In this presentation, we will explore what twice-exceptional means, how it is diagnosed, and how to try to incorporate that knowledge to help a child succeed. In Tennessee, an IEP is under Special Education, but how do you address the other Special Education needs your child may have? What does an IEP or learning/improvement plan look like for a 2e child? Do they need more work in gifted and less in their disability, or more for their disability and less for the gifted? We will investigate that in order to find a way to personalize what a 2e child needs.
Dr. Mall is a gifted teacher, advocate, and 28 year veteran teacher, 17 of which have been at a magnet school for gifted and high achievers in Murfreesboro. She is the Co-President of Tennessee Association for the Gifted and the Southern Region Liaison for Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG). She earned her Gifted Education Endorsement from the University of Connecticut.
Dr. Mall has presented at world, national, state, and local conferences and training. She has been the TAG Gifted Teacher of the Year, TAG Horizon Award winner, a Tennessee Teacher of the Year Finalist, Tennessee Exemplary Teacher of the Year, and was the Tennessee Outstanding Educator of the Year.
She has worked on several different committees for the National Association for the Gifted, and was even a featured author in Parenting for High Potential with her article Twice - Exceptional: The Road Less Taken. She was also a featured guest for the Florida Department of Education on Twice-Exceptional, and works as a twice-exceptional consultant. She is currently working on a book project for gifted and twice exceptional parents.
She became fascinated in the twice-exceptional diagnoses as a parent who knew her 3 year old child was gifted, but was also struggling autism. She was at the first presentation at the NAGC Conference in Louisville on the then new term, twice-exceptional, and has been an advocate, resource, and trainer on the diagnoses since. She has two children that are diagnosed as 2e, a daughter with anxiety, ADHD, and giftedness, and a son that is autistic and gifted, who are both in college. Her favorite claim to almost fame came when she got to sit and visit with Temple Grandin one on one at a conference!
Find the video link for this meeting here