When you were in school, you always knew who the smart kids were, right? They were the kids who raised their hands every time and knew the answers when they were called on. They could go up to the board and show their work. They were well-organized and always had their homework done on time. They got straight A’s and were frequently asked to help other students in the classroom because they’d finished their work before everyone else. They were bright, high-performing students, the kids who were chosen to participate in special programs for the gifted and talented. This is the stereotype of a gifted student. Unfortunately, this stereotype leaves out a whole group of kids who are just as bright but don’t possess the skill sets that would obviously identify them as gifted: our twice-exceptional (2E) learners.

So who are these students? So who are these students? Dual-exceptionality refers to children who have intellectual ability that measures in the gifted range on standardized IQ measures but at the same time have a diagnosed learning disability that prevents them from readily demonstrating that ability, particularly in a classroom setting. These kids run the gamut in terms of the learning differences they possess: ADHD and difficulty with executive functioning; dyslexia and dysgraphia (trouble with written language); difficulty with processing language; difficulty with short-term memory – just to name a few. Because of their learning differences, many mainstream educators identify 2E kids as average, or sometimes even below average, students. The sad result is that many of these kids come to believe that they are not bright or capable, and they never have the opportunity to develop their gifts into true talents...

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