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Strategies for 2E Students

Strategies to Help Support (Potential) Twice-Exceptional Students in Class

Adaptations to Curriculum:

  • Multimedia resources to access outcomes
  • Technological tools, such as word processors, word prediction programs, calculators, spell checkers, etc.
  • Multi-sensory instruction
  • Real-life tasks
  • Socratic Seminar method
  • Oral discussion using supporting text
  • Direct instruction in thinking skills, conceptualization transfer
  • Elimination of distractions, busy-ness in learning content, direct, pertinent focus

Cognitive Access to the Curriculum:

  • Provide alternative means for accomplishing assessment of curriculum outcomes
  • Allow the child to choose the options he or she feels will be successful
  • Provide longer-term projects assigned into small pieces with steps to be checked off
  • Use organizers such as webs, electronic organizers, study guides, multiple modality access to content, and assignment descriptions as reminders for the child of what has to be done and by when
  • Work directly and collaboratively with the child to design rubrics on how the work will be assessed
  • Instruction in how the mind remembers (metacognition training)
  • Instruction in how to highlight, underline, summarize information to be remembered
  • Visual imagery techniques
  • Use of environment resources, to recall information - notes, texts, pictures, etc.
  • Posted cues, prompts, rules, steps for performing tasks (also copy attached to students private workspace)
  • Graphic organizers, visual instructions, visual presentations, visual clarity, visual organization
  • Checkpoints for long-term projects, work, content acquisition
  • Frequent, consistent progress monitoring
  • Added time to organize materials, assignments, desk, locker, etc.
  • Homework hotline
  • A simple specific place for submitting completed work
  • Consistency in schedule - advance warning of changes to the schedule

Behavioral Adjustments:

  • Self-advocacy, self-efficacy instruction
  • Social stories
  • Video monitoring to provide self-management skills
  • Encouragement of risk-taking, self-initiated responses
  • Provision of catchphrases, responses to use in "sticky situations"
  • Conflict resolution skill instruction
  • Provision of a "buddy" to aid social transitions in the classroom, playground, etc.

Behavioral Accommodations:

  • The child identified motivators for maintaining expected behaviors
  • Direct behavioral modification does not work unless 2e child has negotiated how modifications will take place
  • Tangible self-monitoring and reflection charts to be used by student
  • Teacher with 2e child on a frequent, consistent basis, especially when the task is to be initiated, progress needs monitoring, or end of work time is coming

Social Skills Development:

  • Michelle Garcia Winner's Being a Social Detective materials - Social Action series
  • Social stories
  • Video modeling
  • Roleplaying
  • GT "buddy" system
  • Mind Reader program (Baron-Cohen)
  • Collaborative projects
    • GT + 2E groups
    • 2E groups

Self-Understanding Accommodations:

  • Positive self-talk practice
  • Instruction in how to identify, challenge, modify, and replace non-productive thoughts
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Identification of a "go-to" person at school for a child when things begin to overwhelm
  • Instruction in how to externalize what is occupying the child internally
  • Sharing with children their "results" on self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation self-reports

Physical and Environmental Accommodations:

  • Muting of noise, light, temperature, colors, and clutter in the classroom
  • Provision of fidgets, weighted blankets, yoga balls, tennis-shoed chair Legs as needed
  • Situating 2e child near teacher's desk (upfront) or next to positive role model for behavior and learning
  • Lenience in letting child stand up, move or remove self from setting when needed: pacing aisle in the room
  • Standing desks

Need more ideas? Ask STEPPS (Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students, Parents, and Professionals)! Case study opportunities are available. Click here for an application.