learn basic skills due to cognitive processing difficulties; need to learn compensatory strategies in order to acquire basic skills and information
Verbal Skills High verbal ability High verbal ability but might exhibit difficulty in written language and use of language might be inappropriate at times
Reading Ability Early Reading Ability Often reading problems due to cognitive processing deficits
Observation Skills Keen powers of observation
Strong observation skills but often deficits in memory skills
Skill Traditional Gifted Characteristics
Twice-Exceptional Characteristics
Problem Solving Strong critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills
Excels in solving “real-world” problems; strong critical thinking and decision-making skills; often independently develops compensatory skills
Persistence Long attention span; persistent, intense concentration
Frequently has attention deficit challenges, but may concentrate for long periods in areas of interest
Curiosity Questioning attitude Strong questioning attitude; may appear disrespectful when question information, facts, etc. presented by the teacher/adult.
Creativity Creative thoughts, ideas, actions; innovative
Unusual imagination; frequently generates original/bizarre ideas; extremely divergent in thought; may appear to daydream when generating ideas
Skills Traditional Gifted Characteristics
Twice-Exceptional Characteristics
Risk Taking Willing to take risks Often unwilling to take risks with regard to academics; take non-academic risks often without consideration of consequences
Humor Unusual, often highly developed
Humor may be used to divert attention from school failure; may use humor to make fun of peers or to avoid trouble
Maturity May mature at different rates than same-aged peers
Sometimes appears immature since he/she may use anger, crying, withdrawal, etc. to mask feelings and deal with difficulties
Independence Strong sense of independence
Requires frequent teacher support & feedback in deficit areas; highly independent in other areas; often appears to be extremely stubborn and inflexible
Emotionality Sensitive to needs and opinions of others
Sensitive regarding disability area(s); highly critical of self and others including teachers; can verbalize concern for others while still demonstrating negative social behaviors
Skills Traditional Gifted Characteristics
Twice-Exceptional Characteristics
Social Skills May not be accepted by other children and may feel isolated
May be perceived as a lone since he/she does not fit typical model for either gifted or a learning disabled student; sometimes has difficulty being accepted by peers due to poor social skills
Leadership Abilities
Exhibits strong leadership ability
Often is a leader among the more non-traditional students; demonstrate strong “street-wise” behavior; the disability may interfere with ability to exercise leadership skills
Broad Interests Wide range of interests
Interested in a wide variety of topics; however, his/her disability may restrict the ability to successfully pursue these interests
Focused Interests
Very focused interests Often has very focused areas of interest; may have a passion about a certain topic to the exclusion of others; areas of interest most often are not related to school subjects or topics available in school
Indicators of Low Self-Esteem One of the most common characteristics
of the twice-exceptional child is low self-esteem. They often disguise this low self-esteem through the use of one or more of the following behaviors: Anger, Self-criticism, Crying, Disruption or
Clowning, Denial of problems, Withdrawal, Daydreaming and fantasy, and/or Apathy
Twice Exceptionally Gifted…
Online Resources for Parents 2e Twice Exceptional Newsletter
Website & newsletter provide information and resources on raising twice-exceptional children, educating them, and meeting their social and emotional needs http://www.2enewsletter.com/
Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page Website has information for parents, educators,
kids, and teens about all topics pertaining to giftedness including twice-exceptionality. http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/
Gifted Development Center Website Contains articles and resources on the topic of
twice-exceptional children https://www.gifteddevelopment.com/
Online Resources for Parents National Association for Gifted Children
NAGC provides resources for teachers, parents, administrators, and policymakers on how to develop and support gifted children. The national organization provides publications, information on advocacy, legislation, and research. http://www.nagc.org/
Council for Exceptional Children CEC is an international professional organization
dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. They provide professional development resources, journals, newsletters, conventions, and conferences. http://www.cec.sped.org/
Online Resources for Parents Association for the Education of Gifted Underachieving
Students http://www.aegus1.org/about.html
Center for Gifted Education, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA http://education.wm.edu/centers/cfge/
Learning Disabilities Online http://www.ldonline.org/
The National Foundation for Gifted and Creative Children http://www.gifted-children.com/
National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/
SENG: Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted http://www.sengifted.org/
