Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT is a weekly chat on Twitter that takes place on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT and 5 p.m. PT in the U.S. For one hour, parents, educators, advocates and experts in the field of gifted and talented gather to share resources, links, authentic life experiences and insights about gifted issues.
Thanks for joining us to chat about “Boost: 12 Effective Ways to Lift Up Twice-Exceptional Children” from @GiftedHF Press with guest, Kelly Hirt @MyTBP#gtchat#2ekids
Hi! This is Kelly. Wa elementary teacher, homeschooling mama and author of GHF Press Boost: 12 Effective Ways to Lift Up Our Twice-Exceptional Children #gtchat
Our first question is coming up; let’s get ready to chat! Please preface your responses with A1) Excited to collaborate and share ideas with you and Kelly Hirt today to talk about strategies to effectively help twice-exceptional children!
#gtchat
A1 HOOBOY! #2ekids are double the flavor, double the fun. :D They're also double the challenge, w/giftedness playing tug o war with a variety of challenges. #gtchat
A1) Twice exceptional children may also have a specific learning disability, language impairment or other disability within the disability categories (perhaps varied by state) #gtchat
A1) while both groups have high IQs, 2e learners possess unevenly dispersed strengths. Their giftedness can mask their disabilities or the opposite when their disabilities prevent them from reaching their potential #gtchat
A1) Depends on level of gifted...the higher the IQ, the more likely to overlap with 2e. Regardless, they are challenging! #2ekids have bigger gaps in ability and often more frustration to work through. #gtchat
A1) Depends on level of gifted...the higher the IQ, the more likely to overlap with 2e. Regardless, they are challenging! #2ekids have bigger gaps in ability and often more frustration to work through. #gtchat
A1 My 2E - Twice Exceptional page https://t.co/kdjBAziEkI Twice-Exceptional Children have a difficult road ahead of them and have disabilities that may prevent them from achieving their full potential. #2E#2ekids#twiceexceptional#gtchat
Q1) In my experience, 2e children even less understood by the general public than "typical" gifted children, and have many more battles to face. They are also so, so wonderful to know and work with, and I love being able to watch them grow! #gtchat
Q1) In my experience, 2e children even less understood by the general public than "typical" gifted children, and have many more battles to face. They are also so, so wonderful to know and work with, and I love being able to watch them grow! #gtchat
A1. 2e children provide a challenge for teachers to not miss their giftedness, to be even more aware and 'onto it' in making sure that their learning needs are met. #gtchat
A1) The term ‘twice-exceptional children’ covers a group of gifted children with high intellectual ability, but also with learning differences; differences which may confound both teachers and parents at first. #gtchat
A1) Sometimes it takes longer to identify both exceptionalities due to masking of one over the other. You may see the child one way until later. #gtchat
A1. Having 2e children in your class means that you cannot make assumptions about them as learners. Be open to what they CAN do not what they CAN'T #gtchat
A2. That depends. I often tell parents that the distinction between OEs and 2e is the level of frustration *for the child* (not the parent or teacher)! #gtchat
A2) the terms are not the same, but they are related. Dabrowski’s Theory of Overexcitability suggests five areas: Psychomotor, Sensual, Intellectual, and Emotional #gtchat
A2 Wish @christianewells was on this chat, she knows ALL ABOUT intensities. :) Seriously, an expert. IMHO, no, intensities & asynchrony aren't the same. #gtchat
A2) ‘Intensities’ and ‘asynchronous development’ are both possible attributions of gifted and twice-exceptional but not necessarily. In fact, intensities as described by Dabrowski were not intended to be attributable to ‘gifted’ only. #gtchat
Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults (Amazon) https://t.co/SPXtGI8uf3#gtchat
A2) Dabrowski’s categorized intensities involved heightened sensitivities in areas such as intellect, emotions, imagination; among others. Asynchronous development, first described by the Columbus Group, involved being ‘many ages at once’. #gtchat
A2) 2e children are often impacted by more than one OE. Often the higher IQ, theree is a greater asynchronous development and a greater impact from their intensities #gtchat
A2) 2e children are often impacted by more than one OE. Often the higher IQ, theree is a greater asynchronous development and a greater impact from their intensities #gtchat
A2)
Not the same, but they can interact and affect each other. So when my asynchronous kiddo can’t physically create the project she visualized, the meltdown is extra intense. #gtchat
A2) No Asynchronous development means having variations of level of dvelopment usually not typical of same age children. Intensities refers to having greater awareness and sensitivities #gtchat
