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Gifted children with learning disabilities are known as twice-exceptional. Both the identification and the classification of twice-exceptional children are a matter for practical ingenuity, as these children tend to fall upon extremes of a scale, resulting in either the child with both obvious giftedness and a learning disability or in the child where the giftedness effectively masks the disability. The latter results in a child that tests as average upon surface-level assessments. In this article, a new direction of the identification of twice-exceptional students is proposed in terms of specific learning disabilities, specifically in terms of the latter form of students who go through education undiagnosed. In addition to this direction, we provide a condensed understanding of both giftedness and specific learning disabilities in students, as well as how they interact in twice-exceptionality, and how teachers might best navigate the issue of masking within the classroom.

In a recent position statement, the National Association of Gifted Children argued the importance of providing equitable treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and other sexual and gender minority individuals (LGBTQ+) gifted youth to help them maximize their potential. However, there are very few empirical studies focusing on the intersection of giftedness and gender identities. Little is known regarding these students’ experience at, and outside of, school. Focusing on the individual process of gender identity development and self-acceptance, we interviewed nine LGBTQ+ postsecondary students in North America (aged between 19 and 29 years) who are graduates of an academically focused high school in Turkey. In particular, we studied their ways of thinking, stress coping strategies, and environmental factors that may have enabled their self-acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities. Findings of the study show that the mental health of LGBTQ+ is a function of individual factors (e.g., coping strategies), structural factors (e.g., a homophobic sociocultural environment), and the context. The findings also indicate the benefits of complexity and reflectiveness in thinking, metacognition and the ability to separate identity labels from identities, enabled by high school peer support, liberal curriculum and classroom discussions, and access to information during adolescence.

The purpose of the study was to explore attitudes of educators in the United Arab Emirates toward gifted education and twice-exceptional students. One thousand and seventy-five educators (81% general education teachers and 19% teachers of the gifted) participated in this study. Data were collected using an online dual-language survey instrument, which was distributed using the Qualtrics system. Findings of this study indicated that Abu Dhabi teachers have positive attitudes toward gifted education and twice-exceptional students. No significant differences were found in scores for general educators as compared to those for teachers of the gifted. The findings also indicated that Abu Dhabi educators who had no experience of teaching gifted children had a more positive attitude toward them than those who had experience.

Parents play a vital role in identifying and cultivating talent for diverse gifted children but their experiences with schools and educational leaders are rarely studied. To examine parent perspectives on identifying and serving diverse gifted students, we conducted six focus groups with 39 parents of K-12 children from culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse backgrounds (CLED), and/or identified as twice exceptional (2E). Thematic analysis and its six-phase approach was used to analyze data. We found (a) that the majority of parents advocated for their gifted and talented children, (b) a lack of consistent and comprehensive strategies by educational leaders to promote parent engagement, (c) disproportionate communication from district leaders rendered engagement efforts less effective, (d) GT identification remained problematic to some parents, and (e) front line educators served a critical role in the bilateral relationship between school and family. Implications are discussed for researchers and educational leaders.

Although they have the potential to excel, twice-exceptional (2e) students of mathematics do not usually have this opportunity as their special educational abilities, and special needs, are often m...

In this study, the high school and college GPAs of college students who were screened as twice-exceptional were compared to college students screened as gifted and average college students. From a sample of 32,741 college students, those screened as gifted earned significantly higher means than students screened as twice-exceptional (2e) and the general college population on both high school and college GPA (p .05), but STEM majors had higher high school mean GPAs than those with non-STEM majors (p

Particular racial/ethnic and class groups remain underrepresented within gifted and talented education (GATE). However, students who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) or gifted and di...

Parents of academically talented students with various types of learning differences, often called 2E, need to understand how support their children’s unique needs. In this article, we discuss current research about 2E students and focus on how parents can both nurture and find educational opportunities that encourage their children’s strengths and simultaneously address their deficits. Talent development strategies are discussed for parenting for strengths with this population. Too often, 2E students, have conflicting needs that can complicate the identification and development of their talents and so this article concludes with specific recommendations for parents of these students.

