Beautifully Complex

Many kids with ADHD are brilliant in one way or another, but still struggle. You can be smart, and struggle — and that doesn't mean you're lazy. In this episode, I'm talking to child psychologist and author of the book Raising Will: Surviving the Brilliance and Blues of ADHD, Katherine Quie, PhD,  about the inconsistencies that are the very nature of ADHD. Katherine talks about her experience rais...

Most students with ADHD go through what I call a school honeymoon at the beginning of each new school year. The newness is stimulating and the demands are less starting out and our kids do pretty well. But the honeymoon ends and reality sets in — kids with ADHD struggle in school. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with educational advocate, Brandie Rosen, about what parent...

Executive functioning skills — including organization, planning and time management — are almost always impacted in kids and teens with ADHD. There are a myriad of strategies and tools to assist with disorganization and poor time management. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with coaches Natalie Borrell and Alison Grant of Life Success for Teens about how to help your diso...

Never meeting expectations means our kids with ADHD and/or autism feel like they never succeed. That is a heavy burden that can take a monumental toll on any individual. In this episode, I outline all the repercussions possible when a child feels like they never succeed and what you can do to keep the worst of the consequences from happening to your child.  Become a supporter of this podcast: http...

Parents are expected to be authoritarian and parent through a system of crime and punishment. We're raised to believe this is what defines a "good parent." I argue that we need to flip this idea on its head — that crime and punishment parenting is actually making you a "bad parent." It does more harm than good for our kids, especially kids with ADHD and/or autism. There is a much, much better way...

"There needs to be a desire to go to college. Just sending somebody because that's what's expected is not going to be good for that student." Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support . You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com.  It's not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

Our culture defines expectations of our parenting priorities. When we become parents, we latch onto those expectations and adopt them as our own. The problem is, those priorities were created for neurotypical kids and we are raising kids with differences. If our child is different, our parenting should be different too. That means that not everything that matters to our culture really matters for...

There's no disputing that — especially team sports — can be a difficult environment for individuals with ADHD to naturally succeed in. It's not just developmental delays and social differences with peers that can make it tough. Things like emotional sensitivity and dysregulation, poor working memory, anxiety, and lagging executive functioning skills can also make it hard to meet peer and coach exp...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm diving into stress management for parents of kids with ADHD and/or "high-functioning" autism. I used to think I'd have to change the characteristics of my life and family — like give away my kids — to reduce my stress. Turns out, I just didn't know what real stress management was and how to apply it to a life that is inherently more chaotic, deman...

Parents can create an environment that empowers kids with ADHD and helps them thrive. It's about the relationships, perspectives, understanding, and compassion we have with our kids and how that affects behavior and grit. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beautifully-complex--6137613/support . You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com.  It's...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm filling you in on the upcoming FREE Parenting ADHD Summit. It's a free online conference with 28 experts on ADHD and parenting sharing a little of their wisdom with you to empower you to empower your child. In this podcast episode, I'm sharing clips from five of the sessions, including Dr. Edward Hallowell, Julie F. Skolnick MA, JD, Ross Greene, P...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with documentary filmmaker, Ana Joanes, about the journey to becoming the parent you want to be. We discuss how our childhood experiences shape the parent we become, how those experiences change our neurological physiology, parent stress, the importance of self-compassion and self-care, and the fact that you are not alone. This episode wil...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm tackling developmental age. ADHD is a development disorder. Very few people talk about it in that way but it's 100 percent a developmental disorder. Your child with ADHD is two to three years behind their same-age peers in a lot of ways. If you're child's functioning and skills are at a 7-year-old level, but he or she is actually 10, what is going...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with coaches Natalie Borrell and Alison Grant of Life Success for Teens. We discuss how to help kids with ADHD address and overcome challenges and obstacles. Learn how to help your kids build grit and resistance — the core aspects of being able to overcome challenges without falling apart or avoiding obstacles. "Sometimes it's easier to ju...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm tackling a questions I get from parents all the time... how to stay calm when your child is having an outburst or a meltdown. There are a couple tricks that helped me gain control of how I stay calm and respond in these moments. I've shared both these fundamental pieces, as well the real transformational power remaining calm has for your child, fo...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with occupational therapist, Susan Schenk, about learning challenges. Susan shares her story of growing up and finding success with learning challenges. Then we dig into how to help our own kids who are struggling with learning disabilities through tools, strategies and technology. Listen in for inspiration from Susan's story as well as re...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I have a very important message for you. You're not alone. You're not alone in this special brand of parenthood. There are millions of parents raising challenging kids. The fact that your parenthood is different isn't your fault, and you're not the only one with these challenges. You must find your tribe. Having a tribe around you who "gets it" is eve...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking IEPs and 504 Plans with former teacher and educational advocate, Amanda Morin. We're defining IEPs and 504 plans, and the differences between them. In addition, learn how to determine what services and accommodations your child may need in school, and how to go about securing them. We also answer questions like, should my child come to sch...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, teacher and education advocate, Meg Flanagan, and I discuss taking a collaborative approach to working with teachers and advocating for your child at school. To achieve an effective working relationship with the school, parents need to approach teachers and school staff with the attitude of working together, as allies instead of adversaries. Sometimes...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I outline different behavior triggers that are common with ADHD and/or "high-functioning" autism. Within this list are developmentally lagging skills, but also differences in how a child's brain functions when they have ADHD. Recognizing these and other triggers in your child will help you improve behavior and reduce the instances of outbursts and mel...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Maureen Healy, author of The Emotionally Healthy Child, about cultivating emotional health, which creates happier children. Emotional balance is key, and it's more challenging for kids with ADHD and/or autism. Maureen outlines strategies to help your child recognize, work through constructively, and control their own emotions. "It's l...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm honored to have talked with Ana and Curt Warner about the challenges and isolation of raising kids with autism. They've shared their experiences raising twin boys with "low-functioning" autism in their new book, The Warner Boys: Our Family’s Story of Autism and Hope, and they've graciously shared a glimpse of their parenting experiences here with...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking about how to finally stop battling with your child. Day in and day out, the challenging behaviors, the impulsivity, the seeming argumentativeness feel like we are battling with our kids. Sure, most of the triggers are symptoms of their ADHD and/or autism, but that doesn't make it any easier or any less painful to accept these battles. But,...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with licensed child therapist, Angela Pruess, about emotional intelligence. Building emotional intelligence skills is an important part of raising kids with ADHD, kids who are often dysregulated emotionally and struggle with interactions with others. We discuss emotional awareness, emotional regulation, and how emotional intelligence plays...

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I was inspired this week to talk to you about saying yes more often. As parents, we are programmed to say no automatically, but we need to find ways to say yes. Our kids already get messages that they “can’t” more than anything else, so they need more yeses, more positives in their day-to-day lives. There are other good reasons to start saying yes mor...