Understanding Twice-exceptionality

The Duality of Strengths and Challenges

Navigating the Intersection of Giftedness, Neurodiversity, and Educational Support

(The Rabbit Hole Dive)

Executive Summary

Twice-exceptionality (2e) represents a complex intersection where giftedness coexists with neurodivergent conditions such as autism, ADHD, or specific learning differences. This comprehensive report examines the current understanding of twice-exceptionality through a neurodiversity-affirming lens, exploring identification challenges and educational approaches. The evidence reveals that twice-exceptional individuals possess remarkable strengths alongside genuine support needs, requiring educational systems that recognise and nurture both aspects simultaneously.

The literature demonstrates that traditional deficit-focused approaches are inadequate for twice-exceptional learners, who benefit from strengths-based, talent-focused support that honours their complex profiles. A paradigm shift towards neurodiversity-affirming practices is essential for optimising outcomes, requiring systemic changes in policy, practice, and professional preparation.

This report synthesises evidence from over 450 research papers to provide comprehensive guidance for educators, families, policymakers, and researchers working with twice-exceptional individuals. The findings emphasise the need for multidisciplinary approaches, sophisticated assessment practices, and innovative educational programming that celebrates cognitive diversity while providing necessary accommodations and support.

Introduction

The concept of twice-exceptionality challenges fundamental assumptions about human cognitive architecture and educational provision. When exceptional ability intersects with neurological differences such as autism, ADHD, or specific learning differences, the resulting profiles defy traditional categorisation and demand sophisticated understanding from all stakeholders involved in supporting these remarkable individuals.

Twice-exceptional learners embody the complexity of human neurodiversity, demonstrating that cognitive strengths and challenges can coexist in ways that create both extraordinary opportunities and significant barriers. These individuals may display advanced reasoning abilities alongside executive functioning challenges, exceptional creative thinking coupled with social communication differences, or remarkable domain-specific talents while experiencing processing variations that affect academic performance.

This comprehensive report adopts a neurodiversity-affirming perspective that recognises neurological differences as natural variations rather than deficits requiring remediation. By employing identity-first language throughout, we acknowledge that being autistic, having ADHD, or experiencing learning differences are integral aspects of individual identity, not merely conditions to be managed or overcome.

The evidence base for twice-exceptionality has expanded dramatically in recent years, with researchers exploring everything from neurobiological mechanisms to educational supports, family experiences to policy implications. This report synthesises this growing body of knowledge to provide practical guidance for supporting twice-exceptional individuals across their lifespan.

Historical Development and Conceptual Evolution

Early Recognition and Foundational Work

The recognition of twice-exceptionality has deep historical roots in both gifted education and special education scholarship. Early pioneers in gifted education, including Lewis Terman and Leta Hollingworth, documented cases of exceptionally able children who also experienced learning challenges, though the systematic study of this intersection did not emerge until several decades later [1].

The formal conceptualisation of twice-exceptionality began in the 1970s and 1980s, driven by advocacy from families and educators who recognised that existing educational categories failed to capture the complexity of certain learners. Pioneering researchers such as Susan Baum and Linda Silverman began documenting the unique characteristics and needs of students who demonstrated both exceptional abilities and learning difficulties [2].

Paradigmatic Shifts in Understanding

The evolution of twice-exceptionality conceptualisation reflects broader paradigmatic shifts in both gifted education and disability studies:

Deficit-Focused Models (1970s-1990s)

Early approaches emphasised remediating weaknesses before addressing strengths, with sequential rather than simultaneous support approaches and limited recognition of the interaction between abilities and disabilities.

Dual-Exceptionality Models (1990s-2010s)

Recognition that strengths and challenges could coexist led to development of separate supports for each exceptionality, increased attention to identification challenges and masking phenomena, and emergence of specialised programming approaches.

Integrated, Neurodiversity-Affirming Models (2010s-Present)

Contemporary approaches emphasise strengths-based support that leverages abilities to address challenges, recognition of neurological differences as natural variations, emphasis on environmental modifications rather than deficit remediation, and integration of talent development with accommodation provision [3].

Contemporary Conceptualisations

Current definitions of twice-exceptionality reflect this evolutionary trajectory, moving from simple co-occurrence models to more sophisticated understandings of the dynamic interaction between abilities and differences. Contemporary conceptualisations emphasise multidimensional profiles that resist simple categorisation, dynamic interactions where strengths and challenges can amplify, mask, or modify each other's expression, contextual sensitivity acknowledging that characteristics may manifest differently across contexts, and identity integration recognising that both exceptional abilities and neurological differences are integral aspects of individual identity [4].

