Question
What is twice-exceptional?
Short answer
Twice-exceptional (2e) describes students with the potential for high achievement or creativity in one or more areas who also have one or more disabilities, such as ADHD, autism or a learning disability. The two can mask each other, so a 2e student may look average and miss out on both gifted services and disability support.
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The definition
The National Association for Gifted Children's 2026 position statement uses a definition from Reis and colleagues (2014): twice-exceptional students have the potential for high achievement or creativity in one or more domains together with one or more disabilities (NAGC 2e position statement 2026). The Association for the Gifted (CEC-TAG) adopted a similar working definition in 2020 (CEC-TAG 2e definition).
Try one · Pattern Recognition
Which tile comes next?
Tap the option you think is right, or show the answer.
Show the answer
The missing tile shows a very large solid arrow pointing right (option 4).
How to solve it
- Compare neighboring tiles and name what changes each time.
- From tile to tile, the arrow turns a quarter turn clockwise.
- The fill cycles solid, hatched and outline, then starts again.
- Everything else stays the same from tile to tile.
- The last tile shows a very large outlined arrow pointing up. Apply each change once more.
- So the missing tile shows a very large solid arrow pointing right.
That was 1 puzzle. The full test has 25.
Why 2e students get missed
The core problem is masking. CEC-TAG's definition says ability and disability can mask each other, so that neither is recognized (CEC-TAG 2e definition). NAGC adds that a disability can hide a student's strengths while their strengths compensate for the disability, especially in the early grades, which delays identification (NAGC 2e position statement 2026).
- CEC-TAG says 2e students may perform below, at or above grade level (CEC-TAG 2e definition).
- NAGC notes that many do not show below-average grades or achievement scores, which often limits their eligibility for disability supports (NAGC 2e position statement 2026).
- NAGC cites data that 15% of public school students have a disability and says twice-exceptional students likely remain underrepresented in gifted programs (NAGC 2e position statement 2026).
Research on ADHD shows the same pattern from the other side: high intelligence may mimic some ADHD symptoms, and highly intelligent people may compensate in ways that cause ADHD to be missed (Rommelse et al. 2016).
What helps
NAGC recommends strength-based, talent-focused and inclusive identification and support (NAGC 2e position statement 2026): look for what the student can do, not only what gets in the way. For families, that usually means asking for an evaluation that looks at both ability and the suspected disability, rather than one at a time.
Related
See what gifted means, ADHD and IQ and autism and IQ. This page is general information, not educational or medical advice.
Sources
- National Association for Gifted Children, Identifying and Serving Gifted Children Who Are Twice Exceptional, position statement, August 2026 assets.noviams.com/novi-file-uploads/nagc/Position_Statements/NAGC_PositionPaper_2E.pdf
- Council for Exceptional Children, The Association for the Gifted, 2e Definition (2020) tag.exceptionalchildren.org/about-tag/position-statements/2e-definition
- Rommelse, N., van der Kruijs, M., Damhuis, J., et al., An evidenced-based perspective on the validity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the context of high intelligence, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 71, 21 to 47, 2016, PMID 27590827 doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.032
- National Association for Gifted Children. What is giftedness? (accessed 2026-10-21). nagc.org/what-is-giftedness