This thesis’s purpose is twofold. The first purpose is to present both information about what twice-exceptionality is and to make recommendations based on the existing research as to how parents or guardians can become more effective advocates and advocate for effective programming and services for their children who are twice-exceptional. While this thesis focuses on a specific subset of twice-exceptional students, those who are both gifted and have autism, a good deal of the material presented will be applicable to children who are gifted with learning disabilities. Effective parent advocacy looks the same across exceptionalities: producing the best educational experience based on the child’s unique needs. Strengths-based programming has been demonstrated to benefit twice-exceptional students no matter the disability, however the areas of deficit will vary depending on the specific disability a child has and his/her unique learning profile. The resources for information on special education law and twice-exceptionality will be useful to parents regardless of the twice-exceptional child’s disability. The second, and I feel most important, purpose of the thesis is to provide those parents/guardians with a “Quick Start Guide to Advocacy” to help them get started on the path to becoming the most effective advocate they can be for their child(ren). While educators and school administrators are expected to have a solid understanding of the rights and responsibilities of all stakeholders, many times parents are thrust into the world of special and gifted education with no preexisting knowledge. The aim of this thesis is to help bridge this gap for parents and guardians of this unique subset of students.

Rotational grazing is being promoted by some land managers, government agencies, and conservation groups as superior to season-long grazing for improving pasture and cattle production, and for grassland bird conservation; however, the assumed benefits have not been comprehensively studied. In 2011 and 2012, I examined the effects of twice-over rotational grazing on the nesting success of grassland songbirds in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. I monitored nesting attempts and collected structural vegetation data for five species of obligate grassland bird (n=110) and one shrub-nesting species (n=41). Nesting analyses were conducted using logistic exposure models. Twice-over grazing had a significantly negative effect on the nesting success of the ground nesting species, including Savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis). Grazing system did not have an effect on vegetation structure. The results are consistent with other rotational grazing studies, and suggest that twice-over rotational grazing does not benefit grassland songbirds in mixed-grass prairie habitats. / October 2016

The most common comorbid disorder for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is depression, with more severe symptoms demonstrated in those with high cognitive ability. Feelings of loneliness are associated with depression. There is a dearth of information regarding pertinent variables for loneliness of friendship quality, friendship motivation, and social skills in high ability adolescents with ASD. This study employs a multiple case study design with 10 twice-exceptional adolescent males with high cognitive ability and ASD (ages 13-9 to 18-11) to investigate these variables. Adolescent, parent, and teacher interviews were completed, transcribed, and analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR). Results describe friendship quality for these youth, with particular contributions to current understanding of companionship, security, help, closeness and balance. Findings inform friendship motivation, as well, and etiologies of amotivation are documented. Results indicate positive and negative influences of high intelligence on interpersonal functioning, along with immaturity and symptoms of rigidity affecting friendships, as well. Pathway analyses reveal twice-exceptional youth with insecure friendships experience loneliness and introjected motivation for friendships, along with increases in peer dyadic relationships and decreases in loneliness. Those with insecure friendships and perseverative interest in peers also present with suicidal ideation and/or attempts. Future research should expand the use of individual therapies (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy for depression) for these twice-exceptional teens, particularly in middle school, with modifications to accommodate difficulties with perseveration on negative emotions, as well as explore coping strategies of engaging with fictional characters when lonely.

Parenting stress (PS) is a phenomenon experienced by all parents to varying degrees due to the demands of meeting a child's needs. This distinct type of stress is caused by an imbalance between the perceived demands of parenting and the perceived coping resources available to parents. The construct of twice-exceptionality (2E) is defined as the co-occurrence of giftedness and disability or possessing both high cognitive abilities and at least 1 of 13 potential disabilities identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004. The purpose of this study was to understand how PS is experienced by parents of children who have been identified with 2E. The theoretical perspectives of stress appraisal, coping, and attribution guided this study and provided a framework for understanding the lived experiences of parents and the meaning they ascribe to these experiences. The goals of the study were accomplished through in-depth interviews with 13 participants, an extensive literature review, and reflective journaling. Interview data were analyzed using the phenomenological techniques of epoche, bracketing, horizontalization, and imaginative variation, and several relevant themes and subthemes were developed. High levels of PS described by the parents in this study indicate that further research is indicated for better understanding and serving the significant needs of this population. The social implications of this research include raising awareness of PS and 2E; increasing the potential for positive outcomes for children and families; and addressing misconceptions concerning giftedness, gender bias in the perceptions of parental roles, and the impact of PS on family systems.

