Twice exceptional (2e)
Twice exceptional (2e) refers to individuals, particularly students, who exhibit both exceptional abilities and disabilities. These learners may show outstanding talent in areas such as academics, creativity, or leadership while simultaneously facing challenges in areas such as reading, attention, or social interaction. Identifying twice exceptional individuals can be complex, as their strengths may obscure their weaknesses, or the focus may be disproportionately on one aspect of their abilities. This duality often leads to under-recognition, with many 2e students navigating educational systems without appropriate support.
The concept of twice exceptionality gained prominence in the late 20th century as educators began to understand that high intelligence does not always equate to high performance across all areas. These individuals may struggle with neurobiological conditions like dyslexia, ADHD, or autism spectrum disorder, which can complicate their learning experiences. Traits such as perfectionism, sensory sensitivities, and uneven development further illustrate the unique challenges faced by twice exceptional learners. It is essential for educators and caregivers to recognize and nurture both the strengths and needs of these individuals to foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
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Twice exceptional (2e)
Twice exceptional (2e) is a concept in education and psychology that refers to learners who display both giftedness and disability. The twice exceptional person has an outstanding ability in one area but struggles in another. Those who fall into this category can be difficult to identify because the strength may mask the weakness, or the person may be able to use the strength to compensate for the weakness. Alternatively, educators, parents, and others may focus on one aspect of the person's abilities while the other is ignored. As a result, some twice exceptional individuals are never identified. This can lead to frustration, depression, and other problems for the individual.
Background
Beginning in the 1960s, educators realized that it was not always easy to categorize a student as disabled or gifted. For instance, they began to identify students who had high intelligence but struggled to read or who read well above grade level but could not sit still and behave in class. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, educators began using the phrase "twice exceptional" to identify these learners. It is unclear who first coined the phrase. The phrase "dually exceptional" also is used and has the same meaning.
Experts believe the contradictory traits that arise in twice exceptional learners may depend on which part of the brain dominates. The brain is divided into two halves, or hemispheres. The left hemisphere is associated with verbal, auditory, and sequential tasks. This half of the brain organizes and categorizes information. It is more focused on details.
The right half of the brain is less focused on details and more focused on the overall picture or image created from all the details on which the left hemisphere concentrates. The right side is more visual in nature and specializes in recognizing patterns. It is considered the creative side. The left brain is generally considered the center of rational, analytical thinking, and the right brain is more creative, intuitive, and expressive.
The majority of people use both halves of the brain more or less equally or at different times for different purposes. For example, someone learning to play the piano might initially rely more heavily on the left side to help find patterns and discern the notes to play but will add the creativity of the right side to add life to the music once competency is reached. However, some experts believe that some people tend to favor one side of the brain over the other.
This can be problematic for those who display a strong preference for right-hemisphere processing and traits. School classrooms and many other situations are structured for the analytical, logical, and orderly processes of the left brain. This can result in difficulties for the estimated one-third of the population with a strong preference for right-brain functioning. Those who are right-brain processors may prefer moving to sitting still, have difficulty staying neat and organized or completing work on time, prefer to touch and feel objects, daydream, and have problems recalling some pieces of information but not others. This can make functioning in classrooms and places of employment difficult. Many of those considered twice exceptional fall into this category.
Overview
Twice exceptional people are those who have above-average abilities in one or more categories but exhibit a disability in one or more other areas. Areas of strength may include intellect, academic ability, leadership, creativity, visual or performing arts, or athletic ability. Disabilities may be physical but are more likely to be problematic when they are emotional, social, or academic in nature and caused by neurobiological conditions such as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Although it has been estimated that at least 5 to 6 percent of the school population may fit into the twice exceptional category, experts say that many of these students go through school without ever having their special needs identified. This is because students with exceptional abilities may be able to compensate for the areas in which they are weak. For example, a student with a reading disability may have an excellent memory and be able to retain enough of what is said in the classroom to do well on tests. Another reason why twice exceptional learners are not identified is because they may be misidentified as being lazy or having behavioral problems. This often occurs because teachers, parents, and others see these students excelling in one area and assume that they are capable of excelling in others. Any poor performance may be blamed on lack of attention, sloppiness, or laziness. These students may exhibit what many consider behavioral problems because they are bored or frustrated in class or have an undiagnosed condition, such as ADHD or ASD.
In other cases, it is clear that the child has some sort of asynchronous, or uneven, development that causes him or her to excel in some areas and struggle in others. Teachers and parents may realize, for instance, that a child quickly understands complicated concepts but struggles to read or that a child cannot pay attention in a math class but can sit and read independently for hours. These children are more likely to be identified as twice exceptional.
Other traits of twice exceptional children include a strong tendency toward perfectionism and extreme sensitivity to sensory input. Those who tend toward perfectionism will be easily frustrated when they attempt tasks that they cannot do well the first time. Those with sensory issues may be easily irritated by certain smells, the consistency of foods, and the way their clothes feel. However, these characteristics are generally not recognized as "disabilities," so the twice exceptional learner's issues may go undiscovered. Other traits, such as daydreaming and the inability to stay still, may make it difficult for the twice exceptional to be accurately tested to identify the disability with accuracy.
The twice exceptional students who display a clear disability may face another problem. The area in which the twice exceptional learner is gifted may be treated dismissively, especially if it is not academic in nature. For instance, a child who has ASD may have a strong gift for art, but if the child also has a tendency to be disorganized and messy, caregivers may not provide adequate opportunities for the child to experiment with art supplies. Twice exceptional individuals are also at risk of being defined by their disability, and their gifts will not be supported or encouraged.
Bibliography
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