Search Database

Twice Exceptional: Learning Disabilities

Jump to:

  • Guidebooks: Davidson Institute Guidebooks

    Twice-Exceptionality - Twice-Exceptionality: A Resource Guide for Parents

    The Davidson Institute is committed to supporting the profoundly gifted population including the many children who are twice-exceptional (2E) within our community. Though this isn’t an exhaustive text, this guidebook is meant to act as a launch pad for parents to learn more about twice-exceptionality, the process of identification and assessment, and how to support children who are 2E intellectually, emotionally and socially.

    This guidebook includes:

    • First-Hand Stories from 2E families to give you insights from people who have “been there, done that.”
    • Expert Q & As on a variety of specialized topics with professionals currently working in the fields of twice-exceptionality and education.
    • Resource Highlights that showcase some of the organizations parents in our community have found helpful in navigating the 2E world.
    • Side Notes that include article excerpts which dive deep into topics related to the issues discussed in each section.
    • Parent Tools created by our team to help you translate the section’s information to your own family and situation.
    • Key Takeaways that summarize the main points at the end of each section.
    Beyond the Resource Highlights, each section also cites and discusses additional helpful books, articles, organizations and other resources. All these resources have been conveniently gathered into one page on the Davidson Gifted Database: the 2E Guidebook: Resources and Bibliography page. This page has been divided by section so that you can quickly find the resources discussed as well as additional readings on that section’s main topics.

  • Organizations: International

    Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
    The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides professional development, advocates for individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

  • Organizations: Local

    Amend Psychological Services, PSC (Lexington, KY)
    Amend Psychological Services provides comprehensive psychological services including assessment and evaluation, consultations, counseling, and therapy for children, adolescents, and their families. Populations served in our practice include: students with LD, ADHD, or other learning and behavior difficulties; gifted/talented students; special needs students; twice exceptional learners; children experiencing life adjustments associated with divorce, grief and loss, and other family transitions; and, children with chronic illness or chronic pain such as migraines.
    Stoller Parent Coaching
    As a collaborative, compassionate expert in the complexities of (un)identified gifted/2e families, Sheryl Stoller works to pragmatically equip parents to transform struggles into thriving, connected growth. In addition to coaching individuals and couples, she leads parent groups, staffings, workshops, and presentations.
    The Arbor Learning Community (Southern California)
    The Arbor Learning Community is a gifted-friendly, non-profit, secular homeschool organization serving elementary, middle and high school students in Southern California. The Arbor offers both academic and enrichment classes and specializes in experiences that are difficult to simulate at home, such as literature discussions, science labs, robotics, foreign language conversation, performing arts, and much more. Classes are offered year-round and are kept small so that students receive individualized attention. Non-homeschooled students are welcome during summer classes as well. A parent familiar with the needs of profoundly gifted (PG) students, the Arbor Learning founder created this organization to provide an educational environment where unique individuals, including PG, visual-spatial and 2e learners, feel comfortable being themselves.
    TwiceGifted.org (Bay Area, CA)
    This is an organization started by a group of parents and educators in the SFBay Area that wanted to provide challenging science labs and classes for young gifted learners that were shut out from classes due to their age. As parents of young gifted and twice exceptional children, we believe that gifted learners need the freedom to learn elastically, confident to stretch beyond conventional boundaries of age while still feeling comfortable enough to review basic concepts from time to time.

  • Organizations: National

    Anne Ford Scholarship
    The National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc. (NCLD) offers this $10,000 scholarship annually to one high school senior with an identified learning disability (LD) who plans to pursue an undergraduate degree. Check the website for applicant qualifications and deadlines. Some qualifications include financial need and a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
    Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR)
    CPIR is a “hub” of information and products created for the network of Parent Centers serving families of children with disabilities
    All the materials found on the CPIR Hub have been created and archived for Parent Centers around the country to help them provide support and services to the families they serve. The CPIR employs a user-centered process, gathering the perspectives of our experienced audience—Parent Center staff members and other experts—every step of the way, to create products and services that increase Parent Centers’ knowledge and capacity in specific domains.
    Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) of America
    The Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) of America website includes information and resources on learning disabilities, including those involoving a social component, such as autism and Asperger syndrome. LDA is dedicated to a world in which
    all individuals with learning disabilities are empowered to thrive and participate fully in society; the incidence of learning disabilities is reduced; and learning disabilities are universally understood and effectively addressed.
    National Directory of Vision Therapy Providers
    The directory provides free referral for a liscenced eye doctor who provides vision therapy. This directory also offers advice for people who have questions about ADHD/ADD and how it relates to vision problems.
    New Frontiers In Learning
    This organization provides academic and social supports for high school and college students. Coaches work with students of all ability levels, including students with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and related learning differences, as well as those who may simply benefit from some assistance developing time management, organizational, financial management, or related executive functioning skills. The New Frontiers model of support for students transitioning to college focuses on the individual needs of each specific student in the program, and provides services to students in high schools and colleges in the Westchester, New York City and Long Island areas, with the ability to work remotely with students in other parts of the country/world via video conferencing.
    Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities
    Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities' mission is to educate, guide and inspire parents of children with learning disabilities or ADHD. Their aim is to help parents realize their children’s significant gifts and talents, and to show that with their love, guidance, and the right support, their children can live happy and productive lives. They offer a $1000 award for students with an LD or ADHD who do amazing things.
    Twice Exceptional Children's Advocacy (TECA)
    TECA is the primary online destination for parents of 2e children looking for a community of peers, resources, information and support.

  • Organizations: Regional

    Summit Center (California)
    Summit Center provides educational and psychological assessments, consultations, and treatment for children, their parents, and families, as well as parent discussion groups and educational opportunities. Their specialties include managing stress and anxiety, learning differences such as dyslexia, and issues related to giftedness and twice-exceptionality.

