Date of Award
5-11-2026
Access Restriction
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate in Education
Department
Education
School or College
School of Education
First Advisor
Rebecca Stephenson
Second Advisor
Dawn Richards
Third Advisor
Diana Limón
Abstract
This qualitative research study examined the discourse of school personnel in the twice-exceptional (2E; Kaufman, 2018) student identification process (Gilman & Peters, 2018). It used disability critical race studies (DisCrit; Annamma et al., 2016) to investigate how educators’ discourse signals the inclusion or exclusion of 2E Black girls. Critical discourse analysis (Gee, 2014) was used to understand the ways their intersectional identities of race, ability, and gender impact their identification in schools. It highlighted the identification barriers for 2E Black girls and conceptualized a normative 2E construct (N.A.T.E.) aligned with the dominant institutional discourse of twice-exceptionality. Policy shifts are recommended to create greater equity and open pathways to identification for Black girls and other marginalized students deserving full inclusion in the 2E landscape.
Recommended Citation
Addison-Fontaine, Stephanie L., "The Gatekeepers: School Personnel and the Identification of Twice-Exceptional Black Girls" (2026). LMU Theses and Dissertations. 1413.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/1413
