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Giftedness and
Twice-Exceptionality (2E)
Exceptionality is an area of expertise for me. My daughter is twice exceptional, and although I haven’t been formally identified, I strongly suspect I am as well. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with many twice-exceptional students in schools. I’ve supported gifted and special education populations and, most importantly, those who fall within the overlap. These individuals are often filled with immense passion and unique perspectives that deserve to be understood and valued.
From my multiple perspectives as a parent, educator, and individual, I see that there’s much that remains misunderstood or invalidated about exceptionality. I hope to offer insight to those who work with me or who simply wish to explore more about these topics below.
Twice-Exceptional (2E)
Asynchronous development is a key characteristic of both giftedness and learning disabilities. It means that while a child may excel in one area, they might struggle significantly in another. For example, a child could be cognitively advanced but have weak fine motor skills. Or they might have exceptional verbal abilities but face challenges with visual-spatial reasoning. It’s also possible for a child to be gifted in mathematics while having dyslexia.
However, these discrepancies are rarely straightforward. Two main issues often arise from asynchronous development:
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Giftedness Hidden by Compensation: A child may be intellectually gifted, but their grades don’t reflect it. These students may go through their school years being perceived as average, as they use their cognitive strengths to compensate for their weaknesses. This compensatory strategy can mask both their giftedness and their disability, leaving their true potential undiscovered.
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Learning Disabilities Overshadowing Giftedness: Alternatively, a child may be identified only for their learning disability. In these cases, their struggles overshadow their strengths, and their talents may go unrecognized. This can lead to a focus on their weaknesses rather than celebrating and nurturing their gifts.
In most public schools, psychologists typically administer the WISC-V (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition) to assess intellectual abilities. This test offers 16 subtests but school psychologists administer 10 subtests. When I was a school psychologist working in the public schools, I did the same. However, since then, I've had the privilege of advanced training in the area of giftedness and twice-exceptionality from Dr. Linda Silverman at the Gifted Development Center, a leader in the field of gifted education since the 1980s. Through her training, I’ve learned to use the full potential of the WISC-V in combination with other tools to uncover twice-exceptionality in children.
If you suspect your child is gifted but their school doesn't see it, trust your instincts. As their parent, you know them better than anyone. Consider seeking a comprehensive evaluation to better understand your child's unique profile.
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Multiple Intelligences
Giftedness is often narrowly defined or overlooked entirely. After more than a decade working in public schools, I’ve seen firsthand how the system tends to focus primarily on reading and math achievement when identifying gifted students. While children who excel in these areas absolutely deserve to be celebrated, I believe it's just as important to honor the whole individual—not just their intellectual abilities.
Our education system is deeply focused on achievement scores. This isn't the fault of any one person—it's a systemic issue. I truly believe that all educators have positive intentions and do the best they can within the many limits they are constrained by as part of the system. However, as long as academic performance remains the primary measure of success, many other valuable aspects of a child will be undervalued. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences reminds us that intelligence isn't limited to reading and math. There are many ways to be gifted, including in areas like music, bodily-kinesthetic abilities, interpersonal skills, visual-spatial reasoning, and more. People can also be gifted in leadership, creativity, the performing arts, and other non-academic areas.
In my 14 years working in special education, I've seen how children with learning disabilities are acutely aware of their struggles, often comparing themselves to their peers. This can have a significant impact on their self-esteem. If our school system didn't prioritize academic achievement so heavily, perhaps these students wouldn't feel so discouraged. Many of these individuals possess incredible natural talents and strengths that go beyond academics—strengths that deserve to be celebrated. The world needs a wide range of gifts, not just those in reading and math.
As I said, it’s a systems problem. While there’s hope that our public education system will continue to evolve toward a more holistic perspective, for now, we must each advocate for our own children. If you believe your child has gifts beyond academics, there are ways to have those talents formally recognized, which can help bolster their self-esteem and overall growth.
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Overexcitabilities (OE)
Have you ever been told, "You're being too sensitive" or "You're overthinking it"? Do you find that tasks others consider easy are challenging for you, while harder tasks come naturally? Do theories and big ideas ignite your mind? These are just a few signs that you might be gifted. If these resonate with you, there's a possibility at least one of your children could be gifted as well.
If you’ve never heard of overexcitabilities, I’m excited to introduce you to this concept. Polish psychiatrist Kazimierz Dabrowski developed the Theory of Positive Disintegration, within which he described overexcitabilities—heightened sensitivities that are common in gifted individuals. While giftedness is often associated with emotional intensity, overexcitabilities suggest that these heightened sensitivities can extend beyond just emotions.
There are five types of overexcitabilities:
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Psychomotor: A need for movement or the ability to hyperfocus, often resembling ADHD.
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Sensual: Heightened sensitivity to sensory input, which can sometimes be mistaken for sensory processing disorder.
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Emotional: Deep emotional responses that can feel overwhelming.
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Intellectual: A drive for knowledge, deep thinking, and exploring complex ideas.
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Imaginational: A rich imagination, vivid dreams, and creative thinking.
Heightened sensitivities are often misunderstood, but Dabrowski’s theory reframes overexcitabilities as strengths rather than weaknesses. Imagine if the traits that make you unique—sometimes seen as "too much"—were recognized as advantages.
I understand how overwhelming these intensities can feel, but they often go unrecognized for their positive aspects. Through my training with Linda Silverman, I help people embrace their overexcitabilities as assets rather than something to manage. These sensitivities are part of what makes gifted individuals special, contributing to creativity and unique perspectives. My goal is to help you or your child appreciate these traits and learn to harness them for personal growth and well-being.
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