  • Printed Materials: Books

    A Practical Guide to Mental Health & Learning Disorders for Every Educator
    Covering topics including PTSD, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and many others, this accessible, ready-to-use reference explains how each disorder or difficulty might be exhibited in the classroom and offers straightforward suggestions for what to do (and what not to do). Using clear, jargon-free language, the book helps all educators—whether in inclusive classrooms, general education settings, or other environments—recognize mental health issues and learning disabilities that are often observed in students. Fully revised and updated to correspond to the DSM-5, this edition addresses newly diagnosed disorders, as well as incorporating the latest research and interventions for existing disorders. The book also includes current information about educational practices such as creating a culturally responsive classroom and supporting students’ social-emotional learning.
    Assessing Special Students
    Assessment is at the center of all good teaching, and this book is designed to provide a clear, comprehensive guide to the assessment of students with mild disabilities. This book will give you both an understanding of the assessment process and the concrete, practical skills necessary to assess special students successfully so that you can teach them well.
    Assistive Technology in Special Education: Resources for Education, Intervention, and Rehabilitation (2nd ed.)
    Families, teachers, and therapists who are searching for an update about how to use the latest technologies to help individuals who struggle with communication, literacy, and learning will benefit from the wealth of practical, well-organized information in this second edition of this book by author Joan Green.
    Being Me with OCD: How I Learned to Obsess Less and Live My Life
    Part memoir, part self-help for teens, Being Me with OCD tells the story of how obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) dragged the author to rock bottom—and how she found hope, got help, and eventually climbed back to a fuller, happier life.
    Bright Kids Who Can't Keep Up: Help Your Child Overcome Slow Processing Speed and Succeed in a Fast-Paced World

    Drs. Ellen Braaten and Brian Willoughby have worked with thousands of kids and teens who struggle with an area of cognitive functioning called "processing speed," and who are often mislabeled as lazy or unmotivated. Filled with vivid stories and examples, this crucial resource demystifies processing speed and shows how to help kids (ages 5 to 18) catch up in this key area of development. Learn how to obtain needed support at school, what to expect from a professional evaluation, and how you can make daily routines more efficient—while promoting the social and emotional well-being of children. Read a review of this book.

