In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I have a candid conversation with Anouk Briere-Godbout about the challenges of parenting neurodivergent children. Our discussion focuses on the impact of societal pressure on parental confidence and the importance of finding supportive communities for parents facing similar struggles. Anouk shares personal experiences and professional insights, emphasizing self-compassion, resilience, and the need for a mindset shift in addressing the unique needs of neurodivergent children. If you’ve felt judged about your parenting in public, listening to this episode will make you feel so much less alone!

In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m talking with Emily Hamblin about the unique ways neurodivergent kids might show their love for you. Emily shares her personal journey of recognizing and appreciating her children's unique love languages, discussing the impact of neurodivergent traits on their communication of love and care. The conversation delves into the concept of love languages, emphasizing the importance of understanding and embracing the individual ways in which children express and receive love. Throughout the episode, Emily provides insights and practical tips for parents to recognize and incorporate their children's love languages into daily interactions. The discussion also explores the significance of celebrating small victories in parenting and the value of recognizing and acknowledging children's expressions of love and care.

In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I had an insightful conversation with Dr. Janina Elbert Maschke, an expert in ADHD coaching and cognitive psychology. We discuss how to support neurodivergent young adults as they navigate the unique challenges they face, such as feelings of isolation, academic pressures, and emotional struggles. Dr. Maschke shares invaluable advice on recognizing and celebrating the strengths of neurodivergent individuals, as well as empowering parents to shift from instructing to supporting their young adults. We also discuss the importance of finding one's passion, building confidence, and seeking outside support.

In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I’m exploring the profound impact of successes on our neurodivergent kids (and all of us humans). I discuss how experiencing successes contributes to building confidence, motivation, and a positive mindset, all through the lens of brain science. I also offer practical ways for parents and educators to create opportunities for success and the importance of celebrating even the smallest victories. Join me as we explore the power of successes in shaping our children's journey and the strategies to support them along the way.

I'm thrilled to bring you another compelling episode of Beautifully Complex. For this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Elizabeth Sautter, MA, CCC-SLP for a truly eye-opening discussion about the often wildly misunderstood concept of listening and showing that you’re listening. Elizabeth, a speech language pathologist and social cognitive specialist, emphasizes the importance of allowing individuals to find what works best for them in terms of regulation, challenging the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach. We dive into the myths surrounding what it looks like when a kid or teen is listening, the significance of regulation as a foundation for education, and the diverse ways in which individuals process information. From the concept of "Listening Larry" to the need for tailored support for neurodivergent children, our conversation offers a newfound appreciation for the complexities of listening and the impact it has on learning.

In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, we’re setting achievable intentions for the new year, with a strong focus on nurturing connections and fostering collaboration with our neurodivergent kids and teens. As always, I’m challenging the traditional authoritarian parenting/educating approach and advocate for a collaborative relationship with your kids and students, and I provide practical insights and resources for creating a collaborative environment. I emphasize the importance of spending quality time without distractions to build connections and suggest ways to provide opportunities for children to connect with you and with peers. You can even download my annual goal planning worksheet for 2024 in the show notes.

In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m joined by Doreen Samelson, EdD, MSCP to discuss the emotional impact on neurotypical siblings of neurodivergent children. Learn about the importance of acknowledging and accepting diverse emotions, creating intentional time for the siblings, and seeking support from networks and family members. This episode offers practical resources and highlights the significance of open dialogue and radical empathy in supporting all family members.

In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I’m taking a deep dive into the concept of "can't versus won't" when examining a child's behavior. It’s important to understand that the majority of the time, when a child is struggling, it is a "can't" rather than a "won't," even when it feels like an undoubtable won’t. I cover the complexities involved in assessing the "doability" of tasks for neurodivergent kids and provide an acronym, "DESKS," to help parents and educators analyze the factors that contribute to a task's doability for that child. Each factor plays a significant role in determining whether a child can or cannot complete a task without significant support or accommodations. Learn to approach challenges with empathy and understanding, and the framework required to assess doability to support children in overcoming barriers to achieving success.

In today's episode,I have the pleasure of hosting Dr. Brent Crandal, a clinical psychologist and children's book author. Join me for this thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Crandal about practical ways to build mindfulness and connection within families. From fostering gratitude to promoting a culture of hope, this episode presents valuable insights and actionable strategies to enhance family dynamics. We delve into the importance of mental health hygiene, modeling healthy behaviors, and finding balance in parenting. This episode is filled with wisdom and inspiration. So, grab your favorite beverage, get cozy, and get ready to be uplifted by this enriching conversation.

In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I outline five strategies to boost the confidence of neurodivergent teens and young adults. I emphasize the importance of leaning into a strengths-based approach, fostering a growth mindset, providing opportunities for talents, interests, and passions, making "time in" a part of the family culture, and being transparent about your humanness, frustration tolerance, grit, and resilience for your teens. I share practical examples and insights on implementing these strategies to help you guide your neurodivergent kids towards building confidence and self-esteem.

In this episode of Beautifully Complex, Leslie Josel and I explore the crucial role of emotional rewards in building habits and fostering positive behavior in neurodivergent children. We highlight the significance of specific praise, genuine curiosity, and active listening in reinforcing routines and solidifying relationships. The conversation also delves into the challenges of effective communication and the importance of providing space for children to process. You’ll get practical insights and strategies, and be empowered with valuable tools to support your child’s development and nurture meaningful connections.

