What Does a Twice-Exceptional Student Mean?

If your child is considered gifted, but is also in need of special education services, it is likely that
he or she would be considered a twice-exceptional student.

Students who fall into this category likely have exceptional abilities in one subject or area of
study, while exhibiting weaknesses in another subject or aspect of learning. These twice-
exceptional learners can often fall under the radar and be overlooked for the specific kinds of
services they need in order to succeed academically. Knowing more about the characteristics,
abilities and needs of these students can help you to become a better advocate for your child.

Categories of Twice-Exceptional Students

The characteristics of these students often fall into one of three different categories. Sometimes
the extraordinary gifted qualities students demonstrate will overshadow any limitations, allowing
problems to go unnoticed.

Another common scenario involves children whose brilliant giftedness is hidden or

overshadowed by learning problems or attention difficulties. These kinds of issues can hold a
child back considerably and negatively affect the scores on IQ tests or other measurements.

Sometimes the gifted and problem areas seem to cancel each other out in students. In such cases,
the individuals will present as students with average intelligence, going without programs to
meet their high intellect.

Ways to Identify the Twice-Exceptional Student

Since there are federal laws that protect the rights of students who possess disabilities, twice-
exceptional children who present with such issues will likely receive special education services
to address their needs. There is no federal governmental requirement to meet the learning needs
of gifted kids. Decisions regarding these programs are left to those at the state or local level.
However, when it comes to state and local mandates regarding gifted education, there seems to
be little in the way of formal policy. Individual school districts tend to develop programs and
policy surrounding gifted students, and often these programs are cut altogether due to budgetary
constraints.

If youre lucky, a teacher will notice patterns in your child and make efforts to have his or her
unique educational needs met. More often than not, parents need to serve as advocates for their
children when they suspect there are multiple educational needs that need to be considered. Early
signs of a twice-exceptional learner include a noticeable and extreme talent level in a particular
area like music or math, a significant difference in academic performance versus scores on
aptitude tests and difficulty in processing information such as verbal directions. While there is no
one test meant to identify twice-exceptional tendencies, you can ask your school to test your
child for giftedness.