This page features a curated collection of books that have helped shape the fields of twice-exceptionality, neurodiversity, and cognitive diversity. The collection of strength-based resources will continue to grow, including research articles, podcasts, videos, and other materials developed by established scholars and the next generation of leaders advancing these fields. In the near future, the BGS Foundation will also welcome and share peer-reviewed scholarship and other high-quality resources that contribute meaningful ideas, perspectives, and practices to the broader cognitive and neurodiversity community.
Book Recommendation of the Month
Neurodiversity Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices so All Students Feel Accepted and Supported. Written by Emily Kircher-Morris and Amanda Morin (2025).
Happy New Year to all who live on the Educational Wheel. For us, it’s really the end of summer that brings us fresh starts, resolutions, and shiny new school supplies. As educators, we get the gift of a brand new chance to build supportive classrooms and strong relationships with our students. As parents, we wonder how much our child’s teacher will know about gifted and twice-exceptional learners and how open they will be to honoring their unique strengths and profiles.
Neurodiversity Affirming Schools is a great read for educators who are open to taking a few more steps on their journey this school year. It has easy-to-understand background information and a digestible layout. Parents can also read this book to find hidden nuggets they can share about supportive practices for their child. The authors also have a book companion podcast with guest experts to help you learn even more. – Maria Selke, Editorial Board.
Written by Emily Kircher-Morris and Amanda Morin (2025)
Neurodiversity Affirming Schools is an easily digestible resource for teachers. The authors have lived experience as educators in the field, and their advice is concrete and actionable. It can be read straight through, or dive into specific chapters. Read it alone or as a book study with colleagues. The authors also have a book companion podcast with guests to provide even more insight into the topics.
To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled Strength-Based Strategies for Helping Twice-Exceptional Students With LD, ADHD, ASD, and More Written by Susan M. Baum, Robin M. Schader, and Steven V. Owen (2017)
This is the third edition of one of the first books to address support for twice-exceptional individuals by pioneers in the field. …
This is the third edition of one of the first books to address support for twice-exceptional individuals by pioneers in the field. It includes sections that cover “The 2e Basics” as well as excellent detail and specifics about comprehensive strength-based programs and strategies for twice-exceptional learners. It includes case studies and tables for easy visual referencing.
Dr. Tetreault, a neuroscientist turned meditation guru, seamlessly blends neuroscience, personal narrative, and poetry in this unique work.
She offers readers the science behind how gifted and neurodivergent brains work, what it feels like to live as a twice-exceptional individual, and the journey of parenting a 2e child. She weaves personal stories with information on how to support neurodivergent individuals and inspires people to honor their uniqueness.
Debbie Reber created this book as a how-to guide for parents and caregivers to “tilt” or shift their perspectives on raising differently-wired children. …
Founder of the parent support community, Tilt Parenting, Debbie Reber created this book as a how-to guide for parents and caregivers to “tilt” or shift their perspectives on raising and supporting differently-wired children to live their best lives. Reber provides 18 “tilts,” with concrete steps to achieve them. Book advice applies to educators and practitioners, as well.
Raising Twice-Exceptional Children: A Handbook for Parents of Neurodivergent Kids Written by Emily Kircher-Morris (2022)
Parenting a 2e child can feel like an extreme sport. Emily Kircher-Morris combines professional expertise with lived experience to provide actionable strategies. …
Parenting a 2e child can feel like an extreme sport. Emily Kircher-Morris combines professional expertise with lived experience to provide compassionate, actionable strategies for navigating the joys and challenges of raising 2e children. Her holistic approach extends beyond the home, equipping and empowering parents to effectively advocate for their children in school and other settings.
Skolnick writes from both expertise and experience: she founded With Understanding Comes Calm and has raised three 2e children of her own. Her visual reference captures the book’s heart of giftedness as a three-layer cake of asynchronous development, perfectionism, and intensity (overexcitabilities), with ability as the frosting on and between the layers. The book turns that understanding into strength-based, hands-on strategies for kids too often labeled lazy or scattered. This positive reframe is affirming, validating, and positively influences self-identity.
Living with Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults
Edited by Susan Daniels and Michael Piechowski (2009)
This book offers practical advice on supporting gifted children and adults as they experience intense emotions, sensitivities, and perfectionism. …
Edited by Susan Daniels and Michael Piechowski (2009)
This book offers practical advice on supporting gifted children and adults as they experience intense emotions, sensitivities, and perfectionism. It delves into Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration and the concept of overexcitabilities, often associated with gifted individuals, and now recognized as common in the broader neurodivergent population.
