Why Gifted and Twice-Exceptional Learners Need a Different Kind of Education
I remember sitting in first and second grade, joyfully and enthusiastically raising my hand to reply to my teacher’s question posed to the entire class — and being told to put it down, or worse. I was mocked for my excitement to participate.
I was curious. Intense. Full of questions.
But I wasn’t identified as gifted.
Instead, I learned to shrink parts of myself to fit a traditional classroom that wasn’t designed for learners who think deeply, move quickly, or process differently.
I didn’t know it then, but I was one of many gifted learners who struggle not because they lack ability — but because the system isn’t built for asynchronous development.
Fortunately, I was blessed with a third-grade teacher who recognized the “look” of a defeated, yet gifted, learner. She saved me. She recognized that I had a gift that could be shared with my classmates. She sparked the joy of sharing my knowledge with others that has remained a deep passion of mine for over half a century.
Years later, I would see this pattern again in my own children.
When Gifted Learners Don’t “Look” Gifted
Many gifted and high-potential learners don’t fit the stereotype.
Some are sensitive.
Some are intense.
Some are creative and nonlinear.
Some are twice-exceptional — meaning they are gifted and also have learning differences, ADHD, autism spectrum traits, or other processing differences.
My son was one of them.
Brilliant in math and science, and a college level reading comprehension by second-grade.
Struggling in ways that confused educators.
“He’s so smart… but…”
That sentence follows many twice-exceptional families.
Gifted, but distracted.
Advanced, but inconsistent.
Twice-exceptional learners often fall through the cracks in traditional schools because their strengths mask their struggles — and their struggles mask their strengths.
Why Traditional Schools Often Miss Gifted and 2e Learners
Public and charter schools serve many families well.
But they are built around:
Age-based grouping
Standard pacing
Grade-level expectations
Uniform assessments
Gifted and twice-exceptional learners are often asynchronous — meaning their intellectual development may far exceed their emotional, executive functioning, or writing development.
When education is standardized, these learners can experience:
Chronic boredom
Underachievement
Behavioral mislabeling
Anxiety and perfectionism
Loss of motivation
I saw this not only as a parent, but later as a classroom teacher.
And I couldn’t ignore it.
I’ve written more about how this shows up in real classrooms here.
What Happens When the Environment Fits
For over 25 years, I homeschooled my children.
My son - gifted in math and sciences - needed an environment that supported his specific language challenge while understanding that he was way beyond his “peers” in reading and comprehension.
My oldest daughter — gifted in art and creative writing and on the spectrum — needed an environment that honored her originality.
My youngest — deeply creative — needed space to grow without having her imagination standardized away.
In a personalized, learner-centered environment:
Gifted learners move at their level.
Twice-exceptional learners receive support without shame.
Creativity is nurtured.
Mastery replaces busywork.
Confidence grows before performance.
The difference isn’t lower expectations.
It’s alignment.
Why I Built Empowered G.O.A.L.S.
After teaching in public and charter schools, I became deeply convinced:
Gifted and twice-exceptional learners need educational environments that are flexible, personalized, and mastery-based.
They need small communities where they are known.
They need opportunities to grow beyond “grade level” labels.
They need educators who understand both high potential and learning differences.
Empowered G.O.A.L.S. was built to support gifted, high-potential, and twice-exceptional learners through learner-centered education and advocacy in a small, personalized microschool environment. You can learn more about what that looks like here.
Because gifted children don’t need to be fixed.
They need to be understood.
And twice-exceptional learners don’t need to be reshaped.
They need environments that honor the whole child.
If You’re Searching for Support for a Gifted or Twice-Exceptional Child
If you’ve found yourself Googling:
“Why is my gifted child struggling?”
“Support for twice-exceptional learners”
“Alternative education for gifted children”
“Microschool for gifted learners”
You’re not alone.
There are other ways.
The first step isn’t “fixing” your child — it’s finding an environment that fits them.
If you’re beginning to explore different educational paths for your gifted or twice-exceptional child, I invite you to reach out through my contact page.