The term twice exceptional, often abbreviated as 2e, entered educators' lexicons in the mid-1990s and refers to gifted students who have some form of learning or developmental disability. These students are considered exceptional both because of their giftedness (e.g., intellectual, creative, perceptual, motor etc.) and because they are disabled (e.g., specific learning disability, neurodevelopmental disability etc.) or neurodivergent. Ronksley-Pavia (2015) presents a conceptual model of the co-occurrence of disability and giftedness. A twice-exceptional child is one who, along with being considered gifted in comparison to same-age peers, is formally diagnosed with one or more disabilities. Although twice-exceptional can refer to any general disability, it is often used to refer to students with learning disabilities. Research is not limited to these areas, and a more holistic view of is seen as helping to move the field forward. The learning associated disabilities can include dyslexia, visual or auditory processing disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, sensory processing disorder, autism, Tourette syndrome, and ADHD. Twice-exceptionality can also be associated with a diagnosis of anxiety or depression or any other disability interfering with the student's ability to learn effectively in a traditional environment. For example, 19% of dyslexic students were found to be superiorly gifted in verbal reasoning. Often twice-exceptional children have multiple co-morbid disabilities that seem like a paradox to many parents and educators. There is no clear-cut profile of twice-exceptional children because the nature and disabilities of twice exceptionality are so varied. This variation among twice-exceptional children makes it difficult to determine just how many of them there might be. Best estimates of prevalence range from 300,000 to 360,000 in the U.S. (on the order of 0.5% of the total number of children under 18 ). Linda Silverman, Ph.D., the director of the Gifted Development Center has found that fully 1/6 of the gifted children tested at the GDC have a learning difference of some type. In Australia, in 2010 a conservative estimate of the number of twice-exceptional children was around 40,000, or approximately 10% of gifted Australian children, although other estimates have placed this much higher at 30% of gifted Australian children as being twice-exceptional.

Misunderstood children

Brody and Mills [1997] argue that this population of students "could be considered the most misunderstood of all exceptionalities". In each situation, the twice-exceptional student's strengths help to compensate for deficits; the deficits, on the other hand, make the child's strengths less apparent although as yet there is no empirical research to confirm this theory. The interplay of exceptional strengths and weaknesses in a single individual results in inconsistency in performance. They might present any of the three profiles identified by educator and researcher Dr. Susan Baum: In the case of behavioral/socioemotional, rather than cognitive problems, both strengths and deficits can be intensified. A twice-exceptional student's grades commonly alternate between high and low, sometimes within the same subject. The child might have advanced vocabulary and ideas but be unable to organize those ideas and express them on paper. They might be a skilled artist or builder but turn in assignments that are messy or illegible. They might complete assignments but lose them or forget to turn them in. To the parents and teachers observing this behavior, it may seem that the child just isn't trying. In fact, many twice-exceptional children work as hard if not harder than others, but with less to show for their efforts. This struggle to accomplish tasks that appear easy for other students can leave twice-exceptional children frustrated, anxious, and depressed. It can rob them of their enthusiasm and energy for school and damage their self-esteem.