The complex learning and socio-emotional profiles of students who are twice exceptional are often accompanied by challenges to their identification and support in the primary school. This exploratory research project, conducted in a primary school in New South Wales, Australia, focused on developing and trialling a comprehensive and useful assessment tool for teachers to use in the preliminary stage of investigating whether students might be twice-exceptional. Using mixed methods research methodology and a Participatory Action Research design, three primary-school teachers (including the first author) developed the Teacher Checklist Questionnaire (TCQ) based mainly on published research and anecdotal findings. All teachers at the school site from Years 2 to 6 (N = 10) participated in the first trial of the TCQ and the results from the analyses were positive in terms of validity, reliability, and usefulness. The main conclusion is that the tool shows promise as an early investigative tool to assess twice-exceptional students.

In this study, the success of 6,054 college students screened as twice-exceptional (2e; i.e., those with significantly discrepant math vs. reading scores on the ACT [formerly, American College Test] or SAT [formerly, Scholastic Aptitude Test]) was examined based on major selection and type of potential learning disability using a screening technique proposed by McCallum et al. There were no differences in high school grade point average, college grade point average, or first-year retention rates between students screened as 2e who had a major in line with their academic strength versus those who did not ( p > .05). However, students screened as 2e based on an exceptionally high math score but a lower reading score yielded statistically significantly higher rates of retention ( p < .05) than students screened as 2e with the reverse pattern of scores (i.e., gifted in reading with a potential learning disability in math). Implications for screening 2e students are discussed.

This research focuses on the educational and daily life of a gifted individual with albinism. The purpose of this current research was to determine the difficulties faced by this twice-exceptional individual in his education life and how these difficulties have been overcome. The study has been conducted by narrative study design of the qualitative method. Research data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with the individual himself, his mother and one of his friend. Data analyses revealed four different themes, such as: difficulties due to visual impairment and strategies to cope with these difficulties, difficulties experienced due to physical disadvantages and ways of overcoming them, being gifted and socio-emotional difficulties. More specifically, the twice-exceptional individual, who has visual impairment due to albinism (90%), continued his formal education throughout the whole education life without attending inclusion classes, and encountered many difficulties specific to those who see little, such as having difficulty in following the course and course notes. In addition to these, the twice-exceptional individual is an unrecognized gifted student (academically) who exhibited early development in the childhood period and who has achieved outstanding academic success at undergraduate and postgraduate level after having been in the 0.01% portion among the students taking the university entrance exam. As gifted, he has not received any special support in the education system. It is seen that the support of his family throughout his education life is an effective factor playing an important role in the shaping of the education life of the twice-exceptional individual, who has been confronted with many social-psychological difficulties because his difference from others as a gifted individual with albinism.

The purpose of this research was to examine the utility of psychometric and dynamic assessment for the identification of a twice-exceptional (2E) group of students who showed both mathematical high abilities and specific learning disabilities. Of a population of 800 students, 30 (14 boys and 16 girls) ages 10 to 12 years were selected and identified as twice-exceptional at three public elementary schools in Amman, the capital of Jordan. A combination of three psychometric tests and one dynamic math assessment tool was used to recognize the cognitive and perceptual characteristics strengths and difficulties among students. Both psychometric and dynamic assessment models were found important and complementary to one another for the identification of cognitive and perceptual characteristics of twice-exceptional children. The findings were reported and discussed.

Young people who present with concomitant high ability and disabilities represent one of education's greatest conundrums. While on one hand they appear capable of superior academic performance, on the other hand they struggle as students. Consequently, identification and educational services for the twice-exceptional student population remain bewildering and elusive as the combination of seemingly paradoxical traits puts them at great risk for identification and consequently this population of students is rarely served appropriately. This chapter explores the complexities of the twice-exceptional (2e) population, how they should be viewed, how schools and homes can accommodate what seem to be dichotomous needs, and how ultimately they can be successful and contented. Case examples amplify understanding of this challenging group of young people.

A report by the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, of which the Division of Learning Disabilities (LD) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is a member, addressed the issue: Individuals identified as intellectually gifted may also have LD. Common areas of giftedness in 2e children include superior vocabulary, specific talent or area of interest, tendency toward abstract thinking, high degree of creativity, advanced sense of humor, unrelenting curiosity, penetrating insights into complex issues, interest in the "big picture" rather than minute details, and an ability to compensate for their disability. An additional barrier is often referred to as the masking phenomenon: one exceptionality masks the other, resulting in students remaining unnoticed and thus unidentified. Twice-exceptional learners are underserved in an academic environment that does not understand their needs. The purpose of screening is to identify students who are academically at risk; these students have generally had poor learning outcomes.

