Megan Foley-Nicpon

• Ph.D.
• Professor (Associate) at University of Iowa

The gifted and talented program, Talent Identification and Career Exploration (TICE), explored domain-specific psychosocial strengths among high-ability middle school students in a U.S. Midwestern state. To understand how individual strengths varied across domains, we aimed to identify patterns among students based on their domain-specific psychoso...

Academic acceleration, which enhances challenges for academically gifted students, can be subject-based or whole-grade. Limited research has explored its application in the twice-exceptional population, where students possess notable cognitive strengths and challenges due to psychological diagnoses. Our clinical study investigates the likelihood of...

The Talent Identification and Career Exploration (TICE) program, funded by a Jacob K. Javits grant, focuses on increasing underrepresented students’ participation in gifted and talented programs. Early identification for gifted and talented programs expands student learning experiences, and when students from marginalized groups are not identified,...

The purpose of this study was to explore career outcomes in young adulthood among adolescents with ADHD and/or high abilities. The sample included respondents who had the ability and ADHD measures from Waves 1 (1995), 3 (2002), and 4 (2009) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health in-home questionnaire. Using multiple group...

Academic acceleration, which enhances challenges for academically gifted students, can be subject-based or whole-grade. Limited research has explored its application in the twice-exceptional population, where students possess notable cognitive strengths and challenges due to psychological diagnoses. Our clinical study investigates the likelihood of...

Mindfulness‐based programs have become popular, empirically supported treatment modalities for increasing positive psychological outcomes for children and adolescents, with an overall effect size of 0.4. We argue for implementing community‐based participatory research (CBPR) methodology to investigate the specific effects of mindfulness‐based inter...

Currently, there are no existing measures to screen for or diagnose Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder (SPCD). We conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the Social Communication Disorder Screener (SCDS), a 14-item, parent-report measure based on the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for SPCD. This EFA examined the internal consistency and...

Background: Although numbers of youth with disabilities (YWD) are increasing, this population continues to be poorly represented in psychological and developmental research. There is a demonstrated need to better understand identity development in YWD. Objective: The purpose of this review was to determine the applicability of a contemporary develo...

Autism with co-occurring exceptional cognitive ability is often accompanied by severe internalizing symptoms and feelings of inadequacy. Whether cognitive ability also translates into greater risk for suicidal ideation is unclear. To investigate this urgent question, we examined two samples of high-ability autistic individuals for factors that were...

ASD manifests in children throughout the ability spectrum, though screening tools may not adequately identify high-ability youth who would benefit from a comprehensive identification evaluation; thus, the impetus for developing The High Functioning ASD Screener (HFAS). Information from content area expert interviews determined the 93-item pilot for...

Policies for talented students with disabilities, or twice-exceptional students, exist in very few states across the country. Historically, families of twice-exceptional students have found most of their support though implementation of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 Accommodation plans. Yet, there is no federal mandate for gifted edu...

Twice-exceptional individuals are those who have high cognitive ability in one or more areas, but also have a diagnosed disability. The needs of these individuals likely differ from those with high cognitive ability without a disability and those who solely have a disability. Intervening early can offer exceptional benefits for twice-exceptional in...

Autism with co-occurring exceptional cognitive ability is often accompanied by severe internalizing symptoms and feelings of inadequacy. Whether cognitive ability also translates into greater risk for suicidal ideation is unclear. To investigate this urgent question, we examined two samples of high-ability individuals with autism for factors that w...

Background: High cognitive ability is an almost universally positive prognostic indicator in the context of neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative conditions. However, "twice-exceptional" individuals, those who demonstrate high cognitive ability (gifted) and also exhibit profound cognitive, behavioral, and mental health challen...

p>Twice-exceptional individuals are those that have high cognitive ability in one or more areas, but also have a diagnosed disability. The needs of these individuals likely differ from those with high cognitive ability without a disability and those who solely have a disability. Intervening early can offer exceptional benefits for twice-exceptional...

Cyberbullying is a major health concern for today's youth and a pervasive stressor for adolescents and their families. This study offers qualitative insights into how parents perceive their children's technology use and engagement in cyberbullying based on gender. Eight focus groups were conducted with 48 parents of adolescents ages 10–17. Findings...

Efforts have been made to support the academic success and address the retention of low academically performing college students; however, little is known about how these interventions are effective. This study builds upon recent findings that the hope and belongingness of college students in a group-based academic enhancement intervention were imp...