In this episode of Beautifully Complex, join host Penny Williams as she delves into the topic of childhood OCD with guest Brendan Mahan, M.Ed., MS. Brendan opens up about his personal journey raising a child with OCD and the challenges his child and family faced, and continues to face, along the way. From the early signs of OCD in his son to the impact of COVID on his family dynamics, Brendan shares the highs, lows, and important lessons learned about raising a kid with OCD. Join us as we explore the complexities of OCD, the power of connection, and the realities of being a parent in the face of mental health challenges. This is a conversation you won't want to miss.

In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m diving into behavior challenges at school. We'll discuss the common struggles faced by children with ADHD, autism, and other developmental delays, and explore effective strategies to help them navigate these challenges. From poor frustration tolerance and off-task behavior to big emotions and argumentativeness, we'll unpack it all. Join me as I share practical tips, insights, and stories to empower parents, educators, and professionals in supporting these beautifully complex individuals.

In this episode of Beautifully Complex, we’re discussing the incredible power of music for those who are neurodivergent with Penny’s son, Luke. Luke shares his personal journey with music, starting from using it as a tool to assist his focus and mental clarity beginning in fourth grade. He also delves into his experience with creating digital music on his iPad and phone. Penny and Luke explore how this particular form of music — with its rhythmic and often heavy nature — has been instrumental in helping Luke regulate his emotions, cope with overwhelm, and ultimately improve his ability to refocus on his schoolwork. They also touch upon how different music genres, including heavy and fast beats, can have a calming effect on neurodivergent individuals. Join us as we dive into the fascinating world of using music to feel better and do better and uncover the beautiful complexity it brings to our lives.

In today's episode, our host Penny Williams dives deep into a topic that many parents struggle with: how to stay calm in the midst of the storm. As a parenting coach, author, and mindset mama, Penny shares her personal journey of going from a parent who yelled and felt frustrated to one who responds calmly, compassionately, and clear-headedly. From reframing our children's behavior to understanding that it's not personal, Penny offers valuable insights and strategies on how to manage our emotions and effectively support our neurodivergent kids. Let's dive into this beautifully complex topic together.

I have a special guest in this episode — Alice Gendron, also known as The Mini ADHD Coach. Alice shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 29 and the challenges she faced afterward. She discusses the misconceptions surrounding ADHD, particularly in women and girls, and highlights the importance of understanding the different ways in which ADHD can manifest. Join us as we dive deep into this beautifully complex topic and gain valuable insights into working with the ADHD brain.

In this episode, I’m diving deep into the topic of de-escalating challenging behavior with Dayna Abraham of Calm the Chaos. As parents of neurodivergent kids, we often face moments when our children's behaviors become overwhelming and difficult to handle. This discussion will provide you with valuable insights and strategies for navigating these situations. We explore the concept that all behavior is communication and how to approach challenging behaviors as clues of dysregulation, rather than as negative actions. We also discuss the importance of staying calm, being mindful of our words and actions, and using tools like sensory anchors to ground ourselves in tough times. Plus, wel explore how our own behavior as parents can influence the outcome of these challenging moments. So get ready to gain some powerful tools for de-escalation and join us on this journey of understanding and embracing the beautifully complex adventure of parenting neurodivergent children.

In this episode, I’m diving deep into the reality of frustration, particularly for mothers of neurodivergent children with Stephanie Rosenfield. Stephanie shares her insights and personal experiences, highlighting the challenges and struggles faced by moms who are constantly striving to balance authenticity and protectiveness. We'll explore the societal pressures of being the perfect parent and how it impacts our ability to be real with our children. Stephanie also offers valuable tips on how to navigate frustrating moments and teach resilience to our kids. Get ready for an honest and eye-opening conversation that will leave you reflecting on your own parenting journey. Let's explore the beautifully complex reality of frustration with Stephanie Rosenfield.

I’m diving into the big picture goals of education and how refocusing on those overarching goals helps struggling learners thrive. Join me as I discuss how understanding the true purpose of education and the true purpose of each task or assignment can level the playing field for struggling learners and enhance a child's learning journey.

In this episode, I discuss the role of neurobiology in our ability to learn. Join me as we uncover the science behind how our nervous system’s state impacts our availability to learn. We will explore the concept of regulation and why it is crucial for optimal learning. Get ready for some eye-opening insights that will challenge the traditional educational norms we've been accustomed to.

The concept of the "just right challenge" plays a crucial role in supporting growth and success for neurodivergent kids in school. I share insights on finding the balance between pushing children outside their comfort zones and ensuring they can still achieve success. I emphasize the need to meet kids where they are and create opportunities for growth, all while understanding the ever-changing nature of neurodiversity. Tune in to learn more about the Zone of Proximal Development and how to navigate the complexities of setting appropriate challenges for struggling students.

Connection and a sense of belonging are integral to learning. Join me as I explore strategies for creating a community that not only supports academic growth but also celebrates individual differences. Tune in to discover how building a culture of community can positively impact students' emotional well-being and engagement in the learning process.

Normalizing differences in education is a key topic for creating schools that are equitable to all learners. I share valuable lessons learned from experts on how to embrace neurodiversity, different learning styles, and unique needs in the classroom. Join me as I uncover strategies to create a culture of acceptance, foster community, and encourage open conversations about alternative approaches to learning. It's time to make education a place where every student feels seen, understood, and successful.

In this episode, I explore the crucial importance of providing adaptable approaches to education for neurodivergent children and those who struggle in school. Prepare to discover three key ways to implement flexibility in education, ranging from the flexibility of the learning environment to accommodating different modalities of learning and allowing individualized planning and organization.

