Monday, October 14, 2013

Gifted and Complex: Educating a 2e child

When my kid was in public school he was pathologized endlessly. I remember the days of looking up every disorder that existed and thinking, yep, he's got that one too. I used to think that a new pathology should be created that would describe the uniqueness that was my son.  He seemed to have EVERYTHING.  I could look up the criteria for just about any childhood learning difference, social difference, physiological difference--you name it and I felt like my kid had it.  I knew he was gifted at that time but still hadn't realized exactly what that meant. Gifted equaled smart which I thought meant does well in school. Well, for many gifted kids school is a nightmare and for a twice-exceptional kid it is confusing for everyone.  Twice-exceptional, or 2e, as those of us who deal with these unique little creatures like to refer to them, means gifted plus a disability of some kind.  Common second exceptionalities are autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attentional disorders (ADHD), behavioral issues, sensory processing disorder (SPD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) and a whole host of others.  It is estimated that about 1/6 of all gifted children are twice exceptional. From the many that I know, it seems like that is a conservative estimate.  As with any of these co-morbid pathologies there is usually a spectrum much like there is a gifted spectrum.   Where a child lies on the sliding scale of abilities versus disabilities affects just how challenging and sometimes confusing the ride can be as a parent or educator. Gifted children don't fit neatly into any box even when they are not 2e.  A 2e kid breaks so many neurotypical norms that it is oftentimes very hard to pinpoint just what you are dealing with in any given situation.  

Another confusing part of living and educating a 2e kid is that many of the traits inherent with being gifted like asynchronicity muddle the picture even more.  The higher up the gifted scale the child is, the more likely there will be uneven development coupled with various intenstities that sometimes resemble pathologies.  Overexcitabilities (OEs) are inborn, heightened abilities to receive and respond to stimuli. They are expressed in increased sensitivity, awareness, and intensity. Each form of overexcitability points to a higher than average sensitivity of its receptors. As a result a person endowed with different forms of overexcitability reacts with surprise, puzzlement to many things, he collides with things, persons, and events which in turn brings him astonishment and disquietude (Dabrowski, 1964 p.7).   High IQ, asynchronicity and overexcitabilities can make for a challenging homelife and a unique parenting and educational experience.  So, if you have a profoundly gifted (PG) kid then the disparity between his greatest strengths and his weakest areas can be so vast that one has to decipher whether the child is 2e or just dealing with a lot of asynchronous development and overexcitabilities.  Most people have strengths and weaknesses but with gifted and 2e kids the difference between their areas of excellence and their struggle areas can be so vast that it creates a puzzling picture.  Oftentimes, a chid's giftedness can mask their learning differences and the child appears as having a normal intellect and it may take awhile to actually realize that your kid is, in fact, gifted. On the other hand, there are many kids who are labeled as gifted without acknowledging any learning difference and can get along fine for awhile when they are young only to start hitting a very frustrating wall as they mature and start doing academic work within an area that requires some of the organizational skills and focus that they are not equipped to handle due a latent pathology that went unrecognized for so long.  Then, there are those gifted children who are misdiagnosed as having a pathology when their quirks can be more accurately described as typical of gifted traits.   Generally, the difference between a gifted child's eccentricities and those that are demonstrated by pathology are choice and control over their actions.  A 2e child cannot help some of the challenging behavior or learning differences that they espouse and that is where a parent's patience and understanding really needs to kick in.  When these children demonstrate such brilliance and capabilities in some areas then parents can forget that the struggle areas are very real and in need support.

I am a proponent of emphasizing the strengths and accommodating the weaknesses without focusing too much attention on those weak areas. In many cases, technology can be an asset when dealing with many of the pathologies listed above.  If you have a child who has a difficult time with writing as many gifted and 2e boys, in particular do, then technology is your best ally. Word processing and dictation software can help tremendously with a reluctant writer. If you have a child who is dyslexic or has CAPD and who struggles with reading then audio books are a great resource.  The key is figuring out what areas need support and then finding the best method to help those areas.  Seeing outside help from specialists like occupational therapists, speech therapists, vision therapists and the like may be necessary for the short term.  Learning how to help your child in the home and in the world is essential so heed the advice of those that can guide you.  If you focus too much on weakness areas then a child's self esteem can really suffer and learning altogether may shut down.  Building confidence is essential for the perfectionist gifted child who may, themselves, highlight their difficulties, lose faith in themselves, and think that they are dumb.

The key to fostering a positive attitude toward learning is to set your child up for success which is why we unschool and follow our own path.  Accommodating the unique needs of a 2e kid is infinitely more doable when you are able to create your own schedule or lack of one.  For some, too much structure and rigidity only makes the challenges worse.



For educational coaching and guidance please visit http://atypicalminds.com

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