    College Success for Students with Learning Disabilities
    Planning for college can be one of the biggest moments in a teen’s life, but for those students with learning and other disabilities, the college experience can be fraught with frustration, uncertainty, and lowered self-confidence. Written by Cynthia G. Simpson, Ph.D. and Vicky G. Spencer, Ph.D., this book offers teens the confidence, strategies, and guidance they need to effectively choose a college, get prepared for university life, and make the most of their collegiate experience. Special sections also discuss ADHD and Asperger’s syndrome. Click here to read a review of this book.
    Creating Effective Programs for Gifted Students With Learning Disabilities
    This book provides a road map for understanding assessment and programming for GTLD students in the era of Response to Intervention. The book helps educators understand the often frustrating experiences GTLD students face in the classroom and identify accommodations and adaptations that allow these bright students to demonstrate their gifts and compensate for their processing challenges. Through an examination of current research and case studies, the reader will be introduced to what must be considered when identifying and developing programming for this underserved population.
    Crossover Children: A Sourcebook for Helping Children Who Are Gifted and Learning Disabled
    This book serves as a great primer for a mostly unheard of, frequently misunderstood learning condition. Many consider these bright, academically underachieving kids a conundrum. Many are labeled unmotivated, lazy, or troublemakers. The children are bored, confused, or unable to organize themselves enough to succeed in today's classrooms.
    Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism
    Presented in an easy to read format, this book by Temple Grandin and Kate Duffy focuses on using one's strengths, natural talents, and special interests to gain employment and lead successful lives.
    Diverse Populations of Gifted Children: Meeting Their Needs in the Regular Classroom and Beyond
    Starr Cline and Diane Schwartz focus on how teachers can help their students reach their full potential. The authors discuss reasons for the failure to integrate gifted education into the fabric of the school and the relationships between multiple intelligences philosophy and the curriculum.
    Educational Care: A System for Understanding and Helping Children With Learning Problems at Home and in School
    Find strategies for handling various learning difficulties and get a more complete understanding of why your child acts the way he/she does. This book presents a way of thinking about many of the common forms of learning disorders, their recognition, their implications, and their treatment. Specifically, chapters 2-7 describe the areas in which neurodevelopmental dysfunction may hinder learning and performance in school. There are also sections on "demystification," which provides a process that adults can use when talking to their children about the nature of their learning disorders as well as their strengths.
    Giftedness, Conflict, and Underachievement
    This text's research is included in every book and research paper concerning "Twice-Exceptional," "Gifted/Learning Disabled," or underserved gifted populations that has followed. It is a must have for all researchers, parents, and or teachers who are concerned about or deal with highly able students that have mitigating problems.
    In the Mind's Eye: Visual Thinkers, Gifted People With Dyslexia and Other Learning Difficulties, Computer Images and the Ironies of Creativity
    Written by Thomas G. West, this book is a hopeful, fascinating study of gifted and profoundly gifted people with learning disabilities and visual-spatial strengths. West's premise is that the things that seem like disabilities to us now at this time in history, may, in the future, be strengths in an increasingly visual world. West also discusses the influence of computers as both creative and compensatory tools for twice-exceptional gifted people.
    Learning Disabilities and Related Disorders: Characteristics and Teaching Strategies
    Janet W. Lerner and Frank Kline provide a comprehensive overview of this complex subject by covering theoretical approaches within the field, procedures for assessing and evaluating students, skills in the art of clinical teaching, teaching methods and strategies, and requirements of special education laws.
    Normal Children Have Problems, Too: How Parents Can Understand And Help
    This award-winning book by the author of The Difficult Child shows parents how to deal with their child's, or adolescent's, emotional problems, from aggression to inattention to lack of friends. Topics covered include: lack of friends; poor self-image; sibling rivalry; hyperactivity; sadness and fearfulness; eating problems; nervous habits; aggressive behavior; defiance; sleep problems; lying; and learning disabilities.
    Parents' Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education: All You Need to Know to Make the Right Decisions for Your Child
    This book is written specifically for parents who wonder if their child is gifted. Author David Palmer helps parents who have little or no experience with gifted testing and programming and explains these topics in-depth. The text is written in a succinct, easy-to-understand format and answers the questions that parents most commonly ask.
    RtI for Gifted Students
    This book provides a comprehensive overview of Response to Intervention (RtI) frameworks that include gifted students. One of the books featured in the CEC-TAG Educational Resource series, the book incorporates national, state, and local RtI models and how gifted learners can be included within these frameworks. Specific attention is given to addressing the needs of students who are twice-exceptional and to culturally responsive practices.
    Sensory Integration and Learning Disorders
    This is the classic text written by the occupational therapist/psychologist who developed sensory integration theory and intervention.
    Smart Kids With Learning Difficulties: Overcoming Obstacles and Realizing Potential (2nd ed.)
    This book is a great educational resource for parents, educators or counselors of intelligent children who face learning difficulties. The authors, Weinfield, Barnes-Robinson, Jeweler and Shevitz, provide useful, practical advice for helping smart kids with learning challenges succeed in school Click here to read a review of this book. The second edition includes a look at current definitions of twice-exceptional students, updated research findings and identification methods, a detailed description of the laws and policies impacting this population, what works and what doesn't work, model schools, Response to Intervention, Understanding by Design, comprehensive assessments, social-emotional principles, and new assistive technology.
    Smart Kids With School Problems: Things to Know & Ways to Help
    Parents and teachers of gifted students with learning disabilities should be grateful for this definitive work on "conundrum kids" - the superb writer who can't add, the talented speech maker who can't write legibly. Chapters on young children provide practical suggestions and ideas for parents trying to decide when the child should start school and teachers trying to cope. The work also covers students up through college and deals with the topics of visual learning, motor functioning, auditory learning, language and learning, and psychological problems. Strategies for dealing with standardized tests and conquering the world of college are also included. Click here to read a review of this book.
    Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head
    How is the body involved in learning from infancy through adulthood? Physical activity is crucial. This book by Carla Hannaford explains why and gives simple physical exercises that can increase anyone's learning power immediately. It explores brain development, neurological effects of TV, nutrition, stress, and causes of the growing plague of learning disabilities.
    Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues
