Understanding TwiceExceptional Students

1
Understanding Twice-Exceptional Students

• Natasha Neagle
• Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the
  Requirements
• For the degree of Master of Arts in Education

2
Who Are They?

• Research shows twice-exceptional students to be
  students who have exhibited gifted behaviors in
  conjunction with disabilities, (Morrison, 2001,
  p. 425).

3
Common Characteristics

• Active problem solvers and analytical thinkers
• Creative and able to understand abstract
  concepts.
• Large difference between verbal and written work

• Depressed and anxious
• Poor organization and motivation
• Seems withdrawn or shy at times

4
Whats the Problem?

• Middle school twice-exceptional students are not
  succeeding at the same pass rate
• Less than an 85 pass rate
• Academic honors or accelerated academic classes

5
How We Know Collecting Data

• Teachers use the following methods to determine
  the success of twice-exceptional students

• Semi-monthly assessments
• Progress reports from teachers
• Daily homework and class work grades

• Student check sheets and reward charts
• Teacher questionnaires and surveys
• Student and parent surveys on homework and study
  habits

6
Whats Stopping Them

• Negative behaviors
• Lack necessary coping skills
• Lack necessary organizational skills
• Lack study strategies
• Incomplete and/or missing assignments

7
How Teachers Can Help

• Proper implementation of study guides, outlines,
  and graphic organizers
• Proper implementation of coping strategies to
  deal with social weakness
• Increased student understanding of personal
  learning style

• Increased development of organizational skills
• Teaching of study skills and test-taking
  strategies in every academic class
• Accurate and timely completion of all assignments

8
Expected Outcome

• Disruptions will decrease
• Organization will increase
• Completion of class work and homework will
  increase

• Overall grades will increase
• Students and teachers will be more aware of
  learning styles
• Study and test taking strategies will increase
  student performance

9
Conclusion

• "A teacher affects eternity he can never tell
  where his influence stops." -- Henry Brooks
  Adams

10
References

• Morrison, W. (2001). Emotional/behavioral
  disabilities and
• gifted and talented behaviors
  paradoxical or semantic
• differences in characteristics?
  Psychology in Schools,
• 38, 425-431. Retrieved January 12,
  2006 from
• EBSCOhost database.