Gifted and Distractible

Understanding, Supporting, and Advocating for Your Twice Exceptional Child

By: Julie F. Skolnick

Narrated by: Julie F. Skolnick

Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

A practical, research-based guide that demystifies giftedness and learning differences in order to help “twice exceptional” children thrive.

Does your child exhibit giftedness and behavioral issues like meltdowns, power struggles, and difficulty relating to their peers? Are they out-of-the-box thinkers requiring different teaching and learning methods? It’s a widely held misconception that intellectual ability and social and emotional success go hand in hand. In fact, “twice exceptional” kids—those who are gifted and have simultaneous learning differences like ADHD, Autism, or dyslexia—are often misunderstood by parents, teachers, and themselves.

This much-needed and empowering guide reveals the unique challenges these remarkable kids face, and offers strength-based, hands-on strategies for understanding, supporting, and advocating for twice exceptional kids. In a world that labels them lazy, scattered, attention-seeking, and a problem that can’t be solved, these tools will help you reimagine the world through your child’s unique perspective—so you can help them thrive.

* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of charts and worksheets from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Julie F. Skolnick (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Julie Skolnick’s compassionate and practical guide demystifies the complexities of both giftedness and learning differences, and shows both parents and professionals how to support twice exceptional kids to help them self-actualize.”—Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, host of The Psychology Podcast and author of Transcend

"What a gift this book is to the family with a curious, clever, creative, and oh, so challenging 2e child! Julie Skolnick brilliantly guides parents (and anyone else listening) to understand 2e kids deeply, to employ hundreds of calming and compassionate strategies, and to advocate for gifted and distractible individuals, at home, at school, and out in the world.”—Carol Stock Kranowitz, author of The Out-of-Sync Child

“A wonderful guide to twice exceptional/2e children and adults. Bright and disabled children are often misunderstood. Their intellectual gifts often mask their weaknesses. Their disabilities can present obstacles to their cognitive promise. Such uneven developmental profiles often lead to undernourishment of strengths and underestimation of impairment. In this comprehensive review, Skolnick shines a light on this complexity. This gem of a book will go a long way toward helping parents and children achieve, as Skolnick suggests, both understanding and calm. As a developmental pediatrician I give this book my strongest recommendation.”—Dan Shapiro, MD, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician and creator of ParentChildJourney.com

For me

I listened to this to better understand myself as an adult. It was very enlightening. I wish my mom read this book when I was a child

Knowledge with love

Truly help me understand how to understand my 2e child. Now I know what can help and what may cause harm.

A must read/listen for anyone with a twice exceptional human in their life.

A must read/listen for anyone with a twice exceptional human in their life. Practical, real world solutions, problem solving and advice. Beyond diagnostics the day to day joy and struggles of living with a twice exceptional brain. I’m left encouraged and hopeful. I feel seen and supported with tools to help my son be successful in life.

Personally validating and highly insightful

Listening to this book validated all of our struggles raising our 2e child. I want everyone who interacts with my son to read this book. The author writes and speaks with love and compassion for our unique kids and teens and she does it in a comprehensive way that isn’t overly focused on strategy but rather common sense parenting that is hard to do every day when you are raising a 2e child and you are exhausted and “waiting for that plateau.” After reading this, parents will feel encouraged, heard and understood in ways our friends with neurotypical children can’t provide. Must read.

Must Read for Parents/Caregivers

I heard about this author after hearing Julie on a podcast and was blown away by the empathy and understanding she has for kids who are different. After recently becoming a caregiver to a 2e kiddo, this book has opened my eyes and taught me so many strategies for navigating this world of parenting. This book provides practical tips that you can apply to communicating with your child different than many other parenting books. I highly recommend if you are struggling and traditional ways aren’t working.

Practical and Helpful

This book helped me better understand my 2e kiddo’s behavior and gave concrete, practical and helpful strategies to mitigate it.

It tells everything about my child.

The strategies work magically for my child. The case studies are profound and easy to understand.

A Comprehensive Guide for Understanding and Supporting Gifted Children

Gifted and Distractible by Dr. Julie Skolnick is an enlightening and indispensable resource for parents, educators, and anyone involved in the lives of gifted children. This book masterfully addresses the unique challenges and characteristics that accompany giftedness, particularly when it intersects with distractibility and other twice-exceptional (2e) traits.

One of the most commendable aspects of this book is its empathetic and insightful approach. Dr.Skolnick blend personal anecdotes, professional expertise, and practical advice to create a guide that is both informative and relatable. The author’s understanding of the emotional and psychological landscape of gifted children is evident throughout, making the book not just a manual but a companion for those navigating this complex journey.

The book is structured to cover a broad spectrum of topics, from identifying giftedness and understanding its various manifestations to developing effective strategies for managing distractibility and other coexisting conditions. Each chapter is filled with real-world examples, evidence-based strategies, and actionable advice, making it easy for readers to implement the suggestions in their daily lives.

What sets Gifted and Distractible apart is its balanced approach. The author emphasize the importance of recognizing and nurturing the strengths of gifted children while also addressing their vulnerabilities. This dual focus ensures that readers gain a holistic understanding of their child’s needs and potential.

Another highlight is the emphasis on collaboration and communication. Dr.Skolnick stress the importance of building a supportive network that includes parents, teachers, and professionals. The book provides valuable tips on how to advocate for a child’s needs in educational settings and how to create a home environment that fosters growth and well-being.

In conclusion, Gifted and Distractible is a must-read for anyone seeking to better understand and support gifted children. Its compassionate tone, comprehensive content, and practical advice make it an invaluable tool. Dr. Skolnick have created a guide that not only educates but also inspires, offering hope and direction for those committed to nurturing the potential of gifted individuals.

For professionals, not parents

This book is written in a way that may be fine for professionals in this field, or educators. It is not laymen’s for the average parent. You will need a glossary for all the acronyms, there were about 30. The author spells it out once & then refers to it by the acronym dozens of times thru the rest of the book, so if you don’t remember what it is you get pretty lost. Author talks in the beginning about providing simple strategies, but they are few & far between, & not obvious because they are amidst dense content. Within the first 1/3 it made me feel like a shitty parent for not having learned psychology in order to understand & help my child. I still don’t understand what 2E is, I don’t think the book explained it, just assumed you are here because you know. My child fits some of the behaviors described to a tee, but not many others, so it left me wondering if any of this applies.