This case study outlines the challenges of eight Australian mothers with intellectually gifted preschoolers. The ideal ways of nurturing children’s giftedness, the parents’ role in early identification and the effect of maternal depression and possible association with twice exceptionality (gifted with a disorder) are discussed. The narratives of case study parents then describe how and whether the needs of their preschoolers were understood or met in early childhood services, and the advice they received about early entry. It was found that early entry met the needs of children whose parents chose this acceleration option and that the preschoolers who missed out because of intervention by their educators did not fare so well. Findings also indicated an urgent need for the inclusion of compulsory early childhood giftedness courses for Australian pre-service educators and an equally urgent need for professional development courses about giftedness for educators already working in early childhood services.

A psychological autopsy of an 18-year-old male with dual exceptionalities contributes to our understanding of suicide among students with gifts and talents. Using four theories and models o...

There is an increasing attention to the phenomenon referred to as "twice exceptional" ("2e") children, namely, children who demonstrate both exceptional abilities and disabilities. In this essay, this concept is applied to delinquency and/or emotional-behavior disorder and gifts (talents) in the performance arts, exploring the presence of this association and the support for it in the literature. The essay asserts that this association does exist, qualifies these youth as another category of 2e students, and calls for research on the manifestation, etiology, and development of this co-occurrence.

It is important to identify cognitive and achievement characteristics that differentiate students who are twice exceptional because they are gifted and have a learning disability (2e-LD) from gifted and average ability peers because this information informs empirically-based identification and support systems for this population. In this study, I classified school-age participants ( N = 3,865) in the nationally representative standardization sample for the Woodcock-Johnson IV (WJ IV) Tests of Cognitive Abilities and Achievement as potentially gifted, 2e-LD, or of average ability based on their WJ IV performance. I compared mean levels of performance, strengths and weaknesses, and intraindividual heterogeneity across 2e-LD, gifted, and average-ability groups. The 2e-LD group demonstrated greater heterogeneity in performance, and their strengths and weaknesses were largely consistent with past research and writing on 2e-LD characteristics. Results support some 2e-LD identification recommendations from the literature and highlight the potential benefits of individualized assessment, dual differentiation, and a de-emphasis of speeded academic tasks.

According to the 2014–2015 State of the States in Gifted Education, Colorado is the only state in the United States where a series of on-site, customized twice-exceptional professional development (2E PD) opportunities have been implemented. The purpose of this case study evaluation was to understand the implementation of 2E PD during 2014–2016 in a school district in Colorado. Seven training participants and four administrators who were involved in the training were purposefully selected. Data sources consisted of interviews, documentation, and archival records. Eight major themes emerged: (a) increased knowledge and skills, (b) evolved attitudes, (c) recurring challenges, (d) utilizing a team approach, (e) improved performance, (f) difficulty in measuring impact, (g) improved school culture, and (h) planning for the future. In addition to a discussion of themes, implications for improving educator and student outcomes and for creating organizational support and changes are presented.

In the United States, scholars both in and out of gifted education have been studying twice-exceptional students for the past several decades. These students often face significant challenges and b...

Empirical studies investigating twice-exceptional students’ learning experiences and intricate needs remain scarce to date. Even though highly able learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASDs) demonstrate potential for high achievement and/or creative productivity, they also face potential psychosocial distresses such as anxiety disorders and poor self-concept. This study aimed to explore positive educational opportunities for highly able learners diagnosed with ASD. Using a success case method, the researchers invited two fifth-grade highly able learners with ASD to participate in this study. Data collection included interviews, observations, questionnaires, and supplementary artifacts. Adopting a general inductive analysis approach and a Glaserian coding paradigm, the researchers identified a core category, supportive school context (SSC), along with three subcategories: (a) curriculum flexibility, (b) strength-based approaches, and (c) safe environment. The findings could provide effective pedagogical strategies for teachers, school administrators, and parents. Furthermore, we rendered several suggestions for future research.

Literature on twice exceptional African American boys who are gifted academically and have a learning disability neglects to emphasize contributing factors relating to the reading gap and lack of e...

Despite greater emphasis on college and career readiness in PK-12 education, gifted Black males with disabilities still encounter various barriers in making successful transitions to postsecondary ...

The purpose of this research was to investigate the utility of dynamic assessment (DA) in identifying a group of twice-exceptional students who exhibited mathematical giftedness and specific learni...

