Twice/Multi-Exceptional
Students
Teacher Update
WKU, Bowling Green
August 28, 2010
Leah M. Ellis
Gifted & Talented Educational Consultant
lellisconsulting@gmail.com
Overview
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What is a twice or multi-exceptional child?
Challenges of the issue
Identification & Characteristics
Programming/Services
Recommendations/Strategies
Responsibilities/Attitudes
What is a Twice or MultiExceptional student?
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Twice Exceptional students have
gifts/talents with a specific disability.
Multi-Exceptional students have
gifts/talents and have more than one
disability.
More Specifically…
The educational term "exceptional" can be applied
to gifted children because of their above-average
cognitive ability. When gifted children are also
"exceptional" because of a learning disability (a
disorder that adversely impacts their learning)
they may be referred to as "twice exceptional"
("2E" or 2X"), or as gifted/learning disabled
(gifted/LD), or simply "multi-exceptional" a term
which acknowledges that a person may have
more than one disability.
Julie Shepherd Knapp, 2006
Who are the Twice or
Multi-exceptional?
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The one common trait is that they possess giftedness as well
as a deficit.
The largest group of twice exceptional students are those
who have a disability & are academically gifted.
They are found within every socioeconomic, cultural, racial, &
ethnic population.
They are present in almost every classroom.
They are students at risk of not achieving their potential.
They are the most frequently under-identified population in
our schools.
A group of educationally vulnerable pupils whose profiles are
often underrepresented in gifted/talented populations.
The Big Challenges:
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Appropriate services are not provided
Underserved students
Difficulty in meeting the unique needs
Not much research in the area of Multiexceptional
Identification Challenges
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Inadequate procedures resulting in underrepresentation.
Labeled first as “disabled”, remediation is the
primary concern, not in GT ID.
Few Special education teachers have been
exposed to GT characteristics and may observe
deviations from the norm as being unique to the
disabling condition. (B. Clark)
Some tests that diagnose hyperactivity,
withdrawal or disruptive behavior are often tests
that spot GT ability.
Identification Considerations
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Identification is Complicated: the necessary
knowledge of both giftedness & special education
and the awareness of the relationship between the
two areas of exceptionality.
Hidden disabilities/abilities that complicate the
assessment & identification process (ADHD, LD, AS).
Procedures must consider assessments in both
giftedness and disabilities.
Actively seek GT students among the students with
disabilities population
Suggested ID Considerations
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Use culturally sensitive assessment processes to prevent
cultural bias.
Look for subtle indicators of exceptionality in students,
remembering that ones abilities are often masked by
disability and vice/versa.
Look for discrepancies in performance including passing
hard tasks and failing easy ones.
Assess & compare oral vs. read materials, math analysis vs.
computation, timed vs. untimed.
Look for unusual abilities.
Observe adaptations children make; note special strengths &
difficulties
ID Considerations cont.
Use multiple data sources:
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Both Formal & Informal data: Tests of intellectual ability,
achievement tests, creativity tests, student work/portfolio,
recommendations
Teacher Report of student Functioning: observations,
recommendations
Family History/Student Background: Conference with families
about student performance outside of school, student interviews,
parent surveys
Nominations/Formal recommendations: Teachers, parents, peers,
self, psychologists, community members
Student Inventory to include interests, strengths, learning styles,
values, etc.
Awards & Achievements
Behavioral Checklists of specific characteristics of GT students
with disabilities
3 Main Categories
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(Baum, 1990)
Formally identified GT, but not identified as having a
disability (Giftedness masks the disability)
- Goes unnoticed for possible special education.
- May be considered an underachiever, lazy, or unmotivated.
- Maintains grade-level expectations until difficulty increases (middle
& high school).
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Formally identified disability, but not identified as GT
(Disability masks giftedness)
- May be in special education focused solely on remediation or
compensation of the disability.
- Significantly underestimated intellectual abilities due to inadequate
assessment that yielded depressed IQ scores.
- Bored in special programs if services do not match challenge level.
- Often misdiagnosed as having an emotional disability.
Categories continued:
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Not formally identified as either GT or having a
disability (Components mask each other)
- Achieving at grade level and assumed to have average
ability.
- Show signs of difficulty as curriculum becomes more
challenging.
- Perceived as performing within expectations and
therefore never referred for special education evaluation.
- Deflated achievement and test scores due to disability
and not qualifying for gifted education services.
Characteristics of Gifted
Students with Disability
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Impaired long & short-term memory
Visual or auditory processing difficulties
Visual motor integration problems
Poor self-concepts
High levels of self-criticism, withdrawal, or
aggressive behaviors
Short attention spans
Difficulty following directions
Poor peer relations
(Suter & Wolf 1987)
Twice Exceptional
Learner Profile
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Decent grades, grade-level district
assessments, well above average IQ,
reading decoding skills below average.
Having a combination of some gifted
abilities and areas that require
intensive interventions
Multi-Exceptional Learner
Profile
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Well above grade level reading skills, creative
thinker, gifted athlete & artist, grade level testing
is slightly above average, A’s in classes she likes
and F’s in classes (or with teachers) she dislikes,
behavioral, emotional & social disabilities (BiPolar, anxiety, ADD, OCD).
