This article is adapted from Davidson Institute’s “Twice-Exceptionality: A Resource Guide for Parents”, part of our collection of free guidebooks for gifted and 2e families. For a deeper dive into supporting your twice-exceptional child, we encourage you to explore the full guide.
Because there is no definitive definition of twice-exceptionality, it’s important to develop your own definition of twice-exceptionality that truly fits your child. Having a way of speaking about your child’s strengths and challenges can be helpful in the advocacy process and in thinking about ways to support your child.
To build your own definition of twice-exceptionality, you may want to:
- Highlight words you think describe your child well;
- Note which phrases seem to communicate best how your child learns as you work with teachers, administrators, and other professionals;
- Think through how both your child’s giftedness and challenges affect him or her academically, socially, and emotionally; and
- Select a couple of moments that you can quickly share about your child that truly capture what a day in the life is like.
Your child’s talents and struggles don’t exist in separate spheres; they affect one another and coexist to make up your unique child. It’s helpful to have a definition that highlights both your child’s strengths and relative weaknesses, as well as other exceptional characteristics. The following template and examples were created to help you craft such a definition.
The Davidson Institute is here to help.
Raising a twice-exceptional child comes with unique challenges. Explore our curated collection of expert articles and guides written specifically for 2e families. Explore the Twice-Exceptional Guides >.
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