Twice-exceptional Students Research Articles

Evidence-Based Instructional Practices for Twice-Exceptional Students With Autism

Academically talented students with autism, also known as twice-exceptional students with autism (2eASD), are increasingly identified in school. These students present challenges to educators who attempt to plan and implement successful instructional opportunities, as teachers’ knowledge and use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for students identified with 2eASD vary. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify current practices used by 10 high-school content and special education teachers who teach these students, as well as their recommendations for postsecondary institutions for these students. The findings suggest high-school teachers support the use of differentiated, strength-based individualized instruction for college-bound students with 2eASD, but are generally unable to offer specific examples of how these practices are implemented in their special education or content classrooms. In addition, they seldom focus on the strengths and talents of this population in their classrooms and fail to recommend competitive colleges for their consideration.

Teachers’ Perceptions of Young Gifted Children in China

Teachers’ perceptions are important in identifying and serving gifted children. However, little attention is given to gifted education in the early years in China. This study aimed to investigate teachers’ perceptions of young gifted children (aged 3–6), exploring teachers’ understandings, feelings, practices, and perceived challenges. Qualitative data were collected from seven teachers through semi-structured interviews. Major conclusions included the following: (a) teachers showed a multifaceted understanding of giftedness but exhibited confusion about twice-exceptional students; (b) teachers had mixed feelings about young gifted children and their negative feelings might be associated with unfamiliarity with gifted characteristics; (c) compared to whole-group teaching, “areal games” showed a higher level of differentiated instruction and a more active role that teachers played in challenging gifted children; and (d) lack of professional knowledge, time, and energy were major challenges perceived by early years teachers to serve gifted children. Important implications for practice and policy are addressed.

Honoring the Ancestors: A Culturally Responsive Response to Intervention Framework for Diverse, Twice-Exceptional Students

Honoring the Ancestors: A Culturally Responsive Response to Intervention Framework for Diverse, Twice-Exceptional Students

Special Education Status and Underidentification of Twice-Exceptional Students: Insights from ECLS-K Data

Special Education Status and Underidentification of Twice-Exceptional Students: Insights from ECLS-K Data

Misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis of twice-exceptional students: Examining current psychoeducational assessment practices.

Misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis of twice-exceptional students: Examining current psychoeducational assessment practices.

The Additional Burden of Auditory Processing Skill “Deficits” for a Young Person with Multiple Exceptionalities: A Case Study of a Twice-Exceptional Student

ABSTRACT This article reports on the findings of a qualitative case study exploring the auditory skill “deficits” of a twice-exceptional male student who had multiple exceptionalities, including deficits in auditory processing skills, which contributed to learning issues and social connection difficulties in unique ways. Auditory skill deficits are an under-researched area in the field of gifted education, yet these are requisite skills necessary for learning in school. For this case study, auditory deficits were related to phonological processing, auditory sequential memory, lowered auditory recall abilities, and weaknesses in auditory analysis skills. The role that these auditory skill deficits played in the educational experiences of this young person is explored. Findings suggest that the presentation and impact of auditory processing deficits is very individual.

Auditory Processing Disorders and Vision Processing Disorders in Twice-Exceptionality (2e): Are These Foundational Factors Being Overlooked?

A growing understanding of twice-exceptional (2e) students has caused many to consider the possibility of misdiagnosis and missed diagnoses in the gifted student. Despite this, auditory processing disorders (APD) and vision processing disorders (VPD) are seldom examined in the 2e research literature, yet are not uncommon in the 2e population. Because both auditory and vision processing are foundational to the human experience, challenges in these areas may significantly impact higher-order skills such as attention and executive function, as well as academic performance. This article explores what is currently known about these processing disorders, examines potential co-occurring conditions, such as dyslexia and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and presents clinical case file data suggesting how these sensory disorders may appear in the 2e population. Proper identification, management, and support of APD and VPD in 2e students could improve our ability to address student needs at the foundational level.

What would it take? Enhancing outcomes for high-ability students with disability

A troubling misconception exists that high-ability is enough to ensure positive educational, mental health and well-being outcomes for gifted students. Of course, we want all our students to develop their potential in school, so why are so many of our more able children failing in school and enduring the repercussions of reduced well-being? The notion that a student is not highly able if they are receiving poor grades is a common societal misconception, and this is commonly the case for gifted learners with disability, also known as twice-exceptional students. A considerable number of school students globally have intellectual ability in the gifted range, a high number of those are gifted with co-occurring disability, and many remain unidentified. It is, therefore, likely that a significant percentage of our classrooms have students who may be flying under the radar and are likely to be underachieving or unsupported within the school system. The purpose of this article is to highlight the issues around gifted students with disability that may contribute to their underachievement. Also discussed is how educators, counsellors and other key stakeholders can support this unique population of students.