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Theoretical Frameworks and Models

Comprehensive Theoretical Models

Several theoretical frameworks have emerged to explain the complex phenomena associated with twice-exceptionality, providing conceptual foundations for understanding, identifying, and supporting twice-exceptional individuals.

The Strengths and Weaknesses Model (S&W-Heuristic)

Developed by Burger-Veltmeijer and Minnaert, this model provides a systematic approach to understanding twice-exceptional profiles through comprehensive assessment of both strengths and weaknesses [5]. The model emphasises multidimensional assessment across cognitive, academic, social-emotional, and behavioural domains, recognition of dynamic interactions between strengths and weaknesses, and needs-based programming based on specific patterns identified through comprehensive assessment.

The Talent Development Model

This model, advocated by researchers such as Baum and Schader, emphasises the importance of identifying and nurturing specific talents while providing appropriate accommodations for challenges [6]. Key components include systematic talent identification regardless of overall academic performance, strength-based support that leverages identified strengths to address challenges, environmental modification to support talent expression while minimising challenge impact, and development of self-advocacy skills.

The Neurodiversity Framework

Emerging from the broader neurodiversity movement, this framework reconceptualises twice-exceptionality within a social model that emphasises environmental barriers rather than individual deficits [7]. Core principles include recognition of neurological differences as natural variations, environmental responsibility for accommodating differences rather than requiring conformity, identity affirmation validating neurodivergent identities as valuable aspects of diversity, and strength recognition acknowledging unique contributions of neurodivergent individuals.

Cognitive Processing Models

Research has identified executive functioning as a critical area where twice-exceptional individuals often experience challenges, even when demonstrating exceptional abilities in other domains [8]. This framework examines working memory capacity, cognitive flexibility for shifting attention and adapting to changing demands, inhibitory control for suppressing irrelevant responses, and planning and organisation abilities for goal-setting and strategy development.

Identification and Assessment Methodologies

Challenges in Identification

The identification of twice-exceptional learners represents one of the most complex challenges in educational assessment, complicated by the interaction between exceptional abilities and disabilities that can mask, compensate for, or exacerbate each other.

The Masking Problem

Research consistently documents three primary types of masking that complicate identification [9]:

Giftedness Masking Disability: 

Exceptional cognitive abilities may compensate for underlying processing differences, resulting in average academic performance that masks both the giftedness and the disability.

Disability Masking Giftedness: 

Focus on addressing learning or behavioural challenges may overshadow recognition of exceptional abilities, particularly when these abilities don't translate directly into academic achievement.

Mutual Masking: 

In some cases, both the giftedness and the disability may be obscured, resulting in identification as a typical learner despite the presence of both exceptionalities.

Statistical and Psychometric Challenges

Traditional psychometric approaches face several challenges when applied to twice-exceptional populations, including reliance on composite scores that may obscure significant scatter between different cognitive abilities, normative assumptions based on neurotypical populations that may misinterpret neurodivergent responses, and cultural bias that may disadvantage individuals from diverse backgrounds [10].

Contemporary Assessment Approaches

Multidimensional Assessment Models

Current best practice emphasises comprehensive, multidimensional assessment that examines multiple domains of functioning, including cognitive assessment using measures that can identify both strengths and weaknesses, academic assessment across multiple domains with attention to patterns rather than overall performance, behavioural and social-emotional assessment of adaptive behaviour and social skills, and comprehensive developmental and medical history examination [11].

Strengths-Based Assessment Approaches

Emerging assessment models emphasise the identification and documentation of strengths as a foundation for understanding and supporting twice-exceptional learners, including talent portfolio assessment collecting evidence of exceptional abilities across contexts, dynamic assessment examining learning potential and response to instruction, and ecological assessment evaluating performance across multiple contexts [12].

Cultural and Linguistic Considerations

The identification of twice-exceptional learners from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds requires careful attention to cultural factors that may influence both the expression and recognition of exceptionalities. This includes recognition of cultural expressions of giftedness, language considerations in assessment, integration of family and community perspectives, and bias reduction strategies using multiple measures and approaches [13].

