Raising Twice Exceptional Children Review: Is This Book Worth Reading?

Raising Twice Exceptional Children Review: Is This Book Worth Reading?

This Raising Twice Exceptional Children review covers a book specifically about kids who are both gifted and have learning differences or are otherwise neurodivergent — what’s often called “2E.” If you have a 2E kid, or you suspect you might, this book has been on a lot of recommended reading lists. Here’s my honest take.

I was genuinely excited to read this book. The author, Emily Kircher-Morris, is someone I’ve followed for a while, and I think she’s doing important work in this space. She hosts the Neurodiversity Podcast, which is one of my favorites. I listened to Raising Twice Exceptional Children as an audiobook through Hoopla using my library account. The narrator, Vanessa Daniels, did a great job, though I’ll admit it was a little strange hearing someone else read Emily’s words when I’m so used to her own voice on the podcast.

One other note — the book references a bonus PDF download that I wasn’t able to access through Hoopla. I reached out to the publisher per Hoopla’s recommendation but never heard back, so I can’t speak to that material. If you buy a physical copy, you should have access to it, which might be worth factoring into your decision.

What “Twice Exceptional” Means

Twice-exceptional, or 2E, refers to kids who are both intellectually gifted and have a learning difference, disability, or neurodevelopmental condition. Think a kid with a high IQ who also has dyslexia, or a gifted child with autism or ADHD. The gifts and challenges coexist, and they can actually mask each other in ways that make both harder to identify.

This book is an introduction into that world — what 2E means, what it looks like, and what families and schools can do to support these kids. Emily is a licensed counselor who works with neurodivergent and gifted students and their families, and before that, she was a teacher in gifted classrooms. She knows this population well.

Raising Twice Exceptional Children Review: What I Found Genuinely Useful

The section on school advocacy is solid. If you’re navigating IEPs or 504 plans, or trying to understand what accommodations your child might be eligible for, this book gives you a good foundation. It explains the differences between the two, walks through types of accommodations, and gives you language you can actually use in conversations with schools.

The family goal-planning meeting framework was something I hadn’t seen laid out quite this way before — a structured approach to involving your child in setting their own goals that accounts for their strengths, struggles, and challenges. I found that genuinely useful and it’s something I want to come back to.

The section on school options — traditional, charter, homeschool, hybrid — is a decent overview for families still weighing their choices. Not deep, but a useful starting point. If you’re leaning toward homeschooling specifically, my post on homeschool curriculum research picks up where this book leaves off.

Raising Twice Exceptional Children Review: Who Should Read This

If you’re newer to the neurodivergent parenting world, this book is probably a good fit. It’s accessible, warm, and covers a lot of ground without overwhelming you. There wasn’t a ton that was new to me personally, but that’s not a knock on the book — it just means it’s written for a broader, more beginner audience than where I currently am in my journey.

If you’re early in your 2E journey — just getting a diagnosis, trying to understand what twice-exceptional means, or figuring out how to advocate for your child at school — I’d recommend this book as a solid starting point. If you’re further along, consider borrowing it from the library first. There are sections worth reading, but you may not need to own it. That said, if you do buy a physical copy, it likely gives you access to the bonus materials mentioned in the book.

Raising Twice Exceptional Children Review: My Honest Take

This is just one mom’s opinion based on where I am in my journey, and your experience might be completely different — especially if you’re newer to this world. If you want to grab a copy, you can find it here. For more honest reviews like this one, check out the full Honest Reviews playlist on YouTube, and if you want more on understanding the “why” behind challenging behaviors in neurodivergent kids, the Behind the Behavior playlist is a great next watch.

For more support navigating a 2E diagnosis at home, my posts on early signs of autism and ADHD in kids may help fill in some of the pieces this book touches on more broadly.