Gifted Minds, Unique Needs: Voices of Iranian Parents With Gifted Students on the Autism Spectrum

This study examined how Iranian parents experience and interpret the dual identification of giftedness and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), we conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 11 parents who met the study criteria. Four major themes emerged: a new chapter: the collision of giftedness and diagnosis; parenting against the grain: new roles in unfamiliar terrain; the unique child: between misunderstood strengths and daily struggles; and parental emotion: from grief to reorientation. Parents initially emphasized institutional inadequacy, cultural dissonance, and chronic fatigue, yet over time they described developing adaptive strategies—acquiring new skills, cultivating peer support networks, and redefining success in terms of well-being and autonomy. These findings highlight the urgent need for culturally responsive diagnostic practices, inclusive educational models, and systemic supports that acknowledge the complexities of twice-exceptionality in the Iranian context, thereby extending global conversations on equity in gifted education.