Supporting A Child’s Strengths from the Start
Parenting a twice-exceptional (2e) child is a complex journey, and one of the most powerful ways to set children up for success is to focus intentionally on their strengths. While parents naturally want to help their child overcome challenges, research shows that an early emphasis on strengths has clear benefits. When parents are given tools to support their child’s development of strengths and interests, they create opportunities for both emotional and academic growth (Jackson et al., 2025).
Yet, strength-based parenting strategies tailored for 2e children are rare, and most parents lack access to guidance explicitly designed for their child’s unique needs. This gap underscores the importance of intentional, strength-based parenting: being deliberate in recognizing, nurturing, and building upon children’s strengths.
The Challenges of Parenting a 2e Child
While all parents face challenges, raising a twice-exceptional child can feel like an all-consuming commitment. Parents are not only balancing the everyday demands of family life but also working to secure the proper school support and advocating for specialized services, while looking after their child’s emotional well-being.
Historically, parents have been the most important advocates for their 2e children, acting as independent researchers, caregivers, advocates, and educators. Yet parents often face negative messages about their child’s abilities, with little discussion about what their child does well. This can leave parents feeling confused about their child’s gifts and academic struggles, and uncertain about how to help them thrive. Recognizing these challenges is important, not to emphasize obstacles, but to acknowledge the reality parents live, and to highlight why intentional, strength-based strategies are so valuable.
Why Parents Are Key
One of the most encouraging findings from research is that parents are uniquely positioned to foster their child’s strengths. Parents don’t need formal teaching credentials to know their child’s unique interests, motivations, and abilities. However, even when parents know their child well, it can be challenging to translate that knowledge into effective strategies that help them thrive academically and emotionally. Evidence suggests that when parents receive clear guidance and support, their confidence grows, and so does their child’s success.
Strength-based parenting requires intentionality, an active process of choosing to notice, support, and cultivate strengths rather than relying on instinct alone. Intentionality is an actionable skill; it involves knowing which strategies to try, when to provide opportunities, and how to adjust them based on a child’s response. Parents who engage deliberately with their child’s abilities are not only empowering their child but also enhancing their own sense of competency, creating a space where both parent and child can feel successful.
What Strength-Based Parenting Looks Like at Home
What does this look like in everyday life? Strength-based parenting is about creating opportunities for children to engage with their talents, interests, and areas of high ability. It might mean carving out time for a child’s creative project, providing challenges that stretch their thinking, or encouraging collaborative learning with peers who share their interests. By emphasizing what a child does well, rather than only focusing on areas of struggle, parents create a supportive environment that encourages exploration, resilience, and comfortable growth. Over time, these choices help children experience themselves as capable and motivated learners, even when other areas feel difficult. Just as importantly, this approach provides parents with a clearer lens through which to view their child’s potential and communicate it to others. And when parents feel confident in this role, they are better equipped to advocate effectively for their child and ensure that their strengths are recognized and supported by others. In this way, strength-based parenting not only supports growth at home but also lays a foundation for a child’s confidence and ability to share their strengths in the wider world.
The Power of Targeted Guidance
One of the biggest challenges parents of twice-exceptional children face is that most parenting advice isn’t written with their child in mind. This can leave families feeling unsupported or unsure of how to respond to their child’s uneven profile of strengths and struggles. Research shows that when parents are given targeted guidance, including tools and strategies specifically designed for raising 2e children, the results are powerful. Parents report a greater sense of confidence and competence in their role, which lays the foundation for more positive interactions at home. These benefits ripple outward: confident parents are better able to advocate effectively, model problem-solving skills, and help their child navigate challenges with resilience.
Practical Takeaways for Parents
Even small steps taken intentionally can lead to meaningful benefits for both parents and children. To bring strength-based parenting into everyday life, consider a few research-supported strategies:
- Notice and Record Strengths: Parents can keep a journal of their child’s interests, talents, and moments of flow. Observing what energizes the child and where strengths emerge builds awareness and helps guide where to focus support. Some families also find it helpful to use an assessment from the Strength-Based Assessment Lab, which not only provides clear insights into a child’s abilities but also offers concrete next steps for supporting their growth.
- Create Opportunities to Build on Strengths: Providing chances for children to explore and develop their high-ability areas, through projects, challenges, or activities that match their interests, can boost confidence, motivation, and engagement in learning.
- Adapt to Social Preferences: Experiences should be tailored to each child’s comfort and social style, whether through one-on-one exploration, small groups, or independent projects. Matching activities with social preferences helps children engage fully and feel supported.
- Observe and Adjust: Parents can pay attention to how their child responds to different activities, noticing what excites them, what challenges them, and where their strengths shine. They can then make small changes that fit their child’s needs, helping both child and parent feel more confident.
- Seek Support and Advice: Connecting with communities, programs, or guides designed for parents of 2e children provides practical tools, strategies, and encouragement. Support from others helps parents feel more confident in implementing strength-based approaches at home.
Bringing It All Together
Strength-based parenting isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about taking small, thoughtful steps that respond to a child’s interests and abilities. Over time, these choices can help children feel more motivated and capable, while parents grow in confidence. A strength-focused approach helps create a home filled with trust and connection, where both children and parents can thrive.
Written by Sophie Ricard
References
Jackson, M., Peters, K., Jen, E., & Rivera, J. (2025). Coaching strength-based parenting: Online program’s impact on mothers’ competence with twice-exceptional children. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 48(3), 311-328. https://doi.org/10.1177/01623532251352617
Permission Statement
This article is provided as a service of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting profoundly gifted young people 18 and under. To learn more about the Davidson Institute’s programs, please visit www.DavidsonGifted.org.
More Resources:
Guiding Gifted – A monthly newsletter from the Davidson Institute for those who work with or have a gifted or twice-exceptional child in their family.
Davidson Gifted Perspectives – A video series that examines several different gifted-related issues and viewpoints.
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