Characteristics of Twice-

Exceptional Children

Lisa Reid, M.Ed., Ed.D.Reid Day School, Director

“Learning about the twice-exceptional is often the unlearning of suppositions.”

~SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of Gifted)

• Undergraduate Degree in Biology• Post Bac Teaching Certification• First Year Teaching – Accelerated Ivy

League Feeder School Program• Participation in a Teacher Preparation Study• Becoming aware of how much I did not know

and how little my students were actually learning.

• Games, Assimilation, Scripts, Rote Responses• Back to School for a Masters Degree

My Journey Into the World of Twice-Exceptional Education

Transitioning from “Sink or Swim” high achieving = gifted philosophy

to continual reflection regarding learning and the impact of my educational approach.

Afforded the opportunity to serve as a student teacher supervisor.

Observed the progress, practice, areas of success and areas of need that existed after abbreviated teacher preparation programs.

Served as a mentor to problem solve curriculum and instruction challenges.

Determined that…..

Opportunities and Lessons Along the Way

Effective Teacher Training is Important

Preparation Programs are NecessaryTeacher training is only a start, but it provides tried and true methods that are effective enough to support the basic learning requirements of most “typical” students.

Teacher training is valuable and is important for effective classroom management and methods of introducing new information to learners.

Teachers care and want to be effective.

Teacher training matters and is frequently not thorough enough to provide educators with the tools they need to truly understand and support the diverse needs of their students.

Most teacher training programs do not include any training for the needs of gifted, twice-exceptional or other special needs students.

Most programs for Doctors, Psychologists, Therapists and other professional do not include any training regarding the needs of gifted or twice-exceptional children.

Well intentioned people do notknow what they do not know.We need to educate them.

Opportunities and Lessons

Along the Way After several years of teaching, I observed a

pattern of children who were clearly bright but were also underachieving and frequently in trouble.

Watched their attitudes toward school and toward themselves shift over the course of their Upper Elementary and Middle School Years.

Continued teaching and pursued an in depth study of the characteristics of underachieving gifted students and the methods toward which they positively responded.

Followed by a focus toward educational psychology as it relates to curriculum, instruction, motivation and self-regulation.

Carried a tool box of experience and education with me to a new job at a 2e School (Bridges Academy). Quickly become humbled. Tried, stumbled, studied, stumbled, studied. Added ET and tremendous attention to social

emotional needs to accelerated instruction. Realized the true nature of the children I was working

with and the children I had been working with all of these years.

Felt sick with guilt over the children I could picture who I, as a caring, dedicated, educated teacher incorrectly thought were lazy, defiant or not able to progress.

Continued learning, fell in love with not just the idea of but the actual 2e.

There are essentially no resources for 2e students here and so with the help of Dr. Dan Peters, we opened a small elementary school program for 2e kids.

Why is 2e so hard for people to understand?

Neuropsychologists can more easily absorb the idea of twice exceptionality because they work frequently with people who are brilliant, but acquire deficits as a result of injuries. They are able to understand that “ability and inability can sit side-by-side”. To them it is logical that a gifted child can have a variance in their makeup that includes challenges like dyslexia, dysgraphia, auditory processing issues, etc. -SENG

It is much easier to run with the idea that a label can define a child’s course of action.

“We are blind to disabilities we are unfamiliar with or those we think we understand. Preconceptions shape what we observe.” ~SENG

The challenge that presents is that once a 2e child is labeled as remedial, investigation into the complexity of their learning profile stops and they are placed on a path where their strengths are often overlooked or dismissed due to the fact that teachers generally lower standards for children identified as learning disabled (Richey & Ysseldyke, 1983).

• Issued a Test of General Ability to a group of elementary age students.• Researchers scored the tests and informed the teachers that five students in the class had unusually high IQ scores and would probably leap ahead of their classmates during the remainder of the year. • In reality, the five children were picked at

random.

http://www.duq.edu/about/centers-and-institutes/center-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-and-learning/pygmalion

1964 Robert Rosenthal Experiment

By the end of the year, all of the children had gained in IQ, but the five “identified”

had gained much more than the other students.

Evidently, the teachers treated them differently

after being told to expect sudden improvement.

The Pygmalion EffectBeliefs regarding students ability

can impact achievement. All children want to do well.

