Neuropsychological evaluations help identify children who are “twice-exceptional,” meaning that they display both giftedness and some kind of learning issue or difficulty regulating their behavior or emotions. Often the gifts are unnoticed, and the child’s deficits are highlighted. What appear to be “behavior problems” or “mental health issues” can actually be manifestations of the lack of appropriate support, education, and understanding that twice-exceptional children receive. Emotional intensities, uneven (asynchronous) development, and/or “overexciteabilities” can be normal for some children, but are often not well understood by parents, teachers, and health professionals due to lack of training in this area.
Despite their best intentions, teachers and parents sometimes relate learning challenges to a “lack of effort” or “disorganization.” Negative child behaviors are seen as “willful” versus responses to inner struggles or innate difficulties. These common misperceptions can result in the child feeling misunderstood, invalidated, and/or defeated. Often the child is not involved in a collaborative process to discuss motivations, personal desires, and/or particular challenges. Typically, weaknesses are identified, suggestions for remediated weaknesses are made, and the child is set up to receive accommodations to help them to conform and succeed. Within this system, the child may end up losing confidence and his or her gifts may go unrealized.