Beautifully Complex

Life is full of chaos and uncertainty, especially when you have a child with ADHD, and especially when you’re also living through a pandemic. Join me and Meditation Coach, Josephine Atluri, to learn the techniques to shift your mindset, calm your mind and body, manage your stress, and move through life and parenting with purpose. The techniques and practices Josephine teaches us during this episod...

We live in a culture and a time of more — the more you do, the more you have; the more you have, the more successful you are. And yet, that pressure and constant fear of failure is damaging, especially to our neuro-atypical children with ADHD and/or autism. One thing that can help tremendously in all aspects of school and home life is following the adage that less is more, as Executive Function &a...

In everything we do or say, we have a choice. Even when your child is intensely emotional or explosive — you have a choice in how you respond. You can react in kind and prolong the battle, or you can respond calmly and purposefully to help your child and protect your relationship with them. I’m talking with Deborah Ann Davis, author of “How to Keep Your Daughter from Slamming the Door,” about the...

Each year, my friend and colleague, Sarah Wayland, PhD and I gather experts in ADHD, autism, and parenting to share their top insights and strategies on raising kids with ADHD and/or autism in our parenting summits. In this episode, we are sharing the best insights we learned from this year's 35 experts, as well as an overview of the Summits and how you can participate in them free. We're covering...

This is an episode you should listen to with your neuro-atypical kids! I have been trying to get my son to do an episode of the podcast with me for a couple years, and he finally agreed. In this episode, you'll meet my son, Luke, a nearly 18-year-old with ADHD, ASD, LDs, and a gifted IQ. We jumped on the microphone and found out he has a lot to say about growing up with differences and learning ch...

Many children and teens struggle with confidence, social anxiety, and bullying, but kids with ADHD often struggle even more with this challenges. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Kranzler talks about his new book, "The Crimson Protector," and the themes that are woven into the story to help kids build confidence, manage social anxiety, and deal with bullying. You'll learn...

Society has always thought of lying as a character flaw. While willful lying to deceive is not acceptable and could be an indicator that someone lacks integrity, it's not that simple when talking about kids with ADHD and/or autism. There are many reasons that individuals lie. To avoid negative consequences and to impress others are the top two. When the child is neuro-atypical though, lying just i...

We're in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic and filled with uncertainty and a lot of intense feelings. That's true for most of us as adults, and it's doubly true for our kids. There's a lot of helplessness during uncertain times like these and that lack of feeling in control of life can be extra tough for kids to navigate. In this episode, I'm talking with Dr. Shelli Dry about how we can help o...

Our sensory systems are how the brain processes all the information that’s around us. When one or more of the sensory systems is off kilter, it creates challenges in moving through the world from day to day. And these sensory challenges can often trigger anxiety and/or negative behavior. In this episode, I’m talking with occupational therapist, Nikki Perez, about all things sensory — from the diff...

When we talk with parents about the struggles they experience raising kids with ADHD and/or autism, all of the various challenges boil down to one thing — behavior. In this special 100th episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, my colleague, Sarah Wayland and I hosted a Q&A session with parents all about behavior. We discuss what causes challenging or intense behavior, aggression, kids who only...

I talk a lot about motherhood on this podcast, because that’s the world I know. On this episode, we get a father’s perspective. Larry Hagner, founder of the Good Dad Project, joins me to discuss growing up with ADHD, raising a child with ADHD, and being an intentional man and dad to better connect with your kids and support their journey to success. Connection is the key — "without connection you...

Anxiety affects more and more kids and adults every day. It’s taking over lives and eroding the confidence of our kids (and ourselves). But, as therapist Jodi Aman outlines in her new book and explains in this episode, anxiety can be dramatically improved and brains can be hardwired for happiness. Join us in this episode to learn about the inner critic, how the “monkey mind” feeds and grows anxiet...

