Julie Skolnick, M.A., J.D., founder of With Understanding Comes Calm LLC, has passionately guided thousands of parents of gifted and distractible children around the world, mentors twice exceptional adults, and advises educators and professionals on how to bring out the best and raise self-confidence in their twice-exceptional students and clients. She serves as secretary to the Maryland superintendent's State Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Students, and produces virtual conferences and other engagement opportunities for the twice exceptional community.
“Julie Skolnick’s compassionate and practical guide demystifies the
complexities of both giftedness and learning differences, and shows
both parents and professionals how to support twice exceptional
kids to help them self-actualize.”
—Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, host of The Psychology Podcast and
author of Transcend
"What a gift this book is to the family with a curious, clever,
creative, and oh, so challenging 2e child! Julie Skolnick
brilliantly guides parents (and anyone else listening) to
understand 2e kids deeply, to employ hundreds of calming and
compassionate strategies, and to advocate for gifted and
distractible individuals, at home, at school, and out in the
world.”
—Carol Stock Kranowitz, author of The Out-of-Sync Child
“A wonderful guide to twice exceptional/2e children and adults.
Bright and disabled children are often misunderstood. Their
intellectual gifts often mask their weaknesses. Their disabilities
can present obstacles to their cognitive promise. Such uneven
developmental profiles often lead to undernourishment of strengths
and underestimation of impairment. In this comprehensive review,
Skolnick shines a light on this complexity. This gem of a book will
go a long way toward helping parents and children achieve, as
Skolnick suggests, both understanding and calm. As a developmental
pediatrician I give this book my strongest recommendation.”
—Dan Shapiro, MD, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician and creator
of ParentChildJourney.com
“This comprehensive and timely book will be a life-saver for
many overwhelmed parents of twice-exceptional children. Skolnick
offers parents enormous insight into the inner experience of
children who have advanced cognitive abilities and yet also have
learning, attentional, and/or social differences, as
well emotional challenges. Providing dozens of
excellent strategies and experience-tested tools parents learn
to advocate to teachers, administrators, coaches,
and scout leaders -- and anyone else who has the potential for
influencing their child in positive ways.”
—William Stixrud, Ph.D., co-author of The Self-Driven Child
and clinical neuropsychologist and faculty member at
Children's National Medical Center and George Washington University
Medical School
“Gifted and Distractible is filled with important information
and helpful models to frame approaches for understanding and
supporting these special youngsters. Julie Skolnick presents issues
using stories that all parents can relate to as they strive to
nurture and support their 2e child. Filled with gems
throughout, this is a book that parents will find helpful,
interesting, and insightful.”
—Susan Baum, Ph.D., Chancellor, Bridges Graduate School of
Cognitive Diversity in Education
“Julie Skolnick has long been the go-to expert for helping parents
and educators understand twice-exceptional kids, so I’m thrilled
that she’s finally sharing her wisdom and insights in Gifted and
Distractible so we can ALL work toward the best possible outcomes
for these fascinating, complex learners! Comprehensive, nuanced,
and actionable, Gifted and Distractible will certainly become the
go-to book for any parent of a 2e child.”
—Debbie Reber, founder & CEO Tilt Parenting, author of Differently
Wired
“Gifted and Distractible is literally the 2e playbook to help
parents understand their 2e child and help them thrive. Julie
Skolnick, a passionate guide and advocate, set out to give families
and all those who care about 2e individuals a roadmap filled with
strategies to take action and create positive change. Mission
accomplished! This comprehensive book is filled with Julie’s wisdom
and experience on every page. Approachable, digestible, and
actionable, Julie guides parents in bringing out the best in their
2e child and teaches how to help others do the same.”
—Dan Peters, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, Co-founder and Executive
Director, Summit Center; author of Make Your Worrier a Warrior and
co-author of Bright Complex Kids
“Gifted and Distractible is a wonderful resource that will make a
valuable addition to the book collection of anyone working with 2e
learners! Weaving stories with research and advice, Julie Skolnick
takes a deep dive into the lives of 2e learners, describing their
educational, social, and emotional needs. With practical tips and
tools, this book will improve the quality of life for families by
guiding parents toward both resources and solutions. Gifted and
Distractible will be referred to over and over by caring advocates
working to meet the challenging needs of the sensitive,
asynchronous children in their lives.”
—Edward R. Amend, Psy.D., co-author of A Parent’s Guide to Gifted
Children and Clinical Psychologist at The Amend Group
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