Bright Not Broken - by Diane M Kennedy & Rebecca S Banks (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Why Twice-Exceptional Kids Are Stuck and How to Help Them. Bright, talented children diagnosed with developmental or learning disorders are known as 'Twice Exceptional' (or 2e). Because giftedness and disability often mask one another, many 2e kids aren't identified by our current mental health and educational systems--and as a result they don't receive the therapies or special educational services that can minimize their challenges and build on their talents. Despite their giftedness, 2e children often underachieve, drop out, and have poor life outcomes. Bright Not Broken offers parents and professionals proven alternatives for identifying and supporting 2e children.This revolutionary book will resonate with parents and teachers everywhere, showing that there is hope for bright children who have been misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Addresses fundamental problems in our current mental health and education systems and how these impact 2e children Offers hope for 2e children and shows how to develop their true potential Contributor Temple Grandin is an internationally known advocate for individuals with autism This important resource shows parents and educators how to help 2e children become capable adults"--

Book Synopsis

The future of our society depends on our gifted children--the population in which we'll find our next Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, or Virginia Woolf. Yet the gifts and talents of some of our most brilliant kids may never be recognized because these children fall into a group known as twice exceptional, or "2e." Twice exceptional kids are both gifted and diagnosed with a disability--often ADHD or an Autism Spectrum Disorder--leading teachers and parents to overlook the child's talents and focus solely on his weaknesses. Too often, these children get lost in an endless cycle of chasing diagnostic labels and are never given the tools to fully realize their own potential.

Bright Not Broken sheds new light on this vibrant population by identifying who twice exceptional children are and taking an unflinching look at why they're stuck. The first work to boldly examine the widespread misdiagnosis and controversies that arise from our current diagnostic system, it serves as a wake-up call for parents and professionals to question why our mental health and education systems are failing our brightest children.

Most importantly, the authors show what we can do to help 2e children, providing a whole child model for parents and educators to strengthen and develop a child's innate gifts while also intervening to support the deficits. Drawing on painstaking research and personal experience, Bright Not Broken offers groundbreaking insight and practical strategies to those seeking to help 2e kids achieve their full potential.

Diane M. Kennedy, author of The ADHD-Autism Connection, is a long time advocate, international speaker/trainer, and mother of three twice-exceptional sons.

Rebecca S. Banks, M.A., co-author of The ADHD-Autism Connection, is a veteran educator, national speaker/trainer, and mother of two twice-exceptional children.

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a professor, prolific author, and one of the most accomplished and renowned adults with autism in the world.

From the Back Cover

THE FUTURE OF OUR SOCIETY DEPENDS ON OUR GIFTED CHILDREN--the population in which we'll find our next Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, or Virginia Woolf. Yet the gifts and talents of some of our most brilliant kids may never be recognized because these children fall into a group known as twice exceptional, or 2e. Twice-exceptional kids are both gifted and diagnosed with a disability--often ADHD or an autism spectrum disorder--leading teachers and parents to overlook the child's talents and focus solely on his weaknesses. Too often, these children get lost in an endless cycle of chasing diagnostic labels and are never given the tools to fully realize their own potential.

Bright Not Broken sheds new light on this vibrant population by identifying who twice-exceptional children are and taking an unflinching look at why they're stuck. The first work to boldly examine the widespread misdiagnosis and controversies that arise from our current diagnostic system, it serves as a wake-up call for parents and professionals to question why our mental health and education systems are failing our brightest children.

Most important, the authors show what we can do to help 2e children, providing a whole child model for parents and educators to strengthen and develop a child's innate gifts while also intervening to support the deficits. Drawing on painstaking research and personal experience, Bright Not Broken offers groundbreaking insight and practical strategies to those seeking to help 2e kids achieve their full potential.

Review Quotes

"This book is truly inspiring and it shows that by simply changing our perception of these children, and then the testing and education that stems from that perception, we can help them become successful, contributing adults." (psychcentral.com, March 13th, 2012)

About the Author

DIANE M. KENNEDY, author of The ADHD-Autism Connection, is a longtime advocate, international speaker/trainer, and mother of three twice-exceptional sons.

REBECCA S. BANKS, MA, coauthor of The ADHD-Autism Connection, is a veteran educator, national speaker/trainer, and mother of two twice-exceptional children.

TEMPLE GRANDIN, PhD, is a professor, prolific author, and one of the most accomplished and renowned adults with autism in the world.