Integrating creativity into career interventions for twice-exceptional students in the United States: A review of recent literature

ABSTRACT

In the United States, scholars both in and out of gifted education have been studying twice-exceptional students for the past several decades. These students often face significant challenges and barriers in the process of achieving their educational and career goals, as they are often confronted with combining their talent domains with the limitations associated with their learning, social, and/or behavioral difficulties. Yet studies have also identified distinct strengths within this population, such as their accelerated creativity. In this article, we reviewed the creativity and career development literature specific to twice-exceptional students and considered how creative approaches toward career intervention, such as the inclusion of the creative arts, may facilitate student exploration. Theoretical and research support for this approach are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Career development
• gifted and talented
• talent development
• students with disabilities
• creativity
• career intervention
• twice-exceptional

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ching-Lan Rosaline Lin

Ching-Lan Rosaline Lin is a counseling psychology doctoral candidate at the University of Iowa under the mentorship of Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon. Rosaline received her Bachelor’s degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling from National Taiwan Normal University and her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri. Rosaline’s areas of research include career development of twice-exceptional students, psychological well-being of international populations, and the function of creative arts in career and psychological interventions. As a beginning scholar and clinician who advocates for psychological health and social justice, Rosaline is passionate about supporting individuals in building their strengths and coping with adversities in life, and embracing and even thriving on challenges.

Megan Foley-Nicpon

Megan Foley-Nicpon is a professor in Counseling Psychology and Department Executive Officer for Psychological and Quantitative Foundations at the University of Iowa. She also serves as the Associate Director for Research and Clinic at the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development. Dr. Foley-Nicpon is a licensed psychologist whose research and clinical interests include assessment and intervention with high ability students with disabilities, and the social and emotional development of talented and diverse students. She is an Associate Editor for the APA Handbook of Giftedness and Talent, and has written over 50 referred articles and book chapters and given over 100 presentations at international, national, and state professional meetings in the areas of gifted, counseling psychology, and twice-exceptionality.