THE AUTISM ADHD PODCAST

"Just for Attention"? Why This Assumption Hurts Autistic & ADHD Kids and How to Help "How can they expect me to stay invisible? It's not like I can just stop existing." An autistic ADHD boy said those words to me in my office. After decades of working with children and teens, it's still one of the most heartbreaking moments I've experienced. He wanted friends. He wanted to be included. He wanted s...

What if the "behavior" you're seeing isn't simply behavior? When an autistic or ADHD child suddenly becomes more irritable, anxious, withdrawn, aggressive, avoidant, or emotionally dysregulated, it's easy to focus on what we can see—and how to make it stop. But what if the behavior is actually a clue? In this episode of The Autism ADHD Podcast, I'm joined by my dear friend Dr. Purnima Valdez, a de...

Are they really refusing—or are we expecting their brain to do something it can't reliably access in that moment? Executive functioning differences can look like laziness, carelessness, defiance, lack of motivation, "not listening," forgotten homework, unfinished assignments, meltdowns, or complete shutdown after school. But those "behaviors" may be telling us a very different story. In this episo...

Could One Page Change Your Child's School Year? A Free Tool to Help the Adults in Their World Truly Understand Them If you're the parent of an autistic or ADHD child, you know how exhausting it can be to explain your child to every new teacher, therapist, physician, coach, tutor, or camp counselor. You hope they'll understand your child's strengths, communication style, sensory needs, executive fu...

Why does your autistic or ADHD child struggle with things that seem easy for everyone else? Maybe they can't keep their room organized. Maybe they lose things constantly. Maybe they seem overwhelmed by tasks that other children complete without much effort. And maybe you've wondered... "Are they just not trying?" In this episode, I share a personal story that completely changed the way I think abo...

The Small Language Shifts That Protect the Mental Health of Neurodivergent Kids What if some of the most common words we use with autistic and ADHD children are actually creating confusion, shame, masking and self-doubt? Words like: • Respectful • Responsible • Pay attention • Motivated • Trustworthy • Nice • Confident and on and on Most of us use these words every day without thinking twice. But...

I was in the hospital for seven days recently. Scared. Exhausted. Completely out of control of what was happening to my body. In the middle of all of it — a nurse walked in and asked if I wanted a blanket. It sounds small. It wasn't. Because in that moment, someone was asking what I needed. And I couldn't stop thinking about how rarely that happens... especially for neurodivergent kids. We tell th...

This episode is deeply personal. Today, I'm sharing a part of my story that I've hidden for a very long time.  Elizabeth Le Forest is walking with me through painful topics such as anxiety, perfectionism, chronic illness, masking, people pleasing, burnout, and what happens when a neurodivergent person spends their life trying to prove they are worthy of love, belonging, and support. For years, I w...

If you've ever felt that gut punch… The side eye. The comment. The subtle (or not so subtle) message that your child is "too much"… or that you're somehow getting it wrong as a parent… I get it! In this episode of The Autism ADHD Podcast, I'm talking about something that so many parents and therapists experience… but we don't talk about enough: The "good kid / bad kid" narrative The "they were rai...

I want to start with something I say to burned-out moms — and I mean it every single time I say it: Your burnout makes sense. Not the kind of "makes sense" that's just being nice. The kind that means there is a real, biological, neurological explanation for why you feel the way you feel. And it started long before you became a mom. That's a nervous system that was already running on empty — and fi...

Let me tell you about the time I performed Madonna's "Like a Virgin" at my elementary school talent show. I was nine. I rolled around on the floor. I sang every single word. I thought the audience was speechless because I was that talented. I had absolutely no idea what the word virgin meant. Nobody asked what song I'd picked. Nobody explained it to me. And I didn't know what I didn't know. This e...

When adults tell autistic or ADHD children to be more accountable — to take more responsibility, to stop making excuses, admit when they're wrong — I understand exactly where that's coming from. The fear underneath it is real. The exhaustion is real. But here's what I also know: when we demand accountability and responsibility through shame, we're not teaching our neurodivergent kids anything. We'...

ADHD & Autism: Why Chores Are So Hard and How To Teach Chores in a Way That Actually Works:)  Why do chores turn into power struggles in so many ADHD and autistic families? It's not laziness. It's not defiance. And it's definitely not a character flaw. In this episode of The Autism ADHD Podcast, Holly Blanc Moses sits down with adolescent psychologist Dr. Cam Caswell to unpack why chores feel like...

