Think Twice 2E's Maggie Eubanks Featured Speaker on Twice-Exceptionality with Bet Shira Congregation's Parent Education Series

On a recent Sunday, Miami's Bet Shira Congregation grant-based Parent Education and Speaker Series gathered in an intimate setting—a congregant’s home in Palmetto Bay—to explore a topic that touches many families: the world of twice-exceptional, or "2E," learners.

Maggie Eubanks, Think Twice 2E's Board Chair and Founder was invited to speak with the gathered parents to share insight and answer questions to help support these unqieu but often under-supported and misunderstood learners.

What Does "Twice-Exceptional" Mean?

In simple terms, a twice-exceptional learner is a child who is both gifted and neurodivergent (possessing a learning difference, disability, or other challenge).

Because these children are intellectually capable, their strengths often mask their struggles. Conversely, their struggles can obscure their brilliance. This dynamic, known as the "masking effect," can lead to confusion for families and teachers alike, often resulting in children being mislabeled as "lazy," "unmotivated," or "rude" rather than as students who need specific types of support.

The Real Faces of 2E

To understand the diversity within the 2E community, we looked at several archetypal stories, which highlighted how different neurodivergent profiles can impact a child’s educational journey:

• Lila, the Storyteller: A gifted actress whose high intelligence was not served due to her dyslexia, resulting in her significant lack of challenge and opportunity to use written expression. When her challenges were misinterpreted as a lack of effort, her academic progress—and self-esteem—suffered. It would take her enrollment at a specialized school for Neurodiverse learners, Palmetto Bay Academy, for her to thrive.

• Mario, the Inventor: An ADHD brain that could deconstruct and reassemble complex machinery but struggled with the mundane demands of a traditional classroom. He needed acceleration and interest-based learning to stay engaged.

• Victor, the Math Savant: A student who possessed extraordinary mathematical capabilities but struggled with social cues and executive function, leading to isolation until he found an environment that accommodated his specific needs.

• Maggie (Our Presenter’s Story): A personal account of undiagnosed ADHD that led to behavioral challenges and an inability to fit the restrictive demands of traditional academic settings. A history of bullying, isolation and high-risk behaviors generated a feeling of alienation throughout school, demonstrating that 2E identity is often a lifelong journey of self-discovery and advocacy.

A New Approach: Supporting Our Children

The core takeaway of the session was not to focus on fixing a child, but rather to understand how their brain works and create opportunities where they can thrive, while engaging strengths in a high-rigor way. Key strategies include:

• Dual-Differentiation: Gifted learning-disabled students require curriculum that develops their special talents and provides them strategies to compensate for problematic weaknesses.

• Compacted Curriculum: Allowing students to move through core subjects more efficiently to make space for deeper exploration of passions.

• Radical Academic Acceleration: Providing gifted learners the opportunity to move forward in areas of strength, such as advanced mathematics or computer science, rather than forcing them to repeat work they have already mastered. Opportunities to radically accelerate while also maintaining connections with maturity-appropriate peers is especially beneficial.

• Targeted Support: Identifying the specific learning difference (Dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, etc.) and providing the appropriate tools, rather than labeling the resulting behavior as a character flaw.

• Advocacy: Parents play the critical role of connecting their children with the right evaluations, therapists, and inclusive educational environments.

Building Community Together

The most valuable part of the gathering was the open conversation among participants. In a small, welcoming environment, parents shared their own experiences, questions, and concerns.

Navigating the 2E journey can feel isolating, but gatherings like this remind us that we are not alone. Whether you are raising a gifted child, a neurodivergent child, or one who defies easy categorization, our community is strongest when we learn from one another and advocate for a school system that recognizes and nurtures the unique potential of every student.