The paradox of having a child or student who is both gifted and learning disabled can be confusing for parents and teachers alike as they search for resources.

Learning Disabilities and the Gifted

Many famous leaders in the fields of sports, science, politics, literature, and art have been described as being 2e, or twice-exceptional, meaning that they are both gifted and learning disabled. Some of the more noted persons with dyslexia were Albert Einstein, Walt Disney and Tommy Hilfiger, along with other adults with learning disabilities such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Woodrow Wilson, and the kinesthetically gifted Terry Bradshaw. If truth were told, Thomas Edison’s teachers were reported as calling him ‘stupid’ to his face.

Many teachers and parents have a handle on issues surrounding learning disabilities, and some have an understanding of topics surrounding giftedness. However, most adults are not familiar with the concept of being both gifted and learning disabled. In fact, until recently, there weren’t many resources for parents or teachers who wanted help with 2e, or twice-exceptional children.

While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act addresses students with learning disabilities, and the National Association for Gifted Children and state and national gifted support groups advocate for gifted children, who looks after twice-exceptional, or gifted students with learning disabilities (GLD)?

What Does a 2e Student Look Like?

“Johnny is a bright boy, he just needs to apply himself.”

“Jane seems to be very polite, but she just doesn’t get along well with the other children.”

“Sue is so bossy. She is always correcting the other children like she’s the only one who knows right from wrong.”

“Billy’s writing just doesn’t seem to keep up with the stories he likes to tell.”

Comments like these have been around for ages, only now they are receiving special attention with the increased awareness of twice-exceptionality. 2e children can seem bored or lazy in a classroom, even though everyone knows that they are creative and intelligent and can think in the abstract. Many 2e children will misbehave in class, or their desks will look like disaster areas since they can be so disorganized. They will test high on intelligence tests and then do poorly on standardized exams. They seem to present as if they are intelligent, but then they behave as if they are disabled since no standard pattern seems to completely describe them. And, this is where the difficulties come in to play.

Two confounding issues exist when trying to describe 2e students – their gifts can overcome their disabilities as they learn compensatory strategies, and on the other end of the spectrum their disabilities can conceal their gifted talents. As is the case for most determinations of exceptionality, one way of identifying twice-exceptionality is documenting the significant incongruities between their actual intellectual ability and what they achieve on tests and in the classroom.

A gifted child can even appear to be ADD-ADHD. A conversation that is taking place these days has some potentially ominous overtones. If the classroom has to proceed at a pace that every child can follow, a 2e gifted child who needs even greater stimulation can easily become uninterested, and some of the issues noted above can take place.

Meeting 2e Students’ Social, Academic and Emotional Needs

There is one observation that has been made repeatedly over the years regarding twice-exceptional children – they tend to have a negative self-image of themselves. A good deal of these perceptions are generated by their peers and by teachers who have viewed them as being lazy and not motivated to complete the class work they see as important. Knowing this, parents and teachers can work together to create an environment where twice-exceptional students are taught in the best possible learning milieu for them.

So, what can teachers and parents do to help? Perhaps the most important tactic for teaching 2e children is to spend extra time in the anticipatory set when a new topic is introduced focusing on the global, or big picture concepts behind the new learning. Jumping directly to the details of a lesson will simply turn off the 2e learner and the message can be lost.

It is also important to keep in mind a few other distinctions. For example, while they are capable of being extremely industrious and highly motivated to work on projects that interest them, 2e students tend to work better alone. Knowing even this can help teachers make simple modifications that can help increase twice-exceptional students’ productivity in the classroom.

Using various differentiated instruction strategies, some other simple classroom modifications that can help a 2e learner (and will not push anyone else too fast, or slow anyone down) include: drawing comparisons between previously learned materials and new learning, using a good deal of visuals, spending time on drilling study skills and good habits of mind, and using computers and technology whenever possible. Depending on the nature of the disability, allowing the students to work individually at a station of their own choosing, or being able to move about or to manipulate a ball or soft object without distracting others can work in the classroom and at home.