When gifted children underperform in school, they are often labeled as lazy or disruptive. Those who are highly gifted are often overlooked and left to fend for themselves, because they appear capable of doing so. If a child seems to be having more academic difficulty than others, there could be an explanation that is often overlooked. It is possible that the child has both a learning disability as well as being intellectually gifted: Such children are called "twice exceptional".

There are many signs that your child may be twice exceptional. The specific signs will depend on the learning disability that accompanies the giftedness. The child may exhibit an inconsistency between ability and results. An example is a child who can take command of conversations involving complicated ideas and details but has trouble putting his ideas in writing or being tested on the information. They are considered extremely observant but might skip over details when answering questions. They might lose points on math homework because they don’t see the point in writing down the steps. Their memory for rote or sequential information may be lacking, and deficits may exist in overall short term memory and attention. Often, they will excel in less structured environments where the constraints of time and specific rules are lifted. Teachers sometimes label these children as being underachievers or unmotivated, with low grades on tests and homework that are not indicative of their knowledge. This can lead to overcompensation by trying to prove their intelligence, or ability, which can create negative behaviors such as being sarcastic, negative or lashing out. They may begin to show signs of depression that include fears or concerns about global issues and the uncertainty of their future, give up on activities or subjects that they used to enjoy, and blame themselves for not putting in enough effort to get good grades. A need to feel academically stimulated is very important to them, but explaining to them why it is important to get good grades will leave them annoyed and disinterested. Peeking into their notebooks will expose almost illegible handwriting and disorganization. Their clothes room or work area may be disorganized as well. In some cases, the child is able to completely conceal the issues by learning how to answer questions on graded assignments to get enough points to pass.

With all of these signs(and this is not an exhaustive list) it is a difficult task to determine whether a child is twice exceptional. Don’t feel guilty or think that you are a bad parent if you did not see the signs early on. It is a difficult exceptionality to spot. In the classroom, one trait usually wins over the other, and the child is either treated as gifted but lazy, learning disabled and average, or simply average with no services provided in school at all. It is up to a parent or teacher who is aware of the child’s issues to bring it to the attention of the school that there may be more going on than meets the eye. While gifted assessment helps to identify giftedness, in order to detect twice exceptionality one requires a full psychoeducational assessment including intelligence, achievement, and information processing testing. Typically, a screening for socio-emotional and behavioral issues is also recommended.

Once testing is completed and the educators or counselors have determined how your child thinks, it will be possible to provide services to meet the academic needs of your child. During this process a plan will be developed to enhance your child’s strengths, abilities, and interests in a way that will help them cope with the learning disability. Gifted children usually have the ability to understand their differences and difficulties, so when given the tools to compensate, they can often become active participants in gaining success in the classroom. Changes in the classroom might include a change of curriculum style and a more inclusive form of teaching that allows the students to use personal strengths to learn instead of memorization and repetitive work. There are laws in place to protect children who have different needs and your child’s school will have to make accommodations for them during the school day. Overall, it is important to know that a child who is considered twice exceptional does not have to continue to struggle. Although learning disabilities are considered a long term issue, it does not have to have a lasting impact on your child.

Update Oct 18, 2016: New article published: "Helping Gifted Students with Learning Disability"

Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/theloushe/4640871734