Parenting with Impact

"I don't know anyone with ADHD who doesn't have trouble with sleep," says Guest Expert Dr. Roberto Olivardia, kicking things right into gear for this week’s podcast. Along with eating and general impulsivity, sleep is a top complaint Olivardia hears from parents of the kids he works with. It’s important to know that it’s not kids being difficult that causes the problems. Resear...

We all want our kids to be able to regulate and manage their own behavior. Kids with ADHD are particularly prone to risky behaviors, which are often a way of seeking out stimulation. How do we manage risky behavior? Listen to this insightful Parenting With Impact episode with Elaine and Diane as they discuss how to address and manage risky behavior in ADHD kids.12 Tips for Parenting a Complex Teen...

If so – you probably find yourself frustrated and flustered at times, unsure how to support without enabling, how to guide without hovering – and how to help make sure your child or students are able to learn strategies to take ownership of their education and become independent over time.10 Parenting Tips for School Success with Complex KidsThere are only 10 tips in this FREE parent’s guide from...

A pill is not always the fix-all for any condition. ADHD is no different. For some, the medications can create more problems than they solve. Dietary changes can offer an alternative. Dana Kay is a board-certified holistic health and nutrition practitioner, two times international bestselling author, and the CEO and founder of the ADHD Thrive Institute. As a mother of a child with ADHD, she knows...

Backpack? Check. Lunchbox? Check. Brushed teeth? Check. You breathe a sigh of relief, rushing your kids to the bus stop. You just barely make it before the bus leaves, and you look down. Shoes. You forgot to check for shoes. Morning madness strikes again. Sound familiar? Check. As parents of complex kids, we have had many struggles getting our kids out the door. It's a universal challenge. An...

Gender identity is a topic today amongst youth. If you are a parent who has a child who is questioning their gender identity, you certainly have a lot of questions about how to best support them on their journey. Cate “Cash” Ashby is a licensed psychotherapist in New Mexico and California and Florida. They hold a Master’s degree in counseling from the College of Santa Fe. Cash specializes in couns...

A child that is both gifted (a 130 IQ, according to the Columbus Group) and has at least one learning disability (LD) may also be referenced as twice exceptional (or 2E).Dr. Michael Postma is a consultant, speaker, and author dedicated to the holistic development of both gifted and twice-exceptional children. Over the last two decades, Dr. Postma has worked in the field of gifted/talented educatio...

Revolutionizing the education system through technology is a hot topic today. How are the needs of ADHD students a part of the conversation? Elaine and Diane sit down with Entrepreneur, Adrien Harrison as he talks about his targeted courses that offer solutions to the particular struggles of ADHD learners. Adrien is a serial entrepreneur, startup advisor, and the founder of Smart Course, an educat...

In today’s chaotic world, stress is an unfortunate fact of life, for us and our kids. For complex kids, it can be paralyzing. Luckily, Guest Expert Mary Anne Richey has a few effective strategies for helping complex kids manage stress. Mary Anne Richey is a Licensed School Psychologist who has been employed by the School District of Palm Beach County for thirty years as a middle school teacher, as...

Parents often find themselves stuck in particular phases of parenting. How do we foster independence and empower them to take ownership of their lives? When do we find ourselves enabling vs helping them develop independence? Listen to this inspiring Parenting With Impact episode with Elaine and Diane as they discuss the 4 phases of parenthood- from complete dependence to independence.  Parenting i...

We all come into parenting with a lot of preconceived notions of how things should be. We read traditional advice from experts or inspirational quotes about the life-changing gift of parenthood. But early on, when it comes to raising a child with ADHD, not many people have a lot of familiarity with Executive Function. Dr. Bertin is a developmental pediatrician and author of How Children Thrive and...

Once our kids are in high school and even college, they should be getting comfortable with advocating for themselves in getting the support they need in their education. What does the journey look like—should look like—on the way to that independence? Laura J. Patey, M. Ed. Is the Dean for Academic Advancement at Wesleyan University, in Middletown, CT. She has over thirty years of experience in hi...