The experience …. Introducing 10 Year Old

Jack File Descriptions included:

Expelled from preschool for repeatedly barging

through circle time. Changed school programs three additional times. Struggles to relate to chronological peers. Often defiant, oppositional, lazy and irresponsible. Intentionally naughty because he thinks it is funny. Anxiety and Impulse Control Issues. Understands electricity to the point that he can fluently

converse with an electrician Creates Jacob’s Ladders and Tesla Coils during his

free time with adult supervision Intelligence Quotient Indicates Giftedness Diagnosed with cognitive disorder, ADHD, Aspergers and

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

First Impressions with Jack Refusal to to work

Illegible writing and limited participation in assigned work

Avoidant behavior with overblown responses to non-preferred activities

Left classroom at inappropriate times Impulsive with behavior and

distracting to classmates Ignored redirection Social challenges Demonstrated glimpses of focus

when topics were of great interest to him

Shared occasional comments and questions that demonstrated above average ability and understanding when he was engaged.

• Instruction led by teachers who are fluent in content knowledge.

• Informed, Twice-Exceptional aware social/emotional support.

• Staff members who are enthusiastic

• Hands-on, Inquiry based approach to learning

• Students setting their own pace

• Allowing for students to problem solve & arrive at their own conclusions

Themes Within His New Strength Based Program (2013)

Choice in approach that allows for utilization of strengths

Effective Integration of remediation/support interventions

both academic and social/emotional

Focus on topics that are relevant and meaningful

Allow students to explore ideas that may seem

impossible

Support for areas of need/Reflect Upon Progress

Showing students that we respect what they

have to offer.

Themes Within His New Strength Based Program (2013)

With Strength Based Social/Emotional & Academic Support

“The experience is so positive that (the child) will always strive for it, again and again, from

then on. The occasions, the favorable moments, become more and more frequent, the duration and the depth of concentration greater and greater until the child no longer needs the presence

of a teacher” (Wild, 2000, p.41)

• Increased confidence & social attention

for positive achievements

• Able to approach work independently at own pace

• Avoids redundancy with topics easily mastered/minimized

boredom

• Invested in work and so does not act out as frequently

• Self-pacing allows for breaks when needed

• Improved perseverance, behavior, participation and progress

• Improved self-awareness and communication regarding

challenges and frustrations

Jack’s Growth Over Two Years

Children want to do well.

If they are not doing well then something is getting in the way.

It is our job to figure that out.

Difficulties Twice

Exceptional Children

Face May Be Caused by….

ADD/ADHDLanguage

ProcessingAuditory

ProcessingMemoryExecutive

FunctioningMotor FunctionPerfectionismOverexcitabilitiesMore

Misdiagnosis of ADD/ADHD Intensities Visual Processing Disorders (Developmental Optometrist) Auditory Processing Disorders Sensory Processing Disorders. Anxiety/Depression/Challenges at Home Boredome (Gifted children often already

know the majority of the information that is being taught in their classes).

Masked Learning Disability All other possibilities should be ruled out

before a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD is given.

Language Processing

Difficulty understanding and using language to communicate ideas.

Missing social and routine “cues”. Difficulty with written expression

in spite of articulate verbal expression.

Difficulty with reading. Dyslexia (Compensatory

Strategies, often does not start to show up until grade 4 – aka Stealth Dyslexia)

Compounds into falling farther behind

Underachievement Low self-esteem

Auditory Processing

CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Deficit)

Not diagnosed by a hearing test Deals with ambient noise,

background noise, accents. Can look like attention issues

because students fatigue from having to process information more intensely.

Can look like a behavior challenge because a child is overwhelmed.

“These children are , experientially, trying to go to school at a cocktail party”. ~SENG

Visual

Processing

Not diagnosed with a regular vision screening.

Screened by a Developmental Optometrist.

Not the same thing as dyslexia. Visual Discrimination (Can mix up

similar looking letters, have difficulty finding information on a page).

Visual Sequencing (Difficulty copying information to a sheet of paper, skipping lines when reading).

Long and short term visual memory. Visual-Motor (Physical spatial sense) Visual-spatial (Spatial awareness,

map reading May need visual information

presented in smaller segments.

Memory High auditory memory but poor

recall of visual information. May have difficulty transferring

information from the board to their page.

High visual recall but poor auditory memory.

May need visual support cues to help with following multistep directions.

Can impact executive functioning, thought organization, ability to solve complex problems.

All Can ImpactExecutive Functioning

PlanningJudgmentImpulse ControlInstant

GratificationSelf-RegulationThought

Organization

Minds often move more quickly than hands are able to keep up with.

Can feel laborious and limit ability to communicate.

Frustration and a feeling of inability can ensue.

Appears as incomplete/sloppy work. (Dysgraphia)

Students are often called lazy or “working below their ability” because of their demonstrated verbal intelligence.

Motor Function

Perfectionism

Everything comes easy… until it doesn’t. Nothing is good enough. I could have done better. Perseverance can be

underdeveloped. Difficulty with open

assignments/choice. Difficulty getting started. The label “gifted” can

leave children feeling as though being “smart” is all that defines them. This results in an intense fear of failure and can lead to feelings of low self-worth, anxiety, and depression.