In 2022, 34 students and adults died in school shootings, while more than 43,000 children were exposed to gunfire at school. These are startling statistics, but an epidemic that many Americans have grown somewhat numb to. While we’ve become accustomed to expecting more school shootings, it doesn’t reduce the fear and anxiety kids and parents feel. In fact, the inevitability keeps the lack of control top of mind.  In this episode, I’m joined by the Executive Director of the Trauma and Grief Centers, Dr. Julie Kaplow, to learn what we can do as parents and caregivers to help kids navigate the emotions and fears they feel when a school shooting happens. First and foremost, Dr. Kaplow says we have to talk about the tragedies with our kids. Listen in to learn more about what you can do to empower your kids to navigate tragedy and the resulting fear it often causes.

Everyone has eight senses — the five we know commonly, which are our “far” senses, and the three additional senses that are our “near” senses. The three additional senses of vestibular, proprioceptive, and interoception are vitally important to regulation.   In this episode, I’m joined by occupational therapists, Rachel Harrington and Jessica Hill, hosts of the All Things Sensory podcast. Listen in to learn about the three “near” senses, how to put on your sensory goggles to decode behavior and help your kids regulate, and many tools and activities for the different sensory areas.

School is hard for neurodivergent kids — there's no question about that. Traditional educational systems are not designed for kids who learn differently. That means we have to advocate for our children and take steps to provide a path for success. First and foremost, we must understand the end goal of schooling: to provide our children with the education and skills they need to thrive as adults. We can't achieve that if we get caught up in just conforming to a rigid system. Instead, let's focus on nurturing their individuality and helping them discover their sense of purpose. Our kids need to understand why they're learning certain things and how it will impact their lives. And here's the key: we need to create opportunities for them to experience success, no matter how small. Remember, learning and growth is a process, and it's important to meet kids where they are, celebrate their victories, and empower them with ownership and control over their education. Listen in to learn how.

Everyone needs grit for self-actualization. Without experiencing that we can do hard things and be okay on the other side, we don’t feel truly successful and fulfilled. Of course, we want this for our kids — we want them to have grit and to feel a great sense of achievement and purpose. So how do we foster grit in our kids (and ourselves, btw)? The short answer is that we allow failure and then learn and grow from it. As the executive director of SOAR, John Willson (or Big John as I and his campers know him) explains to us, it means that it’s imperative that we stop rescuing our kids too quickly. We must teach them to “fail forward,” as he calls it. We must step back and watch the hard thing happen to them or witness them really struggling with something, and then wait for the recovery and the sense of true accomplishment to hit them. Doability and support are crucial, of course. Listen in for the full conversation on helping kids build grit.

Our culture is pretty rigid and it calls for parents to be rigid in their parenting as well — you set rules and limits, kids break them, you punish them. But, this is not good parenting!  Kids do need structure but they also need the space to be authentically who they are and find their own path. Rigidity doesn’t allow kids to be true to themselves, it doesn’t allow parents to feel good about their relationships with their kids, and it doesn’t prepare kids for adulthood and independence. There is a better way.  Author of Calm the Chaos, Dayna Abraham, joins me in this episode to talk about why we need to shift from rules and limits and what we should shift to, boundaries and agreements, routines and plans. Listen in to learn a values-based family system and how to implement it in your family.

Parenting itself can be traumatic — it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders to protect your child while also teaching them to live their truth and live it fearlessly. When you add in neurodivergence, you amplify the stress, anxiety, and intensity. And your body holds onto that stress, anxiety, and intensity — it doesn’t feel safe and it signals you not just emotionally and mentally, but physically as well.  I’m honored to have the founder of The Biology of Trauma, Dr. Aimie Apigian, with me in this episode to discuss not only the trauma and what it may feel like for you in the ways your body is responding, but also the process of repair and healing. Listen in to also hear Dr. Aimee take me through two very short exercises to help relieve the stress and overwhelm right when it hits us the hardest. 

One of the struggles we hear from parents again and again is that their child lacks self-regulation. Being with a kid who can’t self-regulate day in and day out is challenging, no doubt. But you can help your kid calm and kids can learn to self-regulate — you just need the right strategies. In this episode of Beautifully Complex, outline five strategies to help your child get regulated or to foster their own self-regulation skills. Most of these can be woven into your everyday lives and things you’re already doing. Remember, when kids are regulated, their bodies and brains are able to engage and get things done, and they can feel good about themselves. Regulation is a key priority.

It’s hard not to get overwhelmed when parenting neurodivergent kids. The chaos, the school meetings, the appointments, the seemingly never-ending need… it’s a lot to juggle. But what our souls crave — what we need to truly live — is joy, ease, and presence.  In this episode, Heather Chauvin of Emotionally Uncomfortable reminds us that overwhelm is just a symptom, not a lifestyle. Instead, focusing on how you feel and how you want to feel can create a transformation in your body, mind, and spirit. Listen in to learn how to take charge of your energy and how you feel.

Though our understanding of autism has greatly expanded, many autistic individuals are still missed or misdiagnosed. Not all autistics are severely outwardly impacted, like Rainman. Autism is a spectrum and it can show up in many different ways — even camouflaged.  In this episode, I’m talking with Donna Henderson, Psy.D. & Sarah Wayland, Ph.D., authors of the new book,  Is This Autism? A guide for clinicians and everyone else. We talk through the diagnostic criteria of autism in a new way — through a lens of understanding the deeper nuances of each area and what those symptoms might look like in a child, adolescent, or adult who has less-obvious autism. Those who are hiding in plain sight.