    The original Son-Rise (1976) described the family trauma of the author, his wife Samahria and their son Raun, who had been diagnosed as autistic, mentally retarded and untreatable. Rather than relegating Raun to permanent institutionalization, the Kaufmans designed a program of their own, which provided intensive therapy on a rigorous schedule that changed all of their lives. Did Raun continue to progress? In this book, that question is answered not only by the parents and extended family but also by Raun himself, now a college student and a participant in the family's educational foundation, The Option Institute and Fellowship.
    Special Siblings: Growing Up With Someone With a Disability
    Mary McHugh writes about her experience growing up with a sibling with a disability, and interviews many other people in the same situation. This is a book for those with disabled siblings. However, it also looks at the attention and time parents spend on a child who is "different", as gifted children can be considered, and how siblings of that child can come to terms with that and build a healthy, special relationship with the sibling.
    Students with Both Gifts and Learning Disabilities: Identification, Assessment, and Outcomes (Neuropsychology and Cognition)
    Authors, Tina Newman and Robert Sternberg, provide the reader with a broader conceptualization of the gifted/LD learner to include students who have gifts in other areas than high IQ and who would benefit from being identified and having their talents nurtured.
    Successful Strategies for Twice-Exceptional Students (The Practical Strategies Series in Gifted Education)
    In this book, Kevin D. Besnoy, Ph.D takes an in-depth look at the various learning disabilities and difficulties some gifted students face, provides practical tips for accommodating and planning instruction for these students, and gives an overview of federal law related to this population.
    Teaching Gifted Students with Disabilities (A Gifted Child Today Reader)
    This Gifted Child Today reader by Susan Johnson and James Kendrick is filled with practical classroom ideas, discussions of identification and classroom management. Both authors are professors at Baylor University in the fields Educational Psychology and Communications.
    Teaching Kids with Learning Difficulties in Today’s Classroom How Every Teacher Can Help Struggling Students Succeed
    This book by Susan Winebrenner, M.S. with Lisa M. Kiss, M.Ed. contains practical, easy-to-use teaching methods, strategies, and tips to improve learning outcomes for students who score below proficiency levels. This fully revised and updated third edition of provides information on integrated learning, problem solving, and critical thinking in line with Common Core State Standards and 21st-century skills. It reflects the use of technology and schoolwide cluster grouping in support of all students and includes proven, practical, classroom-tested strategies and step-by-step instructions for how to use them.
    The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries
    A parenting book for those who have kids ages 3 to 13, this is a guide offering advice for dealing with children's difficult behavior and hot button issues including biting, tantrums, cheating, bad friends, inappropriate clothing, bullying, sex, drugs, peer pressure and much more. Each of the 101 challenging parenting issues includes specific step-by-step solutions and advice that is age appropriate. Chapter 7, titled "Special Needs", features information on ADD, Autism, Gifted, Learning Disabilities and more.
    The Dysgraphia Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Help Your Child
    This book will give you the tools needed to help your child. This includes causes, treatment options for the three types of dysgraphia, a software review for dozens of free and paid programs, suggestions for working with your child’s school, and specific techniques to help your child overcome their dysgraphia.
    The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Advocating for Your Child with Special Needs
    Children with special needs who succeed in school have one thing in common--their parents are passionate and effective advocates. It's not an easy job, but with this book, parents will learn how to evaluate, prepare, organize, and get quality services, no matter what your child's disability. This valuable handbook provides the tools needed to navigate the complex world of special education and services, with information on: assessment and evaluation; educational needs for different disabilities, including multiple disabilities; current law, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); working within the school system to create an IEP; the importance of keeping detailed records; and dealing with parent-school conflict.
    The Gift of Dyslexia: Why Some of the Brightest People Can't Read and How They Can Learn
    First published in 1995, and written from personal experience, the author offers unique insights into the learning problems and stigmas faced by dyslexics and gives his own tried and tested techniques for overcoming and correcting it demonstrating that sufferers have special talents of perception and imagination.
    The Impulsive, Disorganized Child: Solutions for Parenting Kids with Executive Functioning Difficulties
    Impulsive, scattered, lost, unfocused, unprepared, disorganized: These are just a few of the words used to describe kids with executive functioning deficits, which commonly affect many children already diagnosed with ADHD, learning disabilities, and autism. In this book, authors James W Forgan, Ph.D. and Mary Anne Richey help parents pinpoint weak executive functions in their children, then learn how to help their kids overcome these deficits with practical, easy solutions. Children who can't select, plan, initiate, or sustain action toward their goals are children who simply struggle to succeed in school and other aspects of life. Parents need the helpful, proven advice, and interactive surveys and action plans, in this book to empower them to take positive action to teach their disorganized, impulsive child to achieve independence, success and a level of self-support.
    The Inconvenient Student: Critical Issues in the Identification and Education of Twice-Exceptional Students
    Twice-exceptional children are those who are both gifted and have a learning disability or an attentional or behavioral disorder. Because they have exceptionalities at both ends of the spectrum, their needs tend to go unmet. Often they are able to compensate for their disability with their giftedness, and their disability typically masks their giftedness, leaving them struggling enormously to perform at average levels, unnoticed by school systems. This book tackles the problem of identifying gifted kids who have dyslexia, dysgraphia, sensory processing disorder, auditory and visual processing disorders, ADD, autism or Asperger's, ODD, OCD, anxiety, and depression. Dr. Postma explains in detail what these children are like and how to accommodate their needs in the regular classroom so that they can strengthen their weaknesses and maximize their strengths.
    The K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences, 12th Edition: 350 Schools with Programs or Services for Students with ADHD or Learning Disabilities (College Admissions Guides)
    This book is a comprehensive resource for selecting the right college for students with learning disabilities.
    The Mislabeled Child: How Understanding Your Child's Unique Learning Style Can Open the Door to Success
    This book from husband and wife team Brock Eide, M.D. and Fernette Eide, M.D., ofers this informative, clinical aid to labeling and dealing with various "brain-based learning challenges." Each of the 11 chapters focuses on a single type of learning system and the challenges that affect it.
    The Organized Student: Teaching Children the Skills for Success in School and Beyond
    The overstuffed backpack, the missing homework, the unused planner, the test he didn't know about. Sound familiar? When the disorganized child meets the departmentalized structure of middle school, everything can fall apart. This book contains hands-on strategies for teaching your disorganized child how to organize for success in middle school and high school, with special tips for kids with ADD/ADHD and learning disorders.
    The Pretenders: Gifted People Who Have Difficulty Learning