Overexcitabilities (Dabrowski)www.positivedisintegration.com/

Psychomotor (talk excessively, act impulsively, misbehave and act out, compulsively organize, or become quite competitive.)

Sensory (may withdraw, clothing tags, classroom noise, can over focus, can feel slight touch as painful or hear strong voices as yelling.)

Intellectual (Highly curious, avid reading, strong visual recall, strong concerns about moral and ethical issues.)

Imaginational (Mixing fact and fantasy, drawing, writing)

Emotional Overexcitability

Intense feelingsExtreme EmotionsOverreactionPhysical responses to

stress (stomachaches, blushing)

Tendency toward anxiety and depression.

Strong emotional attachments to people places and things.

Highly SensitiveEmpathetic

Instructiona

l Suggestions

• Project Based Learning

• Tiered Instruction

• Document Based Questions

• Choice in Topic

• Choice in Demonstration of Knowledge

• Relevant & Meaningful Projects (can be

made cross curricular)

• Give interest surveys

• Find out what students do in their free time

• Differentiated Resources

Social Emotio

nal Needs

This is a high-risk population.

Remember and do not underestimate sensitivities.

Recognize overreactions as very real for the child.

Support Self-Awareness. Give Breaks When Needed. Teach Communication and Self-

Advocacy. Help Students Learn to Self-Regulate. Celebrate Diversity. Seek out suggestions from a

educational psychologist or therapist. Find a Parent Support Group (SMPG’s).

Additional Thoughts

“A whole child approach to the twice-exceptional child should include a child’s social context (such as family, school, and friendships); it will also include mental health and neurobiological well being.” SENG Gifted and Learning Disabled: A Neuropsychologist’s PerspectiveWhile

Not having routine can often create discomfort for children who are, by nature, often already intensely concerned that they aren’t doing things “right”. Paradoxically, the structure and known expectations that they often seek to escape are what actually provide them a sense of security.

Locus of

Control

This is a critical juncture at which we often start to see students described with comments such as “not working to potential” or even, “lazy”.

Other displays include avoidant behavior that can appear as fooling around, or even straight defiance.

In response, teachers and parents often unknowingly bypass the root of the behavior and transition into a “Power” role that directly impacts student’s perception of their potential as a self-directed learner. In turn, the student’s motivation to utilize self-regulatory behaviors in order attempt to make progress can decline or cease all together.

Self Regulation/Consistent Boundaries

Fostering the development of self-regulation within students involves helping them to take responsibility and become actively involved in their development as young adults and as learners. It is during this stage that students’ long-term attitudes toward learning and toward themselves are shaped.

It is only after students become able to self-regulate and control the outcome of their performance that successful academic independence will occur.

2e Students need extra support in this area. Consistent boundaries and explicit expectations

are essential.

Changing the Conversation

Dispelling Myths Uniting for a cause instead of against Understanding this group of

students as a population that actually experiences the word differently.

Treating with as much care, thought, sensitivity as you would students on the other side of the curve.

Realize the difference between sweet spot gifted and other. The tendency for social, emotional issues increases with increased IQ.

There is tremendous need for increased awareness and support for the needs of twice exceptional students.

Training programs for all professionals need to integrate 2e education.

Government special needs support needs to extend to include programs for twice-exceptional children.

Of Greatest ImportanceAll Children Want to Do Well. If they are not doing well, something is getting in the way. Children aren’t inherently lazy or defiant.

Avoid labels and pathology. Address challenges but focus on strengths.

Always remember that there is much more to twice exceptional children than meets the

eye.

Your perspective and belief in the potential of twice exceptional children go a long way.

Special Thanks and Important References

RDS Families and Team Members

Julie Hull & OCC Gate

Dr. Dan Peters Summit Center Marti Colglazier Carl Sabatino Bridges Academy

SENG (Supporting the Needs of

Gifted Children) Sharon Duncan, Dr. Joanna

Haase, Dr. Nicole Tetrault Dr. James Webb Mark Bade & 2e Newsletter Marcy Dann (Association of

Educational Therapists) Association of Educational Therapists

Reid Day School is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We team with Summit Center to offer full and part time school programs as well as evaluations, educational therapy and learning support services for our students and students in our local community. We specialize in serving and advocating for the needs of elementary school students who have demonstrated giftedness alongside learning challenges. We provide a strength based approach to gifted education that integrates talents and interests alongside support for social, emotional and academic areas of needed growth. We firmly believe that with the proper tools and support all children can be successful and enjoy learning.

Contact

Dr. Lisa ReidReid Day School Lisa@ReidDay.orgwww.reidday.org

151 Kalmus Drive, Suite H9

Costa Mesa, CA 92626(949) 680-9592

References