Twice Exceptional Clients: Clinical Considerations

Twice Exceptional (2e) is a term used to emphasize intersectionality of giftedness and also one or more exceptionality, such as Autism, ADHD, an anxiety disorder, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, or other struggle that impacts mental health. It is common for therapists to consider giftedness in a positive light, a neurodivergence that is primarily helpful. Yet, most gifted individuals have unseen struggles, and twice exceptional (2e) clients may fail to thrive even when their strengths are recognized and applauded. The dichotomy between a clinician’s perspective on giftedness and the twice exceptional client’s experience can strongly impact successful treatment. This training is geared towards clinicians who support twice exceptional (2e) clients, with particular information pertaining to the treatment of children, teens and adults. The presenter will share ways to understand and frame clinical presentations in terms of particular giftedness and additional diagnoses. Included in the discussion will be the benefits of recognizing, reframing and understanding how a twice exceptional client's gifted traits impact therapeutic intervention. Case examples will be shared to demonstrate the successful use of these techniques in clinical practice with twice exceptional clients.

1 hour CE. Recorded video format (non-interactive)

ESTIMATED COURSE LENGTH: 1.07 hours 

CE CREDITS: 1.00 continuing education/contact hours for social workers, psychologists, counselors, and marriage and family therapists

TARGET AUDIENCE: Mental Health Practitioners

LEVEL OF INSTRUCTION: Intermediate

PREREQUISITE(S): None

INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD: Recorded video format (non-interactive)

ACCESSIBILITY ACCOMMODATIONS: Closed captioning of audio components. In order to request further accessibility accommodations, please email support@psychhub.com.

COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS: To obtain your CE certificate, learners must complete a pre-test (not scored), progress through all course segments, complete a participant evaluation, and obtain a score of 80% or higher on a post-test. Learners are expected to complete the quiz within 3 attempts. If unable to do so, the learner will need to re-review the course segments.

FINANCIAL/COMMERCIAL SUPPORT STATEMENT: This course has no commercial support.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST:  This course has no potential conflict of interest or outside commercial support. Psych Hub's conflict of interest statement is found in the footer of the training center.

GRIEVANCE AND REFUND POLICIES: Grievance and refund policies are found in the footer of the training center.

PARTICIPATION COSTS:  The cost to participate in this CE activity is included in the subscription registration fee.

COURSE CREATION DATE:  8/7/2023

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify why therapy of twice exceptional clients is different from therapy of non-gifted clients
• Identify three commonly co-occurring diagnoses in twice exceptional clients
• Gain an overview of known therapeutic techniques that can be implemented in the treatment of twice exceptional individuals
• Understand common assumptions made by therapists that can be unhelpful and even harmful in therapy with 2e individuals

1. Introduction
2. Definitions
   1. Neurodivergent
   2. Gifted
   3. Gifted plus exceptionality
   4. Highly sensitive
3. Common comorbid conditions
   1. Learning Differences
   2. Autism
   3. Sensory Processing D/O
   4. ADHD
   5. Anxiety
   6. Depression
4. Clinical Considerations
   1. OEs
   2. What clients experience
   3. Symptoms and behaviors
   4. Social support and friendships
5. Assessment
6. Therapeutic approaches as applied to twice exceptional clients
   1. Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration
   2. Strength-based, Rogerian
   3. Existential
   4. Therapist Self Efficacy
   5. Therapeutic Postures and Adaptations
   6. Utilize Tools
7. Clinical Awareness