2 October 2015
 Categories: Law, Blog

When it comes to education, gifted children often fall through the cracks. This is especially true if your child is 2E, or twice exceptional. A 2E child is well ahead of their age peers in some ways, while suffering challenges in other facets. For example, the child may be able to grasp math concepts well ahead of their age expectations, but they are behind in verbal skills. All gifted children fall under the special needs categorization in education, but 2E children often pose a conundrum to educators who aren't sure how to to classify them. The following tips can help you make sure your 2E child gets the education they deserve.

Tip #1: Request an Assessment

Assessments are a necessity for determining what special services your child needs. Most school districts provide their own assessments, which you can request through either the school administration or from the main district. If you disagree with the assessment, you may want to have testing done privately. Common assessments are the Woodcock-Johnson III and the WISC-IV, which are typically given by a skilled education psychologist. If you are bringing in legal counsel to help you work with the school, they can usually recommend a psychologist that is trained in testing 2E children.

Tip #2: Know Your Options

While it may seem logical that the school district must make allowances for your child's special needs, the truth is that district offerings are often limited by budgetary concerns. Before pursuing specific requests, know what options are available. For example, some districts only have a one day pullout program for gifted children, which may not be sufficient for a highly gifted child or a child that is only gifted in one area. In this case, you may need to request an elevated grade placement. The district should be forthcoming with all services available, and then your attorney can help you mediate with the district to get your child into the programs they need.

Tip #3: Get an IEP

An IEP (individualized education program) is often only offered to special needs students that are behind their age peers, but it is overlooked for gifted children. This means your school psychologist may offer an IEP if your 2E child has behavioral issues, but they may completely overlook the increased educational needs of the child. Usually, you will sit down with your child's teacher, the principal, and the school psychologist to work on an IEP.

It is vital that you advocate for your child and have their gifted abilities addressed by the IEP. You do not want your child being bored in the classroom, and the IEP is the ticket to ensuring your child is given opportunities to be challenged, such as entering into gifted programs, skipping grades, or going into a higher level classroom for certain subjects. If you are nervous about the IEP meeting, you are allowed to bring legal counsel with you to help advise you of you and your child's rights in regards to the IEP.

For more information, contact Law Office of Mark W Voigt or a similar firm.