Identifying twice exceptionality

Formal identification of twice exceptionality requires identification and formal clinical diagnosis of each of at least two separate underlying exceptionalities. Given the statistical rarity, wide variety of presentations, and practical access issues with obtaining adequate diagnostic assessments, it is not unusual for 2e children or adults in open society to have not been accurately identified or adequately diagnosed. Children identified as twice exceptional can exhibit a wide range of traits, many of them typical of gifted children. Like those who are gifted, twice-exceptional children often show greater asynchrony than average children (that is, a larger gap between their mental age and physical age). They are often intense and highly sensitive to their emotional and physical environments. The following chart summarizes characteristics commonly seen in this population. Twice exceptionality often does not show up until children are in school. In their early years, these children often seem very bright, with varied interests and advanced vocabularies (particularly with reference to same-age peers); and many times parents are unaware that they have a child with 2e. Teachers sometimes spot problems in school; sometimes parents are the first to notice their children's frustrations with school. During the early years it may be social difficulties. The 2e child may find it hard to make friends and fit in. Academic problems often appear later. As work demands increase, teachers may see a drop or inconsistencies in the student's performance, sometimes accompanied by an increase in problem behaviors. Some 2e students withdraw, showing reluctance to speak out or take other risks in class; while others play the class clown. Some are unable to stay focused, find it hard to sit still and work quietly, and have difficulty controlling anger or frustration. If these difficulties persist, school personnel or parents may decide that evaluation is needed. Along with a physical examination, children may undergo psycho-educational testing to determine the cause of their struggles. The professionals who take part in the process should be knowledgeable about giftedness. Some characteristics of giftedness can look very much like those of a learning disability or disorder and, as a result, gifted children are sometimes incorrectly diagnosed with disorders. For instance, if a single IQ score is considered in the identification of giftedness, 2e individuals with learning disabilities are likely to be misidentified. Therefore, evaluation results should indicate the child's areas of strength and weakness and identify whether any disorders or learning disabilities are present. In addition, the results should include information on what the child needs in order to build on the strengths and compensate for the weaknesses that have been identified. Teaching to students' abilities rather than disabilities increases self-concept scores.

Support

Twice-exceptional (2e) children possess both giftedness and learning disabilities, requiring specialized support to thrive academically and socially. Their strengths are crucial for success, and they excel in environments that offer intellectual challenges and complex thinking opportunities. Essential support mechanisms include encouragement, compensation strategies, and accommodations such as time allowances. Effective interventions must address their intellectual and social-emotional needs, ensuring their gifts are recognized. At the same time, challenges they may encounter in their environment can be mitigated through self-advocacy skills and utilization of social and legal protections. Moreover, distinctions should be made to address the unique challenges that different diagnoses may present in individuals, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While both gifted individuals who are also identified as ASD or ADHD may exhibit high intelligence and unique interests, a key difference lies in their social interaction patterns. Some autistic individuals have unique profiles that may challenge reciprocal communication and understanding social cues and pacing, which can dramatically impact their learning opportunities. Alternatively, those with ADHD may require support with interest-based engagement and impulsiveness, which can influence their needs for organization support and time allowances, as well as opportunities to seek novelty. Given these complexities, counselors and psychologists play vital roles in supporting 2e students. Counselors are positioned to be valuable resources for teachers, other school personnel, and community members who might need to become more familiar with twice-exceptionality. Psychologists provide and interpret assessments and develop targeted interventions based on students’ cognitive profiles. Both professionals are essential in creating supportive educational environments that recognize and nurture the unique abilities of twice-exceptional students. Counselors, psychologists, and educators must adjust their approaches based on the 2e students’ developmental levels to help ensure that environmental factors comply with and appropriately accommodate for these needs to ensure accelerative opportunities and talent development commensurate with individuals’ talents, skills, and creative gifts.

Education

The twice-exceptional education movement started in the early 1970s with "gifted-handicapped" education, a term essentially referring to the same population. The 2e education approach has 35 years of research and best practices tailored to the needs of 2e students. It is a marriage between special education and gifted education—a strengths-based, differentiated approach that provides special educational supports. Many argue that talent development is the most critical aspect of their education. When teaching 2e students there are methods an educator should avoid. Twice exceptionality students do not respond well to lectures, and tend to gravitate more toward "big picture" learning. These students have a hard time following unnecessarily strict rules, and should not be expected to conform to them. Instead, being flexible with them, and focusing more on holistic, big-picture learning is recommended. Still, finding schools that can meet the needs of twice exceptional children can be a challenge for many parents. Public and private schools with programs that combine the appropriate levels of challenge and support for these learners are in the minority. For this reason, a number of parents choose alternative educational options for their 2e children, including homeschooling and virtual schools. Only a handful of schools in United States offer a curriculum specifically tailored to 2e children. Some public schools offer part-time programs for twice exceptional students, where they can progress in subjects like math at their own pace, and meet other students like themselves.