Conceptual Analysis of Twice Exceptionality

Abstract

The concept of twice-exceptional is used to define individuals who are gifted or talented in one or more domains while having disability, disorder or difficulty in certain areas. This situation has made the definition and acceptance of the concept difficult since giftedness and disability are mentioned together. In order to clarify current understanding of the concept, a conceptual analysis of the term "twice-exceptional" was conducted in this study using Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis method. Firstly, the epistemological and ontological structure of the concept was discussed. It was seen that the concept was used in different terms in literature such as "twice exceptional", "dual exceptionality", "gifted with learning difficulties", "gifted handicapped". Instead of looking for an alternative term for the concept, existing studies were reviewed and the characteristics of the concept were tried to be revealed. Although the concept has been used for almost four decades, its implications date back to gifted studies addressing learning difficulties a century ago. It was later associated with Asperger's Syndrome, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder and other deficits. It was concluded that definition and characteristics of relevant concepts of twice exceptionality such as giftedness and disability have changed over time, which has also affected the evolution of twice exceptionality. Therefore, a clear definition or sharp boundary of the concept cannot be claimed, but its importance has been revealed by the field studies which also contributes to the further development of the concept.