4.3.3 Educating Twice Exceptional Elementary Students: What Works? What Doesn't Work? A Parent’s Perspective

Twice-exceptional students have highly asynchronous development due to the gap caused by their talents versus their sensory, emotional, social, physical or learning difficulties (Baldwin, Baum, Pereles & Hughes, 2015; Reis, Baum & Burke, 2014; Besnoy, Swoszowski, Newman, Floyd, Jones, & Byrne, 2015; Silverman, 2013).

Reis et al. (2014), define twice-exceptional learners as: ". . .students who demonstrate the potential for high achievement or creative productivity in one or more domains . . . AND who manifest one or more disabilities" (p. 222).

These students possess unique social-emotional and learning characteristics which can lead to uneven academic performance, heightened frustration, and social isolation (Besnoy et al., 2013; Foley-Nicpon, 2016; Silverman, 2013). Awareness of these unique characteristics is a vital factor in finding, assessing and educating them (Baldwin et al., 2015; Hughes, 2017; Silverman, 2013). The abilities of twice-exceptional students can come across as average or below average when they are not given the right opportunities to enrich their learning (Baldwin et al., 2014; Besnoy et al., 2015). This can lead to them being overlooked, especially when parent’s views are not taken into account. Like all students with special needs, their learning difficulties must be accommodated for success, but it is equally important to consider their talents in this process.

Parent’s are their children’s best advocates. The role of parents in the education of twice-exceptional children must not be overlooked. They are usually the first ones to notice their children’s talents, differences, and difficulties, making their role crucial in their children’s education (Park, Foley-Nicpon, Choate, & Bolenbaugh, 2018). It is a roller-coaster of emotion being a parent of a twice-exceptional child, something often ignored by school officials. For success in the education of these students, accommodations should be put in place for ALL their twice exceptional needs in consultation with parents and caregivers.

My presentation will be aimed at teachers and educational leadership for twice -exceptional students at the elementary school level with a focus on what works best for these students based on the parent’s perspective. I will draw on research from Besnoy et al. (2015), Park, Foley-Nicpon et. al., 2018, and others, as well as the anecdotal experiences of parents of twice-exceptional children, to report on the education at elementary school level that works and doesn’t work best for these students. This will include the impact this has on their future mental, emotional, academic and social health.

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