The ADHD Parenting Podcast

Hosts Ryan and Mike work through five real listener questions covering some of the most common — and most misunderstood — challenges of raising kids with ADHD: a six-year-old with borderline intellectual functioning caught between a cautious school and a hands-off psychiatrist, a ten-year-old with total time blindness for non-preferred activities, sibling conflict where the hosts openly diverge on...

In part two of this two-part series, Mike and Ryan discuss why families often abandon medication too quickly after a single difficult trial, the importance of trial-and-error in finding the right medication regimen, and why genetic testing isn't the shortcut many parents hope it will be. Find Mike @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.grownowadhd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find Ryan @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.adhddude.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Ryan & Mike take on ADHD kids' medication based on research and doctors, not social media. They cover untreated ADHD risks, debunk the psychiatrist myth, and put decisions with parents and prescribers. Find Mike @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.grownowadhd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find Ryan @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.adhddude.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ {{chapters}} [00:00:00] Start [00:01:05] Why Parents Get Confused About Medication [0...

Ryan and Mike take on four of the loudest myths in Facebook ADHD parenting groups: pharmacogenetic ("cheek swab") testing for medication selection, the idea that every ADHD child needs one-to-one talk therapy, the "everything is sensory" framing, and rejection sensitive dysphoria as a discrete diagnosis. For each one, they walk through what the actual research and clinical prac...

In this episode of the ADHD Parenting Podcast, hosts Mike and Ryan tackle a provocative but critical topic: why high expectations are the most loving thing you can do for a child with ADHD. They respond to a listener’s experience in which an effective classroom point system—backed by decades of research—was canceled after other parents of children with ADHD complained. Mike and Ryan break down the...

In this episode, Ryan and Mike explore the real reason children with ADHD struggle with reading comprehension and written expression—working memory issues, not laziness or oppositional behavior. They explain the role of nonverbal working memory (mental movies) and verbal working memory (inner voice) , share key research findings, and offer practical strategies to support children at home and schoo...

In this episode, Ryan and Mike take on one of the most hotly debated topics in the ADHD parenting space: do kids with ADHD actually need consequences? Social media influencers say no — just connection, co-regulation, and emotional validation. Ryan and Mike push back hard with decades of research showing the opposite: ADHD is a disorder of performance, not knowledge, meaning behavior is governed by...

Today's episode is a re-release of Episode 43, because the message is just that important. In this episode of The ADHD Parenting Podcast , hosts Ryan Wexelblatt and Mike McLeod explore what it means to “step into your parental authority.” Drawing from research and clinical experience, they discuss how authoritative parenting—balancing warmth with structure—helps children with ADHD develop self...

In this episode of the ADHD Parenting Podcast, Mike and Ryan answer several listener questions about common challenges parents face when raising children with ADHD. They discuss why some children struggle to initiate friendships despite wanting them, the role of social anxiety and executive functioning in social behavior, and why screen time can reinforce avoidance of real-world interaction. The h...

In this episode, Ryan and Mike discuss how screen time impacts the executive functioning skills already delayed in kids with ADHD — things like impulse control, attention shifting, and cognitive flexibility. They challenge the popular online messaging that frames screens as "social" or "regulating" for neurodivergent kids, arguing that these messages make parents feel better but don't actually bui...

In this episode, Mike and Ryan walk through the core questions parents often ask about independence, responsibility, and executive functioning in kids with ADHD—using the framework developed in Mike’s recent book and workbook. Rather than focusing on behavior management or short-term strategies, the conversation centers on how internal skills develop over time and how parents can support that deve...

In this listener Q&A episode, Ryan and Mike tackle some of the most challenging real-life situations parents of kids with ADHD face at home. From bedtime anxiety that spirals into nightly meltdowns, to medication concerns around mood changes and irritability, to constant attention-seeking and dysregulation at home, this episode focuses on what’s really driving these behaviors—and how well-inte...

