Why Smart Teens Struggle: Parenting Twice-Exceptional and Neurodivergent Kids with Dr. Susan Blumberg | 088

In this episode of Resilient AF, host Blair sits down with Dr. Susan Bloomberg, a former child clinical psychologist turned life coach who specializes in twice-exceptional (2E) children and neurodivergent teens. Susan shares her deeply personal journey as the parent of two 2E children, her hard-won strategies for supporting gifted kids who struggle, and a preview of her upcoming book, The Parenting Compass: Why Smart Teens Struggle.

If you are the parent of a child who is clearly bright yet struggles at school, at home, or socially, this conversation is for you. Dr. Bloomberg breaks down what it means to be twice-exceptional, how nonverbal learning disability shows up, and why early intervention and parent self-care are the foundation of long-term success. She also opens up about her daughter's premature birth and the road that led her to devote her career to helping families like hers.

Key Topics Covered:

Understanding Twice-Exceptional (2E) Children Susan explains that 2E children are both gifted and carry one or more disability labels. Her own two children fit this profile, and she describes how giftedness can mask a disability while a disability can mask giftedness, leaving kids underserved on both fronts.

Nonverbal Learning Disability Explained Susan defines nonverbal learning disability as difficulty with nonverbal skills, including visual-spatial abilities, motor coordination, executive functioning, and social interaction. These children are often highly verbal yet struggle with math, coordination, and reading social cues.

A Premature Birth and a Fight for Survival Susan shares the story of her daughter, born in 1995 at 24 weeks, weighing 1 pound 11 ounces. Her daughter spent 12 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit, including three weeks under do-not-resuscitate orders after her lungs collapsed. Living at high altitude in Colorado and an incompetent cervix contributed to the early birth.

From Delay to Gifted By 35 months, Susan's daughter scored at a 47-month level in cognitive and communication skills while still measuring 22 months in gross motor skills. She went on to become profoundly gifted, earn degrees, and build a career as an accredited pastry chef.

Parenting a Teen with ADHD and Anxiety Susan candidly discusses her son's middle school struggles with ADHD and anxiety, the conflicts at home, the missing-assignment alerts, and the moment she realized she needed to bring in an executive function coach because her son would not take advice