A3) Within the general education community, there is little awareness about what exactly twice-exceptionality is and how to intervene on behalf of these children. Advocacy most often falls to parents. #gtchat
A3 If #2ekids don't get appropriate advocacy, the gifted is ignored and only the challenges are seen. That can lead to STOP TRYING TO FIX ME!!! Ask me how I know this. :( #gtchat
A3) Teachers couldn’t see the giftedness because of the challenges, so my kiddo wasn’t getting what she needed. We homeschool now because of it. #gtchat
3) It's important to advocate for ALL kids, including #2ekids. That's the easy answer. :-)
The hard answer is because a 2e kid who remains unIDed and frustrated has an unnecessarily rough life, and we should treat people better. #gtchat
A3) As with gifted education, little to no coursework is required of education majors at the undergraduate level. Because both conditions may mask each other, it is important to understand twice-exceptionality at a very deep level. #gtchat
A3) 2e children are complex and many educators still do not understand them. When #2ekids are unseen and underserved, behaviors, frustration, and self-esteem issues can often follow #gtchat
A3) It is important to advocate for 2e students to ensure they receive appropriate provisions for both their giftedness AND their disabilities AT THE SAME TIME #gtchat
Yes! This is what GHF was founded for, and remains a critical focus. Parents are often the ones who have to do all of the heavy lifted. It's better now than it was 15 years ago, but it's still rough. #gtchat
A3) Within the general education community, there is little awareness about what exactly twice-exceptionality is and how to intervene on behalf of these children. Advocacy most often falls to parents. #gtchat
A3) As with gifted education, little to no coursework is required of education majors at the undergraduate level. Because both conditions may mask each other, it is important to understand twice-exceptionality at a very deep level. #gtchat
A3) It is important to advocate for 2e students to ensure they receive appropriate provisions for both their giftedness AND their disabilities AT THE SAME TIME #gtchat
A3) As with gifted education, little to no coursework is required of education majors at the undergraduate level. Because both conditions may mask each other, it is important to understand twice-exceptionality at a very deep level. #gtchat
Q3) 2e students need extra advocacy because they are often misunderstood by their gifted and typical peers. By advocating for their needs and creating a caring community, while helping them learn to advocate for themselves, we set them up for a lifetime of success #gtchat
Yes, and it's equally important to continue to do so after K12, in community college and at university. That's the new frontier. It's not helicopter parenting, it's advocacy. #gtchat#2ekids
A3) It’s important to advocate for twice-exceptional children because too few responsible adults do. And let’s not forget we are talking about exceptional kids who can profoundly benefit from caring and appropriate accommodations. #gtchat
A4) Take time to experience relief; to acknowledge that you do, in fact, know your child best. Understand that you have faced challenges as a parent that other parents may not comprehend. #gtchat
A4 Gonna focus on the parents here. They need to accept that their mental image of parenting needs to change. They have a unicorn; not many people do. So advice from parents/teachers who only know horses won't work. #gtchat
A4) Find support. Real life, online, whatever... find people who understand and will back you up. Community is EVERYTHING when you are parenting against the prevailing winds. #gtchat
A4 Parents MUST accept that self-care is a requirement. Unicorns require a LOT of energy, a LOT of hands-on work. Parents gotta take care of themselves, from the very beginning, or they're going to hurt. #gtchat
A4 Gonna focus on the parents here. They need to accept that their mental image of parenting needs to change. They have a unicorn; not many people do. So advice from parents/teachers who only know horses won't work. #gtchat
A4) Figure out how to support both sides — in our case, get support for her challenges and find ways to help her soar in her strengths. I do a lot of reading aloud and scribing while she studies complex not-meant-for-little-kid topics. #gtchat
A4 The tendency is to givegivegive, and then there's nothing left. These amazing #2ekids can drain us dry FAST, so self-care is absolutely mandatory. #gtchat
A4) Parents must educate themselves about the unique needs of the 2e child. They must educate family and their children’s teachers. They must become an advocate and find a tribe which can support them. @GiftedHF was the place for me #gtchat
A4) Learn as much as they can about their child’s specific exceptionalities. Read, read, read. Advocate. Partner with both the child and teachers to ensure needs are met. #gtchat
