Supporting Twice-Exceptional Children and Families in Rural Kentucky Communities Echo Wu & Meg Crittenden College of Education Murray State University 1

What is Twice-Exceptional (2e)? Twice-exceptional (2e) children refer to those who are intellectually gifted and at the same time, being diagnosed with one or more learning, behavioral, physical and/or psychological disabilities 2e students can be immensely diverse, embodying a combination of strengths and weaknesses. Some of these disabilities may include ADHD, dyslexia, autism, OCD, behavioral disorder, and Asperger syndrome 2

Twice Exceptional 3

Current Situation in the US It is estimated that there are approximately 360,000 2e students in the United States Us Department of Education (2006) 4

Yet… There is a lack of effective accommodation and intervention for 2e population, and only a handful of schools in the US offer a curriculum specifically tailored to them. 5

And… Not many educators understand 2e clearly, and under a traditional learning environment, 2e students may encounter various problems and can easily underachieve without appropriate support from school and home. 6

Urgent Situation  2e students are not identified properly  The situation for 2e students is worse in some areas (e.g., rural areas) than those in other places  Educators must know more about effective identification and academic interventions in order to help this special population 7

Group Think  Do you know anyone who is 2e?  What do you need to know about 2e?  What can you do for 2e? 8

What Educators Need to Know (1)  Gifted students with special needs are likely to experience underachievement because effort to address their needs (from home or school) may focus more on remediation of difficulties rather than their giftedness  2e students often remain invisible to teachers and sometimes even parents, as the disability itself may mask their giftedness and talent  Misdiagnosis can often worsen 2e students’ situation, and contribute to their continued failure in learning Reis & McCoach (2002); Baum & Olenchak (2002) 9

What Educators Need to Know (2)  Intervention at the earliest stage is crucial for 2e students to alleviate some challenges quickly  Involving family and parents to increase success for 2e students can significantly improve 2e students learning  There are various characteristics of 2e, and teachers need to know different strategies to assist different 2e students in the classroom Pereles, Omadal, & Baldwin (2009) 10

What Teachers Need to Do (1) Teachers need to be familiar with the diversity of 2e characteristics. Students can be gifted and at the same time, be  ADHD (Albert Einstein, Vincent Van Gogh, Tom Cruise, Robin Williams, Bill Gates)  LD (Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Winston Churchill)  Dyslexia (Richard Branson, Steven Spielberg, Ann Bancroft)  Autism (Mozart, Michelangelo, Emily Dickinson) 11

Actors Keanu Reeves Henry Winkler Business Bill Gates Charles Schwab Physicist Albert Einstein Pierre Curie 12

Inventor Thomas Edison John Britten Olympians Greg Louganis Bruce Jenner Artists Leonardo de Vinci Pablo Picasso 13

TV Jay Leno Whoopi Goldberg Scientists Michael Faraday Alexander Graham Bell Sports Mohammed Ali Magic Johnson 14

What Teachers Need to Do (2)  Need to be alert at the signs and behaviors that may indicate the characteristics of 2e students  Need to work with special education professionals and even parents through the diagnosis of special needs as well as giftedness  Need to participate in professional development (regularly) to become more knowledgeable about those who are gifted and those who have ADHD/ LD/Dyslexia/Autism etc. 15

What Teachers Need to Do (3)  Need to look at the strengths of 2e students separately from their weaknesses  Need to be aware of the best practice in teaching to accommodate specific 2e aspects, so as to maximize these students’ learning opportunities  Need to provide 2e students with opportunities to use their abilities, so that the characteristics associated with the disability or disorder do not interfere with positive experiences, in their classrooms, in extracurricular activities, and at home 16

Need to consider ways that can ease 2e students’ stressors or environmental triggers that tend to amplify their areas of difficulties Need to pay attention to 2e students’ academic achievements, and also their affective needs Need to encourage 2e students’ self-confidence for them to reverse weaknesses, and fulfill their potential Need to create an inclusive environment for 2e students, so that their strengths can be fully developed while their weaknesses can be recognized and treated appropriately 17

What Teachers Need to Do (5)  Compact/pace curriculum & required classes  Break assignments into parts  Access to a computer when needed  Differentiated assignments  Copies of notes  Provide concrete cues  Extended time on assignments  Preferential seating  Work or test in quiet room  Opt out of daily assignments 18

Our Research Project with Principals and Teachers  Aiming at helping 2e students in Western KY area, our study investigates principals’ and teachers’ understanding of the development of 2e children  Our interview questions include whether and how their schools help 2e population of students, and beliefs on what schools should do to assist 2e children at school as well at home  Research findings will help develop a Resource Manual for educators and practitioners in helping 2e children, as well as a website specifically dedicated to 2e education 19

Summary Twice-exceptional students are often hidden from our view. Their giftedness masks their learning disabilities and their learning disabilities depress their IQ scores so that they appear less gifted than they really are The secrets to reaching twice exceptional children are teaching to their strengths 2e students will blossom and fulfill their potential with -- Full Support from YOU! 20

Help All Your Students Succeed! 21

Echo Wu, Ph.D. Tel: Meg Crittenden, Ed.D Contact Information