Friendship can be critical at any age but considering the gifts and challenges of twice-exceptional students, friends can be an essential element in navigating school years. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions that close friends of twice-exceptional students have about their friendship, characteristics, and how they relate to classmates and teachers. The sample was comprised of 17 students. Under a qualitative design, in-depth interviews were conducted with friends of students who were gifted with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or with autism spectrum disorder. Results showed a deep relationship, in which friends of twice-exceptional students were able to make a realistic depiction of them, which was based on empathy, common interests, and a connection that stems from facing adversity. The results are not only a contribution to current research but also take a positive and strengths-based angle not always found in the literature. Implications for practice and research were discussed.

The purpose of this article is to review recent literature on twice-exceptional students and consider implications for their education in the context of the trend towards increased inclusive education for students with disabilities. The review focused on teachers’ experiences and perceptions and the school experiences of twice-exceptional students. Fifteen articles were reviewed, published between 2000 and 2020, selected according to a systematic protocol from two widely used online databases. Findings indicated that the implications that need to be considered were the importance of teacher preparation, the need for a continuum of special education interventions, the need for collaboration with parents and specialists, and teachers needing to focus on developing strengths as much as remediating difficulties. It was concluded that twice-exceptional students can be taught effectively in inclusive education settings as long as they are able to access appropriate strategies and programs from the fields of special education and gifted education.

The purpose of the study is to acquire knowledge and understanding of successful school development, with a focus on students' cognitive abilities. The survey focuses on the implementation of development work and its effects on the organization and students' development. The theoretical framework is based on special educational perspectives, salutogenic perspective and organizational theory. Two contiguous preschool class‑third grade schools are included in the study and primary data consists of interview responses from school staff. The study also includes questionnaire responses from guardians of children in third grade. However, the response rate from the guardians is insufficient for conclusions. The results show that school development changed the view of students' differences and needs. Furthermore, the schools have shifted their focus to group and organizational level, as well as to more promotional and preventive work. Fewer students are included in the student health team and the number of action plans has decreased. The development of the schools is characterized by a shift towards a more critical perspective and has been conducted through strengthened meaningfulness in the form of defined values, consensus in purpose and vision and collegial cooperation. The conditions that enable successful school development are characterized by a strong sense of coherence, in both leadership and conditions. Increased focus on the environment, as well as enhancement of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness, are also factors that have benefited students' development. Factors that hinder school development can be traced to a compensatory and dilemma perspective, as well as to a lack of sense of coherence. Above all concerning attitudes among school staff and external demands placed on the school activities. Our conclusion is that both school development and students' cognitive abilities can be promoted through the application of a salutogenic perspective.

This study investigated the impact of training and coaching parents to use a higher level questioning strategy during shared reading time at home on the expressive language complexity of their young twice-exceptional children. Four parents were trained and coached to use higher level questions, based on the revised Bloom’s taxonomy, with their children in home settings during a shared reading routine. A single-case, multiple-probe design across participants was used to examine the parents’ ability to learn and implement the higher level questioning strategy during shared reading with their children and the impact this had on the complexity of their children’s expressive language. Results indicated that all parents were able to learn and implement the strategy, and the complexity of each child’s responses increased. Additionally, these findings were maintained over time and demonstrated that single-case research can be used with gifted student populations to establish causal relationships between interventions and meaningful outcomes.

Bullying is known to be prevalent across social settings for children, particularly, for those who have disability and intermittently gifted students. What remains relatively underresearched is the phenomenon of bullying in the lives of twice-exceptional children. This article presents findings about the bullying experiences of eight twice-exceptional children aged 9 to 16 years from a study that explored the lived experiences of these children. Their narratives describe the pervasiveness of bullying. The six themes which emerged from the data about bullying experiences were (a) bullying by peers, (b) bullying by teachers, (c) teachers’ and adults’ responses to bullying, (d) social isolation and bullying, (e) the emotional effects of being bullied, and (f) protective factors. The contribution to the field of twice-exceptionality along with the children’s experiences and consequences of being bullied are discussed. This article concludes with recommendations for practice and further research.

This study presents an exploration of the lived experiences of eight twice-exceptional children through their own voices. The narratives reveal a meta-narrative of stigma where identified contextual factors related to discrimination, perceptions of difference, and stigmatized views of disability, giftedness, and subsequently twice-exceptionality. Eight distinct stigma-related themes emerged from the data and each of these is shared. These narratives provide crucial insights into the daily lives of children living with twice-exceptionality in societies where able-bodied and able-minded norms frequently prevail. The study focuses attention on the omnipresent nature of stigma and the importance of cultivating awareness and understanding about twice-exceptionality to address the unique needs of these children. Moreover, policy and practices can be informed by engaging with these children’s experiences so that their needs can be adequately recognized and addressed.