Q4) I think it is important for parents to learn how to help their child understand their exceptionality, and also find ways to help without compromising autonomy of the child- it's important for the child to advocate for him/herself #gtchat
A4 The tendency is to givegivegive, and then there's nothing left. These amazing #2ekids can drain us dry FAST, so self-care is absolutely mandatory. #gtchat
A4) Parents must educate themselves about the unique needs of the 2e child. They must educate family and their children’s teachers. They must become an advocate and find a tribe which can support them. @GiftedHF was the place for me #gtchat
This would possibly be good for teachers to read so that they gain an insight and empathy/understanding into the lives of 2e students and their parents. I think it would help enormously in the classroom. #gtchat
A4) Learn which exceptionality your state recognizes and become intimate with 504, IDEA and local policies that may impact the educational experience of your child. #gtchat
A5) I wrote Boost: 12 Effective Ways to Lift Up Our Twice-Exceptional Children for parents & educators. After spending 25+ yrs in the classroom& embarking on this journey w/my 2e son, I discovered 12 strategies that made a difference. These strategies are active and easy #gtchat
A5) Boost encompasses strategies respectful of the twice-exceptional child and recognizes the need to have multiple approaches/tools in the parents’ and teachers’ toolboxes. #gtchat
A5) I think another key piece of this is teaching advocacy to our students: advocate for yourself and for justice and the needs of your peers to create a positive community in schools/classrooms. #gtchat
Absolutely! That can be difficult depending on what the "e" is. My son has communication difficulties and while he can communicate his needs, it requires the 'listener' to be open to other channels of communication. #gtchat
A6) Educators should have access to professional development which provides information about twice-exceptionality and strategies to engage these students both academically and emotionally. #gtchat
A6 I'd love for educators to have deep training on what #2ekids COULD look like. They're all as different as can be, but they gotta know they exist and how it could present in a classroom. #gtchat
A6) in addition to implementing Boost, educators shod receive training abt seeking our & engaging 2e students. They shod understand the difference betwn gifted students & 2e students.They shld reconsider previous curriculum, thinking& strategies for a better fit #gtchat
A6 A couple years ago I presented to a "exceptionalities in education" class at Elmhurst College. Gave them the lowdown on #2ekids & parenting & educating. Went over well; I should do it again. #gtchat
I'd like them to understand the amazing potential these kids have if they are not being forced into the cookie cutter model. We need divergent thinkers among our adults. #gtchat
A6) First, I think all educators should have a fundamental understanding of giftedness. Without that, they won't understand 2e. Then educators need familiarity with exceptionalities, and a foundational belief that these kids can accomplish anything they set their mind to #gtchat
A6) Explaining what 2e is and giving concrete examples of how to support both aspects of 2e needs (eg: accommodations for challenges as well as advanced content/projects/etc) #gtchat
A6) If educators aren’t offered training, they should seek information on their own so they can teach ALL their students. In addition, they should insist that administrators & support staff are also educated, as their ignorance can damageclassroom progress. #gtchat
A6) Educators should have access to professional development which provides information about twice-exceptionality and strategies to engage these students both academically and emotionally. #gtchat
This is where having a positive and open-minded classroom community and climate really matter - with understanding peers and teachers anything is possible! #gtchat
A6. Understand what giftedness is. Understand what 2e is and then be open to conversations with parents and work as a team, not in opposition to parents as sometimes happens. Keep the focus on the student and their learning and social and emotional needs at all times. #gtchat
Yes! All instructors at GHF Online https://t.co/Jbvo0HtOQh know we focus on celebrating, not tolerating, quirky, gifted & #2ekids. They know from personal experience. #gtchat
A6. Understand what giftedness is. Understand what 2e is and then be open to conversations with parents and work as a team, not in opposition to parents as sometimes happens. Keep the focus on the student and their learning and social and emotional needs at all times. #gtchat
Celebrating is the best word! All the 2e kids I've taught have made my life so much brighter and richer. Sometimes I think I've learned more from them... #gtchat
Our next chat will be on Thursday February 22nd at 8E/7C/6M/5P US and Friday 23rd February at 2 PM NZDT/Noon AEDT/1AM UK. Our topic will be “Using Constraint to Boost Creativity.” #gtchat
