Here at Kenosis, we work with special people. Not just because we have diverse specializations within our therapy team and a wide range of services, but also because people themselves are unique.
One of the populations near and dear to our hearts are people who are twice exceptional. We have personal experience, and enjoy serving these individuals because we understand the struggle and we see the potential.
But if you’re not familiar with twice exceptional, what does that mean? And what are the signs that indicate that you, or someone in your life, might be twice exceptional?
What is Twice Exceptionality?
In order to understand the twice exceptional concept, it’s important to understand some terminology.
First, the term gifted. Gifted is probably a word you’ve heard before. Usually used to describe children and young people, the 1971 Marland Report defines the federal definition of gifted as:
The term ‘gifted and talented,’ when used with respect to students, children or youth, means students, children or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities.
Marland Report
In other words, particularly bright students who may need more than the typical school curriculum to reach their full potential are gifted. These young people are intelligent, capable, and although they’re talented, their gifts can show in many different ways.
The term disability is also important to understanding twice exceptionality. A disability, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is:
Any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
Disabilities can be mental or physical, and have a wide range of effects on an individual’s life. Many people with disabilities are brilliant and simply have different needs than others.
Someone who is twice exceptional is both gifted and has a disability.
Although it may seem to contradict itself in some ways, these individuals, often called 2e kids, are both extremely talented and struggle with symptoms of a disability. According to the National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC) twice exceptional children typically exhibit signs of specific learning disabilities (SpLD), emotional/behavioral disorders, speech and language disorders, physical disabilities, impairments such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or be on the autism spectrum.
The reason “exceptional” is used to describe these individuals is because of their intellectual talents and the special needs of their disability.
For school-age students, being twice exceptional can look different depending on their unique characteristics. On one hand, they can be extremely talented in one or more specific areas, for instance academic achievement or the arts, but symptoms of their disability can overshadow these gifts. On the other hand, some kids use their talents to compensate for their learning deficiencies.
Because of these phenomena, some people go years or their whole life without knowing they’re twice exceptional. It’s not uncommon for adults with children to go through testing if they see their children struggling in similar ways that they did growing up.
Signs of Being Twice Exceptional
If being twice exceptional means being gifted and having some sort of disability, how do you know if you, your child, or someone else in your life fits the bill?
Depending on the person, you may encounter multiple gifted traits. Some signs a child is gifted, according to MENSA, include:
- Originality
- Extensive vocabulary
- Abstract & critical thinking skills
- Perceptive & inquiring mind
- Advanced reading ability
- Strong sense of ethics & values
- Sense of humor
- Can concentrate for long periods of time on areas of interest
- Quick mastery of basic skills
- Exceptional reasoning skills
- Ability to connect ideas
- Astute observation skills
- Special abilities in math, science, music, art, language, or computers
- Unusual insight & intellectual curiosity
Not all gifted students show all of these traits, but many show more than one as they learn and develop.
Similarly, twice exceptional expert and teacher Dr. Michael Postma suggests that 2e students might show signs of:
- Learning quickly
- Strong curiosity
- Having an expansive vocabulary
- Divergent thinking
- Having an advanced comprehension of nuances
- Strong memory
- Sophisticated sense of humor
- Unusual emotional depth
- Having a wide array of deep interests
- Keen problem-solving skills
Many of these traits overlap with MENSA’s list of characteristics exhibited by bright students, showing the gifted side of 2e students.
Twice exceptional students may also struggle, though, because of their disability. They may have trouble with:
- Interacting socially
- Being disorganized
- Fatigue
- Performing consistently
- Executive dysfunction
- Taking initiative or transitioning between activities
Depending on the disability, and the severity of the symptoms, some extraordinarily smart individuals have trouble with everyday tasks such as keeping organized, talking to friends and coworkers, turning in projects on time or meeting deadlines, and being easily frustrated when dealing with tricky or disappointing situations.