GIFTEDNESS & TWICE-EXCEPTIONALITY EVALUATIONS IN MINNESOTA
WHEN STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES DON’T SEEM TO FIT TOGETHER, AN EVALUATION CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE FULL PICTURE
Giftedness can shape how you or your child learns, thinks, experiences the world, and understands themselves. It can also interact with autism, ADHD, learning differences, and other aspects of neurodivergence in ways that are not always obvious. A comprehensive evaluation can help identify areas of advanced ability, better understand where more effort or support may be needed, and clarify whether giftedness or twice-exceptionality is part of the picture.
DO ANY OF THESE SOUND FAMILIAR?
Some abilities stand out as unusually advanced. You or your child may grasp complex ideas quickly, make connections others do not immediately see, or learn new material with very little repetition.
Strengths and areas of difficulty can be very uneven. You or your child may show advanced reasoning or knowledge while attention, organization, writing, emotional regulation, or other everyday demands require much more effort.
There may be a strong need for depth, complexity, or intellectual challenge. Repetitive or already-mastered material can be hard to stay engaged with, while complex or meaningful topics may bring out a much higher level of focus and energy.
Performance does not always reflect ability. You or your child may do very well at school or work, while at other times performance may fall short of what you know is possible, especially when the environment is not a good fit.
It can be hard to understand why some things come so easily and others require so much effort. This unevenness can shape confidence, identity, and the way you or your child understands themselves.
You may be wondering whether giftedness and another neurodevelopmental or learning difference are both part of the picture. When giftedness occurs alongside autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or another neurodevelopmental or learning difference, this is often described as twice-exceptionality, or 2e.
If several of these sound familiar, a comprehensive evaluation can help identify areas of advanced ability, clarify where more support may be helpful, and determine whether giftedness or twice-exceptionality is part of the picture.
A CLEAR PATH FORWARD
A comprehensive evaluation can help you see how areas of advanced ability fit together with areas that may require more effort, support, or accommodation.
You will come away with individualized recommendations for school, work, and everyday life, along with greater clarity about how giftedness or twice-exceptionality may shape the way you or your child learns, works, and experiences the world.
How it Works
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A GIFTEDNESS & TWICE-EXCEPTIONALITY EVALUATION?
Step 1: Intake (1 to 2 hours)
We begin with a virtual meeting to learn about developmental history, current concerns, experiences with demands and autonomy, and what you hope to get from the evaluation. This helps us plan the assessment around the individual’s needs and the questions you want answered.
Step 2: Testing (3 to 5 hours)
Testing typically takes place about one week after the intake. The specific activities and measures vary based on age and referral questions and are selected to better understand autism, attention, executive functioning, learning, emotional well-being, and other relevant factors. Testing may be completed over more than one appointment when helpful.
Step 3: Feedback (1 to 2 hours)
About three weeks after testing, we meet virtually to review the results together. You will receive a written report that explains the findings, any diagnoses, strengths and areas of difficulty, and individualized recommendations. We will also answer your questions and discuss practical next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions About Giftedness & Twice-Exceptionality Evaluations
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Twice-exceptional, or 2e, describes someone who is gifted and also has another neurodevelopmental or learning difference, such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or another learning disorder. These differences can interact in ways that make a person’s strengths and difficulties less obvious. An evaluation can help clarify that pattern and provide a fuller understanding of how the person learns and experiences the world.
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Yes. Giftedness can occur alongside ADHD, autism, learning differences, and other forms of neurodivergence. Sometimes advanced abilities can make ADHD or autism harder to recognize, while in other cases the challenges associated with ADHD or autism can make giftedness less noticeable.
For adults who are wondering whether autism or ADHD may also be part of their experience, you can learn more about our adult autism evaluations and adult ADHD evaluations.
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Yes. A gifted child may have very advanced reasoning or knowledge in some areas while also having difficulty with attention, executive functioning, reading, writing, math, processing speed, or other aspects of learning. Some children do well academically while still putting in far more effort than expected or becoming increasingly overwhelmed as demands increase. An evaluation can help identify both their strengths and the areas where support may be helpful.
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The evaluation is individualized based on the questions you are hoping to answer. It may include assessment of cognitive abilities, academic skills, attention, executive functioning, memory, and social-emotional functioning, along with a detailed developmental and educational history. When relevant, we can also explore whether ADHD, autism, or a learning disorder is part of the picture. The goal is to understand how the different pieces fit together and provide recommendations that are specific to the person being evaluated.
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Yes. Adults may seek an evaluation because they have long recognized areas of advanced ability but have also struggled with attention, organization, learning, relationships, work demands, or other aspects of daily life. Others begin exploring giftedness after learning more about ADHD, autism, or twice-exceptionality later in life. An evaluation can help clarify patterns of strengths and difficulty and provide a more complete understanding of how you think, learn, and approach the world.
What Families Are Saying
"Dr. Matt was professional, empathetic, and extremely knowledgeable and we were able to get an appointment relatively quickly. Finally having a thoughtful, proper diagnosis and action plan has already had a profound effect on our parent-child relationship as well as many other things in her daily life. We highly recommend Dr. Matt and White Bear Psychological Services."
— Parent of an Evaluation Client
"Dr. Rebecca was wonderful to work with. She was warm, compassionate, and thorough. She helped put our son, who was not initially sure about the whole thing, at ease and made him feel comfortable and heard. Dr. Rebecca was knowledgeable but also able to present the findings in a way that both ourselves and our son could understand. We found the process, from start to finish, to be a very positive one."
— Parent of an Evaluation Client