Edu 521 Journal Article - Twice Exceptional Students

Liberty University
Twice-Exceptional Students

The article titled How Can Such a Smart Kid Not Get it, is a document on implementing programs for twice-exceptional students in public schools. A twice-exceptional student is one who is gifted but also has a learning disability. Often in the public school system educators are forced to focus on the weakness of a student rather than the strengths which are often ignored. Therefore when a student has an IEP the school will focus on the IEP goals and objectives rather than improving on the strengths of the child in collaboration with the weaknesses. According to Yssel, Prater, & Smith (2010), when educators focus on strengths rather than weaknesses, and when twice-exceptional students are provided with appropriate coping strategies and accommodations, social and academic success is possible. Researchers agree that a twice-exceptional student unique educational and emotional needs require an individualized approach not a one size fits all method (Yssel et al, 2010). Researchers suggest that in order to boost academic self-efficacy, twice-exceptional students must be empowered by opportunities to be successful and that traditional self-esteem programs alone cannot accomplish this task. A nurturing climate and emotional support system are crucial elements in effective learning experiences for twice-exceptional learners (Yssel, 2010. Therefore the authors of this article suggest that this population undergo certain programs and criteria within the public school system. Because twice exceptional children often feel isolated due to feeling like “one of a kind,” and not fitting in with their peers they should engage themselves with other students who are also twice-exceptional. Furthermore students with this disability are often distractible and have difficulty staying on task and therefore these students should be engaged in areas of strength and interest (Yssel, 2010). Also effective programming for these students cannot be accomplished without collaboration among teachers, special educators, and school counselors (Yssel, 2010). The author of this article agrees with the document written because they have a child who is twice-exceptional and often educators find it hard to alter their curriculum and have little understanding about the diagnoses. The author of this document can also relate to many of the stories explained in the article. In conclusion the writers of the original article created a camp for twice-exceptional students over the last six years. When they began their program they asked parents to rate how the public school system addressed the needs of their child. Almost all of the parents of the students reported that the schools focused more on the weaknesses of their child rather than the strengths. The authors of the text suggested a program that can be implemented into the school system. This includes having twice-exceptional students engage with other students, have the students participate in interests to their liking and focus on their strengths, and also having the students involved in extracurricular activities they enjoy such as an after school art class, drama class, or robotics class. The article employs that implementing a program for twice-exceptional children can be a difficult task but also successful if a team of educators and parents can collaborate effectively together.

References
Yssel, N., Prater, M., & Smith, D. (2010). How Can Such a Smart Kid Not Get It? Finding the Right Fit for Twice-Exceptional Students in our Schools. Gifted Child Today, 33(1), 54-61.

References: Yssel, N., Prater, M., & Smith, D. (2010). How Can Such a Smart Kid Not Get It? Finding the Right Fit for Twice-Exceptional Students in our Schools. Gifted Child Today, 33(1), 54-61.