Twice exceptional

- what we need to understand about 2E students

to make school work for them

Pia Rehn Bergander

NORDISK TALANGKONFERENS 15-16.8 2019

Utbildningsdepartementet

High IQ, low test scores?

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What is intelligence?Intelligens (av latin intellego, att förstå, begripa, inse, avgöra), mental förmåga; förmågan att

utifrån givna grunder avsiktligt utveckla sitt tänkande. Till intelligensen räknas vanligen förmågorna

att resonera, planera, lösa problem, associera, tänka abstrakt, förstå idéer och språk, komplicerade

orsakssammanhang samt förmågan till inlärning.

Intelligence has been defined in many ways, including: the capacity for logic, understanding, self-

awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and

problem solving. More generally, it can be described as the ability to perceive or infer information,

and to retain it as knowledge to be applied towards adaptive behaviors within an environment or

context. (Wikipedia)

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learning disorder

and/or neuroatypicalHigh IQ

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www.gilbertgifted.org

ADHDAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

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Really?

intensity

emotional sensitivity

focused on meaning

highly capable under

right circumstances

asynchronicity

perfectionism

importance-based

nervous system

inconsistencies

procrastination

interest-based

nervous system

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personal interest

novelty

challenge or competition

do or die deadline

Driving forces ADHD/2E

School is built on…

…repeating what someone else thinks is important

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…the assumption that everyone learns according to age

and on demand

What doesn’t work

important according to teacher/parent/grandma

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promises of rewards/grades/praise

reminders of negative consequences

What gets you in the zone?

Copy that. Create a challenge. Compete?

+ practice being in the in-between time

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ASD

Autism Spectrum Disorder

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intense interests

deep knowledge in areas of interest

emotional sensitivity

sensory processing disorders?

highly capable under

right circumstances

curiosity/drive to try new ways

asks challenging questions and

engages others in conversation

adapts well to change

questions rules

holistically oriented

repetitiveness

one-way verbal style

resists change

adheres to rules and

needs structure

detail-oriented

Need for structure

Sensitive to bright lighting, noise, crowds…

Struggles with unstructured and/or unusual

activities (breaks, lunchtime, excursions etc)

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ASD characteristics in school setting

School is…

…constant change

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…constant external stimuli

…constant social interaction

Find the girls!

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Overlapping ASD/ADHD

30-80% of individuals with ASD also have ADHD

20-50% of ADHD also meet criteria for ASD

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How common is 2E?

Linda Silverman, Gifted Development Center: 1/6 of tested

10-30% of gifted individuals?

Giftedness can maskneuroatypicalsymptoms

I can’t do it! Too slow!

Neuroatypical symptoms can mask giftedness

I got it already…

I didn’t mean it like that…

No, that’s not what you said!

I just can’t write it down...

Please listen to me…

Giftedness and neuroatypical symptomscan even each other out

student seems typical and average

Why is it important to know if a giftedstudent is 2E?

No accomodations school failure

Increased risk of dropping out falling behind in life

Increased risk of mental health problems, physical health

problems, substance abuse, shortening of life etc

Why is it important to recognizegiftedness in a student?

Without the stretch they won’t develop efficient learning strategies for life.

Without meaningful work in school they tend to let their energy go where no one

wants it to go.

High-potentiality students have the right to have their education goals met –

it’s the law.

What works?

• The right level of challenge

• Understandable, meaningful tasks

• Relationships that build trust

• Being seen and appreciated

• Being one step ahead

• Chances to move on

• Chances to dig deeper

Educational ideas

• Allow for differentiated work and

demonstrations of knowledge

• Minimize or eliminate repetitive work

and handwriting

• Remember that learning is not linear

• Be responsive to student’s day-to-day

needs

Educational ideas 2

• Be aware of high sensitivities and

accomodate (lighting, noise, space…)

• Offer duplicate sets of books

• Seat student physically close to you

• Don’t single out – offer accomodations

to all students

• Make use of student’s strengths

Making a circle into a square

www.spsm.se/npfElever med särskild begåvning och NPF

Pia Rehn Bergander

pia.rehn@spsm.se

References

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• Developmental and cognitive characteristics of ”high-level potentialities” (highly gifted) children; L Vaivre-Douret (2011)

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children with high IQ: results from a population-based study; M Z Katusic, B Robert G

Voigt, W J Barbaresi (2012)

• Diagnosis of ADHD among gifted children in relation to KEDI-WISC and TOVA performance; P K Chae, J-H Kim, K-S Noh (2003)

• Giftedness and ADHD: a strengths-based perspective and approach; J F Skolnick (2017)

• The gift of giftedness? A closer look at how labeling influences social and academic self-concept in highly capable

learners; M Ryan (2013)

• A unique challenge: sorting out the differences between giftedness and Asperger’s disorder; Amend E et al (2009)

• The neurobiology of giftedness; John G Geake (2002)

• Profiles and academic trajectories of cognitively gifted children with autism spectrum disorder; M K Cain, J Kaboski (2019)

References

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• A new understanding of ADHD in children and adults; Thomas E Brown (2013)

• Addressing controversy in ADHD; Russell Barkley (2019)

• With understanding comes calm; Julie Skolnick

• www.nagc.org

• www.teca2e.org

• www.sengifted.org

• Profiles and academic trajectories of cognitively gifted children with autism spectrum disorder; M K Cain, J Kaboski (2019)

• All pictures from www.pixabay.com

Stand up and stretch!

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Ingenting är psykiatri innan det blir en funktionsförlust. Annars är det bara personlighet.

Predrag Petrovic (psykiatriker/hjärnforskare KI)

Med vilket stöd kan eleven?

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Alla barn och elever i samtliga skolformer ska ges den ledning och stimulans som de

behöver i sitt lärande och sin personliga utveckling för att de utifrån sina egna

förutsättningar ska kunna utvecklas så långt som möjligt enligt utbildningens mål.

Elever som till följd av en funktionsnedsättning har svårt att uppfylla de olika kunskapskrav

eller kravnivåer som finns ska ges stöd som syftar till att så långt som möjligt motverka

funktionsnedsättningens konsekvenser.

Elever som lätt når de kunskapskrav som minst ska uppnås eller de kravnivåer som gäller

ska ges ledning och stimulans för att kunna nå längre i sin kunskapsutveckling.

Lag (2018:1098) – träder i kraft enligt ovan 2019-07-01