Not every gifted or twice exceptional person is an empath, but every empath has the gift of uncanny perception and an ability to truly experience the feelings of those around them. Just as being “gifted” is a blessing and sometimes a curse, so too is the innate experience of the empath.
Because I work with parents of 2e kids, mentor 2e adults, train educators, and collaborate with mental health and education professionals, I benefit from a unique vantage point that includes many different perspectives on the relationship between educators…
ADHD AND GIFTEDNESS are sometimes described as having the same or similar characteristics. However, one diagnosis is considered a disability and one, a gift. Neither assumption is ideal in supporting the child identified with either ADHD, giftedness, or both, often referred to as twice exceptional or 2e. (Twice exceptional or 2e refers to a diagnosis of gifted with a learning disability or learning difference as the second exceptionality; in this article, 2e refers to ADHD as the second exceptionality).
It is extremely difficult to find someone who truly gets you in this world when you are gifted or twice exceptional. Rarely finding someone with whom you can relate or who makes you feel understood, inevitably leads to loneliness.
This article was originally published in the Ohio ASCA Journal.
“Gifted & Distractible” is a term I use – casting the net widely to capture students who are both gifted and have a learning difference or disability. Commonly referred to as “Twice Exceptional,” “2e,” or “GT/LD,” these people (not just students or children since we never outgrow our ‘2e-ness’) have incredible strengths and potential but are often misunderstood, inappropriately disciplined, and taught incorrectly.
I’ve been thinking a lot about “letting go” lately. Many people are recalibrating expectations and adjusting to ‘new norms’ globally – in the face of
2e kids don’t get a whole lot of patience and understanding. But that’s what they sorely need. They need the adult in charge to understand them so they feel safe sharing their complicated feelings and can honestly explain the events, from his point of view, that precipitated the behavior.
Last June, on my Facebook Live Broadcast “Let’s Talk 2e!” I spoke about getting ready for this school year. People probably wondered “Why is she
The lyrics illustrate the lonely and often frustrating journey of parenting a 2e child or being a 2e adult; awakening to the realization of necessary and sometimes onerous advocacy and the final appreciation that even after a journey of learning and promoting best practices, we may find ourselves standing in the same place as when we started.
You know what makes me crazy? When parents think they deserve the judgments thrown at them. “It must be so difficult raising your child.” “I
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