The education context for twice-exceptional students: An overview of issues in special and gifted education

• Published in: Neurobiology of learning and memory 2022-09, Vol.193, p.107659-107659, Article 107659
• Main Author: King, Seth
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Gifted and talented education; Multitiered systems of support; Special education; Twice-exceptionality
• ISSN: 1074-7427; 1095-9564
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107659

•Leaving aside advances in neuroscience, twice-exceptional individuals (2e) may struggle to receive services related to both their disabilities and talents.•Difficulties related to service provision for 2e individuals largely stem from longstanding issues with the delivery of special and gifted education.•Policy changes, such as the adoption of multitiered systems of support, will be needed to address the needs of 2e students in the short-term. Researchers in this area should be cognizant of the needs of 2e individuals and their families. Twice-exceptional children (2e) identified as having a disability and areas of high ability require a diverse range of support and enrichment services. However, services associated with special education and gifted programs present numerous barriers to the appropriate education of 2e students. In this manuscript, the author briefly recounts his experiences as a 2e child and shares experiences of 2e students and their families presented at the 2021 Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice Exceptionality. Challenges associated with the provision of special and gifted education to 2e students are also described. The role of neuroscience in education, as it relates to 2e students, is also discussed. Although many of the barriers to effective education for 2e children are systemic in nature, school-level reforms, as well as scientific advances, have the potential to improve services for this population.