ABSTRACT
Twice-exceptional students, who both demonstrate the potential for high academic achievement and are diagnosed with one or more disabilities, are often overlooked by educators. Uneven developmental rates in a child’s emotional, intellectual, social, and motor skills are often confusing for both the student and teacher. Educational research indicates that 2e students benefit from a strength-based approach, meaning that teachers focus on the child’s strengths first and then scaffold for the disability. Teachers can work with 2e students to help them be more flexible in their thinking processes, perhaps through simulations or debates. Counselors can identify antecedents that might have precipitated the child’s escalation or negative behaviors, and experiment with changing the environment in the classroom. Counselors should gather data from many places to form an accurate picture of the social-emotional difficulties a student is experiencing. Counselors can help these students prepare for college and future careers by considering both the talent domain and any area of disability when making recommendations.
