Giftedness, Twice-Exceptionalism, and Neurodivergent Identity: Supporting Gifted and 2E Learners Across School, Therapeutic, and Home Settings, Perks, Summer 2026

Course Number:	EDX 5710 S66
Instructor:	Emmaly Perks, M.A.
Location:	Online
Dates and Times:	June 22 - August 17, 2026. Three full-day virtual workshops: June 22nd, July 20th, August 3rd from 8:30am – 2:30pm each day.
Credits:	3 Graduate Credits
Tuition:	Set by and payable to VT-HEC

Course Description

This course invites educators and other professionals to explore giftedness through the lens of neurodiversity. Participants will build a foundational understanding of what it means to be gifted or twice-exceptional (2E)—beyond simply being "smart"—including the ways giftedness intersects with and diverges from other neurodivergent identities.

Through three full-day virtual workshops supplemented by asynchronous reading, reflection, and fieldwork, participants will examine the neurobiological, social-emotional, and developmental dimensions of giftedness; consider how neurodivergent traits manifest in gifted and twice-exceptional individuals; and develop a toolkit of affirming, evidence-based, UDL-aligned strategies to support gifted and 2E learners in schools, therapeutic settings, and at home. Participants will leave with evolved professional practice and a concrete, context-specific artifact demonstrating their growth.

Audience: Teachers and other professionals whose work impacts students from PreK through 12th grade and beyond, with an earned Bachelor's Degree.

Course Goals & Objectives

Course Goals

Develop a nuanced understanding of giftedness and twice-exceptionality as neurodivergent identities, including how giftedness is defined and experienced beyond academic performance.
Recognize and critically analyze gifted and 2E traits (e.g., intensity, sensory sensitivity, rigidity, social differences) as they appear in gifted individuals in the absence of other diagnostic labels.
Understand the “spiky” twice-exceptional (2E) profile and how the interaction of giftedness with other neurodivergent identities creates unique support needs.
Identify and apply affirming, evidence-based, and UDL-aligned practices to support gifted and 2E individuals across educational, therapeutic, and home contexts.
Reflect critically on one's own professional practice and develop actionable strategies for providing more equitable, affirming support to gifted and 2E individuals.

Course Objectives

Define giftedness and explain how it functions as a neurodivergent identity, including concepts such as asynchronous development, intellectual intensity, and the social-emotional experience of gifted individuals.
Identify overlapping traits commonly associated with autism, ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and related profiles as they appear in gifted individuals and articulate how these traits may function differently than in individuals with discrete diagnoses.
Distinguish between gifted, 2E, and other ND profiles and describe implications for assessment, goal-setting, and support planning.
Evaluate educational and therapeutic practices for their alignment with neurodiversity-affirming values and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles as applied to gifted populations.
Produce a professional artifact demonstrating the application of course content to a real-world professional context, supported by field work and written justification.

Required Readings/Resources

All readings will be made available through VT-HEC Canvas. A sample list of required readings is provided below. Additional readings will be assigned prior to each workshop.

Sample Required Readings:

List includes/emphasizes some older readings because they are considered foundational in the field.

Kennedy, D. M., Banks, R. S., & Grandin, T. (2011). Bright not broken: Gifted kids, ADHD, and autism. Jossey-Bass

Jolly, J. L., & Barnard-Brak, L. (2024). Special Education Status and Underidentification of Twice-Exceptional Students: Insights from ECLS-K Data. Education Sciences, 14(10), 1048. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14101048

Baum, S. M., Schader, R. M., & Owen, S. V. (2023). To be gifted and learning disabled: Strength-based strategies for helping twice-exceptional students with LD, ADHD, ASD, and more (3rd ed.). Prufrock Press.

Webb, J. T., Amend, E. R., Beljan, P., Webb, N. E., Kuzujanakis, M., Olenchak, F. R., & Goerss, J. (2016). Misdiagnosis and dual diagnoses of gifted children and adults: ADHD, bipolar, OCD, Asperger’s, depression, and other disorders (2nd ed.). Great Potential Press.

Fugate, C. M., & Gentry, M. (2016). Understanding adolescent gifted girls with ADHD: Motivated and achieving. High Ability Studies, 27(1), 83–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598139.2015.1098522

Dwyer P. (2022). The Neurodiversity Approach(es): What Are They and What Do They Mean for Researchers?. Human development, 66(2), 73–92. https://doi.org/10.1159/000523723