2e in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the demands for practical education guidelines for twice-exceptional (2e) students increased due to the passing of the Passend Onderwijs (“Benefiting Education”) Act, which stressed the importance of accommodating students’ needs in mainstream rather than in special schools. To deliberately address this need, the “Between Two Stools” project was initiated for 2e students who have often been overlooked or only recognized from a one-sided perspective—their potential for high intellectual abilities or their developmental disorders. The Between Two Stools project consisted of a consortium of scientists and practice partners conducting explorative research on different themes concerning twice-exceptional students. The goal was to gain insights into the identification processes of these students, their educational needs, and support practices.

We started by mapping the current state of identification and guidance practices for 2e students in the participating schools. We were able to gain insights by administering questionnaires and conducting interviews with students, parents, and educational professionals, and by casefile analysis. Based on these results, a five-point development plan was created to optimize current identification and educational support practices.