Being Twice-Exceptional
Written by Melanie Hayes (2022)
Dr. Hayes, a neurodivergent individual and activist who founded Big Minds, shares stories that illustrate lived experiences of twice-exceptional autistic (2eA) adults. …
Dr. Hayes, a neurodivergent individual and activist who founded Big Minds, a school for twice-exceptional learners, shares stories that illustrate the lived experiences of twice-exceptional autistic (2eA) adults. Topics range from navigating college to dating and personal care. Hayes’ advice and wisdom for advocacy apply to the twice-exceptional community as a whole.
If you are looking for a place to learn from a variety of experts in specific topics within the field, this is an excellent place to start. Twice Exceptional includes chapters focused on identification, support and advocacy, and special populations. Each chapter includes practical suggestions and evidence-based approaches to support twice-exceptional learners and help them thrive.
Understanding Twice-Exceptional Learners: Connecting Research to Practice
Edited by C. Matthew Fugate, Wendy Behrens, and Cecilia Boswell (2020)
Understanding Twice-Exceptional Learners is more academic in nature and includes chapters written by experts in 2e topics that connect to research in the field. …
Edited by C. Matthew Fugate, Wendy Behrens, and Cecilia Boswell (2020)
Understanding Twice-Exceptional Learners is more academic in nature and includes chapters written by experts in specific 2e topics that connect to research in the field. It includes chapters focused on executive function, ADHD, specific learning disabilities in reading and math, autism, and anxiety.
Written by Edward R. Amend, Emily Kircher-Morris, and Janet L. Gore (2023)
Expanding on the original edition of the guide, which was published in 2007 with James T. Webb, this second edition offers updated research and practical suggestions to help parents support and advocate for their children’s needs. The authors keep their parent audience in mind as they explain each topic using easily understood language and include visual tables for quick reference. Parents will find this book a handy manual as they face the joys and challenges of parenting gifted and twice-exceptional children. The authors include advice about discipline, teaching self-regulation, advocating for needed services, and even handling family relationships.
Written by Susan Baum, Julie Viens, and Barbara Slatin (2005)
Multiple Intelligences in the Elementary Classroom: A Teacher’s Toolkit is a highly readable and practical guide to applying Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory in elementary classrooms. Through case studies, classroom examples, and ready-to-use resources, the book demonstrates how educators can design engaging, cognitively responsive learning experiences that nurture students’ diverse strengths and abilities. Its reproducible materials and actionable strategies make it an excellent resource for implementing differentiated, strength-based instruction.
Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s Classroom
Written by Emily Kircher-Morris (2021)
Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners has comprehensive information, reproducible forms, and a structure allowing educators to jump to sections they need. …
Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners has comprehensive information, reproducible forms, and an organizational structure that allows educators to jump right into the sections they need. It is an easy-to-use reference and resource for teachers with a wide range of background knowledge on the topic of twice-exceptional learners.
Neurodiversity Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices so all Students Feel Accepted and Supported
Written by Emily Kircher-Morris and Amanda Morin (2025)
Neurodiversity Affirming Schools is an easily digestible resource for teachers. The authors have lived experience as educators in the field. …
Neurodiversity Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices so all Students Feel Accepted and Supported
Written by Emily Kircher-Morris and Amanda Morin (2025)
Neurodiversity Affirming Schools is an easily digestible resource for teachers. The authors have lived experience as educators in the field, and their advice is concrete and actionable. It can be read straight through, or dive into specific chapters. Read it alone or as a book study with colleagues. The authors also have a book companion podcast with guests to provide even more insight into the topics.
Strength-Based Pedagogy for Smart Students with Disabilities: Using Interest-based Strategies for Academic and Personal Success
Written by Sally M. Reis, Joseph Madaus, Nicholas Gelbar, Susan Baum (2025)
Strength-Based Pedagogy for Smart Students with Disabilities is a thoroughly researched guide to implementing the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM). …
Written by Sally M. Reis, Joseph Madaus, Nicholas Gelbar, Susan Baum (2025)
Strength-Based Pedagogy for Smart Students with Disabilities is a thoroughly researched guide to implementing the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) to identify and develop the strengths and talents of 2e learners. Filled with evidence-based practices, practical instructional strategies, and engaging learning experiences, it offers educators a clear roadmap for creating strength-based classrooms. This book also includes reproducible worksheets and tools that can be readily implemented in school settings, making it an invaluable resource for both educators and parents.
Many 2e children rely on their parents to advocate for appropriate educational opportunities. In Academic Advocacy for Gifted Children: A Parent’s Complete Guide, Gilman provides a practical guide to documenting a child’s strengths, interpreting assessment results, and navigating educational options from kindergarten through high school. Drawing on her experience as both a professional and the parent of a gifted child, Gilman empowers families with tools to advocate for strength-based education that fits the intellectual needs of the learner.
Insight Into a Bright Mind
Differently Wired
Living with Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults
Neurodiversity Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices so all Students Feel Accepted and Supported
