If you’re brilliant at some things but struggle with others in ways that don’t make sense to anyone (including yourself), if teachers said you had “so much potential” but you felt like you were constantly underperforming, and if you’ve been called both gifted and learning disabled, welcome to being twice exceptional. You’re a beautiful contradiction with a brain that works differently than the standard template. The world doesn’t always know what to do with people like you, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.
What is 2E?
Twice exceptional (2E) means being intellectually gifted while also having a learning disability, ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergent condition. Your giftedness and your challenges can mask each other, making it hard for people to understand your true abilities and needs and give you the right support. You might excel in advanced concepts but struggle with basic tasks, or perform brilliantly when interested but shut down completely when bored.
Causes and Triggers
Being 2E isn’t caused by anything – it’s just how your brain is wired. Being twice exceptional is more of a profile than a diagnosis. Neurodevelopmental differences, genetics, environment, and life experiences all play a role in these differences.
Common triggers for frustration or distress include:
- Environments that focus only on deficits and ignore strengths
- School or work settings that aren’t flexible in how they measure success
- Social misunderstandings due to asynchronous development (emotional vs. intellectual maturity)
- Constantly being told to “apply yourself” without tailored support
While 2E looks different for everyone, common combinations include:
- Gifted + ADHD
- Gifted + autism
- Gifted + dyslexia or other learning disabilities
- Gifted + anxiety or mood disorders
- Gifted + sensory processing differences
How Therapy Can Help
Therapy helps you understand your unique profile, develop strategies that work with your brain rather than against it, and build confidence in your abilities while addressing your challenges. You’ll learn to advocate for yourself and find environments where you can thrive.
Therapy provides a safe space to embrace the full picture of 2E, not just working on challenges, but also nurturing strengths. It’s about building confidence, self-advocacy, and resilience, while giving practical tools to manage the harder parts. For parents, therapy can also provide guidance on navigating school systems, supporting emotional regulation, and encouraging independence.
Therapeutic Approaches
At Counseling with Compassion, our work together may include:
Strength-based counseling: Centering what’s right before addressing what’s hard
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: For building coping skills and managing anxiety or overwhelm
Executive functioning support: Strategies for planning, organization, and focus
Social-emotional learning: Navigating relationships and self-awareness
Psychoeducation: Understanding the 2E profile and advocating for needs
Mindfulness-based tools: To help with regulation and focus
You are not “too much” in one area or “not enough” in another. You are fully, wholly, and brilliantly you. Both sides of your exceptionality are part of your origin story. Now it’s time to fly.
We’ve made it easy for you to get started right now.
Three simple steps. No waiting lists. Just real help, right when you need it.
Reach Out
Send us an email at hello@cwcrvc.com or call us on 516-476-9057 and tell us about what’s going on.
Get Matched
We’ll connect you with the therapist best suited to your needs.
Start Sessions
In person at our Rockville Centre office or online from your couch – either way, we’ll help you take that first real step toward feeling better.
