An oxymoron, this term refers to disabled students, mainly those with mental disabilities. This term does not refer to high-achieving students, or highly intelligent students. "Exceptional" in the term is a nice way of saying any of the following: retarded, handicapped, helmet-wearing, parapalegic, disturbed, etc. One should not, however, be mislead into thinking that persons who simply have a physical handicap are automatically stupid.
Fight softy political correctness that is misleading, and refer to exceptional learners as what they are: retarded, disabled, handicapped.
OR
"That exceptional learner's helmet is exceptionally shiny."
OR
"That exceptional learner's helmet is exceptionally shiny."
by c1iffyabl0nski March 20, 2006