"If This Student is So Smart, Why are They Floundering?":Twice-Exceptionality in the Classroom

Intellectually gifted students with co-occurring disability are described in Australia as Gifted Learners with Disability (GLD) and in some overseas literature as twice-exceptional (2E). The co-occurrence of giftedness with disability is not a new concept. In fact, Hollingworth (1923) deliberated on the needs of this group over 100 years ago. It's highly plausible that educators will have the privilege of working with GLD children across the span of their teaching career. Abramo (2015) called this group of students “misidentified, misunderstood, and underserved.” This presentation will explore a demonstrable approach for GLD students ultising a combination of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), differentiated tiered instruction, and reasonable adjustments. By developing an understanding of gifted learners with disability, engaging research and evidence-led practice in our teaching strategies, and employing a strength-based approach for GLD, teachers can direct their lessons and classroom culture to achieve maximum effectiveness for this student population to flourish.