Students who exhibit giftedness alongside a learning disability (GLD) often display asynchronous academic development, and a combination of strengths that mask areas of struggle. Early identificati...

This research study surveyed 100 undergraduate teacher education students in a regional university in Australia, explored selfreported perceptions of their knowledge about students with exceptional needs, and their competence to be effective educators of these students in an inclusive classroom. Additionally, we included a measure of general attitude toward teaching in an inclusive classroom. What made this exploratory study atypical was broadening the concept of ‘exceptionality’ to the inclusion of items related to students with physical and cognitive challenges, superior academic gifts and those deemed to be twice exceptional. The results were unexpected in that teachers’ age, parental status and exposure to units of study in special and inclusive education did not differentiate their knowledge, perceived competence, or general attitude.

This is a qualitative case study of a gifted twice-exceptional student with impulse control disorder (ICD) co-diagnosed with depression. This study follows the ‘case study’ pattern (precedence). The data set of this study is composed of documents from a study involving a twice-exceptional student with adverse event sampling who has been selected through purposive sampling (activity papers, drawings), minutes of interviews with the student’s mother and teachers and observation notes kept throughout the process. Data have been analyzed using the content analysis methodology. At the end of this study seeking to find out what this gifted student with impulse control disorder [ICD] co-diagnosed with depression goes through in the event of being also twice-exceptional and whether or not his/her condition of being gifted is overshadowed by him/her having psychological; the fact that disadvantaging traits of such twice-exceptional child has been found to dwindle almost down to none can be interpreted as the positive outcome of the effective approach towards the analyzed unit of the two emerging main categories, i.e. school and family. The consistent and supportive attitudes of the family have ensured to eradicate the tantrums (temper fits) of the twice-exceptional child, toppled with treatment of the child and a fine administration of the drug doses. At school, on the other hand, the available supervision policy, intervention methodologies in support of treatment and the professional approach of the teachers have contributed to the formation of a socially-enabling environment for the twice-exceptional child, including, also, backing by his/her peers. Taking into consideration that mere drug treatment would not be sufficient, support of the family as well as of the school reveals that the symptoms linked with the depression-co-diagnosed-ICD of the twice exceptional child were prevented from suppressing the child’s giftedness.

Parents of high-ability students with disabilities (i.e., twice-exceptional) play a crucial role in their children’s home and educational environments. In addition, parents’ sociocultural contexts, including race and ethnicity, can influence their parenting practice. We conducted interviews with 10 Asian American parents from diverse ethnic backgrounds and analyzed the interview transcripts by using a phenomenological framework and general inductive approach. Themes identified included the parents’ recognition of and reaction to twice-exceptionality, challenges and efforts in supporting their children, and perception of their sociocultural contexts in relation to parenting practices. The Asian American parents in this study developed resilient parenting styles and persistent advocacy efforts as they navigated the complex characteristics of twice-exceptionality within their multilayered cultural contexts. Findings are particularly important for practitioners and educators who work with Asian American parents and/or high-ability children with disabilities to better address their complex needs.

High-ability youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) historically have been neglected within samples validating ASD screening measures, and consensus for what constitutes high ability has not been established. The Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) are two common screening tools for ASD used within research and practice settings. We investigated the accuracy of the ASSQ and SRS for ASD identification among a sample of 23 high-ability youth previously diagnosed with ASD. Results suggest both ASSQ and SRS measures inconsistently screened for ASD. The high-ability students with ASD scored significantly lower on the SRS total score and social cognition, communication, and motivation subscales, suggesting potential phenotypic differences among high-ability youth with ASD that could inform assessment and intervention strategies.

Students who are gifted and have a learning disability (GLD) may not be identified, in part because of disagreement regarding appropriate identification criteria. In this study, suggested GLD identification criteria were applied to a nationally representative sample of school-age students to determine the number and characteristics of students identified by each set of GLD criteria. Many but not all students identified as potentially GLD had relative weaknesses in lower order processing abilities and achievement, as hypothesized for this population. Students also exhibited academic strengths, which suggests dual differentiation would be appropriate. Commonly used intraindividual discrepancy criteria identified most potentially gifted students as potentially learning disabled; therefore, these are not valid stand-alone criteria to identify learning disabilities in gifted youth. Results suggest it may be best to combine alternative gifted criteria, an intraindividual LD criterion, and examination of absolute deficits in processing and achievement. Additional implications for research and practice are discussed.

