Special needs · Twice-exceptional (2e)
Stretch the strength and support the need, in one lesson
Pencil Spaces helps teachers teach twice-exceptional (2e) students at their real level, with stretching material, many ways to show work and support for their needs.
Free for 2 weeks on any paid plan. No credit card required.
Area
Cognition and learning
Who it helps
Gifted students who also have a learning difference such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia, tutors, gifted programs and families
What lessons need
Challenge at their level, interest-led work, support for the difference, choice
In Pencil Spaces
6 features available today
Part of
What do twice-exceptional students need from an online lesson?
Twice-exceptional students are highly able and also have a learning difference, such as dyslexia, ADHD or autism. They often get challenge or support, rarely both. Online one-to-one and small-group lessons can give them both at once.
- Material at their real levelPlace Students on Boards · AvailableSend each student to the board with the right material, so everyone works at their own level in the same lesson.
- Any resource, mid-lessonQuick Search · AvailableWhen a question runs ahead of the plan, Quick Search puts the diagram, formula or tool on the board in seconds.
- Follow their interestsCollaborative Browser · AvailableExplore a real website together inside the Space when the student’s curiosity takes the lesson somewhere new.
- Show it their wayText · AvailableStudents type, draw, talk or write by hand. The way they show understanding never has to be the barrier.
- Real tools on the boardApp Library · AvailableOpen web apps on the board, from Desmos to Google Docs, and use them together.
- Support where it’s neededDyslexia-Friendly Fonts · AvailableDyslexia-friendly fonts, typed answers and recordings support the need without slowing the thinking.
Why can online lessons be hard for twice-exceptional students?
A twice-exceptional student can be bored by work pitched at their reading or writing level, and overwhelmed by work pitched at their thinking level.
Frustration often looks like poor behavior or low effort. The real problem is the gap between what they can think and what they can get onto the page.
What does a lesson look like in Pencil Spaces?
The student reads below their age but reasons far above it. The tutor reads the probability problem aloud, and the student talks through a strategy.
When they ask a question beyond the plan, the tutor opens a website together in the Collaborative Browser. The student types the answer instead of handwriting it.
Tips for teaching twice-exceptional students online
- Start from the strength, and teach the weaker skill through it.
- Separate the thinking from the output: let them explain out loud, then record it.
- Give choice over topics and over how to show learning.
- Watch for frustration and perfectionism, and name the gap kindly.
- Keep the challenge high even while support is in place.
Questions people ask
What is a twice-exceptional (2e) student?
A twice-exceptional student is highly able in one or more areas and also has a learning difference or disability, such as dyslexia, ADHD or autism. Each can mask the other, so 2e students are often missed.
How do you teach a 2e student online?
Teach at the level of their thinking and support the skill that’s hard. In Pencil Spaces, tutors put stretching material on the board and follow the student’s questions with Quick Search. Students type, talk or draw their answers.
Can 2e students work at a different level in a group?
Yes. Place Students on Boards sends each student to the board with the right material, so a 2e student can work ahead in the same lesson. Private Boards let each student do their own thinking.
Does Pencil Spaces work for advanced subjects?
Yes. The App Library opens web apps such as Desmos on the board, and the Equation Editor writes math with LaTeX. Teachers and students use real tools together inside the Space.
Related needs
Related problems
- Work that feels boring and irrelevant
- A lesson pitched at someone else’s level
- No say in goals or activities
More for special education
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