If this sounds like an experience your child has had, you are not alone!
At Sage, we understand that twice-exceptional (or 2e) individuals possess both high intellectual abilities and one or more neurodivergent conditions. These conditions might include ADHD, autism, anxiety, or a specific learning disability. Students who are both intellectually gifted and experience a learning difficulty may face unnecessary pressures in educational settings that were never designed for them.
Students who are 2e know that they are smart, but may not be appropriately challenged or supported in conventional classrooms. They may find that their teachers operate from a deficit lens- seeing only what students struggle to do. When teachers fail to recognize a student’s strengths, these students are unlikely to be identified for gifted programs. This deficit-based thinking can lead to a student feeling out of place or defeated.
We know that labels can feel limiting or dismissive of a person’s unique needs and strengths. However, in this case, the term 2e can be a helpful one. Adopting this term as one that has the potential to describe (at least in part) the experience that your child has in their education can help you to find resources related to this term.