NeuroCurious

On this episode, we will dive into a question I hear from parents and teachers a lot: "Is the child just defiant, or is it their ADHD?" A child refuses to follow directions. They argue with teachers, have emotional outbursts, so the quick assumption is “They have Oppositional Defiant Disorder”. But what is the full story here? What if what looks like defiance is just the child feeling overwhelmed?...

If there are three things teenagers tell me in my office that they wish their parents understood, it’s this: 1) “I’m trying harder than you think in school.” 2) “Video games are more than just wasting time.” 3) “My phone isn’t just a screen, it’s my lifeline”. For many parents, poor grades, video games, and cell phones can feel very frustrating and confusing at the same time. But sometimes, it can...

Welcome back, friends. In this episode, we will talk about something that affects a lot of families but doesn’t always seem to get the attention it needs, which is the stress parents feel when raising children with a neurodevelopmental disorder. If you are a parent, caregiver, educator, or know someone having ADHD and just want to understand them better, this episode will help break that down in w...

Parenting a teenager with autism, ADHD, or an intellectual disability, or even one that is a bit snoody? I am certain you had moments that sounded like: “What am I supposed to do right now with you right now!?” “It is not that hard!!” “What is wrong with you?!” Let’s take a step back and reflect that maybe your teen is overwhelmed, burned out, and overly exhausted—but no matter what you do, it doe...

Welcome back to NeuroCurious —where we explore the brain, behavior, and the human experience. Today, I want to challenge a really common assumption: When a child has an intellectual disability…Are behaviors just a part of the disability ? Or… are we missing something deeper? Because for many families, what looks like defiance, aggression, or shutdown is actually something else entirely— something...

Imagine being a child who is constantly told to try harder , pay attention , or sit still —but no matter how hard you try, your brain seems to move in a completely different direction than everyone else’s. Teachers see distraction. Parents see unfinished homework. Peers sometimes see the “weird kid.” But what if what we’re really looking at isn’t a lack of effort… but a different wiring of the bra...

About 1 in 10 children in the United States between the ages of 3 and 17 are treated for ADHD. But ADHD rarely shows up alone. Research shows that nearly 80% of those children also experience another mental, behavioral, or developmental condition . That might include anxiety, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, or intense emotional outbursts. For parents, this can feel confusing. Is it ADHD...