Bright Not Broken (PDF)

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.