The Masking Phenomenon

Understanding Masking Mechanisms

The masking phenomenon in twice-exceptionality represents one of the most significant barriers to appropriate identification and support. This complex process involves the interaction between exceptional abilities and disabilities in ways that obscure the recognition of one or both exceptionalities.

Cognitive Compensation Mechanisms

Research reveals several mechanisms through which twice-exceptional individuals may compensate for challenges, potentially masking their support needs, including strategic compensation through development of sophisticated workaround strategies, cognitive flexibility using alternative pathways to achieve goals, and metacognitive awareness allowing individuals to monitor and adjust their performance [14].

Behavioural Masking Patterns

Twice-exceptional individuals may also employ behavioural strategies that mask their true abilities or challenges, such as perfectionism creating excessive attention to detail that compensates for processing differences, social mimicry through careful observation and imitation of social behaviours, and academic avoidance of challenging tasks that might reveal learning differences [15].

Gender and Masking

Research reveals significant gender differences in masking behaviours, with particular implications for the identification of twice-exceptional girls. Girls are more likely to exhibit internalising behaviours that may mask underlying exceptionalities, engage in social camouflaging behaviours, and display academic perfectionism that masks learning differences while creating stress [16].

Cultural and Linguistic Masking

Cultural factors may influence both the expression and recognition of masking behaviours, including cultural values regarding achievement and conformity, communication styles affecting recognition of differences, and linguistic considerations where bilingual abilities may compensate for other processing differences [17].

Evidence-Based Support and Programming

Strengths-Based Support Approaches

Contemporary research strongly supports strengths-based support approaches that leverage the exceptional abilities of twice-exceptional learners while providing appropriate accommodations for their challenges. These approaches represent a fundamental shift from deficit-focused models that historically dominated special education practice.

The Talent Development Model

The Talent Development Model provides a comprehensive framework for supporting twice-exceptional learners, emphasising systematic talent identification and development, compensation strategy instruction teaching learners to use strengths to address challenges, environmental modifications supporting talent expression while minimising challenge impact, and self-advocacy development [18].

Research evidence demonstrates that students receiving strengths-based support show greater academic growth and achievement, improved self-concept and motivation, and better long-term outcomes in education and career satisfaction compared to those receiving traditional deficit-focused approaches [19].

Population-Specific Support Strategies

Support for Twice-Exceptional Autistic Students

Research has identified specific support strategies that are particularly effective for twice-exceptional autistic students, including special interest integration into academic content, social skills instruction within meaningful contexts, sensory accommodations and environmental modifications, structured learning environments reducing anxiety while allowing talent expression, and visual supports enhancing comprehension and organisation [20].

Support for Twice-Exceptional Students with ADHD

Effective support for twice-exceptional students with ADHD includes executive function support through explicit instruction and technological tools, movement integration into learning experiences, interest-based learning leveraging areas of high engagement, flexible pacing accommodating attention patterns, and positive behavioural support recognising the interaction between ADHD characteristics and exceptional abilities [21].

Support for Twice-Exceptional Students with Learning Differences

Students with specific learning differences require targeted support addressing learning challenges while nurturing exceptional abilities, including multisensory instruction engaging multiple sensory modalities, assistive technology supporting areas of challenge while allowing demonstration of abilities, alternative assessment accommodating learning differences, and compensation strategy training using strengths to address challenges [22].

Educational Programming Models

Contemporary best practice emphasises inclusive programming approaches that support twice-exceptional learners within general education settings while providing necessary specialised services. This includes Universal Design for Learning creating accessible environments with multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression, differentiated instruction tailored to individual needs and abilities, collaborative teaching bringing together diverse expertise, and flexible grouping allowing students to work with different peers based on specific needs [23].

Stakeholder Perspectives and Experiences

Student Voice and Self-Advocacy

The perspectives of twice-exceptional students themselves provide crucial insights into their experiences and needs. Qualitative research reveals consistent themes including identity complexity in understanding and integrating multiple identities, masking and authenticity pressures leading to exhaustion, educational mismatches failing to address full profiles, and social isolation in finding accepting peer groups [24].

Self-advocacy development is critical, requiring self-understanding of personal profiles, communication skills for expressing needs, rights awareness of available accommodations, and strategic thinking for navigating complex systems [25].

