Being Twice Exceptional

by Melanie Hayes

Twice exceptionality (2e) is not well understood. While many parents, educators, and professionals are working to bridge the knowledge gap and help 2e children, there is still a great deal we do not know about how life turns out for those children once they grow up. How do 2e adults deal with the complex aspects of being an adult? What are your prospects if you are brilliant, but can't get into college? What if you fail at work because you don't know how to fit in socially? This book provides first-hand stories about the experiences of 2e adults, offering compassionate coping strategies for overcoming and rethinking the tough parts. It champions radical acceptance of 2e people and celebrates their unique outlook on the world.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder

240 pages, Paperback

Published February 21, 2022

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a birds-eye view of twice exceptionality, since I work as a therapist and have some 2e clients. This book was full of heartfelt stories about 2e adults overcoming various challenges through the lifespan, presumably taken from clients that the author has worked with, and/or heard about from colleagues. It was truly moving to read about how giftedness/2e issues show up in actual peoples' lives, which as it turns out, can be a very messy thing. I found this helpful personally, since I am 2e myself, and also professionally, to give me a broader understanding of the type of concerns that this population deals with. Each chapter includes a short overview of "advice" designed for the 2e adult, and/or their therapist. Overall, a wonderful book that I will use often as a resource. I only removed 1 star because the case studies all seemed to come from a similar geographic region, which seemed to be the West Coast of the United States; it would have been helpful to read more about people from the South, Midwest, other countries, or from urban areas.

[Sonal Apte · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's not nearly enough reading material on twice exceptional kids and adults and this book outlines great examples of how people grow and find gifts within their difficulties.