A single-subject case study of twice exceptionality

Twice exceptional (2e) individuals are defined as exceptionally talented persons in one or more areas including academic skills, creativity, leadership, and visual arts accompanied by challenges in one or more areas such as reading, writing, and mathematics. This study aimed to present the views on the academic and social-emotional development of a gifted student with learning disabilities. This research was conducted as a case study by using qualitative research methods. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with the mother, elementary school teacher, special education teacher, and the 2e student himself. The study concluded that the participants emphasized the adaptations that were made in schools for 2e students and the need for support from parents, peers, and teachers for 2e students as well as the necessity for cooperation between school and family.

Twice-Exceptional Students

Young people who present with concomitant high ability and disabilities represent one of education's greatest conundrums. While on one hand they appear capable of superior academic performance, on the other hand they struggle as students. Consequently, identification and educational services for the twice-exceptional student population remain bewildering and elusive as the combination of seemingly paradoxical traits puts them at great risk for identification and consequently this population of students is rarely served appropriately. This chapter explores the complexities of the twice-exceptional (2e) population, how they should be viewed, how schools and homes can accommodate what seem to be dichotomous needs, and how ultimately they can be successful and contented. Case examples amplify understanding of this challenging group of young people.

A Systematic Review of the Research on Gifted Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This article includes a current research synthesis on a subpopulation of twice exceptional individuals, those who are academically talented with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This population is emerging as an increasing focus of research, as the numbers of individuals identified are increasing. A total of 32 articles were included using the study’s inclusion criteria, and of these 32 articles, 62.5% presented data, whereas the remaining 37.5% were review or conceptual articles. This review of articles published between 1996 and 2019 suggests little research is being conducted on this population. Some of the research conducted recently involve case studies, others are correlational in nature, and most are descriptive, focusing on participants’ characteristics and how they were identified. A wide range of definitions were utilized in the literature, and to date, no empirical research has been published about this population. Implications from the current research base and suggestions for future research are included.

Utility of Psychometric and Dynamic Assessments for Identifying Cognitive Characteristics of Twice-Exceptional Students

The purpose of this research was to examine the utility of psychometric and dynamic assessment for the identification of a twice-exceptional (2E) group of students who showed both mathematical high abilities and specific learning disabilities. Of a population of 800 students, 30 (14 boys and 16 girls) ages 10 to 12 years were selected and identified as twice-exceptional at three public elementary schools in Amman, the capital of Jordan. A combination of three psychometric tests and one dynamic math assessment tool was used to recognize the cognitive and perceptual characteristics strengths and difficulties among students. Both psychometric and dynamic assessment models were found important and complementary to one another for the identification of cognitive and perceptual characteristics of twice-exceptional children. The findings were reported and discussed.

Neurobiological Insights into Twice Exceptionality: Circuits, Cells, and Molecules

Twice-exceptional learners face a unique set of challenges arising from the intersection of extraordinary talent and disability. Neurobiology research has the capacity to complement pedagogical research and provide support for twice-exceptional learners. Very few studies have attempted to specifically address the neurobiological underpinnings of twice-exceptionality. However, neurobiologists have built a broad base of knowledge in nervous system function spanning from the level of neural circuits to the molecular basis of behavior. It is known that distinct neural circuits mediate different neural functions, which suggests that 2e learning may result from enhancement in one circuit and disruption in another. Neural circuits are known to adapt and change in response to experience, a cellular process known as neuroplasticity. Plasticity is controlled by a bidirectional connection between the synapse, where neural signals are received, and the nucleus, where regulated gene expression can return to alter synaptic function. Complex molecular mechanisms compose this connection in distinct neural circuits, and genetic alterations in these mechanisms are associated with both memory enhancements and psychiatric disorder. Understanding the consequences of these changes at the molecular, cellular, and circuit levels will provide critical insights into the neurobiological bases of twice-exceptional learning.

A discrepancy between processing speed and verbal ability in gifted youth is genetically and diagnostically associated with autism

Background: High cognitive ability is an almost universally positive prognostic indicator in the context of neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative conditions. However, "twice-exceptional" individuals, those who demonstrate high cognitive ability (gifted) and also exhibit profound cognitive, behavioral, and mental health challenges, are a striking exception to this rule. Methods: We digitized the clinical records of N=1,074 clients from a US-based specialty clinic serving gifted students. This included a broad array of diagnostic, cognitive, achievement, and behavioral data, including self, teacher, and parent reported items. We conducted both hypothesis-driven and unsupervised learning analyses to 1) identify characteristics whose association with full-scale IQ (FSIQ) was dependent on autism diagnosis and 2) identify cognitive archetypes associated with autism diagnosis and related behaviors. We tested the generalization of our findings using data from the ABCD study (N=10,602). Results: Self-reported sense of inadequacy was most strongly associated with increasing FSIQ specifically among autistic clients (beta=0.3, 95% CI:[0.15,0.45], p=7.1x10 -5 ). Similarly, self, parent, and teacher reports of anxiety increased with FSIQ (all p<0.05) in autistic individuals, in striking opposition to the ameliorating effect of FSIQ seen in non-autistic individuals. We uncovered a pattern of decreased processing speed (PS) coupled with very high verbal comprehension (VC), a PS/VC discrepancy, that was associated with autism, attention, and internalizing problems. These cognitive- behavioral links were also observed in the ABCD study. Finally, we found a significant association between the PS/VC discrepancy and polygenic risk for autism in the ABCD sample (t=2.9, p=0.004). Conclusions: Our results suggest that highly elevated IQ with a significant PS/VC discrepancy is a clinically and genetically meaningful biotype linked to autism.