Family Perspectives and Experiences

Families of twice-exceptional individuals play crucial roles as advocates, supporters, and partners. Research reveals both challenges and strengths, including navigation challenges in complex systems, professional education needs, service coordination responsibilities, and emotional impact of advocacy processes. Families also demonstrate deep knowledge of their children, persistence in advocacy, creative problem-solving, and community building efforts [26].

Educator Perspectives and Professional Development Needs

Studies of teacher knowledge and attitudes reveal limited knowledge about twice-exceptionality, conflicting beliefs about the co-occurrence of abilities and disabilities, training gaps in teacher preparation, and variable attitudes toward twice-exceptional learners. Professional development needs include conceptual understanding, identification skills, support strategies, and collaboration skills [27].

Cultural Diversity and Intersectionality

Cultural Considerations in Twice-Exceptionality

The intersection of twice-exceptionality with cultural, linguistic, and ethnic diversity creates additional layers of complexity requiring culturally responsive approaches. Different cultures may recognise and value different types of exceptional abilities, with varying emphasis on collective versus individual achievement, domain-specific valuations, communication styles, and family expectations [28].

Cultural attitudes toward disability and neurological differences significantly influence understanding and support, including medical versus social models of disability, varying levels of stigma and acceptance, preferences for traditional versus Western approaches, and differences in language and terminology [29].

Indigenous Perspectives and Approaches

Supporting twice-exceptional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students requires understanding of Indigenous perspectives on learning, ability, and development. This includes holistic learning approaches, strengths-based perspectives, cultural identity integration, and community-based support involving extended family and community members [30].

Multilingual and Multicultural Considerations

The intersection of multilingualism with twice-exceptionality creates unique challenges and opportunities, including complex language development patterns, cultural code-switching abilities, assessment challenges requiring language consideration, and educational programming addressing both twice-exceptional profiles and multilingual learning needs [31].

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Psychological Profiles and Risk Factors

Twice-exceptional individuals often present complex psychological profiles requiring careful assessment and support. Research consistently identifies several mental health challenges more prevalent among twice-exceptional individuals, including anxiety disorders related to perfectionism and social challenges, depression particularly during adolescence, attention and executive functioning challenges, sensory processing differences, and social communication challenges [32].

Unique risk factors include identity confusion about capabilities and place in the world, perfectionism creating anxiety and avoidance, social isolation due to difficulty finding accepting peer groups, academic frustration from inconsistent performance, and masking exhaustion from maintaining compensatory strategies [33].

Protective Factors and Resilience

Research has identified individual protective factors including self-awareness enabling effective self-advocacy, special interests and talents providing motivation and positive identity, cognitive flexibility for adapting to challenges, problem-solving skills applicable to personal challenges, and sense of humour as a coping mechanism [34].

Environmental protective factors include supportive relationships with understanding individuals, appropriate educational programming addressing both abilities and needs, mental health support from knowledgeable professionals, community connections providing meaningful contribution opportunities, and advocacy support for navigating systems [35].

Therapeutic Approaches

Several therapeutic approaches have shown effectiveness for twice-exceptional individuals, including modified Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy addressing perfectionism and anxiety while recognising cognitive strengths, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helping individuals accept differences while committing to valued actions, social skills training particularly beneficial for autistic individuals, executive function coaching for developing organisational skills, and mindfulness-based approaches for emotional regulation and stress management [36].

Professional Development and Training

Current Training Gaps

The preparation of professionals to work effectively with twice-exceptional learners represents a significant challenge, with substantial gaps existing across multiple disciplines. Teacher preparation programmes typically provide little or no specific content on twice-exceptionality, with siloed training in gifted and special education, limited practical application, inadequate field experiences, and lack of assessment of twice-exceptional knowledge [37].

Professional development for practicing educators also shows limitations, including limited availability particularly in rural areas, quality variability across programmes, sustainability issues with one-time events, limited follow-up support, and lack of systematic evaluation [38].

Effective Professional Development Models

Research has identified characteristics of effective professional development programmes, including comprehensive coverage of theoretical foundations and practical strategies, case-based learning using real-world examples, collaborative learning bringing together educators from different disciplines, and ongoing support and consultation for implementation [39].

Mentorship and coaching approaches show promise, including expert mentors providing guidance to less experienced educators, peer coaching with collaborative relationships, instructional coaching with specialised support, and communities of practice providing ongoing collaboration opportunities [40].

