The Lived Experiences of Twice Exceptional Children: Narrative Perceptions of Disability and Giftedness

Abstract

In Australia there is a paucity of research on twice exceptionality, a sub-set of the field of gifted education, where twice exceptional children are those who possess both giftedness and disability. Since the 2001 Australian Senate review into gifted education, Australian schools have struggled to understand the paradoxical nature of twice exceptional children, even though inclusivity and equity in education have become the policies of choice for 21st Century education. The majority of research into twice exceptionality has been conducted in North America, mainly taking a quantitative approach, often led by a focus on specific disability categories; an approach that further reinforces categorisation of disability related to medical-needs models. This study was conducted to address a gap in the literature which largely maintains a quantitative- driven disability-category approach to research in this area. This qualitative narrative inquiry aimed to explore the lived experiences of twice exceptional children, both in school and outside school and by doing so, sought to gain an in-depth understanding of contextual factors impacting these children in order to inform policy and practice. Lived experience refers to my representation and understanding of the participants’ experiences, choices, and options, and how these factors influenced their unique perception of knowledge gained through those experiences. By employing narrative informed case studies this research aimed to add insider perspectives to better understand twice exceptionality, and privilege the children’s voices.