Exceptional Children Template
Get your Exceptional Children paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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How to Use the Exceptional Children Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 11 August, 2026
Submitting to Exceptional Children goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Exceptional Children guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
What is the Exceptional Children Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Exceptional Children. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Exceptional Children journal page before you draft.
What's actually in an Exceptional Children submission:
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Exceptional Children guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
What separates a clean submission from one that gets kicked back:
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Exceptional Children guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Exceptional Children Template include?
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
Steps to Use This Template with SciSpace Agent
- Click Start Writing on this page. The SciSpace Agent prompt screen opens with the template loaded.
- Use the loaded template, or upload a version your group already uses for Exceptional Children.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Exceptional Children guide for authors.
- Run the prompt. The agent drafts into the correct structure and reference style.
- Use View Outputs to verify required statements and formatting are present.
- Export and submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
Exceptional Children Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Exceptional Children requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Abstract must follow APA 7th Edition guidelines: single paragraph, 250 words maximum, covering literature review, problem/research questions, hypotheses, methods (design, sample, size), results, and implications. No specific structured abstract requirements stated; follows standard APA format |
| Main text | Manuscripts are typically 28-35 pages including cover page, abstract, references, tables, and figures. Maximum 40 pages in special circumstances with compelling rationale. Double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font. Articles must include: clear purpose statement/research questions/hypotheses, theoretical/conceptual bases, method section (for empirical work), results, discussion, and implications for research, practice, and policy |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | 3-5 keywords required per APA 7th Edition guidelines. Keywords should address the research topic, population, method, and application of results. Written in lowercase (except proper nouns), separated by commas |
| References | APA 7th Edition (2020). Manuscripts must be prepared according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition. Reference list begins on a new page |
| Peer review | Single-blind peer review. Reviewers do not know the identity of the authors, but editors know identities of both reviewers and authors. Manuscripts must be anonymized for review |
| Submission | mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ecx |
Quick Tips for Using the Exceptional Children Template
Read the Exceptional Children guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Exceptional Children in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Exceptional Children papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Exceptional Children journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Before You Submit: Final Check
Do one focused pass against the Exceptional Children guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
