Reading and Writing Outcomes in Students with Intellectual Giftedness and Dyslexia: A Gender-Based Analysis

Research on twice-exceptional students, those who simultaneously present intellectual giftedness and dyslexia (G-D), remains limited, particularly with regard to gender differences in reading and writing processes. The present study examines these differences in a sample of 39 Spanish students (21 boys and 18 girls) aged 8 to 12 years, with the aim of determining whether significant differences exist in literacy-related scores within this population. Using a comparative design, the results show that most assessed variables do not reveal significant differences between boys and girls. However, some specific differences in test scores were identified: boys obtained higher scores in syllable dictation, whereas girls outperformed boys in story writing and in tasks related to grammatical structures and punctuation marks. These differences suggest the use of differentiated strategies, with greater reliance on visual and visuospatial resources among boys and more efficient use of verbal and linguistic processing among girls. The interaction inherent in this twice-exceptionality appears to modify the gender differences typically reported in other profiles with respect to literacy performance, highlighting the need for specific approaches to identification, assessment, and educational intervention tailored to this G-D population.