Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Does 2e = Homeschool?

I suspect 2e in my DS6 (dysgraphia/dyslexia), though we have confirmation of giftedness. As we're awaiting testing, I've been researching accommodations and I'm wondering how this would work out, practically.

I can't just tell the school to "accommodate" him. A lot of the stuff doesn't seem to be practical in his school. For instance, I don't even approve of how they're teaching reading, but can I force them to teach a phonics-based program? I doubt it. Will they allow him to just listen to books on CD or the computer? Will they scribe all his answers? Will they read aloud all instructions to him? Will they not force him to belabor all the repetitive worksheets in math? Will they "encourage" him to keep reading and writing at inappropriate (for him) levels when not directly supervised?

Will/can they address giftedness in the same manner? I feel like I'm already "teaching" him by remediating his struggles in reading and writing. I'm wondering how much of his 6 hour school day is wasted and will continue to be wasted by just scribbling on their papers or ingraining bad habits of reading by guessing, etc. We do reading/phonics and writing in about 1 hour, throw in some fun math review for 15-30 min with games, talk about/read about social studies, explore science, etc. I mean, take away all the "journaling" and worksheet busywork (which if he's to be accommodated by scribing in school will probably take him 2 min), and what is left of the school day?

I guess public school can always be good for free therapy if the therapists go to the school. I know last year a child who needed handwriting OT only received about 15 min a week after waiting for months for OT to be staffed at the school. I'm also concerned we won't qualify for services at all because DS isn't behind in all subjects.

Just thinking aloud about being 2e in public schools and if it can work out, especially without fighting for 1-2 years. Or goodness forbid actually give my DS a little challenge (ETA - challenge to address giftedness instead of challenging him to keep writing all.day.long).

I homeschooled my 2E kid with dyslexia. It was the best decision I ever made. Actually, when I started homeschooling him I had no idea that he was gifted or had dyslexia, I just knew that traditional school wasn't working.

I can't imagine how he would have succeeded in a traditional setting.

Displaced, much will depend. Public or private? What does state law say about gifted programming? In some states it's mandated, in many it's not.

Special education is covered by Federal law (IDEA).


All that is fully up for negotiation, based on your particular child's educational needs (as identified in the diagnostic workup and in observations at school).

The team (including you) identifies needs, and decides how to address them. Addressing giftedness has been an important part of my very 2E DS12's IEP since he was in 3rd.

Once you have the diagnostic report in hand, you can share it with the school and district, and ask them to evaluate him for an IEP. The book From Emotions to Advocacy is a good guide.


Technically, that's their job. If you want to keep doing it, that works too.


It sounds like you're generally unhappy with how the school does things, even apart from the question of accommodations for the disabilities and giftedness. If that's the case, it may make the most sense to look at other settings and see if there's a better choice.

Our 2Es are in public school. That's where they have the most legal protection, and therefore where we feel they can be best accommodated. Has it been a lot of work for me to get the school to understand their needs? You bet. However, many teachers have gone many extra miles for us, and I do think they are getting a better than reasonable education.


Services are not supposed to be determined by availability-- they're supposed to be determined by the need of this particular child. That is, if the team determines that your child needs a full-time scribe, or assistive tech, or five hours a week of reading remediation, or some combination of things, that's what has to happen. If the district stalls, you can go to the state office of compliance with documentation.


If you go to Wrightslaw.com and type "functional" into their search box, you'll see that being academically behind isn't the only reason. If the child is having trouble with functional skills, like handwriting, that is supposed to qualify for remediation.

If the child is dyslexic, it is very likely that he will qualify for some sort of remediation, probably Orton Gillingham or one of the other widely respected programs.

DeeDee

I think it depends on the school and the quality of the people working there. At the kids' last school the staff (even therapists) seemed to be completely clueless, didn't even know how to write a 504 or IEP. If I had mentioned an AT eval, I would have gotten blank stares. Their idea of "modifications" was to have him use a pencil grip. Enter new school and that's one of the first things they asked--has he had an AT eval and here's what can be done. I mentioned concerns about DD to her teacher and next thing I knew a student advocate was calling me and we talked about a 504 plan. So I don't think 2e necessarily means homeschool...although it probably does in a lot of schools where you will bang your head against the wall and get nowhere.

They have gifted pull out daily for 1st grade. We've already removed him from the program because it was basically tons of reading and writing the whole time and DS was miserable. Since we don't have diagnoses yet it would be torture to keep him in gifted. And they basically don't believe he can succeed in the math gifted program (another program at the same school) because the K teacher last year didn't recommend it and he wasn't answering questions with 100% accuracy. Which could be d/t... IDK... maybe a LD?