We all want four things in our lives that contribute to our happiness: less stress, connection to others, purpose, and meaningful relationships. Many things get in the way of achieving these things for our kids with ADHD and/or autism (and ourselves), including a frequently triggered nervous system and dysregulation, the way our own past traumas have shaped the way we parent, our expectations of o...

If your child has ADHD (or is on the autism spectrum), behavior is likely top of mind for you. They act in ways we don’t understand, find inappropriate, or don’t approve of when we view behavior through the traditional behavior lens. Brain-based science now helps us understand behavior and how our autonomic nervous system — our physiology — drives how we feel and how we respond to how we feel.   I...

The teen years have always been tough. There’s a ton of change coming at teens from all directions, as well as an ever-increasing expectation of independence, accountability, and responsibility. But it’s a much bigger challenge to be a teen today, with the added social complexity of instantaneous distribution and social media. It’s no wonder the tween and teen years often have an inherent lack of...

If there's one tool we all need for life in this world — kids and parents — it's calming techniques. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast I explain the role of the vagus nerve and our autonomic nervous system in getting us activated and feeling unsafe, and then list more than 20 tools and techniques to use for calming yourself or your child, by stimulating the vagus nerve to calm the nerv...

Is it will or skill? Behavior challenges often look on the surface like willful acting out, but rarely ever are. Behavior is simply a symptom of the “real problem” — the lagging skill, differences in neurology, dysregulation, or misunderstanding of others. Rather than judge and react to your child’s behavior and parent through a behavior lens, it’s paramount to take into account your child’s diffe...

If there’s one thing parenting kids with ADHD is, it’s unpredictable and inconsistent. We can be stressed by those characteristics and fight hard against them, or we can accept them and use them to our advantage. Seeing the ups and downs of this special brand of parenthood as an adventure and a perpetual learning and growth opportunity is how mom and blogger, Beth Grushkin, aka FuzzyMama, meets th...

A larger percentage of the ADHD population — kids and adults alike — struggle with sleep. Your child might have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep during the night, or both. When kids aren't sleeping, parents likely aren't getting adequate sleep either and that takes a toll on the entire family. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with sleep consultant, Melissa Dom...

We are all guilty of it. Blowing up at our kid at one time or another is inevitable, because we parents are human and we make mistakes. Of course, we don't want to blow up at our kids, and it certainly doesn't have to be part of our everyday family lives, and it shouldn't be. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking to psychologist and ADHD specialist, Dr. Marcy Caldwell about th...

It's no surprise that I'm a big fan of Brené Brown and her podcast, Unlocking Us — she's a woman of great wisdom and inspiration. I had an epiphany of sorts when listening to a recent episode on loneliness when her guest said, "We must feel good to do good." Everything I know about parenting kids with ADHD / autism and self-care instantly collided with this statement and provided a jolt of inspira...

Challenges with planning and organization are common among kids with ADHD. It shows up with messy bedrooms, lost items, missing or never turned in homework, not putting things away, etc. The consequences of disorganization aren’t just frustrating for kids, they’re frustrating for their parents, too.  In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with organizing expert, Laurie Palau of...

One of the biggest struggles with ADHD is executive functioning deficits. These are skills in the areas of planning and organization, problem solving, task initiation, working memory, self-regulation, and self-awareness. Many kids with ADHD are often two to three years or more behind same-age peers in these areas. And, yet, these skills are crucial to success both at home and at school.  In this e...

  Connection is one of the most important and powerful human needs. It provides a sense of safety, security, belonging, and fulfillment. And yet, we often struggle with making true, genuine connections. And our kids with ADHD/autism struggle with it far more. As this episode airs, we are under lockdown due to the Corona virus pandemic. You'd think this would provide so much more connection being s...

Connection is a fundamental human need, and one that holds an immense amount of power for individuals, even kids. Especially kids. And, when we're talking about kids with ADHD and/or autism, connection is often a struggle — socially or with family members, like parents. Feeling connected to others provides a sense of safety and security. We feel more at ease and less anxious when we feel connected...