Why are morning routines and bedtime routines so hard for ADHD and autistic kids? If your mornings feel chaotic… If bedtime turns into battles… If you've tried "sleep hygiene," reward charts, reminders, and it still falls apart… This episode is for you. In this conversation, I sit down with occupational therapist Dr. Peyton Gemmell to talk about why routines are especially difficult for neurodiver...

What if the problem isn't motivation… but misunderstanding? In this episode, we dive deep into executive functioning and the powerful role of "why" in understanding ADHD and neurodivergent children and teens. Joining me is Dani Donovan — ADHD advocate, comic artist, and author of The Anti-Planner — for an honest and validating conversation about procrastination, overwhelm, shame, and the myth of l...

When I was in first grade, I had a plan for Valentine's Day. A very thoughtful, very Holly plan. Every classmate was getting a Valentine. But not every classmate was getting the same coin taped inside. There were the quarter kids. The dime kids. The nickel kids. The penny kids. And one classmate got nothing. My teacher was not happy. My parents were not happy. And not one single adult that day ask...

People Pleasing Is Dangerous for Autistic & ADHD Kids: What Parents and Therapists Need to Know People pleasing is often labeled as being kind, flexible, or mature. But for autistic and ADHD children and teens, people pleasing is often something else entirely. It's a self-protective survival strategy—one rooted in fear of rejection, emotional pain, and the belief that their needs are "too much." I...

We use the word friend all the time—at school, at home, on the playground. "Line up, friends." "We don't hit our friends." "That's my friend from work." It sounds warm and inclusive, and it's almost always said with good intentions. But for many autistic and ADHD children, language is taken literally. When we tell them everyone is their friend, they believe us. And then they expect those people to...

"Bossy." "Rude." "Demanding." "Has an attitude." If your autistic or ADHD child keeps getting these labels from teachers, family members, other parents or even yourself - this episode is for you. As an AuDHD psychologist, I see this pattern and how it silences the voices of neurodivergent children. destroying children's voices every single day. In this episode, I'll show you: What's REALLY happeni...

https://www.youtube.com/@autismadhdtvwithholly Sensory experiences shape how neurodivergent kids feel, think, and show up in the world — and when those experiences are overwhelming, confusing, or dismissed, the emotional toll can be enormous. In today's rebroadcast, Holly Blanc Moses (AuDHD therapist, evaluator, and mom) gets deeply personal, sharing powerful stories from her own childhood and adu...

In this episode of The Autism ADHD Podcast, host Holly Blanc Moses welcomes Shelly Robinson, a Certified Conscious parenting coach and founder of Raising Yourself. You don't want to miss this episode! Parents, therapists, and educators are going to LOVE this episode. Holly and Shelly cover 5 signs of emotionally safe parents, why this way of parenting is the best for both the child and the parent...

If you've ever thought, "Why don't they just do what I say?" or "They need to be more motivated," this episode will completely change how you support autistic and adhd children. In this episode, you'll learn: What motivation actually is (cognitively speaking) and how it relies on executive functioning The specific executive functions that impact motivation How executive functioning challenges lead...

Thanks for joining me, Holly Blanc Moses - The Mom/Neurodivergent Therapist, on The Autism ADHD Podcast. Is a neurodivergent student in your life struggling at school?  You're not alone—and there ARE supports that actually work . In this episode, I'm breaking down 5 game-changing school accommodations based on what parents, therapists, and educators are searching for most: communication supports,...

Welcome to The Autism ADHD Podcast! I'm thrilled that you joined me. My name is Holly Blanc Moses, The Mom/Neurodivergent Therapist. Today, we are talking about the FREE "Get to Know My Child Snapshot" - a one-page fillable pdf that takes less than 5-minutes to complete.  Decrease anxiety Prevent misunderstandings about behavior Highlight strengths and interests Set a child up for success with tea...

Hey friends—today I'm getting personal. I share what it was like to tell my dad and mom about my autism diagnosis at 50, how internalized ableism whispered "you're not autistic enough," and why believing kids is one of the most powerful ways to lower anxiety. We talk masking that looked like "success," sensory differences that shaped my days, the "my regular" story (Hi, Dairy Queen), and the momen...