The world of special educational needs and disabilities is notorious for acronyms. Terminology in recent years has seen a new kid on the block: DME - dual and multiple exceptionality, also known as twice exceptional or 2e.
DME is a reference for children with both high learning potential and any form of SEND. In other words, hidden needs, hidden talents, with a huge risk of under-identification: the abilities mask the needs, but the needs mask the abilities.
Professor Stephen Hawking is a great example, he backed the National Association for Special Educational Needs (Nasen)’s research study into DME before his death: exceptional abilities alongside significant difficulties.
Of course, not all pupils with DME are like Stephen Hawking. In the research, published in 2018, one father said “they are highfliers, who are still lumbering along the ground”.
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Without identification, the risk of untapped potential and damage to DME pupils’ mental health is significant when they could outperform their peers and achieve at a high level. As Dr Adam Boddison, Nasen’s chief executive, put it: “At a societal level, we need to ensure that we do not miss the next Stephen Hawking.”
It’s estimated that 60,000 pupils currently have DME in England - a likely underestimate as many are home educated or not identified - and Potential Plus UK believe that they make up a high proportion of young people with mental health difficulties because of their isolation, bullying and lack of understanding in the classroom.
Dual and multiple exceptionality: spotting the signs
So how can teachers spot DME? Here are some of the signs:
- very low self-esteem with flashes of brilliance,
- good problem-solver,
- conceptual thinker,
- disorganised with poor self-control,
- clowning around in class - a common diversion from difficulties,
- written work and verbal work out of sync,
- test results at odds with knowledge of a subject,
- poor standards of homework compared to answers in class,
- forgetting to hand it in or misinterpreting what is being sought by the teacher,
- vast knowledge about an area of interest outside school,
- extreme frustration or anger with themselves and sometimes teachers or parents when they find something difficult.
How to support children with DME
Does that sound like any of the children in your class? If it does, here’s what you should do next.
1. Refer and observe
Refer pupils that you suspect may have DME to your Sendco for assessment or referral: their experienced masking skills could have kept signs of difficulty below the radar for many years. Observation is critical.
2. Support and connect
Put support in place as early as possible. Speak to the pupil about what things in everyday school life they find difficult - set against their high abilities, these might surprise you. Ahead of transition, speak to feeder schools to find out what the pupil struggled with, in and out of lessons. Set in place buddying or staff mentoring systems - these can run within or across schools and can open up new channels for the DME child to follow the fire of their own interests, sparking off someone who can share or support. Put parents in touch with Potential Plus UK for their helpline.
3. Enable each child to excel
Review your differentiation to ensure it offers enough stretch. Enable an area of interest to expand at the child’s pace; this might take the form of a junior extended project qualification such as a video, needing only periodic supervision. Partner with other schools or outside organisations linked to your DME pupils’ interests and set challenges or empower your pupil to set their own. Get them to enter outside competitions. Encourage them to share their interest using alternatives to writing: give a talk in a school club, dictate a blog, create a model, diagram or piece of art, or keep a visual diary of their pursuit.
4. Recognise and reward
When it comes to assemblies and end of year awards, check that your categories recognise commitment, passion and independent study, and not just academic attainment, resilience or sporting performance.
5. Allow pupils to self-refer
There was a whiff of exclusivity in “gifted and talented” registers that were committed to a spreadsheet each term (or year) and felt to some like a closed community. Invite all your pupils - whatever their attainment - to consider themselves eligible to pursue an additional project of their choice to a high level of interest. The only requirement? Sustained commitment and showing up to mentoring.
6. Reflect in policy and parlance
Make DME a regular part of the dialogue (outside of the SEND department) and with services beyond. Ensure your policies reflect the risks and rewards for pupils with DME; this includes behaviour, mental health, attainment and progress, bullying, safeguarding and online safety policies. Through their multiple layers of challenge, these pupils’ needs must come into plain sight.
Liz Hawker is a SEND specialist, level 7 assessor and parent in Kent