In this episode of the Mike and Ryan break down four widespread myths about ADHD that continue to circulate on social media, in parent groups, and even in professional settings. Using research-based evidence and clinical experience, they explain what’s accurate, what’s not, and why these misconceptions can be unhelpful for families. Find Mike @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.grownowadhd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ & on...

This episode breaks down the major misconceptions about ADHD treatment and clarifies what decades of research, major clinical guidelines, and leading experts actually recommend. Ryan and Mike explain why weekly talk therapy is not an evidence-based treatment for ADHD, why parent training and environmental structure are consistently shown to improve outcomes, and how parents can make informed decis...

This is part 2 of "Your Child Is Not Your Co-Parent". Ryan and Mike continue examining why popular “gentle” and heavy emotional-validation parenting approaches often backfire for kids with ADHD. They break down the research, explain the leadership needs of ADHD brains, and outline why overtalking, overprocessing, and overnegotiating increase dysregulation rather than calming it. Find Mik...

In this first half of a two-part episode, Ryan and Mike break down why many modern parenting approaches—especially those centered on constant negotiation and seeking a child’s input for every decision—backfire for kids with ADHD. They outline how clear leadership, predictable structure, and authoritative (not authoritarian) parenting create emotional safety, reduce conflict, and support executive...

Today's episode is a re-release of episode 23. I wanted to bring this episode back because it gets to the core of what Mike and I are always trying to teach: helping kids with ADHD move from dependence to independence. This conversation started with a powerful listener comment about how “doing everything out of love” can actually leave kids feeling helpless and incapable. That story stuck with me—...

The ADHD Parenting Podcast returns with another episode to address real-life questions from parents about managing ADHD. Topics include handling therapeutic classroom recommendations, navigating the challenges of a political climate for a curious preteen, managing prompt dependency in routines such as eating and showering, and dealing with lying and exaggeration. They provide practical advice on e...

In this episode of The ADHD Parenting Podcast , hosts Ryan Wexelblatt and Mike McLeod explore what it means to “step into your parental authority.” Drawing from research and clinical experience, they discuss how authoritative parenting—balancing warmth with structure—helps children with ADHD develop self-regulation, emotional safety, and independence. The hosts challenge social media’s rebranding...

In this episode of the ADHD Parenting Podcast , Ryan sits down with the father of Rick, a 14-year-old navigating ADHD in the context of a blended family. The conversation explores the challenges of co-parenting across two households with different structures, managing dad guilt while maintaining boundaries, and helping a teen feel both supported and heard. They discuss practical strategies like fr...

Join Mike and Ryan as they tackle listener questions on the ADHD Parenting Podcast. This episode covers practical advice for managing neighborhood conflicts, setting boundaries for young adults with ADHD, and supporting children's reading preferences.  Find Mike @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.grownowadhd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ & on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find Ryan @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.adhddude.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠...

In this episode of the ADHD Parenting Podcast, hosts Ryan and Michael tackle pressing questions from parents navigating the complexities of raising children with ADHD. How can parents motivate their kids to engage in home therapy exercises without resorting to rewards or threats? What strategies can help a child manage emotional outbursts during sports, especially when medication wears off? As the...

In this episode of the ADHD Parenting Podcast, hosts Ryan and Mike tackle a question about the complex challenges faced by a high school boy with ADHD, as highlighted in a heartfelt email from a concerned parent. How can parents effectively support their children in navigating emotional intensity and social skills? What role does rejection sensitivity play in their relationships? As they explore t...

In this episode of the ADHD Parenting Podcast, hosts Ryan and Mike look at the troubling impact of misleading neurodiverse parenting content on social media. Are parents unknowingly harming their children by accepting the notion that their child's identity is solely defined by their diagnosis? As they explore the fine line between support and disempowerment, Ryan and Mike provide actionable st...

In this enlightening episode of the ADHD Parenting Podcast, hosts Ryan and Mike challenge the conventional approach to parenting children with ADHD. They explore the critical shift from treating kids as fragile to fostering anti-fragility—can children truly thrive through challenges? Discover the importance of building frustration tolerance and setting high expectations while maintaining empathy....