Twice exceptional: Raising a gifted son with ADHD (Emily’s story)

ADHD Aha!

From a very young age, Emily Hamblin’s son would have meltdowns and get intensely angry. He was also really bright. He was ahead of the curve academically and scored in the 99th percentile on standardized testing. His teachers would say he was just “smart and quirky.” That didn’t sit right with Emily, though. She knew something else was going on.

Then one day, a friend suggested that Emily look into ADHD. Emily was skeptical at first. But when she learned more, it was clear that this was the missing puzzle piece. Her son was twice exceptional: He’s gifted AND he has ADHD. And this discovery even helped Emily recognize ADHD symptoms in herself.

Emily co-hosts a podcast called Enlightening Motherhood, which aims to help moms who are overwhelmed by their kids’ big emotions. Listen in to hear how Emily reframes ADHD symptoms in a positive light.

To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood. We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [e-mail]. You can also download Wunder by Understood. This free app includes exercises that can help you track your child's behavior, look for patterns, and get personalized tips along the way.

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