We talk a lot about strategies for when our kids get stuck, but what about us? Parents can certainly feel stuck too. I’m feeling it to the nth degree these days, and I’ve decided to share my current feelings of being stuck in the stuck of stuck and what I’m doing to slowly find my way out of that darkness.  In this episode I share my current stuckness, how doing simple things has been hard for me, and what my therapist is helping me do to feel better so I can do better. I hope that my openness in sharing some of my personal story helps you feel a little less alone and inspires a new perspective for yourself or your parenting.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by your child’s behavior, numerous possible interventions, school struggles, medication trials, and your feelings about all those things when you have a child with ADHD or autism. And we can’t live our best lives, or help our children live their best lives, when we’re overwhelmed and trying to do too much at once.  “We’re living in systems that make it hard for [parents of ND kids],” says Dr. Kelly Fradin. That inherently brings more difficulty to parenting complex kids. In this episode, Dr. Fradin shares strategies on both coping with the emotional aspects for parents and helping our kids develop and grow in their own time. It’s a process, and Dr. Fradin is here to help you with it.

The rate of suicide in children is rising sharply, not at a true crisis point. It’s something we worry about as parents, and rightfully so. Especially when we’re talking about a marginalized population like neurodivergent kids. Conversations with our kids about suicide are paramount, but often avoided because it’s a really hard topic to think and talk about.  In this episode, Jonathan Singer, Ph.D., LCSW joins me to talk about suicide. As an expert in the field, Jonathan shares the latest statistics, why the epidemic is increasing, and what we can do about it. He also provides examples of the conversations you should be having with your kids.

Parents and teachers often worry that if they help a kid with lagging executive functioning skills that the kid won’t develop skills for independence — that they won’t be able to function on their own. But, the truth is, you can help a child with functioning skills and teach them independence skills. The first step is to replace doing things for the child with doing things with the child. In this episode, we talk about the difference between helping in a way that is enabling, versus helping in a way that is empowering. You can support and still teach a kid to be independent. In fact, that’s what good support actually does — it helps and empowers. Listen in to learn how to support a kid who struggles with time management, task initiation, planning, and organizing while also teaching skills and self-accommodations.

There is a LOT online about ADHD and autism. A LOT! How do you know what to trust, what to try? It can be tough, especially when you’re searching through a lens of fear and worry for your child.    In this episode of Beautifully Complex, we offer some guidelines on knowing what to trust and considering what interventions are worth trying. We talk about ADHD medication, diet, brain training, and more.

You want to help your child. So you make some assumptions as to why they’re upset, why they’re not getting things done, why they’re avoiding or disengaging… You show empathy and validation with that info, still trying to help, and then your kid gets more upset and you can’t figure it out because you feel that you did everything right. The hurdle you tripped over may be assumptions and judgment. We have an opinion about why the behavior is happening and act on it as fact, when it’s really just a guess, at best. This causes so many issues. Tune in to this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast to learn what assumptions you should make and how to check your judgment so you can actually be helpful more often than not.

There are some tough and scary things in life that we need to talk to our kids about: divorce, serious illness of a family member, moving, death of a loved one, to name a few. As parents, we don’t want our kids to be hurting and often default to sharing as little painful information as possible with them. But, we do them a great disservice with that approach. Instead we need to be open and honest with them in an age-appropriate way.  What is age-appropriate for these conversations? My guest, Sara Olsher, shares a step-by-step process of talking to kids about hard things that helps parents have the conversation they need to have in a way that works for the child too. We discuss removing the unknown factor, answering questions, and talking about how the child’s day-to-day life may change because of this circumstance. Not only does Sara have the knowledge, but she’s developed the tools for this process as well.

Instead of viewing ADHD and autism through the medical model, we need to view them through a strengths-based model as the neurodiversity movement does. A strengths-based model uses interests and strengths to help with challenges. We talk a lot about it in terms of parenting and educating, but now it’s time to teach our kids to operate through a strengths-based lens.  In this episode, Dr. Matt outlines the steps to help your child develop a strengths-based perspective specific to their own strengths and weaknesses. This puts challenges and non-preferred tasks through a lens that the child or teen cares about, making it much more doable. As Dr. Matt reminds us, “Rising tides raise all boats.”

If there’s one thing parents of struggling learners understand, it’s that the IEP process is complex. Between the law (IDEA), qualifications, the IEP document, goals, measurements, and formal meetings, there’s a lot to know and navigate to ensure that your neurodivergent child receives the education they deserve (and have a right to).   In this episode, I’m joined by Master IEP Coach, Catherine Whitcher. Catherine shares insights on the IEP process,  two main strategies for IEP meetings and what to expect in those meetings, and all the facets of a student should be addressed with special education, not just grades and test scores. Join us to discover your voice of advocacy for your child. 

Biology influences behavior. Being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world does, too. The challenges neurodivergent kids experience at school and in their classrooms are tied to their neurological differences and how their bodies interpret their environment and gauge their safety. When kids don’t feel safe, they cannot regulate and they cannot learn.   In this episode, Dr. Emily King helps us understand the added layer of complexity that neurodivergence adds to a student’s school experience. We discuss the importance of regulation, choice, and interests in helping kids feel safe and helping their bodies be available to learn.

It’s easy to fall into bad patterns with our interactions with others, especially our kids. But a better relationship is always possible, as long as you make changes and do the work. In this episode, Sarah Wayland, Ph.D. is back with me to talk about making amends, repairing the relationship, and pivoting to more healthy and rewarding interactions.

