ADHD Experts Podcast

ADHD and autism spectrum disorder can impact social skills, affecting friendships and family relationships. Christine Lang, Ph. D., shares tools to help children to pick up on social cues, stay on topic in conversation, and be less emotionally reactive.

Roberto Olivardia, Ph. D., explains why adults with ADHD are at higher risk for obesity—we may impulsively choose junky foods, and emotional overwhelm can lead us to self-soothe with carbs—and shares more mindful approaches to eating and food-shopping.

A language-processing deficit impairs a child's ability to attach meaning to verbal input and respond appropriately. Gail Richard, Ph. D., helps us differentiate between language deficits and ADHD and advises on addressing challenges at home and at school.

Downtime during the summer months is OK, but unfettered device usage isn't healthy. Randy Kulman, Ph. D., advises parents on how to set screen time limits, recommends apps that build fitness and social skills, and how to promote other types of activities.

Art therapy uses creative processes to reduce stress, increase self-awareness, and address behavior. Stacey Nelson, LCPC, LCPAT, ATR-BC, teaches parents about this alternative therapy and describes projects they can do with their children at home.

In the absence of any definitive test for ADHD—blood analysis, brain scan, genetic screening, etc.—doctors who don't specialize in the condition may struggle to identify it. Thomas E. Brown, Ph. D., offers comprehensive guidelines for diagnosing ADHD.

Proponents of neurofeedback, or EEG biofeedback, say it trains people with ADHD to maintain focused brainwave activity. David Rabiner, Ph. D., and Edward Hamlin, Ph. D., provide an overview of this treatment, including cost, duration, and existing research.

Ari Tuckman, Psy. D., takes a deeper look at the science of time awareness to understand why procrastination, time blindness, and tardiness are such big problems for people with ADHD—and teaches strategies to help us "see" and "feel" time.

Roberto Olivardia, Ph. D., discusses dyslexia, which is the most common learning disability—symptoms, similarities to and differences from ADHD, the most effective interventions, and how to talk with your child about the diagnosis.

As Anna Vagin, Ph. D., explains, the sustained attention and give and take required in face-to-face interactions can present challenges for children with ADHD. She offers strategies for parents and teachers to help kids improve their conversational skills.

Dysgraphia and written expression challenges are common in children with ADHD. For these kids, staring at a blank page can feel like torture. Literacy specialist Kendra Wagner, M.A., shares strategies to help children with LD get their thoughts on paper.

Video games can teach problem-solving skills and critical thinking—and also suck a child's attention from real people and experiencesd. Wes Crenshaw, Ph. D., and Ryan Sipes explain how to choose the best games and set reasonable restrictions.

NVLD is poorly understood, and is underdiagnosed in children with ADHD. Amy Margolis, Ph. D., explains the condition, how to distinguish symptoms from those of ADHD, and the strategies that can help these children in school and social settings.

Jerome J. Schultz, Ph. D., explains the impact of stress and anxiety on learning and beahvior, and offers insider tips for teachers of students with ADHD—from modifying assignments and learning environments to managing disruptive behavior.

Too many individuals with ADHD have been called an underachiever or a slacker, despite having the brains and ideas to achieve greatness. Productivity coach Alan Brown shares strategies to quiet your mind, set priorities, stay on task, and get things done.

Parents who homeschool their children with ADHD say that it can nurture strengths, improve academic performance, and boost self-esteem. Kathy Kuhl explains how all families can customize their child's education and benefit from a "homeschool view."

In working with ADHD patients over 27 years, James Ochoa, LPC, identified what he calls Emotional Distress Syndrome, and the extent to which it affects everyday life. He shares tools for weathering emotional storms and building self-esteem.

By age 12, a child with ADHD may receive 20,000 more negative messages than her neurotypical peers. Kirk Martin teaches parents how to stop power struggles and meltdowns, replace negative messages about ADHD, and spark a sense of can-do in their kids.

Many women and girls with undiagnosed ADHD grow up mistaking their symptoms for personal faults. Sari Solden explains how a diagnosis can unlock serious healing, helping you to redefine "success" and focus on unfulfilled dreams rather than a to-do list.

Emily Anhalt, Ph. D., spent two years interviewing ADHD adults who have achieved financial, occupational, and emotional success without using medication, and shares what she learned about leveraging the condition as a positive force.

Speech and language pathologist Lois Kam Heymann, M.A., CCC-SLP, explains how to identify auditory processing disorder in children and distinguish it from ADHD, and the best diagnosis and treatment approaches for APD.

Research suggests that children with ADHD receive 20,000 more negative messages than do their neurotypical peers by age 12, impacting self-esteem and initiative. Anna Vagin, Ph. D., describes how to counter this negativity and build resilience.

Myths about ADHD—it's made up; it's an excuse for laziness—still abound, and it's woefully easy to internalize the shaming messages. Michele Novotni, Ph. D., explains how to overcome ADHD stigma, and how to change others' minds.

As J. Russell Ramsay, Ph. D., explains, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can equip people with ADHD and executive-function deficits with the skills to overcome disorganization, poor time management, and workplace challenges.

College students with ADHD/LD may struggle to balance term papers, laundry, getting exercise, and so on—and parents often fall into the role of concierge. Theresa Maitland, Ph. D., explains how to avoid this trap and help your teen learn to self-manage.