Hassnain Munir
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Gifted and Learning Disabled: Twice Exceptional Students Gifted and Learning Disabled: Twice Exceptional Students

My name is Hassnain Munir and I am coordinating for gifting talented for statistics. I have been teaching and coordinating gifted talented students for about 17 years for Sin war Public Schools and then here in curly for last 7 years. During those years I have had students in classroom setting or I had gifting talented elective class and I have also I had twice exceptional students as a coordinator trying to help RGT specialists and our facilitators work with students regarding the other twice exceptional students that are in classroom. As well as I had parents groups and parents of twice exceptional students who are always in need of that extra support not knowing what to do and where to go with these children and don’t quite fit into either the gifted side or special educational side. So there in a special category they need to be acknowledged for their strengths but yet looking at how we can help them through some other challenges as well. Through my experience there been different levels of twice exceptions. From a student that I had in borrow who was a six grader. He was very gifted but he had high degree of emotional problems and so he did very well in a small class room setting. I had about 12 to 15 students in beginning in my GT-Elective class and then midway through the semester there were about 10 to 12 additional students put in the class room. When that happened I noticed he acted out more and he showed violent behavior. He was throwing chairs across the room and had a hard time dealing with other students in the classroom other personalities with distractions. When we were small groups he did very well and he was able to interact well; you know in small groups. But as soon as we got to be larger it just, there were so many other factors in the classroom that upset him and so lot times we had to call his case worker and she had to take him to another room.
I don’t believe so he could get long, he did interact but he was having high degree of emotional disturbances. So that would be binding to the spectrum to another students that I work with the parents as I did as advisory councils well as she was very active in the school and school district. And she has her older son has sensory disorder and he doesn’t did disruption in the class room but he has to constantly be moving or even rolling on the floor type things. And he is about two grade levels ahead in male and so has been move to. Right now, he is at middle school level in male which is ok for him because he is in KA situations and about if he goes to high school or to a separate middle school teachers may not know how to work with him in regular school settings. So it works where he is right now but the worry comes as he progresses in his schooling. Mom has actively sight our councils and just trust or not, people experienced with gifted level of twice exceptions. She did find someone and call him that she is been working with and seems to be helping a little bit. But it’s a definite need that I see just councilors in gifted add, that have that background. I have a lot of phone calls parents calling me to where they can go with children who have has high emotional needs. This one little boy He’s too in love right now. I think the counseling has helped little bit that helps him. But that would be another type of twice exception reality. And then I remember students that I had, who were on the artistic spectrum as well as ADHD. An I would say the biggest, probably the best way instructional approach was through independent studies allowing choice, recognizing strengths; you know, just seeing them not for disability but for what they are gifted. And they are really quite at risk group. Because I said before they don’t fall into either category. So they need a lot of effective counseling in term of teacher. We are lucky we agreed to have RGT specialist at the schools. So being able to meet with them and talk with them about how to cater and when they feel like they are meeting the thresholds and what are some strategies they can use.
Right, social; probably getting only with others that would be a challenge. Socially it’s difficult and probably the challenge for them is self-acceptance. I would say just looking; I think they really need again that information that they have get some strengths and been able to manage their challenges.
I guess, it depends upon the degree of the disability and once shouldn’t I talk about sensory disorder has social in general. He has good social skills. Of course, I think that has been due to the teacher explaining the situation with the other students and being able to, you know, to buying in for the other kids as well. But they do quite often social emotional issues or their high needs.
I think sometimes they withdraw; you know; so that they will be louder lot of times so that they just want work long thing what they need to do. Sometimes it can be; and I am thinking of different students they can be aggressive and sometimes. But I would say probably lot of times they will withdraw and kind of working by themselves and a kind of learning and different from other. And how you get a balance?
And again it’s a teacher education; you know having to having help them understand what needs of the students are. And we need to do better job. I guess we need to do a better job. I would say we have; I would say there twice exceptional or probably the most under identified students. I know we had a lot more. I am seeing a lot more indicators but, you know, it’s been difficult to identify them.
Right, they covered their capitates. I do get calls sometimes the calls are not twice exceptional but teachers do not know how to handle certain types of kids or certain behaviors and then all of sudden they are twice exceptions. And they are really not. So I found some of that as well. Of course we do follow up and we will look the child and have conversations and do check him out and behaviors and some of the physiologist test kind of things. Its intensity in our district is that we have a KA arcs magnet chap low. And we have high percentage of our twice exception.
It’s a school of choice so I find that kind of interesting and its gravitating toward the arts. Towards that whole we focus. So it’s intending that there is a high percentage of gifting talented students, twice exceptional as well.
Oh really, definitely, I would say, yeah if a student doesn’t feel well about themselves they are not going to perform academically and it seems like in this new world of standards and accountability will not taking into account the social emotional life of the students which we just have a diversity strategic plan presented to us yesterday. And I was like no worry, do I see social emotional are taking whole types into consideration. And it was a suggestion also made by one of our directors so I think we have to be listening on that. As our focus is so much on standards and academics. We definitely need to look at that in districts and more and in school situation. And that’s one of the reasons we have the effect of goal in our advancement plans. So, I think we should address that.