Through a four-part discussion, this essay advocates for seeing the characteristics and special needs of gifted students with disabilities and using best practices to support their learning. Part 1...

Background There is an ongoing debate as to whether attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in highly intelligent individuals has a similar presentation as in average intelligent individuals. The aim of this study was to examine the cognitive correlates of ADHD in highly intelligent children and adolescents with ADHD. Method Two independent samples (N = 204 and N = 84) of (1) high intelligence quotient (IQ) (IQ ≥ 120) children and adolescents with ADHD were used, carefully matched on age, gender, ADHD severity, and IQ with (2) control participants with high intelligence, (3) participants with ADHD with an average intelligence (IQ 90–110), and (4) control participants with an average intelligence. These samples were selected from the Dutch node of the International Multicenter ADHD Genetics (NeuroIMAGE) and Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) cohorts, respectively, in which a large battery of cognitive tasks was administered. Linear mixed models were used to examine the main effects of ADHD and IQ and their interaction on cognitive performance. Results ADHD-control group differences were not moderated by IQ; mostly equally large ADHD-control differences in cognitive performance were found for high versus average intelligent groups. The small moderating effects found mostly indicated somewhat milder cognitive problems in highly intelligent individuals with ADHD. Overall, highly intelligent children and adolescents with ADHD performed at the level of the average intelligent control children. Conclusions Our findings indicate the cognitive profile of ADHD is similar in highly versus average intelligent individuals with ADHD, although ADHD-related cognitive deficits may be easily overlooked in the high intelligence population when compared to the typical (i.e., average intelligent) control group.

Contemporary models highlight the need to cultivate cognitive and psychosocial factors in developing domain-specific talent. This model was the basis for the current study where high ability youth with self-reported social difficulties (n = 28, 12 with a coexisting disability) participated in a social skills and talent development intervention over the course of a two-week summer enrichment program. Compared to high ability youth not in the social skills intervention (n = 9), participants reported positive changes in friendship qualities (help), indicating a treatment effect. Among all participants, positive changes were reported in friendship companionship and security, suggesting the talent development program alone had significant impact on psychosocial factors (friendship qualities). For those in the social skills group, higher scores on performance approach goal orientations were related to lower change scores in friendship closeness, suggesting if one is driven academically to outperform pee...

An understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and achievement profiles of students with giftedness and learning disabilities (G&LD) is needed to address their asynchronous development. This study examines the subtests and error factors in the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement–Third Edition (KTEA-3) for strength and weakness patterns of students with G&LD in higher and lower level thinking skills by comparing G&LD students ( n = 196) with academically gifted (GT; n = 69) and specific learning disability (SLD) students ( n = 90). Several one-way MANCOVAs were conducted with subtest error factor scores as dependent variables and grouping variable (G&LD, GT, or SLD) as the independent variable. The G&LD means scores across subtests were in between the two control groups. On many higher level thinking tasks, the G&LD group scored similar to the gifted group. The results support the use of error analysis to gain further understanding into the profile of students with G&LD.

Existing research on students with twice-exceptional abilities concentrates on strategies to improve the educational experiences of individuals who demonstrate the comorbid presence of a talent for high academic achievement (often considered a strength) and a disability (often considered a weakness). However, this body of work typically excludes the sociocultural context in which these abilities manifest and how the current deficit perspective of ability infringes upon an appropriate education for African-American students with twice-exceptional abilities. Using Hill Collins’ (2008) Interlocking Systems of Oppression as a framework, we expound on the discourse about twice-exceptional abilities specific to African-American students with a focus on African-American males. We present a case study about the impact deficit perspectives have on identifying and supporting twice-exceptional abilities in African-American students. Recommendations are made to improve the conditions in which twice-exceptional abilities among African-Americans are identified and supported in schools.

Twice-exceptional students are characterized by the almost paradoxical combination of giftedness accompanied by learning difficulties that hinder their ability to reach their potential in a traditional academic setting. This qualitative study examined the experiences of three twice-exceptional students during transfer to a New Zealand high school. Successful transfer has been shown to be dependent on factors such as the timely handover of accurate and complete student records. Barriers to successful transfer result in disruption in curriculum continuity, which can be especially detrimental for learners with special needs. Using student voice data from interviews and journal entries, the participants’ lived experiences of the transfer process were revealed. Findings suggest that the way in which the twice-exceptional students experienced transfer influenced the development of their personal capabilities as learners in the education setting.