Developing practice to support twice-exceptional students

Reaching our marginalised gifted students -

An Information Session for Parents and Educators

with

Dr Geraldine Townend

Educators and parents regularly express the need for pre-service training and more resources to support the diverse learning needs of students in mixed-ability classrooms.  It is enormously demanding for already overworked teachers to provide comprehensive support for students in school.

In this presentation Dr Townend  focuses on those students whose giftedness, in one or more domains, intersects with disability that impacts learning. These students often present to teachers with contradictory and paradoxical characteristics. Such students, also known as gifted learners with disability or twice exceptional students, are typically ‘unseen’ for identification and, therefore, are not sufficiently supported. Although considered by many to be in a minority, there are likely tens of thousands of twice-exceptional students in Australian schools.

The aim of this presentation is to share some of the research about who these students are, why they are so often overlooked for identification, and to present some examples of how to support them.

TIME:  7:30pm -9:00pm (HOBART TIME) 

DATE: 29 November 2022

Dr Geraldine Townend is a researcher and lecturer in the areas of gifted education, gifted learners with disability (twice-exceptional students), and special learning needs. Her research interests focus on supporting students to develop their potential in education, which includes the development of positive academic self-concept. 

Geraldine’s focus is to support teachers’ understanding of best practice around students with diverse learning needs and is an Australian delegate for the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children.

Geraldine also conducts professional development, provides advice for educators, national and international organisations, including policy advice to governments globally.