Well absolutely, because they are not going to handle their assignments for being late or they will forget them or they will wait till the last minute. They have trouble keeping track of their assignments. And I would assume the same would be with testing. They are very quick to answers they don’t look through or analyze it. Yes, there are some other twice exceptions that diverse gifted students. So, that could impact their grades and how will they do on tests.
Right, there may be one good friend or that can understand them. So I would say yes or they acting odd sometimes like in the case of theirs other students may feel fearful; you know; when they start becoming violent or that kind of thing. It’s interesting because right now we are looking at a student, this is just on the sight at our valley which is detention center for students, and he is eight grade students, and has very high ability 98 percentile in Math. And has had severe behavior problems and the physiologist actually the special aid case worker had called me to say. I think this child is twice exceptional and I look at him and went back and read all his record and he definitely has very high ability. However; his behavior, he has gone from, and he’s been in about eight schools, and been suspended multiple times and sent to detention center. Right now I was at a loss I just emailed to director who gives a workshops on twice exceptional and I said I need some guidance here. Because this is a student who has been long enough in a system but yet he is; I believe; he is a twice exceptional, he is gifted. But his behaviors are kind of violent. And so what do we do? How do we even serve this student like that? He needs intense counseling, obviously, and so spent all over the place. And what kind of service can we actually provide for him that would help him. But that was just been last week that a student came across my desk and I became aware of that, and so, in that case that would definitely be extreme but he is not able to achieve into function. So, his achieving started out to be great to profession and then high profession and the slipped, because of his behaviors. So that’s the answer to your relevant question.
I guess feeling isolated, feeling the other day they don’t really belong in. In some cases they are not being able to understand. Probably being recognized more for their disability the other for this area. I think we don’t have the resources to really provide the adequate education for them As I said, realizing they really do need small class rooms with low distractions but yet challenging. And we don’t have resources right now. So how do we provide for their academic needs, as well as social emotional? They really need a special class room or school that would meet their needs.
So, again I had a student who was a blind, who was perfectly fine with social emotion, and was able to get along with the others. Artistic is a little more difficult. Just connecting with those; since the time I started to support and it’s not just the child. It’s a family that has to work in partnership with schools. Just because I think the parents; there not much out; there for parents either. And I think they struggle a lot with the educational system. And I am talking about students’ social emotional in their severity and I am thinking right now of a neighbor who has an artistic; actually; it an as burger child who has identified twice exceptional. Its reality, how do they get along with the family? How do they get along the school? Having to know to evocate for their child and then also being there to; they really have to educate the teachers. Probably, the parents since resources are so few and far between the school systems as to what their needs are.
Artistic would have more severe social emotional life for sensory disorder, just because of their disability, not being able to connect well with the others. They would be something that has to be taught reverse the disabilities of social emotional would be as a severe; even ADHD, would have been social emotional issue. I mean, yeah, getting on socially with having friends wouldn’t be as critical as somebody others or slum burgers or its really artistic.
And with the grades like middle school and high school!
On grades, reality depends on, if you just talking socially and I am thinking now a high school student that I worked with who was twice exceptional who had friends but they were all negative influenced so I turned out he did dropout, he got into drugs, and other negative behaviors and as a junior had may be three credits. And didn’t really come about school and was not meaningful for him. Being on a small team where they were trying to find out what would work for this child to keep him to school. And basically I was trying to suggest independent studies and sitting and nothing has worked. It was really being accepted by the principal. He did dropout, it turned out, actually whatever the key teachers followed and kept in touch with him and guide him to get hid GD. And so he was able to get high school diploma, after a lot of persistence. His mom has been to work in school districts so she kept calling and she was very persistent.
Well, I would say their needs are for our choices and products for ways for them to process things differently. In our district, there is not a whole mod of trips. And that is too hilarious. I must say you have a special advocate and some do. But it is not working with teachers. Right now, it’s much prescribed curriculum at the elementary specifically. And little scope pretty much. Probably the content areas about the social studies and science were they could have some choices in specific products and processing how that would work.
In our new summing course standards or academic standards in the social studies content area they do address social emotional issues. Until we get more, I guess; adopt more knowledgeable and new standards. I believe, that being in my area that we can address social studies social emotional piece. And bio therapy books I think, there are things that can address the needs of our gifted twice exceptional students as well. In districts we too have young to talk well. I think you are familiar with that. But some of our famous people were twice exceptional so I really needing kids to be able to read about and more about these individuals could help to understand the other challenges they have to be successful.
I think it’s again looking out; I think you have just added up first started, and that’s what I mentioned our district in our strategic plan looking at the whole child, looking at their effective needs. We have to make their priority because if a student emotionally is in harm taking care of, and there he is not going to perform academically. Did you say that conversation with someone this morning?