    This book tells the stories of eight people who never stopped trying. From humiliation in school and the anxiety of coping with everyday life unable to read street signs and menus, to shopping, driving, and working, these people lived in a world of dashed hopes and dreams--regardless of outward appearances--until, with help from Dr. Barbara Guyer, they discovered their learning disability and unlocked their true gifts.
    The School Survival Guide for Kids With LD*: (*Learning Differences)
    The authors provide help for students to learn how to organize time, set goals, stand up for one's self, cope with testing and more. This book gives many practical suggestions that may help a student who feels like a loser feel more like a winner!
    The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What Do We Know? (2nd ed.)
    The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children provides a comprehensive summary of the empirical research on the social and emotional development of gifted children by leading authorities in the field. It includes several features that make it the leading text on what we know about the social and emotional development of gifted children. For example, it summarizes the most significant findings from the empirical research on the topic. It also includes noteworthy variations that have been observed across cultural groups or global contexts. Each chapter also provides a short description of the practical applications that can be made from the research. The second edition includes an entirely new section on the psychosocial aspects of talent development, as well as addresses the burgeoning interest and research base regarding gifted performance. The text also includes several new topics that have emerged from the research in the past decade, such as the neuroscience of talent development and motivation for talent development. Click here to read a review of the first edition of this book.
    The Survival Guide for Kids with LD (Learning Differences)
    Kids with LD can learn—they just learn differently. Young people labeled with a “learning disability” or “learning disorder” will find a welcome resource in this fully revised and updated survival guide. The book retains the warmth, affirmation, and straightforward approach of earlier editions while incorporating current information about why some kids have LD and what supports are available, including new technologies. It defines different kinds of LD, describes a range of learning aids, helps kids deal with bullying and difficult feelings, suggests ways to make friends, and inspires young people to set goals for the future. Readers will find quizzes, think-about-it questions, stories, and quotes from other kids with LD. A special section discusses how IEPs and 504 Plans help kids with learning difficulties succeed in school. Includes a chapter written to parents and teachers along with resources for kids and adults
    The Twice-Exceptional Dilemma
    The National Education Association (NEA) published this book to assist educators, school districts and parents who are working to meet the needs of children who are both gifted and have special needs or learning disabilities. Developed by a workgroup of experts in gifted education and special education, this compilation illustrates the importance of awareness, knowledge and proper identification guidelines.
    To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled: Strategies for Helping Bright Students with LD, ADHD, and More
    This book is one of the most popular resources available on identifying and meeting the needs of twice-exceptional students. This updated third edition provides a comprehensive look at the complex world of students with remarkable gifts, talents, and interests, who simultaneously face learning, attention, or social challenges from LD, ADHD, and other disorders. Through case studies and years of research, the authors present a rationale for using a strength-based, talent-focused approach to meeting the needs of this special population. From a thorough description of twice-exceptionality and the unique learning patterns of these students, to strategies for identification, comprehensive programming, talent development, and instructional strategies, this book is for anyone who works or lives with a child who has both startling talents and disabling weaknesses.
    Twice Exceptional (2e) Spotlight Series
    Published by the 2eNewsletter, the Spotlight on 2e Series includes 10 titles with more planned in the future: Parenting Your Twice-exceptional Child; Understanding Your Twice-exceptional Student; Understanding the Gifted Child with Attention Deficit; The Twice-exceptional Child with Asperger Syndrome; Guiding the Twice-exception Child: A Collection of Columns by Meredith Warshaw; The 2e Reading Guide: Essential Books for Understanding the Twice-exceptional Child; Caring for the Mental Health of the Twice-exceptional Child; The Mythology of Learning: Understanding Common Myths about 2e Learners; Writing and the 2e Learner: Issues and Strategies; and The Twice-exceptional Child with Dyslexia.
    Twice Exceptional: Supporting and Educating Bright and Creative Students with Learning Difficulties
    This book provides cutting-edge, evidence-based approaches to creating an environment where twice-exceptional students can thrive. Viewing the 2e student as neither exclusively disabled nor exclusively gifted, but, rather, as a dynamic interaction of both, leading experts offer holistic insight into identification, social-emotional development, advocacy, and support for 2e students. With chapters focusing on special populations (including autism, dyslexia, and ADHD) as well as the intersection of race and 2e, this book highlights practical recommendations for school and social contexts.
    Twice-Exceptional and Special Populations of Gifted Students
    This book by editors Susan Baum and Sally M. Reis, is from the Essential Readings in Gifted Education Series and addresses how special learning needs, cultural expectations and issues of poverty greatly complicate the identification of gifts and talents among at-risk students. Key topics include strategies for identifying giftedness masked by gender, cultural, economic, and/or behavioral issues
    Twice-Exceptional Gifted Children: Understanding, Teaching, and Counseling Gifted Students
    This book titled, Twice-Exceptional Gifted Children: Understanding, Teaching, and Counseling Gifted Students, provides an overview of who these students are, how teachers can tap into their strengths and weaknesses, and what educational strategies should be implemented to help these students succeed in school and beyond.
    Uniquely Gifted: Identifying and Meeting the Needs of the Twice-Exceptional Student
    This book edited by Kiesa Kay brings together perspectives from educators, parents, researchers, and students about what works and what doesn't for twice exceptional students. Many asynchronous learners exist in the profoundly gifted population, and in addition to chapters by well-known researchers, the book contains heartfelt essays by parents and teens.
    When Your Child Learns Differently: A Family Approach for Navigating Special Education Services With Love and High Expectations
    Advocating for a child who learns differently can sometimes feel like an isolating and daunting task. This book reminds families that they are not alone. This book: Helps families navigate special education services from the inside out; Offers targeted advice to families of children with a wide range of disabilities and challenges; and much more.
    Winston Grammar Kit and Workbooks
    This multi-sensory grammar teaching program provides full instruction in the fundamentals of English grammar for the elementary and early middle school grade levels. Particularly recommended for twice-exceptional gifted children, especially those with dyslexia and other language learning disabilities. Advanced Winston Grammar kit is available for the junior high and high school grades.
    Wrightslaw: All About IEPs
    In this comprehensive book, readers will find clear, concise answers to frequently asked questions about IEPs. Learn what the law says about: IEP teams and meetings; parental rights and consent; steps in developing the IEP; placement, transition, assistive technology; and, strategies to resolve disagreements. Click here to read a review of this book.

