The Dangerous Diminishment of the Term “Gifted”

Gifted students

There is a movement afoot to substitute the term “advanced learner” for gifted. This is an attempt to “dumb down” a moniker that stands for way more than intellectual acumen and to couch the change within the misleading goal of making enriched learning available to all. Unfortunately ridding the world of gifted programming results in […]

Adjusting versus Masking: How Neurodiverse Adults Can Thrive in a Neurotypical World

Adjusting versus Masking: How Neurodiverse Adults can Thrive in a Neurotypical World

When talking with 2e adults, inevitably, the topic of “masking” comes up. After years of feeling different, they notice that their priorities, goals, and needs are dissimilar to just about everyone else they come into contact with on a daily basis. 2e adults learn to “mask” their needs in order to avoid judgment and conflict. […]

Lessons from Summertime for Parents and Twice Exceptional Adults

Is summertime a microcosm for how we really want to live our lives? I think about vacation, the fluidity of lazy mornings or afternoons, the flexibility in our schedules – staying up because the sun goes to bed late. We plan adventures and take risks. Our days are filled with creativity, and we’re motivated to […]

Lessons from Loss and Self-love

Julie Skolnick and Tigger

“When you love so deeply, pain hurts more.” That’s what my husband said to me after our beloved red standard poodle, Tigger, passed away from an aggressive cancer just two weeks ago. You may remember Tigger – he was in almost every video I produced. Parents and 2e adult clients who met in person, lay […]

Collaborative Communication Skills on Behalf of 2e Learners

Since the Gifted and Distractible blog literally posts on National Teachers’ Day this year, I’d like to address the importance of, and how to communicate effectively between teachers and parents of 2e kids. Emotions tend to run high in 2e people and we know twice exceptionality is genetic, so we can assume that one or […]

Balancing Social Emotional Needs and the “Real World”

SEL or Social Emotional Learning are buzz words in today’s educational system and recommended as a focus in the home to encourage social success. Yet it is imperative that SEL consider the existential considerations and emotional overexcitability that are often part of the gifted and twice exceptional person’s profile. While SEL can provide a cushion […]

Life’s Struggle is the Ultimate Blessing

The people I talk to all day long are struggling – either as parents or 2e adults. Something, or maybe seemingly everything, is hard. They wonder, “How and when will this get easier?” “Why don’t I know what to do?” “What do I need to make this better?” They just want peace and calm. Not […]

Being 2e During the Holiday Season

As we enter the holiday season, 2e families and 2e adults are feeling lots of the BIG FEELS; some positive, some not so positive. You, your child, or your student might be feeling: Relief over a schedule that includes vacation days. Trepidation over office parties and social gatherings filled with small talk. Excitement about travel […]

It’s Time To Listen

“Grown ups stink!” So said a thirteen-year-old highly gifted, emotionally overexcitable, empathic, creative, dysgraphic child to his parents. He’d been to a new school for about two-and-a-half weeks when he shared his feelings. He expressed feeling like he was “treated like a kid,” had “no control,” and that he missed on-line learning. It was so […]