Twice-Exceptionality

Abstract

Psychologists who work in the area of special education sometimes refer to students with two disabilities as having a dual diagnosis, which may be considered to be twice-exceptional. In the field of gifted education, the more commonly used term for a gifted student with a co-occurring disability is “twice-exceptional learner”. This simple definition belies the complexity that underlies the multiple issues associated with twice-exceptionality. Whereas the concept itself is becoming more well-known both in and out of gifted education, professionals still are unsure of the prevalence of twiceexceptionality because no federal agency gathers base-rate data for this group of students. Estimates made through various sources, such as the U.S. Department of Education, suggest that there are approximately 360,000 twiceexceptional students in America’s schools (National Education Association, 2006), making the call for awareness and understanding about twice-exceptionality critical for educators nationwide. This position paper is intended for all individuals who wish to know more about this important group of gifted learners so that their multifaceted educational and personal needs can be met and there is recognition that giftedness does not preclude the presence of a disability or vice versa.