Testing+for+Twice+Exceptional

How can you determine if a child is twice exceptional?



Identifying a twice exceptional student may be difficult due to the child's specific abilities and disabilities. Testing to determine if a child is twice exceptional may be difficult due to several factors. Without “major modification” (Council for Exceptional Children 2011), identification of a twice exceptional child is difficult and not completely accurate, which includes observation check-lists and standardized tests. Often times, the disability hides or masks the gifted and talented qualities of the child. Also, the child can also use their intelligence to hide their disability. Either way, it is difficult to identify a child as having talents and having a disability. According to research, approximately "2-5 percent of the gifted population will have disabilities and 2-5 percent of students with disabilities will be gifted" (Chelin 2009). There are three categories of twice exceptional students to take into consideration when determining if a student is actually gifted with a disability. __ **Category #1:** __ Underachievers ** __Category #2:__ ** Learning Disabilities Mask Exceptional Abilities ** __Category #3:__ ** Unqualified Due to School Performance

The following scenarios detail the steps necessary to determine if a student meets the requirements of classification as a twice-exceptional student.


 * __ Student Identified as Gifted First __**

1st. The student first qualifies for a gifted program according to the district’s requirements.

2nd. The student receives an advanced learning plan as a gifted student.

3rd. The student’s performance or behavior imitates characteristics of students with disabilities. The teacher can then refer the student to a counselor.

4th. The student is then identified as having a disability and will receive an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan.


 * __ Student Identified as Having a Learning Disability First __**

1st. The student is identified as having a disability.

2nd. The student receives an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan.

3rd. The student demonstrates gifted qualities through either performance or behavior. The student’s teachers (both general education and special education) refer the student to a counselor.

4th. The student is classified as gifted according to the district’s requirements and will receive an advanced learning plan as a gifted student.

(Steps referenced from Chelin 2009). ** Georgia Department of Education Referral Process for Psychological Services: **

**__ References: __** Beckley, D. (1998). Gifted and learning disabled: Twice exceptional students. NRC/GT- Spring '98 Newsletter. Retrieved from http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/nrcgt/newsletter/spring98/sprng984.html.

Chelin, D. (Ed.) (2009). // Twice-exceptional students gifted students with disabilities, level 1: An introductory resource book. //  Denver, CO: Colorado Department of Education. Council for Exceptional Children. (2011). Twice exceptional. Retrieved from:  http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm? Section=Twice_Exceptional&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=37&ContentID=5634. Maker, C. J., and Udall, A., J. (1985). //How does one identify the learning disabled gifted?// Council for Exceptional Children. Retrieved from: http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=1819&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CAT=none