The Other Side of the Coin: Perceptions of Twice-Exceptional Students by Their Close Friends

Abstract

Friendship can be critical at any age but considering the gifts and challenges of twice-exceptional students, friends can be an essential element in navigating school years. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions that close friends of twice-exceptional students have about their friendship, characteristics, and how they relate to classmates and teachers. The sample was comprised of 17 students. Under a qualitative design, in-depth interviews were conducted with friends of students who were gifted with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or with autism spectrum disorder. Results showed a deep relationship, in which friends of twice-exceptional students were able to make a realistic depiction of them, which was based on empathy, common interests, and a connection that stems from facing adversity. The results are not only a contribution to current research but also take a positive and strengths-based angle not always found in the literature. Implications for practice and research were discussed.

School and Family Collaboration on Twice-exceptional Academic Program Services

“…A twice-exceptional child is defined as a child who is gifted but exhibits the presence of one or more handicapping conditions. This is what makes their giftedness seem like a condition covered by their disability (Klingner, 2022;Conejeros-Solar et al, 2021). The lack of understanding of the condition of twiceextraordinary students hinders teachers and parents from recognising and helping them to overcome their problems (Amran & Majid, 2019).…”

On Being Twice Exceptional in Sweden—An Interview-Based Case Study about the Educational Situation for a Gifted Student Diagnosed with ADHD

“…Lee and Ritchotte [2] claim that the relative lack of understanding of twice exceptionality is a barrier to nurturing the students' talents. It might also lead to underachievement in school and to frustration [6,25], have negative effects on their socio-emotional well-being [20,21], and therefore lead to long-term negative outcomes for these individuals. Several studies have found that 2e students are vulnerable in psychological traits and often exhibit low-academic self-concept, low academic self-efficacy, and low self-esteem [14,20,26,27].…”

“…Several studies have found that 2e students are vulnerable in psychological traits and often exhibit low-academic self-concept, low academic self-efficacy, and low self-esteem [14,20,26,27]. These vulnerabilities may cause the unreasonably high risk of academic failures of 2e students found in many studies [25,26]. Wang and Neihart [26] claim that the support and care from parents, teachers, and peers are important in order to reach a high academic self-efficacy for 2e students.…”

“…Prior research paints a complex picture of the relationships between 2e students and their peers. Several studies report that 2e students are "exposed to peer rejection" and "can feel isolated due to not finding 'true' peers with whom they can share interests and passion toward specific topics" [25] (p. 1). On the other hand, it has been found that difficulties that have been traditionally associated with the ADHD condition in peer and academic realms can be compensated by giftedness in the case of gifted/ADHD students [20].…”

“…On the other hand, it has been found that difficulties that have been traditionally associated with the ADHD condition in peer and academic realms can be compensated by giftedness in the case of gifted/ADHD students [20]. Moreover, "the coexistence of two opposing conditions can result in a paradoxical way of constructing meaningful relationships with peers" [25] (p. 1) for 2e students. It has also been found that peers identified as friends to 2e students "clearly recognized the potential and strengths of the [2e] students, and could visibly identify the areas in which the [2e] students were at their best, both academically and in the social/emotional realm" [25] (p. 5).…”