Intelligence and learning and doing are different things. An individual can be highly intelligent and also struggle with getting things done or even with learning itself. When someone has both a high IQ and a learning disability, they’re referred to as twice-exceptional, or 2e. As you can imagine, this can be a struggle in school, as well as other aspects of life, because people tend to automatically think that an intelligent person is a highly capable person.     I’m joined by 2e expert and counselor, Emily Kircher-Morris, to discuss the asynchronous development that leads to twice-exceptionality and how we can help 2e kids and teens self-advocate and create an environment for their success.

It’s the 6 year anniversary of the Beautifully Complex podcast so I’m looking back at some of the most pivotal lessons I’ve had about parenting neurodivergent kids. I’ve interviewed nearly 150 experts and also parented my son from young teen to young adult during that time. I’ve learned a lot! Listen in as I explain my six biggest aha’s and what they could mean for you and your child — the interconnectedness of biology and behavior, pressure is actually a demotivator, rejection sensitive dysphoria, giving kids control, compassionate parenting, and asking for help.

Many neurodivergent kids — including those with ADHD, autism, and anxiety — can be quite aggressive at home or at school. To cope with and improve aggressive behavior, you have to understand why it happens. In a global sense, the child doesn’t feel safe, and acknowledging this is a great place to start.  Tosha Schore of Parenting Boys Peacefully is my guest on this episode. In her work with families, Tosha helps parents discover the root of the aggression and work to diffuse it. Listen in to learn the three things you  must understand if your child (or student) is aggressive, common mistakes to avoid, and how to restore peace.

We’ve been busy recording the sessions for the upcoming Decoding Behavior Summit, March 3-5, 2023. In this episode of the podcast, Sarah and I reflect on the common principles and strategies we heard from the experts in this Summit, including your role in your child’s behavior, the importance of adult regulation, the transformative properties of a sense of control for kids, and more. 

The parenting long game is all about putting the right mindset and strategies in play so that kids can succeed and thrive. As parents, we often spend a lot of time in the “yuk,” overwhelmed by what’s hard and negative. And we’re wired to focus on the negative as a means of protection.  However, to parent with the long game, Rachel Bailey tells us that we have to shift from judgment to understanding. Judgment is often followed by a negative narrative we create. Understanding is often followed by the narrative that our child needs help. Listen in to get Rachel’s strategies to go from chaos and overwhelm to setting your child — and yourself — up for success.

It can be hard for our neurodivergent kids to find their path into adulthood. They often don’t yet know what they’re interested in pursuing long term, even after graduating from high school. The key is to support kids, teens, and young adults in exploring their interests, as actor and puppeteer David Bizarro illustrates as he shares his story with us. You’ll gain insights on the ADHD brain and that journey and leave with a sense of hope for your child’s future.

Low demand parenting doesn’t mean that we dismiss all expectations of a child and let them do whatever they want. Instead, low demand parenting means dropping demands and reducing expectations in order to meet kids with radical acceptance. AS Amanda Diekman explains in this episode, the purpose of the low demand life is to find ease and joy. But how exactly do you shift from the high demand parenting that’s instinctual to most people to low demand parenting? Amanda explains that you start with radical acceptance and respecting the child’s boundaries. Listen in to hear her explain all six steps to shift to low demand parenting and see a transformation for your family.

The challenge of raising a child with differences in a mostly intolerant world is very real. There’s both joy and heartache, as Kaylor Taylor illustrates in her book, “Canaries Among Us.” At stake in this quest to honor our kids’ individuality, is the mental and emotional health of an ever-growing population of neurodivergent children.  In this episode, Kayla and I discuss the injurious nature of being a misunderstood and different kid in rigid societal systems, such as education, including the lifelong impact on mental health, the ability to hold down a job, and even physical health. You’ll also learn what to do to advocate for neurodiversity and help the world celebrate differences rather than condemn them.

“A brain that feels safe will not get stuck.” That’s how Britt Frank, author of “The Science of Stuck,” explains the connection between a sense of psychological safety and being stuck. In this episode, she not only shares that understanding of why we get stuck, but she outlines her step-by-step process to move through stuckness, something we’re all too often trying to help our neurodivergent kids do. Listen in and learn about the power of choice as well.

We’re addressing a listener question about letting kids fail in this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast. When parents say, “Let kids fail,” they usually mean revoking all of the help and support they were providing and letting the kid handle it on their own, even if that means letting them fail (often knowing it means that a neurodivergent kid will fail).  Sarah Wayland, Ph.D. and I don’t support letting kids fail in the literal sense of that phrase. This is a complex issue because kids need to feel success in order to put forth continued effort, and to feel capable and confident. Learn how to scale your support, rather than revoke it to build skills for future independence.

The transition into college and then out in the “real world” are challenging enough, but can be even more daunting and complex when you have ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, or anxiety. Parents want to help their kids succeed and thrive but are no longer able to step in to help in the ways they had while their child was under age 18.  In this episode of Beautifully Complex, Alex Gilbert, who has ADHD and dyslexia herself, outlines a plan to help neurodivergent students succeed in college and during the associated transitions.

Did you know that only about 10 percent of U.S. high school students get 9-10 hours of sleep a night, the amount required for healthy sleep at that age? Teens who aren’t sleeping enough don’t just walk around groggy. A lack of healthy sleep negatively impacts mental health, cognitive function, reactivity, emotional regulation, immune function, and relationships.  Clearly, adequate sleep is important. But how do we help teens with a lot of demands and distractions prioritize sleep? That’s what Heather and Julie, authors of the new book, “Generation Sleepless,” offer in this episode of Beautifully Complex. We discuss the ramifications of sleep deprivation and how to help your teen get motivated about their sleep health.