The unique combination of needs requires
intensive interventions for both giftedness and
exceptionalities. Because of her behavioral
difficulties, she drops out of school.
Underachieving GT & LD/GT
Compared (Silverman 1989)
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Key Characteristics
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Lack of social skills
Social isolation
Unrealistic self-expectations
Perfectionist tendencies
Distractibility
Frustration in response to school demands
Low self-esteem
Failure to complete assignments
Gifted Regulation Support for
ID & Services
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Section 3. Identification and Diagnosis of
Gifted Characteristics, Behaviors, and
Talent and Determination of Eligibility for
Services.
(3) A local school district shall provide a system
for diagnostic screening and identification of
strengths, gifted behaviors and talents which
provides equal access for racial and ethnic
minority children, disadvantaged children, and
children with disabilities.
Section 4. Procedure for Determining
Eligibility for Services.
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(2) Exceptions and special considerations for
eligibility. School personnel shall take into
consideration environmental, cultural, and
disabling conditions which may mask a child's true
abilities that lead to exclusion of otherwise eligible
students, such as a student who qualifies as:
(a) An exceptional child as defined in KRS
157.200;
(b) Disadvantaged; or
(c) Underachieving.
Addressing the Needs
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Students require a combination of gifted
and special education services.
Teach the whole child, not just a part of
the child.
The general classroom teacher has
responsibilities to this population.
Classroom Teacher
Responsibilities
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When teaching twice-exceptional students in their
area of strength, offer them the same compacting
and differentiation opportunities available to other
students.
When teaching in the area of challenge, teach
them directly whatever strategies they need to
increase success.
Never take time away from their strength to
create more time on their deficiencies.
Winebrenner, 2003
Effective Practices:
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Gather info to identify student needs and strengths.
Develop and implement IEPs that have GT
strategies and GSSPs that have special education
strategies.
Collaboration/ Expert Consultation.
Meet individual needs (May need use of special ed
or gifted services, after school activities, clubs,
independent study, arts programs, etc.).
In the Classroom:
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Simultaneous provision of gifted
instruction & specialized instruction,
adaptations & accommodations.
Make students an active part of the
class.
Hold high expectations for these
students as well.
Key Issues to Consider in the
Classroom :
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Accommodate Academic
Strengths/Giftedness
Accommodate Academic
Weaknesses/Disabilities
Provide Direct Instruction to Support
Classroom success
Address Social & Emotional Issues
Address Behavioral Issues
Accommodating Academic
Strengths/Giftedness
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Focus on developing personal strengths.
Focus on higher order thinking & reasoning skills to include student inquiry
& questioning.
Find students strongest Learning Style.
Incorporate instruction with in-depth lessons & concept development in
student interest & passion areas.
Use an interdisciplinary curriculum to allow for connectedness between
topics.
Use alternate ways to demonstrate understanding (CRUCIAL).
Where appropriate, provide compacting, differentiation, acceleration.
Explore multiple avenues to meets needs: after school activities, clubs,
related arts-programs, mentoring, online learning, independent studies.
Do not use gifted services as an incentive for addressing behavioral
problems or academic weaknesses.
Allow students to participate in enrichment experiences.
Accommodating Academic
Weaknesses/Disabilities
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Hands-on Activities
Graphic Organizers
Differentiation (Adjust content, process &
product/assessment)
Direct instruction in skills that affect disability
Allow Assistive Technology where appropriate
Make modifications (keyboarding, spell check)
Necessary accommodations: extended test/work time,
quiet/less distracting environment, etc.
Direct instruction in study skills & learning strategies
Promote student self-determination by developing selfunderstanding, goal setting, self-advocacy
Provide Direct Instruction to
Support Classroom success
May include Content &/or Direct
Instruction in:
- Writing
- Organization
- Reading
- Mathematical Calculations
- Test Taking Strategies
Additional Comments
This special population:
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may have extremes of ability existing in one student
(disabilities & giftedness).
may underestimate their own capabilities and choose not to
pursue post-secondary education.
when needs are met, has shown growth in closing
achievement gaps.
is more likely to drop out of school possibly adding to
homelessness, low-income housing, criminal activity.
represents unrealized potential such as inspiring leaders who
are never elected, cures for diseases never discovered,
revolutionary inventions never patented, thrilling novels that
are never written, groundbreaking theories never conceived.
Closing Comments
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Do you know of students not performing
up to expectations?
Do you think you might have a twice/multiexceptional student in your schools?
Do you feel you have some tools for
helping them achieve their potential?
References/
Additional Resources
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The Twice-Exceptional Dilemma, National Education
Association, www.nea.org
Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted,
www.sengifted.org
National Association for Gifted Children, www.nagc.org
Council for Exceptional Children www.cec.sped.org
Hoagies Gifted / Twice Exceptional
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/twice_exceptional.htm
Uniquely Gifted http://www.uniquelygifted.org/
2E Newsletter http://2enewsletter.com/welcome%20page.htm
Clark, Barbara. Growing Up Gifted. Merrill, Prentice Hall