And specifically way is that we could do that is having time in the day I guess middle school have advisement but it’s very structured being able to have time to, I guess well-chosen books that talk about the emotional life’s of the individuals perhaps through; they will see language or reading. I think they need to be just in schools having special counseling sessions. Councilors, yet taking active role, perhaps, are having them more knowledgeable in gifted or twice exceptional students too, so, that they could reach out their needs.
I think, they need for choice, they need for independent studies. They need to allow the terms of these students or non-performers. And so I think that, teachers; they tend to not want to give students those choices because. They haven’t done all their assignments and so that they don’t deserve to do independent study when in-fact they haven’t done anything. Anyways though by engaging student based upon his interest. They may start performing. But I think its educating teachers; in fact they need to be a little more flexible.
Similar social and emotional issues like in the classroom. I would say sometimes its priority seating’s, sometime its allowing students and giving them the opportunity to stand and to move around. I believe even setting a class room environment in terms of acceptance. How are different and how we trying to get students accept other students, not only cultural differences but also differences in learning styles. I think it would be helpful if teachers work to give students little questionnaires in these reasons. And having learn about in strengths and interests. And really teach to them, so I think, that would work. Teachers have also seen some of them have contacts with kids who have hard time remembering things in assignments, planners and those kind of things with help through organization. Writing down assignments and that is just I guess a little school that should fall into that category. But looking at structures that help having, they organized in a way.
I know the one , he was on the contract so he again its constantly; I’ve just been over there to trying to make sure he doesn’t get to a level where he gets osculates that much and trying to keep him calm. But with thirty students, it was very difficult trying to teach them and then someone would do something that would just cause him to get in rye about something. I near be very; settle; but he would just somehow becomes very explosive personality. And so again it’s a very kind of; you know; was trying having curse by me and constantly be touching his shoulders to tell whether a there. But I didn’t know that has happened. But here was a contract where I have been trying to get him into something that was engaging for him. We are all doing independent studies and making sure that he should; you know; he was doing something he enjoyed and was interested and he did have done it. But it was difficult by the class situation, but was not good for trend. It was a five when we are about 12 -15. But we got to be 30. It was lot of behavior problems we came into the class and just was not a good fed.
In a class room improving strategies and instructions I guess the closeness to being able or try to meet have; it gives it’s about a constant acceptance and to try and to feel anything that could cause any possible expulsive behavior. I think again acknowledging students for their strengths. I am looking back to the high school student who felt just because does engaged for whatever reasons and again its one on one of the students you have to make an action and having relationships with kids and families and partnerships in schools. Curriculum wise a lot of times we; as in school; just stick to not the only once to adopt curriculum; and curriculum guides. There is no time or space to differentiate or to sometimes take into account to different student needs. We try, as well as we can but class sizes are large in most cases so it’s difficult. I would say he challenge is really filling up the students in elementary years because they may not identified so were still observing and recreating data and trying to get that off to get out; as they are at young age.
I think it would be a good place to start and parents a lot of time just almost don’t know where to go. So if there is a school counsellor; it would be great that you about to trace exception and physiologists see to be; once I got a coffee with physiologist so that I may get more knowledgeable or may be as just me that happened to be. I have been trying to work with our specialist aid department currently, we have a new special aid director last year and so; he’s so aware that I want to work with him in terms of looking at providing services for these children. Identifying and helping teachers to become more knowledgeable. We had some training over districts last couple of years; there were state trainings that had some to this region and so we have a lot of GT specialist who do have knowledge in twice exception seem like we can never have enough though so we can visit more.
Just with the better awareness and thinking. Perhaps, I know there was a time Mr., Jonathon went to school and he actually struggled as twice exceptional student and became a national speaker and advocate twice exceptional student and so; perhaps more that kind of awareness exposure to branding other person who is receiving lot of recognition and awareness by the community. So I think those types of presentation; perhaps would help the community become aware.
I wish there was a; I wish we were able to provide better far their needs and to pill ups and type of a program where we had; even just a managed class room because I do think that their needs are very different and significant. Just even among themselves they had; there is such a variance of twice exceptions. For having special program I believe it would be with withdraw, so many people for so many different areas. I am thinking on; it’s really kind of different to noticing that there is increase in the question people wanting to know that by educators. I think this is twice exceptional job so taking a look at students. And so I’ve got a lot of calls so there is increase in the number of twice exceptional. I do and I have heard that in Lecifil and I Olive yard, both of areas that there is high incidence of twice exceptional students. So, then wonder of mine is, is it environmental? And so what is the cause of this and I am hearing and I specially giving as a country being. And the diffracting going on in the erosion in the country which I have heard there is higher incidence. Perhaps; in that kind of disability I just wonder, you know; if we are going to see an increase of number of twice exceptions students.
Right, we do have behavioral characteristics specifically for twice exceptional and it seem like we need perhaps a better system for performance. Whether its product; because typically student don’t do well performance wise. So I looking at their challenge areas or product so they may produce; put them again if they don’t have the opportunity or not going to show it; so, wanting this into another so have being able to have those choices and school. It must say that is something that to be done at home so them it’s a gain the parents and community partnerships.