One of the most basic beliefs we carry about ourselves has to do with how we view our personality. You may have heard your child say something along the lines of, “Oh, I’m just not a math person,” or, “Organization isn’t my thing.” You may even recognize these types of attitudes in yourself. This is what’s known as a “fixed mindset,” a concept that originated in the book Mindset: The New Psycholog...

Is your child having difficulty paying attention? What signs should you look for when trying to identify Inattentive ADHD? The signs and symptoms are not always typical signs of ADHD. Today, we dive into Inattentive ADHD so we can recognize it and make sure our kids get the support they need. Kristin Wilcox has a Ph. D. in Pharmacology from the University of Mississippi Medical Center and has spen...

Many parents of complex kids are tired of feeling overwhelmed. They want to be done with the chaos – at least, the kind of chaos that is in their control. It's not always an easy task, but it can be done! Kricket Harrison is a Performance & Productivity expert working with businesses to increase performance, productivity and profits. As a professional speaker, Kricket is known for her dyn...

Much like parents arrange for accommodations at school for our complex kids, we need to create an accommodating environment at home. What does that look like? What does your kid need to support a skill that needs to be developed? Does your child need accommodations or remediation for lagging skills, and why is it important to know the difference? Listen to this inspiring Parenting With Impact epis...

Emotions are a tricky thing. They can be beautiful and powerful … but not always rational. When they become intense or come on too strong, they are hard to handle. When they’re always intense, it can feel intolerable! DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) -- which is different from traditional talk therapy and more targeted than CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) -- can teach complex kids how to handle...

The family unit. It sounds simple on paper, but how do you really work together as a family, especially when one or more family members have ADHD? Do you know how to run optimally as a family when someone is struggling? Sharon Saline, Psy. D., clinical psychologist and author of the award-winning book, What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew: Working Together to Empower Kids for Success in School and...

We all know the drill: birth, school, college, adulthood. It’s a formula that somehow became mandatory – a script that we’re expected to follow. But what if that outline isn’t quite the right fit for your child? What if your smart teen isn’t ready for college? Judith S. Bass Certified Educational Planner Judith S. Bass, Certified Educational Planner, is the founder of Bass Educational Services, LL...

A child who feels most comfortable in the gaming world is not necessarily wasting their life. How can we turn this interest into a way to teach life skills, and perhaps find a career goal within the programming world? Dan Clark runs the service MindJam - online 121 mentorship and guidance for children struggling with SEN, anxiety, stress and social issues; through gaming and game design. He set th...

Parenting with ADHD is no easy task, even if you've been doing it for years. There is always something surprising to deal with, and inevitably something you thought you'd handled doesn't get done. The challenge of focusing on yourself when you have so much to do in focusing on your kids often throws you way off balance. John Willson has a Masters in Outdoor Therapeutic Recreation Ad...

Matthew Zakreski, PsyD is a high energy, creative clinical psychologist who utilizes an eclectic approach to meet the specific needs of his neurodiverse clients. He specializes in working with children and adolescents, as well as their families, in providing therapy and conducting psychological evaluations. He is proud to serve as a consultant to schools, a professor at the university level, and a...

Remember how fun tug-of-war used to be? Getting down in the dirt, pulling with all your might – it’s the perfect team exercise. As an adult with an ADHD child, it takes on a whole new meaningTop 12 Tips To Help Your Complex KidsGot complex kids? Yeah, so do we. Parenting a complex kid can be frustrating, overwhelming, and isolating. It can also be incredibly rewarding -- with the right help and gu...

Knowledge and understanding of ADD/ADHD has vastly improved since the ‘90s. This is in no small part thanks to the tireless work of Dr. Ned Hallowell. His strength-based approach to ADHD is revolutionary in helping build meaningful and productive lives. Edward (Ned) Hallowell, M.D. is a board-certified child and adult psychiatrist and world authority on ADHD. He is a graduate of Harvard College an...

SAT, ACT and standardized testing are words that every student dreads – ADHD or not. So much studying and preparation take place that it’s not a stretch for students (and parents) to call the whole process a nightmare. Jenn Cohen is CEO and Lead Tutor of LaunchPad Education. LaunchPad offers specialized online test prep tutoring for students with learning differences and ADHD. She is a frequent co...