The transition to college is challenging for everyone, and there is no quick and easy way to make it “better” or “successful.” This is especially true for twice-exceptional learners. With the school year ending and seniors in high school preparing to embark on this transition, discussing the challenges 2e students might face seems timely.
I approach this topic from multiple perspectives, writing not only as an expert in educational psychology, but also as someone identified as twice-exceptional when I was in fifth grade. [If you are interested in reading about my journey as a 2e individual, please see Baum, S., Renzulli, S., & Rizza, M. (2015)].
High school wasn’t always easy for me, but by my senior year I had finally achieved both academic and social success. I thought I had everything figured out and that I knew better than my academic counselors, teachers, and most of all, my parents (who are both professors of educational psychology). I entered my freshman year at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., and disregarded every piece of academic advice that had been given to me because “I didn’t need any help.” I did not register with the college’s office that supports students with disabilities or go to professors’ office hours. I did not ask for extra help if I did not understand something and did not seek additional tutoring. I did not meet with faculty or teaching assistants to discuss how to be successful on exams.
In fact, I only used two positive academic skills during that first semester: I attended my classes on time and always took notes. My grades during this time reflected all the academic tasks that I did not complete and reminded me, again, that I needed to envision academic success differently than “normal” students. Research has shown that while 60 percent of young adults with learning disabilities continued on to post secondary education within eight years of leaving high school (Newman et al., 2011), only 40 percent of students with learning disabilities successfully complete their programs (Newman et al., 2019)
I was fortunate to have improved my academic situation after my first semester in college and successfully graduated. The experience provided me with knowledge and suggestions for parents on how to assist their children during this time. In future pieces, I will offer suggestions to high school students about how to successfully navigate this transition, as well as recommendations about how to build various academic study skills earlier in their academic career.
Give Them Space
The best piece of advice I can offer parents is to give your college-bound child space to succeed and allow them to encounter challenges independently. Your son or daughter is supposed to make some mistakes in their transition to college: oversleeping, forgetting an assignment, etc. These missteps allow them to make changes to their behavioral patterns so they will be more successful in the future. As parents you need to give them the space and freedom to make mistakes and then support them when they need to fix them. This is especially challenging for parents of 2e students who likely been very involved in their child’s education, serving as their biggest advocate. The transition to college is also a transition in your role in your child’s academic life. At 18, your child attains the age of legal adulthood and is in control of their academic decisions. This also is the time when these students should assume responsibility for advocating for their academic interests and needs. I offer this suggestion not because I believe that an 18-year-old is ready to be fully independent, rather because facing adversity often helps encourage academic, social, and personal growth. If parents complete important tasks — such as filling out an academic or personal calendar, organizing assignments, and setting up tutoring appointments — how will that student manage when his or her parents are not available to help with those tasks? Instead of doing tasks for them, parents can support them by reminding them that they should do these tasks, and then allowing them to understand the tasks and experience the consequences of completing or not completing them.Make Their Own Choices
Let your child make his or her own choices, even if they appear to be the wrong ones. I initially wanted to become an art history major when I began college. I loved art history classes, but I could not memorize the details of hundreds of images and recall them quickly enough for exams. At the college I attended, art history classes were exam-based and the reality of the situation was that I was never going to be exceptional at taking multiple-choice exams. So I decided to change my major. Self-determining this course of action, as opposed to being pushed in a certain direction, empowered me to put more thought and belief into my decision to pursue a history degree. My parents were aware from the time I went to college that art history classes involve a high degree of memorization and testing, but they knew that I needed to choose my own path. [perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Your son or daughter is supposed to make some mistakes in their transition to college: oversleeping, forgetting an assignment, etc.[/perfectpullquote] Another decision I was adamant about when I first attended college was to not register at the center for students with disabilities. Researchers have found interesting trends about the extent to which students with disabilities access support services. Mull, Stilington, and Alpher (2001) found positive correlations between receiving appropriate supports and accommodations at postsecondary institutions and students’ academic success and retention. Interestingly, Newman et al. (2011) found that only 28 percent of students with disabilities disclosed their status to their postsecondary institution and that “less than one in five (19 percent) of postsecondary students who were identified as having a disability by their secondary schools were reported to have received any accommodations or supports because of their disability from their postsecondary schools.” In my first semester at college, I believed I had everything figured out. My parents voiced their concerns and opinions, but I was going to do things my way. My decision not to register with the disability center stemmed from my desire not to be socially different and my need to avoid my learning difference. My parents were aware of this social issue without me having to say it, and they gave me space to figure out how to deal with my learning disability in a new environment. Transition is another word for change. Twice-exceptional individuals, more than most other new college students, will most likely be apprehensive about change because there is safety and security in familiarity. As parents, you can be the constant support during this time of change that helps to facilitate their growth but also gives them space to make their own decisions.References
Baum, S., Renzulli, S., & Rizza, M. (2015). Twice-Exceptional Adolescents: Who they are? What do they need? (2nd Ed) In Dixon, F. A., & Moon, S. M. (Eds.), The handbook of secondary gifted education. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press. Mull, C., Stilington, P., and Alpher, S. (2001). Postsecondary Education for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Synthesis of Literature. Exceptional Children, 68(1): 97-118. Newman, L., Wagner, M., Knokey, A., Marder, C., Nagle, K., Shaver, D., & Wei, X. (2011). The post-high school outcomes of young adults with disabilities up to 8 years after high school: A report from NLTS2 (NCSER 2011-3005). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International. Newman, Lynn A., Madaus, Joseph W., Lalor, Adam R., & Javitz, Harold S. (2019). Support Receipt: Effect on Postsecondary Success of Students with Learning Disabilities. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 42(1), 6-16.
