March 12, 2019

2e Symptoms Checklist

By Devon MacEachron

2e Symptoms ChecklistI've decided to share a parent feedback form I use as part of my assessments - a  2e "symptoms" checklist.

Individual children won't necessarily meet all  criteria, but even a handful of check-marks could indicate twice-exceptionality. I find that parents usually have quite accurate insights to their children, and encourage you to trust your instincts on this one. Most teachers aren't taught about either giftedness or twice-exceptionality, so you generally can't look to them to spot this in your child. Many other professionals aren't familiar with the unique combination of strengths and challenges we find in the twice-exceptional either. Take a look at the checklist and see how your child fares.

Please place a check mark next to each description that fits:

 Is your child asynchronous – i.e. more advanced than his or her peers in some respects but significantly less so in others?

 Is there a discrepancy between your child’s ability to comprehend ideas and his or her output?

 Does your child appear to be smarter and more capable than grades or test scores suggest?

 Does your child have a sophisticated vocabulary and/or strong oral comprehension, but struggle with the mechanics of reading or writing?

 Does it take your child a lot longer to complete homework than his or her peers?

 Is your child a good mathematical thinker, yet struggles with performing calculations accurately and/or has found it hard to memorize math facts?

 Does your child need more parent/teacher support in academic learning, social interaction, and/or organization than his or her peers?

 Does your child have wonderful ideas, yet fail to reliably implement them?

 Does your child have an ability to hyperfocus deeply in areas of interest, but is inattentive to things other children seem to have less difficulty paying attention to?

 Does your child prefer to play with or converse with older children and adults?

 Does your child worry more about existential questions like the purpose of life or focus intensely on questions of fairness and justice?

 Does your child tend to question rules and authority, be opinionated and or argumentative?

 Does your child exhibit great curiosity for why things are the way they are, constantly asking why and questioning – perhaps interrupting others and at the cost of actually doing their assigned homework?

 Is your child experiencing anxiety/loneliness/loss of self-esteem due to their “failure” to fit in with their more neurotypical peers?

 Does your child have a quick wit or a unique sense of humor?

 Is your child’s academic performance inconsistent or uneven?

 Does your child have much more difficulty with social interactions than his or her peers?

 Were you caught off guard when you’re clearly bright child experienced challenges once formal schooling began?

 Does your child have a lot to communicate but find it very difficult to put their ideas down in writing?

 Does your child struggle with perfectionism or frustrations due to the discrepancy between their ability and performance?

If you checked some boxes and your child hasn't yet been identified as 2e, it might be time to consider looking deeper.

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