  • Printed Materials: Online Documents

    Parent and Educator Resource: Guide to Section 504 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
    This user-friendly, easy-to-read publication covers the process schools must go through to determine if a student is eligible for a 504 Plan.

  • Printed Materials: Periodicals/Reports & Studies

    2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter
    This website is home to a bi-monthly publication about twice-exceptional children -- those who are gifted and have learning or attention difficulties. Readers will find book reviews, products and profiles of experts, service providers, websites, and email discussion lists. Additional features include news from the 2e field, such as conference coverage, new research findings, information on new medications and a survey that 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter conducted about the needs of gifted kids who also have learning difficulties such as AD/HD, Asperger’s, dyslexia, etc.
    Critical Issues in the Identification of Gifted Students with Co-Existing Disabilities: The Twice-Exceptional
    This article addresses the problem of under-identification of 2e students for services in American schools. The article reflects the work of 17 authors in the field, including psychologists, educators, and twice-exceptional advocates.

  • Schools & Programs: College Affiliated

    Beacon College (Leesburg, FL)
    Founded in 1989, Beacon College was the first institution of higher education in the country accredited to award bachelor degrees exclusively to students with learning disabilities, ADHD and other learning differences. The College is committed to student success, offering academic and personal support services that help each student achieve his or her goals.

  • Schools & Programs: Independent

    Arete Academy (St. Louis Park, MN)
    Arete Academy of Exceptional Education is committed to partnering with parents to educate and support twice-exceptional students — gifted students who also have learning disabilities — so they can learn the academic, social and emotional skills needed to overcome their disabilities, reach their full potential and apply their gifts to make lasting contributions to the world. the school's vision is to provide a supportive and challenging environment for bright students who learn differently.
    Big Minds
    Big Minds is an attachment-based, community focused school designed to give 2e students the time and support necessary to grow into thoughtful, articulate citizens. Our focus is on socio-emotional development that supports both cognitive and creative growth. Students and teachers are continually engaged in a passionate, reciprocal learning process. Our academic work is inquiry-based, dynamic, and follows student interests. Big Minds is designed to help 2e children reach their full intellectual and creative potential, while giving them the necessary skills to be socially competent in the world.
    Bridges Academy (Los Angeles, CA)
    The mission of the Bridges Academy is to educate twice-exceptional (2e) students. The school offers two programs: the Phoenix Program for students ages 9-11, and the 7th-12th grade post-secondary preparatory program.
    Churchill Academy (Montgomery, AL)
    This academy is a one-of-a-kind school for bright children with unique learning differences. Many are gifted in specific intellectual and academic areas, but their giftedness is not perceived by educators because they aren't able to achieve in traditional academic environments with traditional methods, materials and techniques. Churchill Academy is open to any student regardless of national origin, race, sex or religion.
    FlexSchool (Berkeley Heights, NJ, & Bronxville, NY)

    FlexSchool is a day school for gifted and twice exceptional (2e) middle and high school students. With two campuses (located in NJ and NY), FlexSchool provides a high-quality, flexible, individualized educational experience for divergent thinkers in middle school, high school and post-graduate year. The school provides one-on-one courses for those students who want to be a part of a school, yet need individual attention in some or all of their courses. The faculty focuses on critical thinking in all areas of learning; a “toolbox” concept emphasizing how to learn rather than an “encyclopedia” concept emphasizing specific material (though all core bases are covered in depth). Block scheduling promotes in-depth discussions and extensive experiments. For students in one-on-one courses, the depth and flexibility of the teaching staff enables students to customize their schedules.