Gatekeeping is an ever-present feature in the distribution of and access to educational resources in many aspects of our lives. In high performance domains, a gatekeeping process determines acceptance into elite training programs, invitations to perform, drafting onto elite sports teams, and matriculation into graduate school. Gatekeeping can be de...

School psychologists are well‐positioned to change the educational landscape for twice‐exceptional students, or those who possess high ability in one or more talent domains along with one or more disabilities. Better understanding of the nuanced cognitive and psychosocial assessment patterns within this population may increase well‐needed participa...

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 limitat...

Twice-exceptional students have complex cognitive, academic, and psychosocial profiles that present challenges to identification and intervention practices. A high ability student’s disability or mental health diagnosis may go unidentified; a student’s talent domain may go unnoticed as they receive disability accommodations; or a student’s ability...

Parents of high-ability students with disabilities (i.e., twice-exceptional) play a crucial role in their children’s home and educational environments. In addition, parents’ sociocultural contexts, including race and ethnicity, can influence their parenting practice. We conducted interviews with 10 Asian American parents from diverse ethnic backgro...

High-ability youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) historically have been neglected within samples validating ASD screening measures, and consensus for what constitutes high ability has not been established. The Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) are two common screening tools for ASD...

Contemporary models highlight the need to cultivate cognitive and psychosocial factors in developing domain-specific talent. This model was the basis for the current study where high ability youth with self-reported social difficulties (n = 28, 12 with a coexisting disability) participated in a social skills and talent development intervention over...

This study was a replication of Mazefsky et al.'s (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities 43:1236-1242, 2013) investigation among a sample of 45 high ability children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD under DSM-IV-TR. Items from the ADOS and ADI-R were mapped onto DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for ASD and SCD to determine whether participant...

[This corrects the article on p. 539 in vol. 6, PMID: 25972831.].

As a licensed psychologist, educator, and researcher, my primary focus is on twice-exceptional individuals. I am interested in identifying their multifaceted needs, both in their talent domains and areas for growth, and in disseminating research-based intervention strategies that help them reach their full potential. As a psychologist, this focus m...

Researchers investigated the self-concept profiles of twice-exceptional students in relationship to their cognitive ability and participation in educational services. All subjects (N = 64) had high ability (IQ score at or above the 90th percentile) and were diagnosed with either an autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 53) or specific learning disabil...

The area of decision making has much to offer in our effort to understand special populations. This pilot study is an example of just such a project, where we illustrate how traditional decision making tools and tasks can be used to uncover strengths and weaknesses within a growing population of young adults with autism. In this pilot project we ex...

Counselors can be pivotal in helping families to understand the identification of twice-exceptionality and related implications, including developing successful interventions for the school years and beyond. There are many potential counseling concerns, including bullying and peer interactions, social and emotional development, career guidance, col...

Research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is thriving; however, scant empirical research has investigated how ASD manifests in high ability youth. Further research is necessary to accurately differentiate high ability students with ASD from those without the disorder, and thus decrease the risk of misdiagnosis. The purpose of the present study is...

Twice-exceptionality is gaining increasing recognition in the gifted education literature but little is understood about the knowledge and awareness of this concept within the educational and psychological community, or about professionals’ experience working with this population of learners. Three-hundred and seventeen individuals completed an onl...

Intellectually gifted students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face unique academic and social challenges, yet little research has been conducted with this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the self-esteem and self-concept of intellectually gifted children with and without a coexisting diagnosis of ADHD. Data...

We conducted an exploratory content analysis of disability research in 5 major counseling psychology journals between 1990 and 2010. The goal was to review the counseling psychology literature to better understand the prevalence of disability research, identify research methods most often conducted, and elucidate the types of concerns most studied....

The cognitive and academic profiles of high ability students with autism spectrum disorder were examined. Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of autism (high functioning) or Asperger syndrome and at least one ability and/or achievement index standard score of 120 or above. Results indicated that despite the restricted range of cognitive abilities,...

We are not well informed regarding the ability-achievement relationship for twice-exceptional individuals (very high cognitive ability and a diagnosed disability, e.g., autism spectrum disorder [ASD]). The research question for this investigation (N = 59) focused on the predictability of achievement among variables related to ability and education...

Psychologists working in the schools have an opportunity to affect in new and exciting ways the services they provide to high-ability students. A talent development framework offers a unique lens through which gifted services is conceptualized. The framework moves school psychologists beyond viewing giftedness and high IQ as synonymous to appreciat...

