One year, our school identified a student as gifted who faced significant processing difficulties impacting his ability to keep up with his general education classwork. His parents decided against including him in the gifted enrichment program, but it left me wondering what more we could be doing for our fantastic, unique 2e students.
Recent qualitative research from Dr. K.L. Speirs Neumeister suggests three key factors to support 2e students. She emphasizes both the academic and social-emotional progress of students at an independent, 2e-focused school, providing insight into areas of concern for the gifted community. While some could argue that this is a unique environment and difficult to replicate, it also provides a less “noisy” environment with a key focus on 2e learners that is often lost in larger schools.
1: Prioritizing Stakeholder Involvement
Her approach deserves attention from the start because of the school’s emphasis on a “triangular framework of supports created for all three stakeholder groups–twice-exceptional learners, their parents, and their teachers” (Speirs Neumeister, p. 19, 2024). As a gifted education practitioner, I find our greatest gains in understanding and developing the gifts of our learners when these partnerships are maximized. When stakeholders are disconnected from a gifted program, this will thwart efforts to serve all learners. An incomplete “understanding of the definition of giftedness in [the] district and the related policies and procedures of the program… causes stakeholders to be either unaware or confused about a child’s ability to test into the program” (Wise, 2023).
2: Cultivating Acceptance
Creating an environment where teachers proactively support learning differences for their high-ability students was noted as rare and welcome among the faculty interviewed for this research. Speirs Neumeister shares, “One of the most prevalent themes to emerge in the data analysis was the shared perception among participants that at Silver Birch the concept of twice-exceptionality was embraced without hesitation” (p. 22). In another interview, the school psychologist notes:
“I think about kids who fly under the radar in other settings either getting misidentified for special education or not getting identified as gifted, and I think Silver Birch is unique in the sense of identifying and supporting, so that’s powerful” (p. 22)
3: Teamwork as a Tool to Serve 2e Students
When school professionals work together to develop strategies for 2e students, they will maximize their opportunities. They can problem-solve across a variety of situations because they rely on the resources of the entire team.
“A middle school teacher explained, “I don’t ever feel ill-equipped because I know that I could reach out at any point and get support from all these people . . . my administration, my colleagues, and our [LRS and psychologist]” (p. 22).
SOURCES
Speirs Neumeister, K. L. (2024). Maximizing the Potential of Twice-Exceptional Learners: Creating a Framework of Stakeholder Supports. Gifted Child Quarterly, 68(1), 19-33. https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862231193699
Wise, L. R. (2023). Genius Move: Recognizing Gifted Potential Through a Project Based Learning Unit of Study. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://www.proquest.com/openview/87269f080d782ead14d2174ee01bcba9/1.pdf
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