Examination of Some Socio-Emotional Needs of Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities: Implications for Counselling

Abstract

Children differ from one another in various spheres such as: physically, intellectually, behaviourally, and health wise; this deviations is referred to exceptionality. When children have challenges in more than one area of exceptionality, such an individual is tagged being twice exceptional. This paper examines the socio-emotional needs of gifted children with learning disabilities (twice-exceptional or 2e students), highlighting the definitions of concepts, complexities of their asynchronous development. Gifted with learning challenges, these students often experience heightened anxiety, frustration, and low self-esteem due to contrasting abilities. Key socio-emotional needs include coping with perfectionism, managing peer relations, and reconciling strengths with struggles. Implications for counseling emphasize strength-based, individualized support, fostering self-advocacy, and addressing emotional complexities. Implications for counseling emphasize strength-based, individualized support, fostering self-advocacy, and addressing emotional complexities. Recommendations include tailored interventions, collaboration between educators and counselors, and promoting resilience to optimize these students' potential. It was recommended that collaborations should be encouraged among school stakeholders because best results are achieved where there is collaboration between the counsellor, classroom teacher, gifted educator, special educator, parents, and the student in order to meet these needs adequately.