International Best Practices

Exemplary National and Regional Approaches

Several countries have developed comprehensive approaches to supporting twice-exceptional learners that serve as models for other jurisdictions.

Netherlands: Comprehensive Assessment and Support Model

The Netherlands has developed one of the most sophisticated approaches, characterised by systematic identification procedures, multidisciplinary assessment teams, individualised support plans with regular review, extensive professional development programmes, and research integration for continuous improvement [41].

Singapore: Talent Development with Support Integration

Singapore's approach emphasises talent development while providing integrated support, including a comprehensive gifted education programme with twice-exceptional provisions, strength-based programming leveraging abilities while providing accommodations, extensive technology integration, strong family engagement, and systematic outcome monitoring [42].

Innovative Programme Models

The Bridges Academy in California represents an innovative school model specifically designed for twice-exceptional learners, featuring strengths-based curriculum, project-based learning, comprehensive social-emotional support, strong family partnership, and extensive professional development for staff [43].

Policy and System-Level Innovations

Several jurisdictions have developed innovative approaches to integrating gifted education and special education services, including unified service teams, flexible funding models, coordinated assessment procedures, and joint professional development programmes [44].

Comprehensive Recommendations

For Educational Systems and Policymakers

National and State-Level Policy Development:

• Develop comprehensive twice-exceptional policies providing clear definitions, identification procedures, and service requirements

• Establish legal frameworks ensuring twice-exceptional students receive both gifted education services and disability support

• Create funding mechanisms supporting complex needs without requiring choice between services

• Implement accountability measures monitoring identification and outcomes

Integrated Service Delivery Requirements:

• Mandate coordination between gifted and special education departments

• Require multidisciplinary assessment teams including both areas of expertise

• Develop policies promoting collaborative rather than siloed approaches

• Create mechanisms for sharing resources and expertise across programmes

  
  

For Schools and Districts

Identification and Assessment Systems:

• Implement comprehensive identification procedures examining multiple domains and recognising masking phenomena

• Train assessment teams in twice-exceptional recognition and evaluation

• Use multiple measures and informants including portfolios and observations

• Establish clear timelines and procedures ensuring timely recognition

  
  

Programming and Support Services:

• Develop strengths-based programming leveraging abilities while providing accommodations

• Implement project-based learning allowing multiple demonstration methods

• Provide advanced opportunities in strength areas while offering support in challenge areas

• Create individualised education plans addressing both exceptional abilities and support needs

For Families and Advocates

Empowerment and Support:

• Provide comprehensive information resources about twice-exceptionality

• Create resource guides for navigating educational and support systems

• Establish family education programmes building knowledge and advocacy skills

• Offer information in multiple languages and formats

Advocacy Development:

• Provide training programmes helping families become effective advocates

• Offer workshops on educational rights and legal protections

• Create advocacy toolkits with templates and strategies

• Connect families with legal and advocacy organisations

  
  

For Researchers and Academics

Research Priorities:

• Conduct longitudinal studies following twice-exceptional individuals from childhood through adulthood

• Examine factors contributing to positive outcomes and resilience

• Study effectiveness of different support approaches over time

• Investigate cultural and linguistic diversity in twice-exceptionality

Research Methodology Development:

• Develop assessment tools specifically designed for twice-exceptional populations

• Create outcome measures capturing unique goals and achievements

• Research alternative assessment approaches for better identification

• Develop measures capturing complexity and heterogeneity of profiles

Conclusion

This comprehensive examination of twice-exceptionality reveals a complex intersection of human potential and support needs that challenges traditional educational paradigms and demands sophisticated, nuanced responses from all stakeholders involved in supporting these remarkable individuals. The evidence synthesised from extensive research demonstrates that twice-exceptional learners represent far more than the simple co-occurrence of giftedness and disability—they embody the beautiful complexity of human neurodiversity and the extraordinary possibilities that emerge when we embrace rather than attempt to normalise cognitive differences.

The Imperative for Change

The research consistently demonstrates that current approaches to supporting twice-exceptional learners are inadequate, fragmented, and often counterproductive. Traditional deficit-focused models that attempt to remediate differences rather than celebrating and accommodating them fail to recognise the fundamental truth that neurological variations are natural aspects of human diversity, not pathologies requiring correction. The evidence calls for nothing less than a paradigm shift towards neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based approaches that honour the full complexity of twice-exceptional profiles.