Current gaps in knowledge about twice-exceptional youth relative to those with only one exceptionality (e.g., high ability or ADHD) include how twice-exceptional students perceive their friendships (Foley Nicpon et al., 2010). Some researchers have found friendship qualities to be less positive for youth with ADHD (Humphrey et al., 2007), yet others have found friendships to be rated more positively by gifted youth (Field et al., 1998). The current investigation sought to determine how friendships are perceived by twice-exceptional youth compared to peers with ADHD or high ability or achievement, and those with average ability or achievement and no diagnosis. Participants included 65 youth (35 boys, 33 girls) in middle school. Participants completed the Friendship Qualities Scale (Bukowski et al., 1994), in addition to a demographic questionnaire completed by parents. A repeated-measures ANOVA design was utilized to compare friendship quality ratings based on ability or achievement and ADHD diagnosis, as well as gender. Participants with ADHD, regardless of ability or achievement, reported significantly less companionship, help, and security with a best friend than those without a diagnosis. Boys were observed to report significantly less closeness with a best friend than girls. Implications of the current findings for counseling psychologists in the areas of practice and theory include considerations of how youth are socialized based on societal beliefs about gender and disability. Additionally, recommendations for treatment considerations, particularly for twice-exceptional youth, may include strengths-based interventions to support areas of strength to help accommodate difficulties.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the self-perceptions of gifted individuals who have a disability that impacts their ability to learn and/or express knowledge, a population known as "twice-exceptional." Twice-exceptional participants were compared to gifted participants without disabilities to determine whether they differed in their self-perceptions. The self-perceptions that were measured in this study were self-esteem, global self-concept, academic self-concept, and sense of inadequacy. Scores from the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children--2nd Edition (BASC-2) and the Piers Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale--2nd Edition (Piers-Harris 2) from school-age youth (n = 97) between ages 7 and 17 were used in the present study. Participants included 40 gifted youth, 29 gifted youth with learning disabilities, and 28 gifted youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Correlations that were calculated among age, gender, and scales measuring self-esteem, global self-concept, and sense of inadequacy for each group of twice-exceptional participants (G/ADHD, G/LD) revealed that neither age nor gender was significantly correlated with the three measures of self-perception. Self-Esteem and Total Self-Concept were positively correlated for each category of twice-exceptional participants, and Sense of Inadequacy was negatively correlated with the former two measures. Gifted participants with learning disabilities were significantly different from gifted participants without disabilities on Self-Esteem, Intellectual and School Status (a measure of academic self-concept), and Sense of Inadequacy. Gifted youth reported higher levels of self-esteem and academic self-concept, and lower levels of sense of inadequacy. Gifted youth with ADHD were not significantly different from either comparison group. All three groups reported scores in the average range, with the exception of Intellectual and School Status. On this measure, gifted participants without disabilities reported scores in the above average range. Within the entire sample of participants, Interpersonal Relations and Sense of Inadequacy were found to predict 61% of the variability in Total Self-Concept Scores. Research and practice implications of the findings from these analyses were discussed.

The accurate and timely referral and identification of twice-exceptional students remains a challenge. In a statewide study, the referral decisions for both special education and gifted programming evaluations made by four participant groups (i.e., general education teachers, special education teachers, gifted education teachers, and school psychologists) were compared. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of three identically described students in a vignette that differed only in the presence of a diagnostic label—autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specific learning disability (SLD), or no diagnostic label. In all, special education teachers made the most special education referrals, while gifted education teachers made the most gifted programming referrals, both regardless of the diagnostic label present. The students with diagnostic labels were recommended for special education referrals significantly more than for gifted programming, while this difference was not evident in the no diagnostic label condition. Moreover, the student with the ASD label was the most likely to be referred for evaluations for both special education and gifted programming out of all three vignette conditions. Overall findings indicated the importance of considering the referral source as well as how the presence of a diagnostic label might influence educational referral decisions, particularly in how this might influence overall multidisciplinary team decisions for these unique learners.

This thesis focuses on the topic of the experience of talented people with dyslexia. These 'twice exceptional' students are a group of people who deserves more attention than it is nowadays devoted. It is a specific group of people who are rationally talented - traits such as the aim of learning quickly, adopting new information and working with them. They are inquiring, interested in abstract and difficult questions. Their creativity is striking but at the same time they have limitations which is brought by the very specific learning disability in this case mainly dyslexia and some other affiliated disorders. This work's main goal is to describe the experience of this specific group of people, at first by the help of literary survey and then in the empiric part by interview followed by the comparison of the talented people with dyslexia and talented people without dyslexia. This thesis is concluded by suggesting the intervention program for schools in which students are often incorrectly identified and they did not obtain necessary care. key words: twice exceptionality, dyslexia, talent, well-being

Class of 2013 Abstract / Specific Aims: To determine the effectiveness of exenatide twice daily (ExBID) versus exentatide once weekly (ExQW) on weight loss in type II diabetes. Methods: This study was a meta-analysis. The studies used came from the PubMed database and Cochrane Reviews. To be included in the meta-analysis, studies must have been randomized controlled trials comparing ExBID to ExQW or drug to placebo. The studies that reported weight loss and/or HbA1C were included. Studies that included participants <18 years of age or compared only one dose of exenatide with other anti-diabetic medication without comparing to placebo were excluded. There were 13 studies that met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The primary outcome was weight loss, and the secondary outcome was HbA1C levels. Meta-analysis was used to synthesize data. Main Results: The difference between ExQW and ExBID on weight loss was not statistically significant (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.71, CI -0.84 to -0.58 in ExQW vs SMD = 0.82, CI -1.02 to -0.62 in ExBID; p =0.36). The effect of ExQW on A1C was significantly larger than ExBID (SMD = -1.69 vs -1.07 respectively; p < 0.01). The variability was very high in the ExBID group (69% - 81%) compared to ExQW group (0%). Kendall’s tau was significant (p= 0.01) indicating that there may be publication bias. Conclusion: There is no difference in effect of weight loss between ExQW and ExBID group. Both dosages significantly improve A1C; however, ExBID has larger impact on A1C compared to ExBID.

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