In celebration of the 200th episode of the Beautifully Complex Podcast, I have my son Luke back on the show. It’s been 14 years since his first diagnosis of ADHD, and we’ve both learned a lot of lessons along the way. In this episode, Luke and I each share our top 5 lessons learned — my lessons in parenting a neruodivergent child and his lessons in being a neurodivergent individual. The episode starts with Luke sharing his lessons for other neurodivergent kids, teens, and young adults, so we encourage you to have your kids listen with you. As always with Luke, it’s a fun conversation.

There’s a cultural misconception that self-care is treating yourself to something, like a spa day or a weekend away with friends. While that is a type of self-care, it doesn’t sustain you through the day-to-day like internal self-care does, managing our stress, our mindset, and our thoughts and emotions.  Don’t discount internal self-care as “fluff” — I can personally attest that it’s life-changing, as can my guest for this episode, licensed psychotherapist, Sarah Sanders, MFT. Sarah outlines the three main areas of internal self-care and teaches us how to go about internal self-care and why it matters so much. Making internal self-care a priority is a key ingredient to being the parent you want to be.

It can be difficult to secure accommodations and services for your child at school. It requires that many people agree on a shared vision and how to make that student’s vision for their education a reality through necessary support. Getting everyone on the same page is key, along with focusing on a few priorities in the here and now.    In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m joined by Beth Liesenfeld of The IEP Lab. Beth shares her 3-part process to setting priorities for your child around school/education. She walks us through taking those priorities and creating a vision statement to share with your child’s school team to help everyone collaborate for a common goal.

Did you know that we are reactive by nature? That’s right! Our brains are wired to respond in kind for protection. But responding in kind — like yelling at your child after they yelled at you — is rarely needed in today’s modern world. And it’s never helpful, which is why we need to reduce our reactivity with our kids and parent from a place of calm intention.  My guest on this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast is parenting and mental health educator, Laura Linn Knight. Laura shares her insights and strategies on reacting less, addressing behavior and struggle with intention a lot more, and giving ourselves grace and amending our own behavior when we make mistakes. The calmer you are, the more power you actually have.

Recent data shows us that anxiety and depression have spiked tremendously in kids since the pandemic. Kids are struggling more than ever and they need our help (adults too, by the way). But what does that help look like?   In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, psychologist and author of several books on anxiety and depression, Dr. Gregory Jantz explains the signs of anxiety and depression in children, what we can do as parents and educators to help them, and when and how to seek professional help.

The difference between supporting a child and enabling a child is often a very fine line when you’re talking about neurodivergent kids, who need extra support. Plus, busy, overwhelmed parents often default to enabling because it’s just easier to do it yourself a lot of the time and you’re on auto-pilot in survival mode yourself. So how do you parent more intentionally and as a supporter?   In this episode of the Beautifully Complex Podcast, Sarah Wayland, Ph.D. and I discuss the difference between supporting and enabling, when enabling is ok, how to be intentional about defaulting to supporting, and the consequences of enabling too much.

I truly believe that we all have greatness within us. Each and every one of us. My guest for this episode, Cathay Domoney, believes this wholeheartedly as well, and it’s one of the core tenets of her work with children and families. Listen in as Cathy shares her process to help kids discover their own individual greatness. We talk about the mindset and “pure filter of love and curiosity” required to truly allow our kids to discover their authentic selves and shine, which starts by stripping away the expectations of culture and others. You’ll learn how to build a relationship with your child that provides sacred space for exploration (and mistakes) so they can discover themselves… and their greatness.

Parenting is hard. Parenting kids in this generation is even harder. Our kids today have a lot more potential pitfalls — and risks — to navigate with the internet and social media. And we parents have that whole additional world of risk to help our kids navigate. It’s vast, it’s tricky, and it’s scary. In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I’m talking with Titania Jordan with Bark Technologies. Listen in to learn all the dangers our kids face online as well as important conversations to have with your kids about these risks and tools and strategies to keep them safe. This is a very difficult but important topic and a must-listen for all parents.

Are you pressuring your child? You may not realize when you’re adding pressure, but you are very likely doing it often and not recognizing it. Neurodivergent kids don’t do well under pressure. It’s dysregulating and actually makes them less capable of actually doing the thing you’re pressuring them to do.  In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I outline how we pressure our kids, what the pressure does to them and why we should stop, and what to do instead.

When you don’t have ADHD yourself, it’s really how to know how your child with ADHD thinks and feels. Even if you do have ADHD too, the experience is different for each individual with ADHD, meaning it’s different for your child than it was and is for you. Yet, it’s important for parents to know what life is like for your kids so we can help them thrive. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with Dr. Dawn Brown of the ADHD wellness center about how to discover how your child thinks and feels. We cover a variety of perspectives and topics including development, intense feelings and big emotions, sensitivity and rejection sensitive dysphoria, dysregulation, meeting your child where they are, and more… 

If there’s one tool we all need for life in this world — kids and parents — it’s calming techniques. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast I explain the role of the vagus nerve and our autonomic nervous system in getting us activated and feeling unsafe, and then list more than 20 tools and techniques to use for calming yourself or your child, by stimulating the vagus nerve to calm the nervous system. 

