ADHD Aha! | Twice-exceptional: Raising a gifted son with ADHD (Emily’s story)

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. She 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 her 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].
Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about “ADHD Aha!” and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts. Copyright © 2023 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.

[@danirogerc]

this hits home like crazy

[@adrianopper9472]

I didn't learn about 2e until I began the coursework for a gifted endorsement to my teaching credentials. It was the start of a major personal AHA moment, as well as one for my own kids. Thank you for raising awareness on your program!

[@Chimpy_Mc_Gibbon]

These videos are so good. Really helps us ADHD people to not feel so broken and improper in our activities.

[@UnderstoodOrg]

We're so glad to hear you're enjoying our videos! You are absolutely not broken, and you're not alone in those feelings.💙

[@crabmannyjoe2]

I believe I am twice exceptional. I am getting an assesment for adhd in october. I have always been in the advanced placement classes and choose to do the harder classes in HS. I excelled majorly in and basically carried my robotics team in HS too. I had huge issues doing the "boring work" in school. Nothing has made more things make sense in my life than when I started to look into adhd and all the symptoms and struggles. It answered so many things.

[@Babybugvr]

I swear this is me and my son’s story, but he’s not diagnosed yet.

[@user-px5lm9gl2n]

Thank you

[@PeterM-PeterM]

You sound so much like Any Adams.