Chaos & Caffeine - ADHD Parenting Podcast

Dr. Russell works with students with ADHD, autism, anxiety, learning differences, and executive functioning challenges—and she's also raised neurodivergent kids herself. We talk about what happens when bright, capable kids struggle in traditional school, why ADHD symptoms can be mistaken for laziness or lack of motivation, how executive functioning affects academic success, and why the answer...

If you’re raising a child with ADHD, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve accidentally become their executive function. You’re checking the homework. Remembering the deadlines. Finding the missing assignments. Packing the backpack. Watching the grades. Reminding them about the thing you already reminded them about twelve times. But how do we help ADHD kids succeed in school without managing every s...

Your kid can understand something ridiculously complicated… but can't remember their homework, find their shoes, start a five-minute assignment, or handle a tiny change in plans without completely falling apart. How the hell can both things be true? This week on Chaos & Caffeine: ADHD Parenting Podcast , Danielle Kelly sits down with Mark Talaga, M.A., LPC , director and owner of the Cent...

Why can an incredibly smart child with ADHD know EXACTLY what they're supposed to do at school…and still forget the assignment, lose the worksheet, miss the directions, struggle to get started, or completely fall apart when expectations increase? If your ADHD child is struggling in school, this episode is for you. This week on Chaos & Caffeine: ADHD Parenting Podcast , Danielle Kelly sits...

Getting your ADHD kid into college is one thing. But are they actually ready to manage college without you? In this episode of Chaos & Caffeine: ADHD Parenting Podcast , Danielle Kelly sits down with Gerene Keesler , founder of Admissions Untangled and a college admissions expert with more than 30 years of experience, to talk about what parents of ADHD and neurodivergent teens need to know BEF...

Is your child bright but still struggling to read? Do they guess at words, avoid reading altogether, melt down during homework, or insist they're "bad at reading"? If you're raising a child with ADHD, it can be incredibly difficult to know whether these challenges are caused by attention, dyslexia, or something else entirely. This week on Chaos & Caffeine: An ADHD Parenting...

If your child has ever completely lost it because their socks feel wrong, a tag is driving them CRAZY, the waistband is uncomfortable, or the shirt they wore perfectly happily yesterday is suddenly absolutely unacceptable… this episode is for you. 😂 For ADHD, autistic, and sensory-sensitive kids, getting dressed isn't always a simple part of the morning routine. Seams, tags, fabrics, waistba...

Does your ADHD child actually have the school support they need—or have you been told they’re “doing fine” because their grades look okay? For parents of neurodivergent kids, navigating IEPs, 504 Plans, school accommodations, evaluations, and special education services can feel like learning an entirely new language while simultaneously trying to advocate for the person you love most. This week on...

Is your ADHD child constantly forgetting homework, struggling to focus, melting down after school, or being labeled as "smart but not applying themselves?" You're not alone—and your child isn't lazy. In this episode of Chaos & Caffeine: An ADHD Parenting Podcast , Danielle Kelly sits down with renowned child mental health expert, therapist, and school psychologist Dr. Rosea...

Why do ADHD kids struggle to sit still, follow directions, tune out distractions, and focus in the classroom—and what does neuroscience say we can actually do about it? Today on Chaos & Caffeine, ADHD Parenting Podcast, Danielle Kelly sits down with leading neuroscientist and ADHD researcher Dr. John Foxe, Director of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester, to...

IEP meetings. 504 plans. School accommodations. Special education services. If you're raising a child with ADHD, figuring out what support they're actually entitled to at school can feel like learning an entirely new language—and then being expected to confidently advocate in a room full of professionals. That's why we're kicking off our ADHD Kids & School series with one o...

Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves!   If your child with ADHD has ever come home from school believing they're the "bad kid," this episode is for you. In this kickoff episode of our 12-week ADHD Kids & School Success Series , I'm sharing our family's school journey—from first grade through the transition to middle school. We talk honestly about the challenges o...

