Twice Exceptionality or 2E is the under-recognized but not uncommon linking of Giftedness with ADHD, Autism, anxiety, depression, OCD and/or Learning Disabilities to name a few.
“But they are so smart, if they would just…”
They are so smart, but sometimes they can’t just. School concerns, like under-performance, friend issues, motivation, and low self-esteem, are common. These children also often are exquisitely aware of the world around them and many have deep existential thoughts from a very early age. It makes sense that all of these high level thoughts and feelings can be challenging to manage and that these deeply feeling kids can benefit from support. A gifted profile does not mean that they don’t deserve understanding, (and school accommodations) too, even if they had been able to power through (compensate for) their disabilities when they were younger. Having a high IQ is a gift indeed, but that doesn’t mean that it is always easy or without challenges.