Growth in homeschooling ‘twice exceptional’ children showcases limitations of public education

More parents are choosing to homeschool than ever before – especially those with “twice-exceptional” children, argues an educational researcher who specializes in giftedness.

“It may be particularly frustrating for parents of twice-exceptional students to watch classroom teachers focus only on their child’s weaknesses rather than helping them develop their advanced abilities,” writes Rachael Cody, postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State University’s department of education.

Students with advanced skills in addition to learning challenges – such as autism or ADHD – are increasingly termed twice exceptional and may help explain homeschooling’s significant growth, according to Cody’s article for The Conversation. 

“These parents may notice that their child’s needs are being overlooked in the public education system and may view homeschooling as a way to provide better individualized instruction.”

New reasons for homeschooling

Modern-day homeschooling started as an alternative educational option in the 1980s, facing significant cultural and legal opposition.

Even as more people explore homeschooling for their children, the motivations behind their decision appear to have shifted over time. 

“While the decision to homeschool is often associated with religion, a 2023 survey found that the two top reasons people cited as most important were a concern about the school environment, such as safety and drugs, and a dissatisfaction with academic instruction,” Cody notes. 

She highlights a third reason mentioned in the survey where parents had a child with special needs, including physical or mental health issues.

“This group would include parents of twice-exceptional children, who may be especially interested in pursuing homeschooling as an alternative method of education.”

Cody gives three reasons why homeschooling could attract this audience: the “masking” phenomenon, individualized instruction and specific behavioral or emotional needs. 

Masking can take one of two forms – either the child’s disabilities stand out to cover their giftedness, or their giftedness can obscure specific needs and disabilities, Cody explains.

In the first case, teachers may overemphasize academic support without giving students “sufficiently challenging material.”

However, the opposite can occur if the child’s giftedness hides their special needs, as teachers can fail to provide “the needed accommodations that allow the gifted child to access (challenging) materials.”

“Either way, masking can be a problem for students and parents who must advocate for teachers to address their unique range of academic needs,” Cody argued.

“While either type of masking is challenging for the student, it may be particularly frustrating for parents of twice-exceptional students to watch classroom teachers focus only on their child’s weaknesses rather than helping them develop their advanced abilities.” 

‘More of an ability and interest in catering to their child’s unique needs’ 

Because parents spend significantly more time with their children compared to teachers, this gives them special insight into their students’ unique needs, according to Cody. 

“By the time a child enters school, parents have spent years observing their child’s development, comparing their progress with that of others their age. They’re also likely to be aware of their child’s unique interests.” 

As a result, parents of twice-exceptional children tend to appreciate homeschooling’s flexibility in customizing education to the student – rather than fitting the student into a pre-existing system. 

“Those who choose to homeschool may do so because they feel they have more of an ability and interest in catering to their child’s unique needs than a classroom teacher who is tasked with teaching many students simultaneously,” Cody concluded.

These parents also express concerns about their child’s future educational opportunities in a classroom, often after “repeated efforts to improve communication between home and school.”

“All too often, teachers may be more focused on disciplining these students rather than addressing their academic needs,” Cody noted, giving the scenario of a bored child who may be loud in class.

“Rather than recognizing this as signaling a need for more advanced material, the teacher might send the child to a separate area in the classroom or in the school to refocus or as punishment. Parents may feel better equipped than teachers to address both their child’s challenging behaviors and their gifted abilities, given the knowledge they have about their child’s history, interests, strengths and areas needing improvement.”

‘A customized education program for my son’ 

In one real-life example, Amy Mackin decided to homeschool her son through grades 6-12 – after she realized the public special education system was failing him. 

“I created a customized education program for my son, incorporating his ideas and interests,” she wrote in an article for ChalkBeat. “I connected with educators who operated enrichment centers offering homeschool classes in the morning and after-school programs later in the day, as well as community college staff, local museum educators, retired teachers, homeschool groups, and university professors who offered additional opportunities for alternative learning.” 

Such individualized options weren’t available in the public school he had previously attended. 

“Schools are struggling to find enough special educators to serve this increasing population, especially amid the rise in mental health challenges among students, including those with disabilities,” Mackin noted. 

Yale professor Christina Cipriano experienced this struggle firsthand after enrolling her daughter in public education. 

“My daughter’s school waited for her to fail instead of setting her up to succeed and it has been devastating for her,” she wrote. 

“Our daughter has been working hard to learn to recognize her needs and use these strategies and many more to share her gifts with the world. Her multitasking superpowers, her compassion, her resourcefulness and her creative problem-solving are all traits that will serve her well in life.” 

‘Time to reimagine special education’ 

Unfortunately, public schools are often accused of failing children with special needs. 

One recent case occurred in Tennessee where William Rose suffered from seizures and short-term memory issues because of a lack of specialized school care. 

“He was on his way to being on a feeding tube,” said his mother, Jennifer Rose, who ended up withdrawing him to homeschool. 

She had tried unsuccessfully to get Beaumont Magnet Academy of Knox County Schools (KCS) to provide more accommodations for her 7-year-old son, who has ADHD, anxiety, autism and depression. 

After a federal judge ruled KCS had violated the rights of a special-education family in 2023, the school established a special-education task force, which made multiple recommendations for improvement. 

“This is a challenge that requires more than a few dozen Band-Aid solutions produced by one task force in less than three summer months without full engagement from KCS leadership, the special education department leadership, and staff,” said Cortney Piper, a task force member. 

“It’s time to reimagine special education to ensure teachers, educators, administrators, parents and students across Knox County have the supports and structures in place to thrive.”