“They will Leave You Lost”: Experiences of a Gifted Black Male with a Traumatic Brain Injury

An increased body of research on twice exceptionality provides insight on recruitment and retention issues concerning gifted students with dis/abilities, particularly those with specific learning dis/abilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or autism spectrum disorder. However, little research on twice exceptionality incorporates intersecting identities (i.e., race and gender) or twice exceptionality with other dis/ability categories (i.e., traumatic brain injuries). The current study provides a case analysis that examines the intersection identities of a gifted Black male student with a traumatic brain injury. Findings from qualitative interviews indicate that while giftedness greatly shaped his perspective, the onset of his traumatic brain injury created an increasing number of challenges for him in his educational pursuits.