Voices of twice-exceptional students in their first year of higher education

ABSTRACT This study analyzed the trajectories of five twice-exceptional students during their first year of higher education. The aim was to identify the personal and contextual barriers they faced and the enabling factors available to them. Based on a qualitative approach and a multiple-case design, narrative interviews were conducted with the participants. Three main themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (1) higher education learning; (2) twice-exceptional student identity; and (3) educational trajectory. Results revealed that, despite the challenges of higher education transition, participants view the experience positively for its diversity and pluralism, which enable them to access a broad knowledge base, achieve greater self-knowledge, and construct an identity as twice-exceptional students. It also gives them the opportunity to analyze their educational trajectory and the turning points that have shaped it. The results serve to guide twice-exceptional students through their university experience, to ease their transition to higher education, and to promote their academic and socio-emotional well-being. Furthermore, they support the formulation of educational strategies and policies that address the specific needs of twice-exceptional students and promote their academic success in higher education.

School and Family Collaboration on Twice-exceptional Academic Program Services

Collaboration in twice-exceptional academic program services is an important thing to pay attention to when optimising student potential. This research focuses on both school and family involvement using a qualitative approach and a case study design to describe the forms of school and family collaboration. The respondents in this research consisted of 15 teachers and 15 parents with twice-exceptional children. The data collection in this research was carried out using participatory observation techniques and semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed through data collection, data compression, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings in this study reveal that there are diverse roles held by both schools and families in relation to the testing, planning, implementing, and evaluating of twice-exceptional programs. Additionally, it highlights the significance of self-development and extra-curricular activities in maximising student potentials, alongside the importance of training both schools and families in supporting the twice-exceptional students' development. The establishment of collaboration is influenced by several supporting factors such as open communication, administrative support, and parental involvement. Meanwhile, factors that can hinder the creation of collaboration include a lack of awareness, busy parental schedules, and misunderstandings regarding the roles involved. By understanding the results of this research, schools and families can work together to support the development of twice-exceptional students more effectively by developing educational service programs that better support the potential of twice-exceptional students. It is hoped that future research will be able to better describe collaboration in academic services for twice-exceptional students for each different type of special need.

Memories and Musings: My Experiences with Marcia Gentry and More

ABSTRACT Marcia Gentry personified a life well-lived. In this tribute to her work and legacy, her early ideas are highlighted. The author describes her professional experiences with Marcia during the years when Marcia was a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut. Recalling her initial motivation for a more inclusive form of identification of gifted students, the author shares Marcia’s experiment with cluster grouping while still working in a public school in Michigan and describes how that experience grew into one of Marcia’s major lines of inquiry in her quest for more inclusive and authentic strategies for identifying gifted and talented youngsters. The author relates how this line of inquiry mirrored her own work in identifying twice-exceptional students using more authentic identification methods. Also explored is Marcia’s early experience with authentic learning as she developed curriculum for Project High Hopes, and how this problem-based curriculum was a precursor for Marcia’s extensive work with Enrichment Clusters as a means to extend gifted pedagogy to all students. The author then details her own research in using authentic learning as a research-based intervention for twice-exceptional students.

Elementary school teachers’ perceptions of the characteristics of twice-exceptional students

The current study explored the perceptions and understanding of Saudi elementary school teachers regarding the characteristics of twice-exceptional (2e) students. This qualitative phenomenological study recruited 14 elementary school teachers at schools in Medina City in Saudi Arabia. Data were gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews to gain insight into participants’ perceptions of this student population. Findings indicated that teachers associate certain characteristics with the giftedness trait of 2e students, including excellent communication skills, problem-solving ability, strong retention, curiosity, creativity, abstract thinking, and leadership skills. Moreover, Saudi elementary school teachers perceive that 2e students experience academic challenges related to their disabilities in reading, writing, and mathematics, as well as are aware that such students tend to struggle with low self-esteem and maintaining concentration. Overall, there is a tendency to view these students as having two independent conditions—giftedness and disabilities that cause academic challenges—rather than identifying these individuals as having a single condition of being twice exceptional that comprises traits that impact their learning in combination.

Needs-based assessment of twice-exceptional gifted students: The S&W-Heuristic

Misdiagnoses and missed diagnoses of gifted students with co-occurring learning-, developmental and behavioural disorders are often mentioned in literature and practice. Consequently, these Twice-Exceptional (2E) students often fall between two stools regarding appropriate psycho-educational interventions. This article offers a research and practice informed assessment procedure, namely the Strengths and Weaknesses Heuristic (S&W-Heuristic), that can help to tackle such problems in case giftedness or any 2E is suspected. This S&W-Heuristic was developed via the method of design research. Initially the S&W-Heuristic was developed to assess students with (suspicion of) the co-occurrence of intellectual giftedness (IG) and autism in a needs-based way, though, subsequently to assess (potential) 2E-students in general. The systematicity of the S&W-Heuristic may help psychologists and special remedial educationalists to reveal hitherto camouflaged strengths or weaknesses in underachieving smart students and to understand their ambivalent psycho-educational needs. Being the product of design research, this article also offers a prelude to new theoretical perspectives regarding the concepts IG and 2E. By shifting from a ‘classification-based’ to a dynamic ‘dimensional-based’ definition of 2E, camouflaged talent will be recognised more effectively and will get more opportunity to flourish. Accordingly, it is proposed to consider IG and 2E as constructs on a continuum.

