| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp |
| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp. All rights reserved. |
| about the book |
| The Homeschool Diner's Guide to Gifted Homeschooling Twice Exceptional Homeschooling: An Online Resource Guide to 2E by Julie Shepherd Knapp, copyright 2006 [Originally published in the "MCGT Outlook", the newsletter of the Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented, Vol. 29. No. 1] Lots of Gifted/LD resources and links to info about specific learning disabilities/disorders that affect learning.... The educational term "exceptional" can be applied to gifted children because of their above-average cognitive ability. When gifted children are also "exceptional" because of a learning disability (a disorder that adversely impacts their learning) they may be referred to as "twice exceptional" ("2E" or 2X"), or as gifted/learning disabled (gifted/LD), or simply "multi-exceptional" a term which acknowledges that a person may have more than one disability. The National Institute of Health estimates that 15% of the US population struggle with learning disabilities. Many parents and teachers are surprised to find that gifted children are not immune. Learning disabilities are not tied to intelligence, though their presence can depress IQ scores, and they are not always easy to spot - especially in gifted children. Gifted children must be identified as gifted before they can receive educational accommodations in public schools. Likewise, children with learning disabilities must be identified as needing help before they will receive accommodations. Twice exceptional children may not be identified as either gifted or learning disabled because their giftedness can mask their special needs... and their special needs may overshadow their giftedness. Instead of receiving the help they need, unidentified twice exceptional children may be labeled "lazy", "unmotivated", or "underachiever". Twice exceptional children are typically frustrated, physically exhausted (from trying to compensate for their disabilities), and angry with the adults in their lives who don't understand their struggle. The end result may be more labeling, such as "emotional", "depressed", "uncooperative", "oppositional", and, eventually, "at risk". Parents often find themselves fighting two separate battles when they advocate for an "appropriately challenging" education for their twice exceptional children. Many professionals find it hard to understand that a child may need acceleration in one subject, but remediation in another. If you suspect that your child may be twice exceptional you will need to be well-prepared before you meet with teachers, physicians, or educational assessment professionals. It is essential that you educate yourself on twice exceptional issues, understand the diagnosis criteria for the suspected disabilities, and become familiar with the various remediation and accommodation strategies that are available. You will find many online resources helpful for gathering the information you need... to educate yourself and the other adults in your child's life. Teachers who educate themselves on twice exceptional issues can learn to spot the symptoms of a gifted child struggling with a hidden learning disability. Many of the websites listed below provide classroom strategies to help accommodate different needs. So, even when special services are not available, a knowledgeable teacher can try several small procedural changes that might make a big difference in a child's performance. The following "General Resources" were chosen as good starting points for research into twice exceptional issues. The "Resources for Specific Disabilities" will help you become familiar with several types of commonly diagnosed learning disabilities and their impact on gifted children. You will find more articles to read at each website you visit. As always, you should seek the council of a trusted professional to discuss the best options for your particular child. Click on the topic below to go to a list of helpful articles and resources on 2E students: * Online Resource Guide for Twice Exceptional Children * General online support groups for 2E issues: (see individual topics below for support groups for each disability) GT-World - choose either GT-Special or GT-Spec[ial] Home[school]: Homeschooling Extraordinary Kids for parents of gifted children with learning differences Shadow Syndrome Kids for those with mild symptoms of various LD's Diner Resources for Specific Disabilities/Disorders: (many with a focus on gifted children) Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) aka Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) Executive Function Deficits aka Executive Dysfunction aka Organizational Processing Deficits Dysfunctional Sensory Integration (DSI) aka Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) aka Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities (OE's) Vision Processing Dyslexia (aka Reading Disability) and Other Vision Problems Dysgraphia aka Disorder of Written Expression aka Graphomotor Disability aka Written Output Disability Dyscalcula aka Math Learning Disability Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) aka Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) aka High Functioning Aspergers aka Aspergers Syndrome (AS) Non-Verbal Learning Disorder (NVLD or NLD) and Semantic-Pragmatic Learning Disorder (SPLD or SPD) Attention Disorders Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Visual-Spatial Learner (V-S) aka "Right-Brained" |
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