Being an academically gifted boy may mean negotiating masculinity. In this exploratory study, 58 gifted and talented adolescent boys completed the Male Role Norms Inventory–Adolescent (MRNI-A) and the Behavior Assessment System for Children–Self-Report of Personality (BASC-SRP-A). Correlation results show endorsing traditional masculine norms was p...

Our article describing the characteristics of gifted students with a specific learning disability (SLD) in written language was criticized for emphasizing an ability achievement discrepancy as an indication of a written language disability and for not ruling out alternative explanations for the observed difficulties. The three primary alternative e...

Gifted students with coexisting disabilities, also known as twice-exceptional, are increasingly recognized in America’s schools. This increasing awareness needs to be met with equal enthusiasm for empirical investigation into the identification and treatment needs of this group of students. In this article, a 20-year review of the empirical literat...

Gifted and talented students who also have a specific learning disability (SLD) are typically referred to as twice-exceptional and are among the most underserved students in our schools. Previous special education laws promoted a wait-to-fail approach; therefore, gifted students with SLD often were overlooked because their average academic performa...

Parent, teacher, and self-perceptions of 54 high ability students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were assessed through administration of the Behavioral Assessment Scales for Children, Second Edition. Parent reports resulted in clinically elevated scores on the Atypicality, Attention Problems, Depression, Hyperactivity, Withdrawal, Activities o...

Gifted and talented students who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have multifaceted needs. Their cognitive and academic profiles are typically very different from their social, communication, behavioral, and adaptive functioning profiles, which can be challenging to educators and professionals who work with this population of learn...

This study compared self-report ratings of self-concept before and after the first semester of college among a group of 21 early entrance college students. The measures included a general demographic questionnaire and the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, 2nd edition (PH-2). Results indicated that students maintained their overall level of self-conc...

A case study of the psychometric characteristics of two profoundly gifted girls, one with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the other without ASD, is used to describe the nuances and subtleties most relevant in understanding the relationship between extreme giftedness and social difficulties. Through the presentation of the results from psychoeduc...

The authors investigated the relationships between spirituality, body image, self-esteem, and stress in 204 college freshmen who identified themselves as being highly spiritual. A positive relationship was found between spirituality and self-esteem. Although self-esteem was found to be negatively related to stress, spirituality served as a buffer i...

The ever-broadening roles of school counselors range from traditional (advisor for college planning) to novel (advocating for students with learning difficulties or giftedness). A newly recognized group of learners, with both learning difficulties and academic strengths, known as twice-exceptional learners, has emerged. After a synopsis of federal...

Based on Tinto's (1993) model of academic persistence, this study investigated the relationship of loneliness, social support, and living arrangements with academic persistence decisions of 401 college freshmen. Participants completed a series of standardized instruments during class time. Social support was negatively related to loneliness and pos...

The ever-broadening roles of school counselors range from traditional (advisor for college planning) to novel (advocating for students with learning difficulties or giftedness). A newly recognized group of learners, with both learning difficulties and academic strengths, known as twice-exceptional learners, has emerged. After a synopsis of federal...

This study examined the relationships among self-esteem, body image, and health-related behaviors of 267 female and 156 male first-year college students. Data were collected in 23 classrooms. Instruments included a demographic sheet, the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale, the Weight and Appearance Visual Analogue Scales, the Contour Drawing Rati...

The relationships of four types of career goals (job related, school related, value related, and unknown) with factors of school retention, academic performance, self-esteem, educational self-efficacy, and school and career commitment are studied among 401 first-semester college freshmen. Differences in types of goals based on gender are also consi...

Barkley's (1997) comprehensive theory of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) predicts that affected children express frontal lobe related impairments, including expression of utilization behavior-the appropriate use of an object in an inappropriate context. Nineteen boys with and 20 without ADHD were exposed to a series of utilitarian (...

Menopausal symptomatology, negative mood states, and marital satisfaction were examined for 326 midlife women classified as pre-, peri-, or postmenopausal. Depression and anger significantly predicted menopausal symptomatology. Nonmarried women reported more depression than married women; however, married women who were unhappy with their marriages...

Weight-related criticism from romantic partners and the importance of the romantic relationship were examined in relation to the body image and self-esteem for 116 college freshmen women. Participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1979), the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (McKinley & Hyde, 1996), the Weight and Appeara...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Arizona State University, 2003. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [80]-91).