Optimization of Twice-exceptional Students’ Giftedness in Memorizing the Qur'an

Purpose – This study aims to describe the teachers’ efforts to optimize the giftedness of twice-exceptional students in memorizing the Qur'an.
 Design/methods/approach – The method used in this study was qualitative research with observation, interviews, and documentation as data collection techniques. Respondents in this study consist of 50 teachers of twice-exceptional students selected by random sampling. The data was then analysed through data condensation, data presentation, and drawing conclusions.
 Findings – The optimization of twice-exceptional students to memorize the Qur'an is shown by an assessment, direction of learning, and memorizing programs of the Qur'an according to their specificity, involvement in socio-religious activities in the community, and cooperation with the family.
 Research implications/limitations – This study was conducted in Yogyakarta City with teachers of twice-exceptional students as the respondents in the categories of gifted students with visual impairments, gifted students with hearing impairments, gifted students with physical barriers, and gifted students with autism.
 Originality/value – The development of Qur'an learning models for twice-exceptional students on different types of specificities needs to be enhanced to accommodate their specific abilities and needs.
 

Using Behavioral Engagement Measures of Multiple Learning Profiles to Recognize Twice-Exceptional Students

Using the ECLS-K:2011, a nationally representative dataset, we compared measures of behavioral engagement among students with four different learning profiles: students identified with learning disabilities, students identified as gifted, students identified as both gifted and having a learning disability (twice-exceptional; 2e), and general education students. Behavioral engagement focuses on conduct in class, participation in school-related activities, and interest in academic tasks. We detected differences in engagement among the four learner profiles, specifically when comparing students with disabilities to other profiles. When comparing students with disabilities and general education students to gifted and 2e students, the effect size was medium to large. The effect size between the gifted and 2e profiles was small, suggesting similar behavioral engagement. Because disabilities and giftedness can often “mask” each other, these findings suggest that recognizing how behavioral engagement manifests in each category can lead to more accurate identification of special-needs students for GT assessment.

Resource teachers of learning and behaviour (RTLB) support for twice exceptional students

Twice-exceptional (2e) students face many barriers to learning opportunities due to their combinations of giftedness and learning disabilities. If 2e students are referred to special education teachers such as resource teachers of learning and behaviour (RTLB), challenges may be encountered when RTLB lack knowledge of twice-exceptionality. This article provides insight into the barriers RTLB face when identifying 2e students, and how RTLB provide learning programmes that promote and strengthen 2e students’ talents while scaffolding support for their learning disabilities. It draws upon a small exploratory qualitative study of RTLB knowledge of 2e concepts, how they identified these students, and the common intervention approaches used when working with 2e students.

Policy Considerations for Twice-Exceptional Students

Policies for talented students with disabilities, or twice-exceptional students, exist in very few states across the country. Historically, families of twice-exceptional students have found most of their support though implementation of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 Accommodation plans. Yet, there is no federal mandate for gifted education service provision; consequently, these students’ coexisting high abilities often are overlooked. We recommend states modify their gifted and talented policies to address specifically twice-exceptional best practices in identification, such as using universal screening methods tied to curriculum interventions, and intervention, such as creating Gifted Individual Education Plans in conjunction with IEPs. These methods outline not only service provision for one’s disability but also specify methods for developing talent among twice-exceptional youth.

The education context for twice-exceptional students: An overview of issues in special and gifted education

Twice-exceptional children (2e) identified as having a disability and areas of high ability require a diverse range of support and enrichment services. However, services associated with special education and gifted programs present numerous barriers to the appropriate education of 2e students. In this manuscript, the author briefly recounts his experiences as a 2e child and shares experiences of 2e students and their families presented at the 2021 Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice Exceptionality. Challenges associated with the provision of special and gifted education to 2e students are also described. The role of neuroscience in education, as it relates to 2e students, is also discussed. Although many of the barriers to effective education for 2e children are systemic in nature, school-level reforms, as well as scientific advances, have the potential to improve services for this population.

Strength-Based Strategies for Twice-Exceptional High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Academically talented students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have the potential to be successful both in high school and later in college, but their rate of post-secondary enrollment and completion lags behind their peers. Currently, limited information exists on strategies to help these students, often known as twice exceptional or 2e, to be academically successful in high school and prepare for competitive college experiences. This article includes a range of specific and practical educational strategies and practices reported in recent research. These strength-based practices, experiences, and learning strategies can be incorporated into educational planning for current 2eASD secondary students to prepare them for academic success and transition, if they desire, to competitive colleges.

Inclusive Support to Safeguard the Strengths of Twice-Exceptional Students

MJBSS targets all the current and future prospective of research in the behavioral and social sciences. The journal accepts all type of articles such as research articles, case reports, review, commentary and short communications etc., behavioral sciences include psychology, psychobiology, criminology and cognitive science