|Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp
|Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp. All rights reserved.
|about the book
|The Homeschool Diner's Guide to
Twice Exceptional Homeschooling:
An Online Resource Guide to 2E
by Julie Shepherd Knapp, copyright 2006
[Originally published in the "MCGT Outlook", the newsletter of the
Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented, Vol. 29. No. 1]
Lots of Gifted/LD resources and links to info about specific learning
disabilities/disorders that affect learning....
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.
The National Institute of Health estimates that 15% of the US
population struggle with learning disabilities. Many parents and
teachers are surprised to find that gifted children are not immune.
Learning disabilities are not tied to intelligence, though their presence
can depress IQ scores, and they are not always easy to spot -
especially in gifted children.
Gifted children must be identified as gifted before they can receive
educational accommodations in public schools. Likewise, children with
learning disabilities must be identified as needing help before they will
receive accommodations. Twice exceptional children may not be
identified as either gifted or learning disabled because their giftedness
can mask their special needs... and their special needs may
overshadow their giftedness.
Instead of receiving the help they need, unidentified twice exceptional
children may be labeled "lazy", "unmotivated", or "underachiever".
Twice exceptional children are typically frustrated, physically
exhausted (from trying to compensate for their disabilities), and angry
with the adults in their lives who don't understand their struggle. The
end result may be more labeling, such as "emotional", "depressed",
"uncooperative", "oppositional", and, eventually, "at risk".
Parents often find themselves fighting two separate battles when they
advocate for an "appropriately challenging" education for their twice
exceptional children. Many professionals find it hard to understand
that a child may need acceleration in one subject, but remediation in
another. If you suspect that your child may be twice exceptional you
will need to be well-prepared before you meet with teachers,
physicians, or educational assessment professionals. It is essential
that you educate yourself on twice exceptional issues, understand the
diagnosis criteria for the suspected disabilities, and become familiar
with the various remediation and accommodation strategies that are
available. You will find many online resources helpful for gathering the
information you need... to educate yourself and the other adults in
your child's life.
Teachers who educate themselves on twice exceptional issues can
learn to spot the symptoms of a gifted child struggling with a hidden
learning disability. Many of the websites listed below provide
classroom strategies to help accommodate different needs. So, even
when special services are not available, a knowledgeable teacher can
try several small procedural changes that might make a big difference
in a child's performance.
The following "General Resources" were chosen as good starting
points for research into twice exceptional issues. The "Resources for
Specific Disabilities" will help you become familiar with several types of
commonly diagnosed learning disabilities and their impact on gifted
children. You will find more articles to read at each website you visit.
As always, you should seek the council of a trusted professional to
discuss the best options for your particular child.
Click on the topic below to go to a list of helpful articles and
resources on 2E students:
* Online Resource Guide for Twice Exceptional Children *
General online support groups for 2E issues:
(see individual topics below for support groups for each disability)
GT-World - choose either GT-Special or GT-Spec[ial] Home[school]:
Homeschooling Extraordinary Kids for parents of gifted children
with learning differences
Shadow Syndrome Kids for those with mild symptoms of various LD's
Diner Resources for Specific Disabilities/Disorders:
(many with a focus on gifted children)
Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)
aka Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
Executive Function Deficits
aka Executive Dysfunction
aka Organizational Processing Deficits
Dysfunctional Sensory Integration (DSI)
aka Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
aka Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities (OE's)
Dyslexia (aka Reading Disability)
and Other Vision Problems
aka Disorder of Written Expression
aka Graphomotor Disability
aka Written Output Disability
aka Math Learning Disability
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
aka Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
aka High Functioning Aspergers
aka Aspergers Syndrome (AS)
Non-Verbal Learning Disorder (NVLD or NLD) and
Semantic-Pragmatic Learning Disorder (SPLD or SPD)
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
and Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Visual-Spatial Learner (V-S)