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Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s Classroom

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Emily Kircher-Morris

  • Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s Classroom

248 pages
Interest Age: 5 to 18
2021
ISBN: 9781631984853

Twice-exceptional (2e) learners have often been misunderstood, disciplined, unchallenged, and left behind. Even as awareness of 2e students has grown, educators are still in need of practical tools to recognise and support their twice-exceptional students. Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s Classroom answers that need, providing teachers with accessible information about twice-exceptional diagnoses and suggested accommodations, modifications, and collaboration with other educational professionals.

Dedicated to the needs of all 2e students, the first part of the book covers identifying and understanding 2e students, strength-based instruction, motivation and self-regulation, and executive functioning skills. The second part details how gifted students are affected by another diagnosis, including:

  • Specific learning disabilities
  • ADHD
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • Processing difficulties
  • Anxiety-based diagnoses
  • Depression and other mood disorders

This book equips educators with information that will make it easier for them to advocate for their 2e students, including what they need to know about the individualised education plan (IEP) and Section 504 plan process. Special topics, such as gifted students with physical disabilities, students experiencing trauma, and gifted learners from diverse backgrounds, are also included.

With Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s Classroom, educators can better identify, support, and meet the needs of their 2e students.

Download link: Includes reproducible forms from the book

Table of Contents

Front Matter

  • List of Figures ix
  • Digital Content x
  • List of Reproducible Pages x
  • Foreword xi
  • Introduction 1
  • Why I Wrote This Book 2
  • Progress, Not Perfection 3
  • About This Book 4
  • How to Use This Book 6

Part 1 Supporting All Twice-Exceptional Learners 7

Chapter 1 Understanding Twice-Exceptional Learners 8

  • Recognizing 2e Learners 10
  • Underserved 2e Learners 13
  • Services and Accommodations for 2e Learners 16
  • Key Points 27

Chapter 2 Designing Strength-Based Instruction for Twice-Exceptional Learners 34

  • Meeting the Gifted Needs of the 2e Learner 34
  • The Basics of Differentiation for 2e Students 36
  • Strength-Based Instruction for 2e Learners 37
  • Addressing Areas of Difficulty 47
  • Strength-Based Lesson Planning 49
  • Key Points 51

Chapter 3 Social and Emotional Needs of Twice-Exceptional Learners 53

  • The Self-Concept of 2e Learners 53
  • Disclosing Diagnosis to Students 55
  • Perfectionism 60
  • Accommodating or Enabling? 65
  • Key Points 67

Chapter 4 Motivating Twice-Exceptional Learners 73

  • What Is Motivation? 74
  • Theories of Motivation 75
  • Self-Actualization and Motivation 85
  • Praise, Rewards, and Punishments 87
  • What's My Motivation? 90
  • Key Points 90

Chapter 5 Goal-Setting for Twice-Exceptional Learners 99

  • Effective IEP Goals for 2e Learners 100
  • Student-Led Microgoals 101
  • Key Points 110

Chapter 6 Executive Functioning 112

  • Executive Function Skills 113
  • Coaching Students with Executive Functioning Struggles 115
  • Goal-Setting to Build Executive Function Skills 117
  • Key Points 119

Part 2 Interventions for Twice-Exceptional Learners 127

Chapter 7 Academic Diagnoses: Specific Learning Disabilities 128

  • Identifying Gifted Students with Specific Learning Disabilities 128
  • Implementing Special Education Services 135
  • Specific Learning Disability in Reading 136
  • Specific Learning Disability in Writing 141
  • Specific Learning Disability in Math 143
  • Social and Emotional Needs of GLD Students 144
  • Key Points 145

Chapter 8 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 147

  • What Is ADHD? 147
  • Identifying Students with ADHD 148
  • Reframing ADHD as a Strength 150
  • Social and Emotional Considerations for Gifted Students with ADHD 150
  • Accommodations and Modifications for Gifted Students with ADHD 154
  • Key Points 157

Chapter 9 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 160

  • Identifying ASD in Gifted Learners 160
  • Understanding Common Struggles for Autistic Gifted Students 166
  • Social and Emotional Considerations for Autistic Gifted Learners 171
  • Key Points 174

Chapter 10 Processing Difficulties 182

  • Central Auditory Processing Disorder 182
  • Visual Processing Disorder 184
  • Sensory Processing Disorder 186
  • Impact of Processing Difficulties on Gifted Learners 188
  • Key Points 189

Chapter 11 Anxiety and Related Disorders 191

  • Emotional and Behavioral Diagnoses 191
  • Anxiety-Based Diagnoses 192
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder 193
  • Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) 195
  • Other Anxiety-Based Disorders 197
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder 199
  • Social and Emotional Considerations for Gifted Students with Anxiety Disorders 200
  • Key Points 204

Chapter 12 Depression and Other Mood Disorders 207

  • Major Depressive Disorder 208
  • Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder and Bipolar Disorder 211
  • Social and Emotional Considerations for Gifted Students with Mood Disorders 212
  • Key Points 216

Chapter 13 The Neurodiverse Classroom 219

  • Normalizing Neurodiversity 219
  • Teaching Students About Neurodiversity 220
  • Self-Advocacy for 2e Learners 220
  • Your Classroom Isn't an Island 221
  • Try. Tweak. Transform 222

References and Resources 223

Index 228

About the Author 235

"As someone who received a formal diagnosis of ADHD at thirty-seven years old, thirty years after being identified as a gifted and talented student in Brooklyn, NY, I am deeply grateful for Emily's efforts to shine a light on how to serve students like me who think a bit differently. By focusing on 'progress, not perfection, ' she has created a practical, yet powerful way to bring new partners into this mission and push the rest of us to deepen our understanding of the challenges and benefits of twice-exceptionality and to recognize the boundless untapped potential in students who are told they are defective because their brilliance diverges from the norm."
- Colin Seale, Founder and CEO of thinkLaw and author of Thinking Like a Lawyer: A Framework for Teaching Critical Thinking to All Students

"Every teacher of the gifted needs this book! Emily Kircher-Morris has done a fantastic job of combining research and practice to provide doable supports for twice-exceptional learners. You are sure to find practical tools and strategies mapped out in all the chapters. She includes templates, methods, and techniques to ensure our 2e students find success."
- Richard M. Cash, Ed.D., educator of the gifted, author, and consultant, nRich Educational Consulting, Inc.

"Emily Kircher-Morris draws from both experience and research in putting together this strikingly practical toolkit. Packed with case examples, information, and strategies to support the many types of 2e learners, this book is a great addition to any parent or educator's library."
- Edward R. Amend, Psy.D., clinical psychologist, The Amend Group, Lexington, KY

"Teaching Twice-Exceptional Leaners in Today's Classroom is a book that every educator needs, whether they teach special education or general education. It not only offers a structured, insightful look into learners who are so often overlooked, but also practical tools and actionable advice alongside compelling stories of and from twice-exceptional students."
- Amanda Morin, Associate Director of Thought Leadership & Expertise, Understood, and author of The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education

"Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today's Classrooms is a comprehensive and user-friendly guide to understanding, supporting, educating, and serving twice-exceptional students not only in the classroom, but also in life. This book is filled with strategies for capitalizing on strengths while improving the motivation, organization, and engagement of twice-exceptional learners. We will be recommending this guide to all of our clients."
- Dan Peters, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, co-founder and executive director, Summit Center