Twice-Exceptional Students

Young people who present with concomitant high ability and disabilities represent one of education's greatest conundrums. While on one hand they appear capable of superior academic performance, on the other hand they struggle as students. Consequently, identification and educational services for the twice-exceptional student population remain bewildering and elusive as the combination of seemingly paradoxical traits puts them at great risk for identification and consequently this population of students is rarely served appropriately. This chapter explores the complexities of the twice-exceptional (2e) population, how they should be viewed, how schools and homes can accommodate what seem to be dichotomous needs, and how ultimately they can be successful and contented. Case examples amplify understanding of this challenging group of young people.

Social/Emotional Trauma and Trauma-Informed Strategies for Exceptional Students

This chapter is a case study about a 4th grade student who has some exceptionalities. His mother has requested he be tested for many years, but school personnel will not agree to provide any screenings because Ethan is not a problem child, and his work is average. Ethan complains of a stomachache often, and his mother notes that she struggles to get him to do his work. There are multiple key statements in the scenarios that should provide data for preservice teachers to use when making an informed decision about the needs of Ethan. There are also questions and activities to aid the preservice teacher in recognizing and avoiding bias, finding resources to support Ethan's exceptionalities, and advocating for his/her students.

Utility of Psychometric and Dynamic Assessments for Identifying Cognitive Characteristics of Twice-Exceptional Students

The purpose of this research was to examine the utility of psychometric and dynamic assessment for the identification of a twice-exceptional (2E) group of students who showed both mathematical high abilities and specific learning disabilities. Of a population of 800 students, 30 (14 boys and 16 girls) ages 10 to 12 years were selected and identified as twice-exceptional at three public elementary schools in Amman, the capital of Jordan. A combination of three psychometric tests and one dynamic math assessment tool was used to recognize the cognitive and perceptual characteristics strengths and difficulties among students. Both psychometric and dynamic assessment models were found important and complementary to one another for the identification of cognitive and perceptual characteristics of twice-exceptional children. The findings were reported and discussed.