    Hampshire Country School (Rindge, NH)
    Hampshire Country School is a private boarding school for boys ages 9-15, located in Rindge, New Hampshire. The school is for boys of high ability who need a personal environment with an unusual amount of adult attention and structure. Hampshire Country School can provide appropriate structure and support for certain students with nonverbal learning disabilities, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, and other disorders; but it is not a treatment program. It is designed instead to involve and educate the bright, active, and interested side of each child rather than to dwell on the student's limitations and difficulties.
    Hillside School (Boulder, CO)
    Hillside School provides specialized instruction in reading, writing, and math for students in grades 1-9 in a supportive environment. They set out to enable students who have learning differences, such as dyslexia, to reach their academic potential and become capable and confident learners.
    Insight Colearning Center (Durham, NC)
    This nonprofit micro school in Durham, NC aims to serve high school students who are not thriving in traditional school, particularly those who are gifted or twice-exceptional. The approach includes rigorous seminar-style courses taught by subject-matter experts, one-on-one academic advising, supported study hall, and an opportunity to progress through three levels of scholarly development, culminating in an independent action research project in the final year.
    Lawton Chiles Preparatory School (Longwood, FL)
    LCPS is a private day school that serves gifted and talented students. The school is designed to provide exceptionally motivated students and 2e students the opportunity to experience the freedom and challenge of reaching their full potential.
    Le Sallay International Academy (International)
    Le Sallay International Academy is an international English language school combining boarding/distance learning centered for gifted middle school students (ages 10-14.) A great fit for twice exceptional learners, the program is very individualized, with teachers providing a differentiated approach for all students. Le Sallay follows a Modular schedule: 2-3 weeks of organized classroom sessions in study camps followed by 6-8 weeks of classes at home, comprised of independent work and daily group online classes with teachers.
    Quad Preparatory School (New York, NY)
    Quad Prep is a school for twice exceptional students that provides them with the opportunity to capitalize on their strengths and further develop their passions while receiving emphatic support and empowerment to cope with their challenges.
    The Gow School (South Wales, NY)
    The Gow School is a college-prep boarding and day school for students, grades 7-12, with dyslexia and similar language-based learning disabilities.

  • Schools & Programs: Public

    Riverside School (Richmond, VA)
    Riverside School is a non-sectarian, non-profit, private coeducational day school, approved by the state of Virginia as a proprietary school. Riverside school provides a multi-sensory, structured and rational education for children with specific learning disabilities in grades 1-8.

  • Summer Programs: MidAtlantic Region

    The Quad Manhattan (New York, NY)
    This summer day camp is conducted by the Quad, an educational and recreational center for twice-exceptional children in Manhattan. It accepts children from 4-12 years of age and places them in groups of no more than 8 for the youngest and 10 for the rest. Groups are led by one core teacher (either a special educator or future psychologist) plus two trained interns. The focus is on developing talents, pursuing interests, and working on skill building.

  • Summer Programs: National

    SOAR (Success Oriented Achievement Realized) (Multiple Locations)
    SOAR (Success Oriented Achievement Realized) features success-oriented, high adventure programs for preteens, teens and adults with Learning Disabilities (LD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (AD/HD). Emphasis is placed on developing self-confidence, social skills, problem-solving techniques, a willingness to attempt new challenges and the motivation which comes through successful goal orientation.

  • Summer Programs: Northeastern Region

    Aspire Adventure Summer Camp (Boston, MA)
    This camp is for students with high cognitive autism spectrum disorder or a related profile The focus is on each camper’s strengths to create a safe and comfortable environment in which they can learn, grow, make friends, succeed and have fun. Camp activities take place in small groups with a high staff to child ratio (1:3). There are three camps for different age groups.

  • Websites & Other Media: Apps

    Efofex - EmPower Program
    Many students with physical disabilities find mathematics and science extremely difficult to write. The equations and graphics are too difficult to construct with standard tools. Efofex products are designed to make the jobs of mathematics and science teachers easier, but many students with special needs have found that they also provide the assistance they need.
    visTimer
    visTimer is a small application that is designed for people on the Autism Spectrum, ASD, ADHD, or others who benefit from visual reinforcement to provide an inobtrusive timer, alarm and textual prompts to complete time-driven tasks. The timer can be set to durations of 1 minute to 12 hours. It can also operate in clockwise or anti-clockwide modes.

  • Websites & Other Media: Commercial

    Advanced Brain Technologies (ABT)
    Advanced Brain Technologies (ABT) is the creator of innovative brain-based products and technologies for therapeutic, educational and self-improvement benefits. It combines extensive clinical experience with the latest neuroscience and music research to create products, programs, and services that enhance health, learning and productivity. Based on more than 30 years of clinical research with thousands of individuals at the National Academy for Child Development and with experts in various fields, ABT's growing family of brain-based programs is created to help people reach their fullest potential.
    eSpecial Needs
    eSpecial Needs is an online store which provides adaptive equipment, specialized toys and sensory tools for children with special needs. They carry a wide range of products from education to fun which help children learn, play and perform their day-to-day activities without any difficulty.
    How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City Workshop
    Richard Lavoie shows the audience what children with learning disabilities experience everyday. Strategies for working more effectively with children who struggle are available at the end.
    Learning Fundamentals
    This software can be used by children, adults and therapists in treating a variety of speech, communication, and cognitive impairments.
    Lindamood Bell Learning Processes
    Lindamood-Bell is an organization dedicated to enhancing human learning. They were founded by the authors of critically acclaimed programs that develop the sensory-cognitive processes that underlie reading, spelling, language comprehension, math, and visual motor skills. Their process-based education programs are for individuals ranging from severely learning disabled to academically gifted–ages 5 years through adult.
    Pro-Ed Online
    Pro-Ed, Inc. is a leading publisher of nationally standardized tests, resource and reference texts, curricular and therapy materials, and professional journals.
    Special Education Advocacy
    This web page offers special education article links about laws and advocacy strategies.
    Stevenson Learning Skills
    This company publishes the Stevenson Language Skills Program, Stevenson's Essential Grammar, Stevenson's Cursive Writing and other materials for teaching basic skills to both regular and learning disabled students. They use techniques like mnemonics (memory aids) and multi-sensory instruction. The materials accommodate dyslexia, attention deficits, phonological processing difficulties, memory weakness and sequencing confusion.
    The Alert Program
    This website describes an innovative program that supports children, teachers, parents, and therapists to choose appropriate strategies to change or maintain states of alertness. Although this program initially was intended for children with attention and learning difficulties, ages 8-12, it has been adapted for preschool through adult and for a variety of disabilities.
    Time Timer LLC
    Time Timer LLC is taking the idea of a simple, visual depiction of elapsed time and turning it into a line of products that helps solve time perception problems. These proven products are so easy to use that even young children and those with learning disabilities can monitor their own timed activities.