Seeing that ADHD and autism can be genetic, it stands to reason that there are many neurodivergent parents raising neurodivergent kids. Terry Matlen is one of them, but she’s also an expert on ADHD, especially in women. In this episode, Terry shares the feelings of guilt and inadequacy she felt raising her kids, because she struggled with many of the daily tasks due to her ADHD. She also offers some simple strategies to help make things like preparing meals and cleaning up more manageable when you may be struggling with executive functioning skills yourself.

One in five children has a learning disability or attention issue that causes school struggles. In the U.S. alone, that’s approximately 56.6 million students (Educationdata.org). And yet, we continue with an educational system that is solely focused on conformity and compliance. It is built for your average student with little consideration for those that can’t succeed in that system, even though they are virtually required to.  My own son is one of those students and, despite a gifted intelligence, he graduated high school feeling stupid and worthless. He’s one of millions with a similar experience and that’s just not ok. That’s why I created the free, online School Struggles Summit. In this podcast episode, I’m sharing some of the amazing insights and strategies from the experts in the Summit. You have actionable strategies here in this overview and the opportunity to register for the Summit and learn so much more to help your struggling child or student have the opportunity to succeed in school (in their own way).

Most of our systems that involve children are designed on the compliance model — that’s true in parenting and educating. We’ve leaned on compliance in our educational system since the 1800s, and it’s been part of our parenting culture for centuries. And yet, neuroscience has now taught us that there’s a monumentally better way. Through research we know that our neurobiology is a driving force in behavior — particularly our autonomic nervous system and our brain. We know that there are sensitivities and differences in our neurodivergent kids’ neurobiology too, making it crucial that we adopt this brain-based lens when responding to and managing behavior.  In this episode, OT Greg Santucci, explains why focusing on regulation (and dysregulation) are both a more effective and more humanistic approach than compliance. He also provides some actionable mindset shifts and strategies to help you implement a regulation model right away.

Most parents look forward to the start of a new school year. Their kids no longer need to be entertained all day every day and they get a bit of a break. However, if you the parent of a neurodivergent kid who struggles in school, you probably dread the start of a new school year — I know I did.    In this episode of the Beautifully Complex Podcast, I’m talking with educational therapists, Stephanie Pitts and Rachel Kapp about how to create a plan for a smooth start to the school year. You’ll learn about the 3 systems you need to support, how to simplify, and the communication necessary for your child to have a good school year.

The way we talk to our child matters. Not only does it become the little voice inside their heads and influence how they feel about themselves, but it can foster connection, build communication skills, and inspire confidence and resilience.  In this episode, Rebecca Rolland, Ed.D. shares her formula for Rich Talk and other strategies from her book, “The Art of Talking with Children: The Simple Keys to Nurturing Kindness, Creativity, and Confidence in Kids.” Learn how to implement reflective and active listening with your child and what benefits you and your child will be rewarded with when you do. Rebecca’s strategies help engage kids, make them feel seen, heard, and validated, and nurture their relationship with you.

Parents are human beings, nowhere near perfect. Often that means that we bring baggage from our childhood, our experiences, our own parents and let it color our parenting. We end up stuck on auto-pilot and often feel shame and blame when reflecting on tough parenting moments. Conscious parenting is about healing your own self so you can show up and be the parent you want to be for your kids. In this episode, Behavior Coach Lauren Pace outlines the steps necessary to make a shift to parenting with awareness and intention and creating the family life you really want. 

One of the most impactful and transformative aspects of parenting is your relationship with your child (this is also true of the teacher-child relationship). A solid, calm, trusting relationship helps keep everyone regulated and feeling good. In this episode, Sarah Wayland, Ph.D. and I offer you four actionable strategies to foster connection with your child and build the relationship you want and need.

The new documentary film, The Disruptors, hears from many game-changing people about their ADHD and the vital role it has played in their success, and takes an immersive look at our approach to ADHD that debunks the most harmful myths, intimately taking viewers inside a number of families as they navigate the challenges-and the surprising triumphs-of living with ADHD. In this episode, I talk with executive producer, Nancy Armstrong, about why she wanted to create a film about ADHD and how this film can change the course of the lives of children with ADHD and their parents. Listen in, watch the film, and share it with the educators and other adults in your child’s life. Change begins with each of us.

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Jonathan Joly. If you haven’t yet, listen to Part 1, episode 180. There’s still so much for parents of neurodivergent kids to learn from Jonathan - so much that it’s two episodes. 

Our culture has come a long way with acceptance, but there’s still so much further to go. We’re still very much a society based on conformity and normalizing everyone. I don’t have to tell you, but that simply doesn’t work. What happens when we keep pushing people to be our definition of “normal” when it isn’t who they are? They end up feeling “other” - unheard, unseen, and misunderstood.  This is the life Jonathan Joly describes in his new book, “All My Friends Are Invisible.” Growing up with ADHD, dyslexia and questioning his identity, Jonathan felt that there was no tolerance in the world for a kid with, what he calls, my “crazy mind” and differences. So he had to create a world where he was valued more than in the real world… a world in his imagination. His invisible, imaginary friends allowed him to be 100 percent himself, without judgment, bullying, and shame.  There’s so much for parents of neurodivergent kids to learn from Jonathan in his story, and in the way he parents his own children. He talks about how he didn’t finish school, but went back later and got a university degree and graduated with honors, how there’s a freedom to embracing who you are, and the coping mechanisms that he created and used to keep going in a world that rejected him.  This is one of the most emotional, moving, and inspirational conversations I’ve had. I know you’ll find it impactful too.

