Twice-Exceptional- Framing Disability in Educational Spaces

In one of my disability classes over the summer, I learned about a term called twice-exceptional in educational settings. This week, I want to define the term and highlight the importance of framing disability and academic performance.

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Twice-exceptional refers to:

Twice exceptional individuals (“2e”) evidence exceptional ability and disability, which results in a unique set of circumstances. Their exceptional ability may dominate, hiding their disability; their disability may dominate, hiding their exceptional ability; each may mask the other so that neither is recognized or addressed. (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, n.d.).

Students who are labeled as twice exceptional are advanced academically, while also having a disability that is protected under federal laws such as IDEA and ADA for equal access to public education. In my example, I was in honors classes, offered GATE programs, and in more challenging reading groups while also having IEP plans or 504 plans to provide disability accommodations. Many students can be multiple grade levels ahead in subjects such as math or reading while also having disabilities, both physical, developmental, learning, or other types of disabilities. It is important to remember that disability should not automatically be associated with academic ability unless that is part of the disability. I will highlight two stories that highlights the importance of recognizing that disability and academic identity are not intertwined through the lens of twice-exceptional students.

1: Academic Language

In my summer class, I had to create four hypothetical students to create a lesson plan for, using a template my professor made as a starting point. In these hypothetical scenarios, all of the disabled students were at or below grade level. In my personal experience, I was at or above grade level in most subjects, and I frequently received awards for my GPA. I was concerned about the lens that disabled students would be viewed as being below grade level, so I emailed my professor. I shared my concern about the language used about disability and the importance of well-rounded disability representation, and the hypothetical students template was changed as a result. This experience is how I learned about twice-exceptional as a term to describe academically gifted students who also have a disability.

2: Practical Application

In practice, some disability programs may risk associating disability with an automatic need for help with study skills or other academic assistance. In 2021, I attended a disability orientation program that required me to attend seminars focused on study tips and academic advice for disabled students. I was required to participate in this week-long orientation to receive my priority registration. Non-disabled students were not exposed to the same study tips, highlighting that this information was assumed to be needed only by disabled students. This lens is harmful because I am a good student. Watch me play sports, and you will be sorely disappointed, but I enjoy academic spaces. The idea that students can be disabled and succeed academically needs to be understood when creating programming that encompasses the needs of all disabled students using disability accommodations and modifications. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with using academic support services, the harm lies in assuming certain groups need these services more often or exclusively than the general population. I am proud to say that this orientation week long program no longer exists, and instead there are services students can choose to enroll in through the disability center.

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Thank you for reading about twice-exceptional students. If you have any questions or comments, please comment on the blog, reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook, or email me at Anniekrollblog@gmail.com. I hope to see you next week!