  • Websites & Other Media: Informational

    2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter Blog
    This blog, maintained by the publishers of the 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter, shares news, events, and resources found by researchers in the area of twice-exceptionality. The 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter is a bi-monthly electronic publication for those who raise, educate, and counsel high-ability children with learning issues such as AD/HD, dyslexia, Asperger's, and so forth.
    2eNews.com
    2e News provides readers with high-level information and perspectives about twice-exceptional (2e) education and cognitive diversity. They cover a broad range of topics that are essential for all educators, parents, and industry professionals. Their mission is to maintain a fruitful conversation among key stakeholders to improve the lives of gifted students with learning differences.
    A Student's Guide to the IEP
    This guide tells students: what an IEP is; why you need to be part of your IEP team; how to help write your IEP; and much, much more.
    All Kinds of Minds
    Founded in 1995, by pediatrician Dr. Mel Levine and financier Charles R. Schwab, All Kinds of Minds is a non-profit Institute that helps students who struggle with learning measurably improve their success in school and life by providing programs that integrate educational, scientific, and clinical expertise.
    Asperger Experts
    Created by Danny Raede and Hayden Mears, both diagnosed with Asperger's, this website is designed to show others how to best assist people with Asperger's to achieve their highest potential in life. Drawing on personal experience, as well as the best research into success, human potential, and the autistic spectrum, the Asperger Experts are changing the way the world not only looks at people with Autism, but how they treat these individuals. Through their DVDs, Audio Courses, Webinars, Coaching Sessions & Videos, they show others exactly what goes on in their mind, how to communicate to people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), what to do to greatly reduce your daily frustrations, and most importantly, how to get people with ASD to fully experience all that life offers.
    Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD): What It Is & How To Manage It
    This web site is intended for the parents whose child has been diagnosed with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) or suspect their child may have the disorder.
    Dysgraphia Accommodations and Modifications - LD Online
    This article discusses the common symptoms of dysgraphia and offers a variety of accommodations and modifications that can be implemented to help students with the disability achieve.
    Dyslexic Advantage
    This website is a place where successes, personal triumphs, and challenges can be shared. It is a place where people can learn from each other and be encouraged.
    Education: Gifted and Talented Students - KidSource Online
    This website offers articles relating to gifted education, home schooling, twice exceptionalities, college and career planning, and more.
    Gifted and Learning Disabled: Twice Exceptional Students
    This article discusses three subgroups of twice-exceptional students whose dual exceptionality remains unacknowledged. The article also discusses the characteristics, identification, and curricular needs of these students.
    GT-Spec-Home email Discussion List
    This email discussion list is for families homeschooling gifted/special needs children.
    Heath Resource Center at the National Youth Transitions Center - George Washington University (Washington, D.C.)
    Since 2000, the Center has served as a national clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities, managed by The George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development. The Center provides everything a student, parent, educator or counselor would need to know about students with disabilities in college – their rights, responsibilities, etc. The HEATH Resource Center gathers, develops and disseminates information in the form of resource papers, fact sheets, website directories, newsletters, and resource materials.
    Helping your child with handwriting
    "Children who paint or write in cursive, but who are unable to write legibly and consistently, in spite of repeated admonitions, require special approaches to the solution of their special difficulties. These are youngsters who are unable to properly form their letters, who have difficulty keeping their letters on the line, who may not seem to understand the relative sizes of letters, who either crowd letters within words together, or who space so poorly that it is almost impossible to determine where one word ends and another begins." Read this article for more information.
    Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs)
    Wrightslaw has provided a web page for your questions about IEPs Find articles, law and regulations, tactics and strategies, tips, books, and free publications about IEPs on this page.
    Integra Foundation (Toronto, Canada)
    Founded in 1967, the Integra Foundation Integra is a Children's Mental Health Center leading in the treatment of vulnerable children and youth with learning disabilities. The health center is dedicated to improving social, emotional and behavioral outcomes through a range of specialized therapeutic, family-centered services, community education and research.
    Lazy Kid or Executive Dysfunction?
    This online article by Tracy Landon and Linda Oggel discusses how seemingly lazy students may indeed not be lazy, but suffer from executive dysfunction. Executive dysfunction is a problem in the frontal lobes of the brain. Students suffering from this dysfunction can have trouble in areas such as planning, organization and self-monitoring. Tips for teachers are offered to help these students get themselves organized.
    LD Online - Gifted & LD
    LD OnLine provides parents and teachers of children with learning disabilities with accurate, authoritative information. Sometimes, learning disabilities are experienced by extremely gifted people who have above average abilities in academic areas. Find articles, book recommendations, a Q&A section, and discussion forums.
    LD Podcast - The Podcast for Parents by Parents of Kids with Learning Disabilities
    This website is a valuable resource for those who either parent or teach children with learning difficulties. In addition to the blog support and podcasts, is an extensive page of ADHD information, resources and links.
    Mathematics and Dyslexia
    This is a brief article on the LD Online website about the problems some dyslexics may encounter with mathematics. The article touches on the fact that those teaching math to dyslexic students need to have an understanding of "the nature of dyslexia and how it affects learning, not only in written language, but also in mathematics."
    Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children: Gifted and LD, ADHD, OCD, Oppositional Defiant
    Many gifted and talented children (and adults) are being mis-diagnosed by psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and other health care professionals. These common mis-diagnoses stem from an ignorance among professionals about specific social and emotional characteristics of gifted children which are then mistakenly assumed by these professionals to be signs of pathology. In some situations where gifted children have received a correct diagnosis, giftedness is still a factor that must be considered in treatment, and should really generate a dual diagnosis.
    Motivation problem or hidden disability?
    This article link by Meredith Warshaw discusses how some disabilities (mostly learning disabilities) can mimic motivation problems. Warshaw has extensive experience working with "twice-exceptional" students. This is not a complete discussion of the subject, but offers a glimpse at how a handful of disabilities can be misinterpreted.
    National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT)
    NTACT’s purpose is to assist State Education Agencies, Local Education Agencies, State VR agencies, and VR service providers in implementing evidence-based and promising practices ensuring students with disabilities, including those with significant disabilities, graduate prepared for success in postsecondary education and employment.
    Neurolearning
    Neurolearning is using knowledge about a child's unique brain-related strengths and learning differences to develop strategies for successful learning. Neurolearning is for all learners - gifted, visual, and auditory learners, children with dyslexia, attention deficit disorders, and those with special challenges like extreme prematurity, autism spectrum disorders, or difficulties related to impaired visual, auditory, or sensory processing.
    Passing Grades, IQ Scores & Evaluations of Students with Learning Disabilities: Letter to Lillie/Felton
    Hosted on Wrightslaw.com, this is a policy letter about special ed eligibility that was published by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in 1995. This letter clarifies several key points: eligibility teams may consider support provided by parents; children with high IQs are not excluded from special education eligibility; and evaluations must include testing of the seven areas mentioned in the special ed regulations.
    Play Attention Training System
    For people with attention problems, paying attention in a high stimuli environment, such as watching a 3-ring circus or playing a video game, is not an issue. However, focusing and concentrating on tasks as simple as reading and comprehending a book or memo, listening to a teacher or in a meeting, and writing with little effort can seem impossible. Play Attention is a patented, dynamic integrated learning system built on NASA-proven technology that allows you to train your brain to gain focus, improve concentration, pay attention, and help overcome the challenges associated with lack of focus and inattentiveness.
    SchwabLearning.org
    Schwab Learning is a non-profit dedicated to providing reliable, parent-friendly information from experts and parents. It aspires to help kids with learning disabilities (LD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) lead satisfying and productive lives in an environment that recognizes, values and supports the unique attributes of every child.
    SeeMyIEP
    This website provides information on how to locate individualized education programs (IEPs) for children with special needs, and offers an article database, special needs education resources, as well as a newsletter and links. There are additional services for paying members, such as personalzied IEP assessments.
    Special Education & Learning Disabilities Resources: A Nationwide Directory
    Hosted on the Internet Special Education Resources website, this extensive directory includes special education advocacy services offering help on everything from legal issues to Estate Planning for Special Needs families.
    SpecialEdAdvocates.org
    This website is devoted to advocating for gifted children with learning disabilities. Jimmy Kilpatrick and his team are experienced in the field of education and are able to provide advocacy, research, and organizational support . LDadvocates does not provide legal advice.
    Teaching Strategies for Twice-Exceptional Students
    There are a series of detailed tips for teachers on how to deal with the challenge that many gifted students face with learning or with social disorders. There is also a list of methods on how to facilitate the gifted abilities of students - not focusing solely on their disabilities.
    The brain and dyslexia - What brain imaging can and can't tell us about reading difficulties
    The Children of the Code project (www.childrenofthecode.org) offers an interview with Dr. Sally Shaywitz, professor of Pediatric Neurology at Yale University and author of "Overcoming Dyslexia". She is a dedicated and passionate neuroscientist focused on helping children and families overcome the pain and strain of reading difficulties.
    TiLT Parenting
    TiLT is an online destination aimed at helping parents raising differently-wired kids do so from a place of confidence, connection, and peace. TiLT currently features a weekly podcast and a call to action for parents raising unique kids to take the lead in shifting the current parenting paradigm. The longterm vision for TiLT is to foster a welcoming online community where parents raising atypical kids can tap into resources such as e-courses, ebooks, toolkits, guides, and more, that will help them feel informed, inspired, optimistic, and supported in their own parenting journeys.
    Twice Exceptional Students: Supporting the Achievement of Gifted Students with Special Needs
    The state of Maryland has adopted into law and the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Board of Education has adopted into its policy the key concepts of the defi nition of gifted and talented students originally stated in the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act (1988). This guidebook meets that requirement of the state and county policy. It does so with the goal of helping to increase the number of students realizing their true potential.
    Understanding tests and measurements for the parent and advocate
    This is such a great resource to help parents understand tests and measurements. It talks about evidence and law of testing, the process of educational decision-making, statistics and general principles. It also discusses the bell curve and understanding the test data. This is a very in-depth article.
    Understood.org
    15 nonprofit organizations have joined forces to support parents of the one in five children with learning and attention issues throughout their journey. With the right support, parents can help children unlock their strengths and reach their full potential. With state-of-the-art technology, personalized resources, free daily access to experts, a secure online community, practical tips and more, Understood.org aims to be that support.
    Uniquely Gifted
    This website has a large collection resources for and about twice exceptional children. Find stories and personal accounts, parent support, and information for professionals.
    What is dysgraphia?
    This article from the Inland Empire Dyslexia Branch discusses in detail what dysgraphia is, specific symptoms and misunderstandings of dysgraphia.
    With Understanding Comes Calm
    This website, run by Julie Skolnick, is designed to support parents of twice exceptional children through education, tailor-made strategies and advocacy training. Julie conducts half-day and hour-long teacher workshops and supports gifted and twice exceptional adults in navigating their relationships.
    Wrightslaw.com - Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
    This website for parents, educators, and advocates provides information about special education law, education law and advocacy for children with disabilities. Wrightslaw has thousands of articles, cases, and free resources about dozens of topics: IDEA 2004, Special Education, Law, Advocacy and Training & Seminars.
    Wrightslaw.com - Twice Exceptional Children (2e)
    This website for parents, educators, and advocates provides information about special education law, education law and advocacy for children with disabilities. This page focuses on Twice Exceptional Children (2e) in particular, providing a number of articles and resources.