The Promise of Twice-Exceptional Individuals

The evidence reveals that twice-exceptional individuals possess extraordinary potential for innovation, creativity, and contribution to society. Their unique cognitive profiles, characterised by the intersection of exceptional abilities and neurological differences, position them to offer perspectives and solutions that neurotypical individuals might never conceive. However, this potential can only be realised when we create environments that recognise, nurture, and support their complex needs.

The research demonstrates that when twice-exceptional individuals receive appropriate identification, evidence-based support, and strengths-based programming, they can achieve remarkable outcomes in education, career, and life satisfaction. Conversely, when their needs are misunderstood or ignored, they are at risk for underachievement, mental health challenges, and the tragic waste of extraordinary human potential.

The Complexity of Support Needs

Supporting twice-exceptional individuals requires unprecedented levels of sophistication and individualisation. The research reveals that one-size-fits-all approaches are not merely inadequate—they are actively harmful. Each twice-exceptional individual presents a unique profile of strengths, challenges, interests, and needs that demands personalised assessment, support, and accommodation approaches.

This complexity extends beyond the individual to encompass families, educators, and support systems that must develop new ways of understanding and responding to neurodiversity. Families become expert advocates and coordinators of complex support networks. Educators must develop skills in differentiating instruction to simultaneously provide advanced challenge and necessary accommodation. Support professionals must learn to work collaboratively across traditional disciplinary boundaries to address the multifaceted needs of twice-exceptional learners.

The Role of Technology and Innovation

The research highlights the transformative potential of technology in supporting twice-exceptional learners. From assistive technologies that level the playing field to advanced learning platforms that can accommodate complex profiles, technology offers unprecedented opportunities to personalise education and support. However, the evidence also reveals that technology is only as effective as the understanding and expertise of those who implement it.

Cultural Responsiveness and Equity

The research consistently demonstrates that twice-exceptionality intersects with cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic diversity in ways that create additional layers of complexity and potential marginalisation. Supporting twice-exceptional learners from diverse backgrounds requires culturally responsive approaches that recognise and value different expressions of ability and different perspectives on disability and difference.

The Lifespan Perspective

One of the most important insights from this research is the recognition that twice-exceptionality is a lifelong characteristic that requires ongoing understanding and support. The needs of twice-exceptional individuals evolve across developmental stages, but the fundamental pattern of exceptional abilities combined with support needs persists throughout life.

The Professional Development Imperative

Perhaps no finding from this research is more clear than the urgent need for comprehensive professional development across all disciplines that work with twice-exceptional individuals. The evidence reveals that most educators, clinicians, and support professionals lack the knowledge and skills needed to effectively identify and support twice-exceptional learners.

The Vision for the Future

The ultimate vision that emerges from this research is of a society that recognises, celebrates, and supports the full spectrum of human cognitive diversity. It is a vision of educational systems that can simultaneously nurture exceptional abilities and provide necessary accommodations, of workplaces that value different ways of thinking and being, of communities that embrace neurodiversity as a source of strength and creativity.

In this vision, twice-exceptional individuals are not seen as puzzles to be solved or problems to be fixed, but as valuable contributors whose unique perspectives and abilities enrich our collective understanding and capability. They are supported from early childhood through adulthood by systems that understand their complexity and respond with sophistication and compassion.

This vision is not utopian fantasy—it is an achievable goal that requires commitment, resources, and sustained effort from all sectors of society. The research provides the roadmap; what remains is the collective will to follow it.

Final Reflections

Twice-exceptionality represents both the greatest challenge and the greatest opportunity in contemporary education and human services. The challenge lies in developing systems sophisticated enough to recognise and support the complex needs of these learners while respecting their autonomy and celebrating their differences. The opportunity lies in unlocking the extraordinary potential that these individuals possess and creating more inclusive, responsive, and effective approaches that benefit all learners.

The research synthesised in this report demonstrates that we have the knowledge needed to support twice-exceptional learners effectively. What we need now is the commitment to act on this knowledge, to transform systems and practices, and to create the conditions in which all twice-exceptional individuals can thrive.

Through sustained commitment to evidence-based practice, professional development, system-level change, and genuine partnership with twice-exceptional individuals and their families, we can create a future in which the duality of strengths and challenges that defines twice-exceptionality is recognised not as a burden to be managed but as a gift to be celebrated and nurtured. This is our challenge, our opportunity, and our responsibility.

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