School Advice Sheets - Dual or Multiple Exceptionality

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How can you identify and support learners with Dual or Multiple Exceptionality (DME) – high learning potential combined with a disability or special educational needs? Potential Plus UK’s advice sheets for schools offer information about good practice, helping schools and academies to better understand the needs of their learners who are dual or multiple exceptional and to provide well for them academically, socially and emotionally.

School Members can access all of our advice sheets and download them free of charge by logging in. The School Advice Sheets are available to non-members to purchase and download at £3.60 each.

See our School Advice Sheets Page for more advice sheets on subjects such as: identification of high potential learners, classroom practice, social and emotional needs of high potential learners.

S601 – High Learning Potential with Special Educational Needs

Some learners seem to struggle with an area of their learning and yet leave you in no doubt that they understand exactly what was covered in the lesson. Others, you feel, may have a special need but just do not quite fit the classic profile and leave you wondering exactly how to support them in the classroom and beyond. You may identify still others as having a learning need but are just too bright for the usual support you can offer. Have you ever considered that these learners might be what are called Dual or Multiple Exceptional (DME)? This advice sheet explains what DME is, how it can affect a learner, what you can do to spot the signs of DME in the classroom and how to develop a strategy for supporting learners with DME within school.

Purchase and Download the School Advice Sheet High Learning Potential with Special Educational Needs »

S602 – Identifying Dual or Multiple Exceptional Learners

This advice sheet is aimed at teachers in all school phases and gives guidance about how to identify dual or multiple exceptional learners (high potential learners with one or more special educational need). Some learners are not able to easily demonstrate their ability or potential in a traditional way within the classroom and this can lead to them being missed, making it highly likely that they will not have the opportunities they need to thrive and gain personal and educational fulfilment. Here we will look at various approaches that can be taken to ensure that these children do not fall through the net.

Purchase and Download the School Advice Sheet Identifying Dual or Multiple Exceptional Learners »

S603 – Checklist of Characteristics of DME Learners

This information is aimed at SENCOs and lead teachers in all school phases. The term dual or multiple exceptionality (DME) is used in the UK to describe children who have high learning potential and who also have one or more special educational need or disability (SEND). Potential Plus UK has compiled a list of characteristics of DME learners through our work in supporting parents, professionals and DME children. Not all of these characteristics will relate to all DME learners.

Purchase and Download the School Advice Sheet Checklist of Characteristics of DME Learners »

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