Special Needs / Twice Exceptional

Many of the children and youth who come through our program, in addition to being gifted, have other special needs including ADD, ADHD, Aspergers, Autism, Dyslexia, Sensory Integration issues, Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, and more.  The term for this is “Twice Exceptional.”  We welcome them with open arms!

Being gifted is often a lot more complicated than it would seem.  Your gifted child is already exceptional by virtue of having an IQ on the rim of the bell curve, and that has a way of making life complicated.  Many gifted children are identified as “Twice Exceptional” because they have one or more additional conditions beyond the challenge of being gifted.  You aren’t alone!  If your family is struggling with this, several of our volunteers are highly trained professionals in the area of twice exceptional children.  We will be discreet and help you find the answers you need.

“These children truly are exceptional. Not only are they gifted, but they are also coping with learning challenges or disabilities. It is our responsibility to give these students the extra assistance they need to become successful.” Tom Luna, Superintendent of Public Instruction

Did you know that many twice-exceptional people are very successful?  If you choose to focus on your child’s strengths rather than his or her disability, they will be able to live rich, full lives, and contribute something truly unique to the world.  People such as Scott Adams (creator of the Dilbert comic), John Chambers (CEO of Cisco Systems), Winston Churchill (Prime Minister of Great Britain), Walt Disney (Entertainer), Albert Einstein (Scientist), Whoopie Goldberg (Actress), Bruce Jenner (Olympic Gold Medalist), Jay Leno (Comedian), Charles Schwab (Founder and CEO of the Charles Schwab Corporation), and many others are all twice-exceptional?  Our unique differences make us who we are.  Read about more successful people who are twice-exceptional.

Gifted young people, because they are different from the norm, are sometimes misdiagnosed with conditions they don’t actually have.  The best thing you can do as a parent is to learn all you can about the traits of giftedness so you can make the best possible decisions for your child.

An organization called SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) produced a video to help you understand this complex issue.