Academic Motivation in Gifted-Only and Twice-Exceptional Elementary Students With ADHD or Specific Learning Disorder: A Differential Portrait Based on the Self-Determination Theory and Gender Differences

Little is known about the academic motivation of twice-exceptional students, although it represents a protective factor for academic success. Guided by Self-Determination Theory, this study investigated academic motivation among gifted-only and twice-exceptional students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or a specific learning disorder (SLD), considering parent and student perspectives as well as student gender. Participants were 214 Canadian parents ( M age = 41.09; 93.50% mothers) of gifted-only and twice-exceptional elementary school students, and 103 of those students ( M age = 9.50; 62.10% boys) who completed online questionnaires. Twice-exceptional students reported lower levels of intrinsic motivation, integrated regulation, and self-efficacy than gifted-only students. Twice-exceptional girls showed higher levels of intrinsic motivation and identified regulation and lower levels of amotivation than twice-exceptional boys. These findings highlight the presence of a gender-masking effect on academic motivation among twice-exceptional students with ADHD or SLD, emphasizing the necessity of examining academic motivation through a gender-specific perspective within this population.