Exceptional by Design: Navigating Twice- and Thrice-Exceptionality

Exceptional by Design: Navigating Twice- and Thrice-Exceptionality is a four-part, 6-hour course from the National Association for Gifted Children that helps educators, families, and advocates recognize and support twice- and thrice-exceptional (2e/3e) learners through an equity-centered, strengths-based lens. Sessions translate research into actionable identification practices, classroom and SEL supports, and authentic family–school partnership tools, with a focus on disrupting barriers that disproportionately impact Black and multilingual learners. Sessions are presented both synchronously and asynchronously August 6-13, with opportunities for application and to gauge participants' understanding.

Session Descriptions:

• Session 1, August 6, 5 p.m. ET: Foundations of 2e/3e (and Why Race Matters): Define twice- and thrice-exceptionality, unpack common misconceptions, and explore how systemic inequities shape identification and services—especially for Black students and other historically marginalized learners. (Live webinar)

• Session 2, On-Demand: Equitable Identification in Practice: Learn strength-based, culturally responsive identification approaches using multiple measures, family/community input as core data, and learner profiles that reveal how giftedness and disability can mask one another. (Recorded/on-demand session to watch between Session 1 and Session 3)

• Session 3, August 11, 5 p.m. ET: Instruction, SEL, and Executive Function Supports: Apply practical classroom and schoolwide strategies (including differentiation, scaffolds, acceleration/compacting, executive function supports, and self-advocacy routines) while addressing stressors like perfectionism, masking, and overwhelm. (Live webinar)

• Session 4, August 13, 5 p.m. ET: Family Partnership and Thriving as 3e: Strengthen family–school collaboration through culturally responsive communication and co-constructed plans, then shift from deficit framing to asset-based supports that promote identity affirmation, resilience, and long-term success for 2e/3e learners.