How do we avoid losing out on the Einsteins of our generation? Children who are twice exceptional are often hard to categorize – sometimes their learning disability masks their brilliance, while at others, their brilliance masks their learning disability. How is it possible to identify these children? And, once they are identified, what can parents and schools do in order to make sure that their needs are met?
What teachers can do:
Look for discrepancies: As gifted children who have learning disabilities are very hard to identify, look for discrepancies between a child’s “potential” and his actual work. If you feel that the child is simply being lazy because he could have done so much better based on his intellect, consider talking to his parents about getting him evaluated. Identification of twice exceptional students is the first step towards success.
Differentiate instruction: In a class of twenty-five or more students, it is impossible to meet every student’s needs. However, through modification of teaching style or assignments, children with learning disabilities can better comprehend and complete their assigned work.
Raise awareness: Talk to parents and colleagues about the existence of twice exceptional students. If parents and teachers look out for discrepancies in performance, they will be more likely to identify these students. In the long run, we will be educating a generation of students who will be better equipped as adults.
What parents can do:
Don’t ignore the giftedness while trying to fix the disabilities: While it’s true that modifications to curricula often need to be made in order to accommodate twice exceptional children, parents must also feed their child’s need for knowledge. Because they are gifted, they will get depressed if they do not learn anything new.
Don’t ignore the disabilities while trying to feed the giftedness: Your child might have exceptional intellectual capabilities, but if you focus only on that, she will get extremely frustrated. After all, who wouldn’t be frustrated if required to consistently do things she felt she couldn’t do?
Trust your child: If your child tries to do something several times and then tells you that she cannot do it – trust her. Do not think that she is being lazy, stubborn, or unmotivated. Instead, attack the problem from a different angle. You are the one who knows your child the best – and should be her biggest advocate.
