Who is the Bridges Student?
Who Should Apply
What is Twice-Exceptional? The Gifted Neurodiverse Student
Is your child often bored at school? Do they lose homework assignments or refuse to do them because they don’t see the point? Did your child love school but doesn’t anymore?
Twice-exceptional, or 2e, students have been identified as intellectually gifted or highly gifted, and who simultaneously face mild-to-moderate learning, attentional, and/or social differences (for example: ADHD, ASD, anxiety, mild language-based challenges, executive-functioning deficits, sensory integration, processing deficits, etc.).
In seeking the right fit, we generally look for an overall score of about 120, but we do not employ a full-scale IQ number cut-off. For many twice-exceptional individuals, the full scale IQ on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) is considered invalid, as they tend to present with a “peaks and valleys” profile that can affect their overall score. Instead, we examine each subtest and indices to look for areas of exceptional or superior strength, and our admissions process is further informed by the applicant’s achievement testing, transcripts, teacher recommendations, parent reports, information from professional support professionals, and most importantly, the student interview and visit day.
It is important to us to understand a potential applicant as much as possible before a family submits an application to determine whether they may be a good fit for the program. Because of this, we like to review any and all documentation a parent feels comfortable sharing prior to applying to provide us with a deeper understanding of their profile. We may also ask to speak with teachers, therapists, or others who know the student well and can speak to their gifts and strengths, as not all students test well.
As part of the application process, we will ask for all current and historical private psychoeducational or neuropsychological testing. If you have not had your child privately tested, we ask for any psychoeducational testing that was done either when an IEP was initiated or when your child had their most recent triennial review. If a WISC-V was not administered as part of the testing, you may be required to have one done as part of the admissions process, if we feel we do not have sufficient evidence of your child’s cognitive or academic abilities. A list of assessors who understand the 2e profile can be provided upon request.
Questions, or unsure whether your child is a fit?
Kayla Franklin Waesche
Director of Admissions
Los Angeles (4-12)
818-506-1091
admissions@bridges.edu