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Giftedness and Twice-Exceptionality

How can this child be gifted? They have a disability!

Written by Paula O’Hara

Co-founder/Gifted Education Consultant

Navigate Gifted Solutions

Just because a child has a disability, doesn’t mean they can't be gifted too! Twice-exceptional children are those who are functioning within the gifted range of intelligence and also have a disability. To truly understand twice-exceptionality we really need an understanding of both giftedness and disability.

It is estimated that natural abilities or "gifts" occur in approximately 10% of the population. Within this range, there are varying degrees of giftedness. Gifted children may exhibit high potential within particular domains of giftedness such as social, creative, physical and intellectual.

Educators and parents play an important role in Identifying young, gifted children. By being aware of the common characteristics among gifted young children, more of these children with high potential can be Identified.

Early Identification can lead to implementing appropriate strategies that enable the young, gifted child to utilise their gifts. Without purposeful support and appropriate challenge, gifted children may become bored, underachieve, or experience negative impacts on their emotional well-being.

Examples of characteristics of giftedness include:

  • The capacity to think and learn at a faster pace than their peers
  • A high level of curiosity
  • A long attention span
  • An advanced or more mature sense of humour
  • High energy
  • Creativity
  • An advanced vocabulary
  • Early reading ability
  • Heightened sensitivity
  • Perfectionism
  • A preference for communicating with older children or adults
  • Asynchronous development - the uneven development within an individual child such as a mismatch between cognitive and emotional development.

When giftedness is paired with a disability, such as autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit disorder or a specific learning disability, identification is generally more difficult.

Some complexities around the identification of twice-exceptionality include:

  • The child demonstrating characteristics of giftedness while masking the learning differences or disability. In such instances assessment of the true level of ability can be complex.
  • Giftedness going unrecognised due to the child’s disability. This may result in the child receiving support for their disability but not receiving appropriately activities in their area of strength.
  • The child presenting with average ability, with the giftedness and the disability cancelling each other out.

In the case of twice-exceptional young children, a child-centred, strength-based response is needed where the child is given opportunities to develop their gifts alongside receiving support for their disability.

Planning, implementing, and reviewing approaches aimed at maximising early childhood opportunities for twice-exceptional children will allow each child to thrive, feel a sense of belonging and make valuable contributions to their world.