Gifted & Struggling

What Our Parents Need to Know and What Our Teachers & Schools Need to Know are the first two books in Laningham, Wilson, and Lim’s Gifted & Struggling – Twice-Exceptional Children Series. Through collaboration, lived experiences, and reflections, the authors unite their voices to provide readers comprehensive insight into adult stakeholder perspectives on twice-exceptional children benefiting from tailored support at home and school. While the authors’ strategies and reflections support parents and educators of 2e children separately, this two-book series encourages a common framework and language between all adult stakeholders to support them. What Our Parents Need to Know and What Our Teachers & Schools Need to Know are excellent companion books as resources for supporting 2e children by establishing a team approach to their individualized educational needs. Caregivers of 2e children, educational professionals who have 2e children in their schools, virtual classrooms, or homeschools, as well as graduate students in the fields of Gifted and 2e Education, may find invaluable resource materials to cooperatively understand and communicate 2e support and achievement goals in the Gifted & Struggling – Twice-Exceptional Children Series. With extensive experience and insightful expertise in the realm of 2e education, Adam Laningham and Val Wilson have engaged with countless children and families across diverse schools, backgrounds, communities, and age groups. As teachers and educational leaders of gifted services, the authors’ expertise lends real-world credibility to the tips and strategies put forth in this series. [perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]As teachers and educational leaders of gifted services, the authors’ expertise lends real-world credibility to the tips and strategies put forth in this series.[/perfectpullquote] With a Ph.D. in Human Development Psychology from Boston University, and additional graduate work at John Hopkins University, Lin Lim, who is also the Dean of Students and Communications at the Bridges Graduate School for Cognitive Diversity in Education, brings a wealth of scholarly insight to parenting her gifted daughter and her 2e son. She is a respected authority on the complexities of parenting and teaching 2e children. Laningham, Wilson, and Lim demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted experiences of 2e individuals, as well as the environments and collaborative perspectives to provide positive support for these children. Empowering Collaborative Synergy In What Our Parents Need to Know and What Our Teachers & Schools Need to Know, Laningham, Wilson, and Lim unite with the collaborative voices of fellow authors. This collaboration is pivotal to ensure that authentic 2e stakeholders, including 2e individuals themselves, have a hand in shaping the customized social, school, and home environments tailored to their unique needs. This sharing of environments and conditions under which 2e communities flourish fosters a collaborative synergy in resource materials, advocating for positive, strength-based perspectives, meaningful support, and healthy environments within the 2e community. Furthermore, 2e lived experiences play a crucial role in authentically understanding the multifaceted, richly diverse, and dynamic 2e journey. The guided reflection pages crafted by Laningham, Wilson, and Lim provide readers with opportunities to personalize their newfound knowledge in ways that align precisely with their lives, families, 2e children, and educational journeys. The field of twice-exceptionality encompasses many voices that contribute to our overall understanding. If we explore published works of the field as concentric, rotating, and interrelating spheres, we will find there exists foundational theories and research studied by professionals and scholars. Next, we would find translational works that take higher level concepts and apply them to real-world contexts. Finally, we would find emerging, collaborative resources that incorporate lived experiences of the 2e community. The Gifted and Struggling series joins other key works in this third category, including Jade Rivera’s Micro-Schools: Creating Personalized Learning on a Budget, Melanie Hayes’s Being Twice Exceptional, and Nicole Tetreault’s Insight into a Bright Mind: A Neuroscientist’s Personal Stories of Unique Thinking.

Additionally, Lim’s perspective as a parent of gifted and 2e Asian-American children deepens our understanding of twice-exceptionality as an individual and family experience encouraging culturally responsive strategies. Tailored Customization With this holistic perspective in mind, let’s delve into the standout features that render What Our Parents Need to Know and What Our Teachers & Schools Need to Know as profoundly impactful resources for the 2e community. Both books offer generous spaces for reflection, allowing readers to seamlessly convert their comprehension of each chapter into actionable insights, readily applicable to their 2e relationships and environments. Notably, within the context of personal reflections showcased in the Gifted & Struggling series, an intriguing parallel emerged. Rivera’s, Tetreault’s, and Hayes’ observations on conversations with 2e children and their families often revealed glimpses of their own learning journeys, unearthing shared experiences, and enhancing mutual understanding, cooperative compassion, and meaningful connections. These insights collectively underscore the paramount importance of dedicating time to reflect for all 2e stakeholders. This practice emerges as pivotal in crafting strategies tailored to the optimal well-being of 2e children and to the nuanced needs of adult stakeholders. By nurturing this reflective dimension, the authors advocate for a holistic approach that harmoniously integrates the experiences of students and educators, and parents and children. Ideal Strategies What Our Parents Need to Know and What Our Teachers & Schools Need to Know are ideal resources for readers who appreciate condensed strategies for 2e children. These strategies, often found in more extensive volumes in professional development programs or graduate-level coursework, are made accessible through the succinct nature of these books. The combination of concise length, approachable language, and practical strategies significantly increases the likelihood that parents and educators will embrace these resources, engaging with them comprehensively and implementing them with openness and ease. Caregivers and parents may feel compelled to read What Our Teachers & Schools Need to Know after finishing What Our Parents Need to Know, especially if they are homeschoolers, transitioning their children between school environments, or interested in gifting What Our Teachers & Schools Need to Know to their 2e children’s teachers to enhance unified language, shared understanding, and collaborative strategies. While parallel information sharing is absolutely essential in supporting collaborative team approaches between educators and caregivers, although some information is repetitive between these two books. Enduring Resources Laningham, Wilson, and Lim’s Gifted & Struggling – Twice-Exceptional Children Series offers an invaluable addition to the field of twice-exceptionality. Through their collaborative approach, these authors have crafted a resource that empowers parents and educators to engage meaningfully in the journey of 2e children. The series inspires a culture of self-compassion and reflection, fostering a more immersive and affirming 2e community. As we embark on a path toward enhanced understanding and tailored support for these exceptional children, What Our Parents Need to Know and What Our Teachers & Schools Need to Know stand as beacons of insight, inviting us to join hands in nurturing holistic well-being of every 2e child.

_______________________________________________________

Megan Swilley is a doctoral student at the Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity, and the parent of four 2e sons.