Thanks for this recommendation. After testing I'll need something concrete. I just got some bad vibes from the gifted teachers after mentioning I think DS has a LD. She kept stating how when he's more mature or older he could then try out XYZ in the gifted program and see how it fits blah blah. I then told her if he has this LD he may NEVER be able to do XYZ. Their response: crickets.

I guess if schools can truly accommodate I'd be happy but I know the general ed teacher is already overworked. If there's not somebody to help then IDK how DS will get through. And if they do truly accommodate well with scribing/etc, then honestly DS will probably get bored very quickly as all that writing takes him so long to do.


We're afterschooling for remediation. He's been behind in writing since day 1, and reading for 3/4 of the time. If I weren't remediating him he probably would have been held back in K.


This is uplifting news. I guess I'm not looking forward to having to advocate when round #1 went so poorly.


Good to know the recourse but if they're not giving services needed, what can you really do about it? Especially when the school year works like a snail. Complaining doesn't always mean there's services in a timely manner. The person who fought for OT I referred to even had an IEP advocate and the whole nine yards.


Thanks, it prompted me to look up my state laws and it seems that if there is a documented LD there should be accommodations. I guess I'll find out! Hopefully this is just an academic exercise and maybe DS doesn't have 2e after all. But I'm trying to get prepared.

Once you've figured out the 2E aspect and worked out the accommodations, it may be possible to put him back into that program. Technically, gifted programs are not allowed to keep out kids with disabilities who otherwise qualify. I have one doing very well in a gifted program, using the accommodations in his IEP.


Sounds like you'll know more when your testing comes back. Again, they can't exclude him; once you know more about the diagnosis you'll know how much remediation is needed before he can do the gifted coursework.


They undoubtedly don't know what to do. When DS12 was in 3rd, he was the first child with an identified disability that the gifted teacher had ever had in the program-- in a 30-year career.

That said, they can learn what to do. We spend a lot of effort teaching our teachers. That helps my child, and the next one who comes along as well.


Your child is ENTITLED to a Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). If the gen ed teacher is not able to provide that, they are required to put someone in there who can, or place him with a teacher with whom he will succeed. There are a ton of regulations around this that protect the child.


You're leaping ahead here. See what the problems are via the eval; then begin the conversation with the school, while simultaneously learning all you can about what can be done to accommodate and remediate. A LOT can be done.


It's not a grand way to spend time; on the other hand, I've effected major positive change, and enabled my kids to get their "free" (hah) appropriate public education.

But yes, keeping a 2E in school will require advocacy. Even in a great school, you need a little, and in a school where the staff doesn't know a lot, you need a lot of advocacy. We've done it both ways.


Timely is difficult, yes. One must keep good records if the school is being difficult. One can go to the superintendent or the person in the district who's in charge of compliance with IDEA. One can go to the state (dept of education, and/or office of exceptional children) and lodge a formal complaint. One can file (or threaten to file) a lawsuit. It is a lot of work. And yet: possible.


If the team determines there is an educational need, there will be some combination of remediation or accommodations, tailored to the particular need. That's federal law.


BTDT. There is a limited amount you can do until it's Time To Do the Next Thing. I would advise not going crazy gathering information until you know more clearly what information you need, and what accommodations you need.

FWIW, we kept our HG with dyslexia and dysgraphia in public school but we put her in a dedicated gifted program. No, it has not always been a perfect fit. We found that the gifted teachers have more 2e training than general ed teachers. I've also been told by seasoned gt teachers that they estimate about 1/3 of their class every year is unidentified 2e. At 12, DD is pretty well compensated with her reading but writing is still a challenge. She chose to continue with a gt program for middle school. Even though it is more work for and in particular more writing, she wants to be around other gt kids.

That said the early years of elementary were truly miserable for her and for us. Maybe home school for a couple years and look at regular school again in a few years?

Thank you for sharing your story. I'm hopeful that if they truly can accommodate LD it would be a huge sigh of relief for us afterschooling. We could (gasp) do fun science, or math, or more leisure reading instead of remediation teaching. I would love for the school to teach differently!

Good point. I'm planning on doing tons of research if 2e is discovered to have an absolute game plan for the school to follow for accommodations.

Yes, sigh, I know I'm getting too ahead of things. It's hard to just wait and keep the status quo when there's so many issues. I feel disheartened he has to work so hard everyday and dislike so much of school and afterschool.

Thanks for all the tips regarding laws and requesting accommodations.