If you're an ADHD mom , chances are you've become an expert at taking care of everyone else... while putting yourself dead last. Sound familiar? In this episode of Chaos & Caffeine , I'm joined by Loretta Lee —coach, speaker, caregiver, and passionate advocate for helping parents move beyond survival mode. Together, we're having the honest conversation so many neurodivergen...

For decades, millions of women have been told they're "too emotional," "too anxious," or simply not trying hard enough. But what if the real answer was ADHD all along? In this powerful episode of Chaos & Caffeine: ADHD Parenting Podcast , Danielle sits down with Dr. Jennifer Dall, an ADHD specialist dedicated to helping women understand how ADHD actually presents throu...

Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves!   Do you ever feel like your child's ADHD symptoms become harder to manage when you're stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted, or completely touched out? You're not imagining it. Research shows that a parent's stress level can have a powerful impact on a child's ability to regulate emotions, manage impulsivity, and navigate daily chall...

Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves!   Are you constantly overwhelmed, overstimulated, and wondering why you're losing your patience with your ADHD child—even when you're trying your absolute best? In this powerful episode of Chaos & Caffeine, ADHD coach and nervous system expert Jenna Free joins Danielle Kelly for a conversation every ADHD parent needs to hear. But here'...

Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves!   Screens are not going anywhere. And for ADHD and neurodivergent kids, the digital world can become everything all at once — dopamine, connection, escape, stimulation, regulation, friendship, entertainment, and sometimes the biggest source of conflict inside the home. In this powerful finale episode of the Chaos & Caffeine screens campaign, Danielle...

Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves!   Are screens destroying our ADHD kids’ attention spans… or are they becoming the only place our kids feel regulated, successful, stimulated, and understood? In this powerful episode of Chaos & Caffeine, Danielle Kelly sits down with ADHD coach and GrowNOW ADHD founder to unpack the REAL relationship between ADHD, dopamine, executive functioning, emo...

Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves!   If you’ve ever wondered whether screens are helping your ADHD child regulate… or completely hijacking their brain, this episode is for you. This week on Chaos & Caffeine, Danielle sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Randy Kulman — founder of LearningWorks for Kids and creator of Digitally Nutritious — for one of the most nuanced conversations...

Are all screens bad for ADHD kids? Or are we finally asking the wrong question? Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves!   In this episode of Chaos & Caffeine , Danielle sits down with Josh Davidson, creator of, to talk about intentional screen time, ADHD brains, creativity, executive function, and why some digital experiences affect neurodivergent kids VERY differently than others. Because...

Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves!   Are screens helping ADHD kids regulate… or making emotional regulation even harder? In this brutally honest episode of Chaos & Caffeine , Danielle Kelly sits down with Dr. Rebecca Fontanetta of The Neuropsychlopedia for a real-world conversation about screen time, ADHD kids, emotional regulation, dopamine, meltdowns, and the parenting expectations...

Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves!   If you’ve ever handed your kid a phone during a meltdown just to survive the moment… this episode is for you. Because what if that “quick fix” is actually doing something deeper to your child’s emotional development? In this powerful and honest conversation, I sit down with Jenny Radesky , developmental behavioral pediatrician and leading expert on kid...

Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves! If you’ve ever wondered whether screens are helping your ADHD child… or quietly making everything harder — this episode is your wake-up call (in the best way). Today on Chaos & Caffeine , I’m joined by Dr. Michael Rich — pediatrician, researcher, and founder of the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital — also known as The Mediatrici...

Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves!   If your ADHD kid turns into a completely different human after screens… you’re not imagining it—and you’re not alone. In this episode of Chaos & Caffeine , I’m joined by Dr. Sajita Setia , physician and mental health expert, to break down what’s actually happening in your child’s brain when it comes to screen time. We’re talking about the dopamine...

Join Our Patreon and Find All of Our Faves! Are screens actually rewiring your child’s brain… or are we just being dramatic? In this episode of Chaos & Caffeine , I sit down with Dr. Jane Shawcroft to break down what research actually says about screen time, social media, and kids — especially for children with ADHD. Because here’s the reality no one is saying loud enough:  ADHD brains are alr...