ABSTRACT
Twice-exceptional students are defined as students with gifts and talents who also have one or more disabilities. They “exhibit remarkable strength in some areas and disabling weaknesses in others”. Twice-exceptional students have “extraordinary strengths and each one of them has extraordinary challenges … [they] are gifted yet also have a disability that impacts their ability to fully develop in all areas”. Much of the research literature on this population focuses on gifted students with specific learning disabilities, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger’s syndrome or high-functioning autism. Twice-exceptional students have one or more disabilities that interfere with their ability to perform at a level commensurate with their abilities. The disability can interfere with learning in different ways depending on the nature of the disability and the manifestation within the individual student. Twice exceptionality is a fairly rare phenomenon, which means that many educators may not have the experience needed to recognize and identify these students.
