Twice Exceptional Students- Ignite the Passion!

Back at it!

Ah, the smell of fresh school supplies! There is nothing like it!  School is back in full swing and we are getting back to our routines. We hope that some of our tips in the last newsletter were helpful in getting the year started off right. We mentioned that we will be publishing a newsletter each month with information that you might not have readily available to you. Having a bright and motivated child brings its own set of challenges.  ExploreMore! is here to help you navigate the tough and exciting waters ahead.  We would also love to hear from you.  What are your concerns or questions? Our staff are experts in gifted and twice exceptional education and are happy to help you. Feel free to email questions and we will address them in future newsletters.  Our partner, Covington Latin, has also developed a Pinterest page devoted to gifted education.  It is a curated collection of information that can help you find out more about your awesome child.  Pins are added constantly so we encourage you to follow them.

This month's topic is twice exceptionality.  For some, this might be a new term. Dr. Amend, a Clinical Psychologist and expert in gifted education defines twice exceptional (2e) as students who have exceptional ability and a disability, which results in a unique set of circumstances. Their exceptional ability may dominate, hiding their disability; their disability may dominate, hiding their exceptional ability; each may mask the other so that neither is recognized or addressed. Children who are twice exceptional can have amazing talents and simultaneously struggle in other areas. They can have college reading levels but lack social awareness; incredible artistic talent but lack verbal communication skills; incredible intellect but can't put ideas to paper.  Because of this asynchronous development, many students slip through the cracks and are not identified as gifted or LD and therefore, do not receive the support that they need.

So what do you do if you suspect that your child is twice exceptional?  The first thing is to speak to your child's school. Discuss with them what you are seeing. What are their strengths and weaknesses? Is there a large discrepancy between their abilities?   If there is a a discrepancy, testing may be necessary either through the school district or educational psychologist.  The commonly used Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC) includes a series of subtests can help identify 2e students. After testing, if your child shows evidence of a discrepancy between expected and actual achievement, evidence of an outstanding talent or ability, and evidence of a processing deficit, a plan should be put in place to help your child to succeed.  Your child's teacher will be instrumental in making sure their talents shine.

In the meantime, what can you do?  First off, you are already doing it!  Having your child participate in ExploreMore! or other enrichment activities, gives them the opportunity to ignite their passions. Encourage this exploration.  Find avenues for them to show off their strengths and talents.  New research is proving that strength based and flexible educational options are the keys to success for these kids whether that be through acceleration, social or academic remediation.  We, at ExploreMore!, are happy to help you. Please feel free to talk to us regarding your child.  Our staff are experts in the field and can point you in the right direction.