The Twice Exceptional Child: "A Cipher Wrapped in an Enigma Smothered in Secret Sauce"

While the above quote was a self-referential statement made by Stephen Root in a 1995 episode of NewsRadio, I find it to be just as fitting in its present context. The term "twice exceptional", or 2e, refers to one who is both gifted and disabled. How common is it for a child to be 2e? How are 2e students identified? Once identified, how can teachers adequately meet the needs of their disability while at the same time fostering the development of their gifts? These are questions professionals and parents have been puzzling over for years.

 First of all, let me just say I am not a huge fan of the term "twice exceptional"(although it is better than "twice gifted", a term that has also been used to describe them). Despite the fact that "exceptional" simply refers to something out of the ordinary with no positive or negative connotations, we tend to use it most often to describe things that are really good or positive. Now, while I think most people would find the idea of being gifted to be a positive thing, I don't believe they would feel the same about being disabled. Be that as it may, since it is the accepted term and I can't really come up with a better name,  let's just stick with 2e.

No one really knows how many 2e children there are in the US because no one has ever really tried to count them. Back in 2006, the NEA gave an estimate, based on other estimates gathered from different sources, of 360,000 children in the US identified as both gifted and disabled (National Association of Gifted Children Position Statement: Twice

Stephen Hawking

Exceptionality, http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=5094). This number is equivalent to approximately 5% of the population served under the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) that year. (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Data Analysis System (DANS), "Children with Disabilities Receiving Special Education Under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2006).. There has been a lot of research done on the subject though  by experts both in the areas of gifted and special education. Most of the stuff I've found seems to focus on intellectual gifts in children with one of three types of disabilities; autism spectrum disorders (including Asperger's), specific learning disabilities (dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc.) and "other health inpairment" (ADHD).

So, how are 2e children identified?

Temple Grandin

The best way to ensure proper identification and avoid misdiagnosis is through a comprehensive evaluation. To be comprehensive, it must include as much information as can be gathered regarding the child's cognitive abilities, academic performance, social and behavioral characteristics, and emotional and physical development from a variety of sources including assessments, work product (class work, writings, creations from home), observations made by classroom, special education and gifted teachers, parent input, input from the child and any other sources which may provide relevant information relating to the child. Think of it as putting together a complete portfolio. The idea is to get as full a picture of the child as possible.

Assessments should be conducted by individuals knowledgeable about characteristics of gifted students and students with disabilities. The assessments themselves should be varied in what they test and how they are administered. IQ tests, achievement tests, tests of creativity and divergent thinking can each provide valuable information but no one test should be the determining factor of either giftedness or the presence of a disability. A good assessor will focus on the details and not just the end result of each assessment.  For example, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) is widely used to identify gifted children as well as children with developmental disabilities. In the latest version, the WISC-IV, the Full Scale IQ score (the result) is a composite of four different indexes: verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory and performance speed. Each of these indexes is further broken down into several subtests. Looking at a child's individual subtest scores can provide valuable insight into areas of particular strength and weakness and indicators of possible disability.  Other factors can also have an impact on assessment results including testing environment, emotional state of the child, cultural and economic factors, etc.. All should be included in the assessor's report and considered part of the portfolio.

Once the portfolio has been assembled and reviewed by a team which should include individuals with expertise in gifted and special education, the information gathered can provide a road map as to how to best meet the individual needs of that 2e child. The goal should be to remove or minimize the barriers presented by the disability enabling the child to develop his/her talents. Simple, right?

Honestly, there is nothing simple about it. This is a best case scenario of how things SHOULD work but to implement something like this across the board would require an overhaul of both gifted and special education practices in most states. Some states have made progress and include specific provisions for the identification and education of 2e children including Virginia  (http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2010/280-10.shtml), Colorado  http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/colorado/?app=00075&view=full&interface=1&docinfo=off&searchtype=get&search=C.R.S.+22-20-201, Idaho (http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/gifted_talented/twice-exceptional/docs/2E%20Manual.pdfhttp://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/gifted_talented/twice-exceptional/docs/2E%20Manual.pdf), and Ohio (http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Educating-Gifted-Students-with-Disabilities) . It's a start. but we still have a long way to go. For now, the battle for the 2e must be fought in local trenches one child at a time.