What Does Twice Exceptional (2E) Mean?

Gifted, but also with specific learning differences.

So what does twice-exceptional or 2E actually mean? Typically, these children have IQ’s that are quite high, somewhere between 125 and 160, but they have another skill or skills that is underdeveloped compared to kids of the same age. This might be social skills, reading ability, executive functioning skills, or motor skills for example. So you may have a child with a diagnosis of ADHD and ASD with an IQ of 145 for example, who is incredibly bright and inquisitive, struggles to understand some abstract concepts and regulate attention, and this child would be considered twice-exceptional. Additionally, a child with very strong reasoning and processing abilities, but struggles to read secondary to a congenital learning disability (e.g., dyslexia).

In essence, a child who is classified as “twice exceptional” exhibits sets of strengths and weaknesses that are on the extreme ends of the normal curve. This means that certain abilities are considerably above average, while other abilities fall notably below average (e.g., asynchronous development). For example, a child with an IQ at the 98th percentile, who has significant ADHD symptomatology impacting academic and social success, with sustained attention and response inhibition scores falling below the 2nd percentile. In both respects, performance is significantly aberrant from most of the population, as they fall in the top 2 and bottom 2 percent of their same-aged peer group, respectively.

Now I should note that the high achievement/intellect piece is not solely determined by IQ, sometimes this can be a special talent like mathematical ability, art, music, or visual-spatial ability. There may be some academic subjects in which the child performs well above grade-expectations and others in which they perform well below. These children may have different ways of reacting or processing the environment, specialized interests, or unusual ways of solving problems and they often do not learn in a “linear” fashion. Some 2E children have described this as feeling like they have two different people inside of them, one who is smart where things come easy, and one that gets in the way and has trouble understanding.

Unfortunately, many of these children are misunderstood and often have teachers, therapists, or even peers who focus solely on one side of their abilities- sometimes the “giftedness” is more obvious and because the child compensates well initially, their learning differences are missed or overlooked. So now maybe that child’s teacher or even parents have high expectations and feel the child is being “lazy”  or “noncompliant” in school in terms of reading or paying attention. On the other hand, maybe you have a child with autism who is labeled as “weird” and “antisocial” and assumed to not understand what is going on around him, all the while he is processing information and understanding at a level significantly higher than many of the peers around him.

Frustratingly, sometimes these students are excluded from gifted programs because no one ever bothered to assess intelligence or because they have extra needs that a teacher might feel would not or could not be met within a gifted program. Not surprisingly, oftentimes these children are misdiagnosed either initially or permanently, which prevents them from getting the services and support they deserve. As such, it is crucial to have someone who is well-trained in assessing children with 2E and the complexities of their profiles to complete their evaluations and to ensure that performance over time and in the context of their strengths are being considered. Sadly, many 2E children have reportedly dissatisfaction and frustration with their school experiences and feel as if their strengths were ignored.

The research supports addressing the needs of these students in the school envirovment, even if the needs or struggles appear minimal or the child is able to compensate at a high level initially. It is important for teachers to understand the nature of a 2E profile as well as what skills, strategies, and modifications are required for the child to be successful within the classroom, which may include specialized instruction and/or acceleration options. It is also important for the teachers to focus on the child’s strengths, build confidence and acceptance, and work collaboratively with the child’s parents and entire support team. These students often qualify for accommodations and/or related services (e.g., specialized reading instruction, speech/language intervention, extra time on tests) within the public school setting. There are also specific private schools or programs within private or charter schools which offer programs or classes specific to child with a twice exceptional profile. The research also supports other types of instruction or therapeutic experiences such as art or animal-assisted therapies.

In terms of parents, it is important to understand the intensity of a 2E profile, and not view it as a negative quality, as these children can easily feel invalidated or as if they are being “punished.”. Having a strong sense of justice or fairness, increased empathy, intense interests, and traits of perfectionism, though seeming to be a nuisance at times, has proved to be very adaptive and functional in many situations and certainly for certain occupations. These children may feel easily upset with themselves, as they become fixated on mistakes and have unrealistically high expectations for themselves. It is critical that parents be “informed” as opposed to “reactionary” and provide choices, structure, and individualized attention as well as using honesty, humor, and giving the child the benefit of the doubt. Focus on strengths, but be ready to advocate for needs, while making every attempt to understand your child or not assume they are aware of their behaviors impact on others. Find ways to challenge them, keep them involved with activities in which they can feel confident and joyful, and encourage them to be true to who they are whether in their home, at school, or when with their peers.