Symposium Proceedings »
S5.9.2 Establishing and Fostering Positive Partnerships: Collaboration and Twice/Multi-Exceptional Children
Twice/multi exceptional (2E) students are those who are identified as gifted or talented in one or more areas whilst also possessing at least one learning, emotional, physical, sensory and/or developmental disability (Assouline et al, 2006). Twice exceptional students are often misunderstood as their giftedness frequently masks their learning disabilities, and their disabilities can subsequently camouflage their talents (Reis & Renzulli, 2004). These students are vulnerable to being overlooked for gifted programs and may be undiagnosed and unsupported in their learning disabilities (Davis et al 2011). Robust identification strategies are required to capture twice exceptional students (Davis et al, 2011). Additionally, the needs of 2E students can remain unmet as 2E students differ from students with disabilities, students with average intelligence and gifted-alone peers (Abramo, 2015). Teachers may be unaware of effective strategies to identify and support 2E students; therefore the importance of a collaborative relationship between teachers and parents cannot be understated. Research indicates that teachers are one of the most important elements in an effective education for all students (Quigly & Vialle, 2002), and actively involving parents or carers in the education of students fosters parental self-esteem and competence (Kim & Bryan, 2017). Establishing long term, positive and constructive home-school-community relationships take time and dedicated focus (Allen, 2007) and are vital to the development of an effective program to support the needs of the twice-exceptional child.
Delivered through a multi-media format, this symposium will utilise evidence-informed practices and case studies to explore ways in which all stakeholders (including teachers, parents, allied health professionals and students) can collaborate to achieve the best outcomes for 2E students. Positive partnerships require clear communication between all stakeholders to develop individual learning plans with specific and achievable goals to facilitate improved relationships and support the needs of the 2E child. It is important for the learning goals to not only meet the cognitive needs of the student, but also provide them with specific support structures for their disabilities and provide the students with opportunities for success in the classroom. The symposium presenters will consist of educators and parents of 2E students. Identification of twice exceptional students and strategies to support the 2E student in the classroom, accommodating their strengths and weaknesses will be covered.