Parents often ask, “Is it sensory or is it behavior?” The truth is, sensory challenges cause behavior. Knowing that helps you determine a child’s intent and then zoom out and rewind to determine the particular sensory struggle that caused the behavior. There are many potential sensory struggles and they depend entirely on the individual. In this episode, I’m joined by occupational therapist Laura Petix (aka, the OTbutterfly). Laura shares a variety of real-life examples to help you learn how to determine the specific sensory systems impacted in the tasks and activities your child or student struggles with. She explains the concepts in an easy to understand way so you better understand what’s triggering behavior and can formulate an informed plan to help.

No parent wants to yell at their kids, but it happens. We are emotional, complex, imperfect creatures, just like our kids, so we are going to make mistakes. Just like our kids. However, we can make simple changes in our parenting that can have profound positive effects on how often our kids are triggered, and ourselves.  In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m talking with positive parenting expert, Amy McCready, about the basic emotional needs of kids and adults, some parenting truth bombs that will help you see a more effective path forward, and some proactive strategies that will help our kids feel better and do better more often.

This short bonus episode shares a couple announcements — including a free webinar — and the Behavior Revolution's best tips for handling the unpredictability of summer with neurodivergent kids. 

For most children with ADHD, autism, or anxiety, one of the biggest stressors can be the unknown — unknown place, unknown schedule, unknown future. For this reason, vacation with neurodivergent kids can be challenging. As parents, we have grand expectations of family vacations… we want them to be packed full of memorable moments and ample joy. But the reality is that no one’s family vacations are like that. Every family has challenges. Ours just may have more sometimes. So join us for some tried-n-true tips on successful family vacations with neurodivergent kids.

We are in a crisis when it comes to children’s mental health and the healthcare needed to address it. We’re seeing a spike in anxiety and depression in kids and almost zero availability of mental health professionals. In this episode, I’m talking with Dr. Jason Kahn of Boston Children’s Medical Center about what parents can do when counseling or therapy isn’t yet available for your child. Tune in to learn about community and at-home supports.

I am excited to announce that the Parenting ADHD podcast is now the Beautifully Complex podcast.  I’ll still be sharing the same content on neurodiversity, ADHD, autism, anxiety, learning challenges, and this complex parenting journey. But now I’ll be doing it under this broader name so parents raising neurodivergent kids who don’t have ADHD will join our community also.  The entire premise of everything I share and teach is that when we feel good we can do good.  So how do we help our kids (and ourselves) feel good? Through acceptance, understanding, seeing behavior as communication, and being the calm anchor in the storm for our kids.  The Beautifully Complex podcast will help parents, caregivers, and educators harness the realization that we are all beautifully complex and marvelously imperfect. Each week I’ll offer insights and actionable strategies on parenting neurodivergent kids — those with ADHD, autism, anxiety, learning disabilities... My approach to decoding behavior while honoring neurodiversity, and parenting the individual child you have will provide you with the tools to help you understand and transform behavior, reduce your own stress, increase parenting confidence, and create the joyful family life you crave.  It’s the same mission I’ve always had for the podcast… I’m just opening my arms wider to invite more parents, caregivers, and educators in.  I hope you’ll continue to join me on the journey of learning to help our neurodivergent kids find their versions of success and joy, while stressing less and enjoying parenting more.

One of the most challenging aspects of raising a neurodivergent child is school and learning. In the U.S., our schools are built on a compliance and conformity model, which is a huge barrier to success for kids who learn differently and are behind their peers in skills and development. That’s why it’s crucial that parents understand their child’s learning needs and the accommodations and services they are entitled to.  In this episode, I’m talking with former special education teacher and advocate, Liz Capone, about IEPs, 504 plans, and how to work with your child’s school to ensure that your child has what they need at school to learn and show mastery.

The one thing all of us want for children is for them to feel loved, important, and special. As much as we want that, we don’t always succeed at it — life gets busy, and even the most well-meaning adults get frustrated and have bad days. Since neurodivergent kids get exponentially more negative messaging each and every day because of their differences, it’s crucial that caregivers make a conscious effort to ensure that these kids feel loved and lovable.  In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with the author of the “All the Time” children’s book series, Deborah Farmer Kris, about the steps parents can take to ensure that kids feel truly loved and loveable. Deborah provides quick, simple ideas you can take action on right away.

Sensory challenges are common with both ADHD and autism. Often, the way sensory input is processed by an individual can explain behavior. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with Carol Stock Kranowitz about the changes in her latest edition of her groundbreaking book, The Out-of-Sync Child, the importance of movement in working with sensory challenges, and what to do if your child struggles with sensory processing.

The concept of self-regulation is well-known among parents of kids with ADHD or autism. Especially since our kids often struggle to self-regulate. But there’s a lot more to talk about in the world of regulation. Our autonomic nervous systems drive behavior. And that nervous system is always either in a state of regulation or a state of dysregulation. This is crucial understanding for parents, caregivers, and teachers of neurodivergent kids. When one is regulated, they are calm and connected and feeling good. But when one is dysregulated, they’re feeling out-of-whack and that drives behavior. Join Sarah Wayland and I as we discuss how to recognize if your child is regulated or dysregulated and how that information informs your responses.

Success with ADHD is absolutely possible, though that can be hard to hope for while watching your child struggle in school. That’s why I love to share ADHD success stories with you. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I talk with successful ADHD entrepreneur, Isaac Eaves, about how he attained success by creating habits and routines that helped him focus, reframing struggles and making them his superpowers, and taking one step at a time toward his goal.

Many neurodivergent kids love video games. They’re stimulating, rewarding, and often a less intimidating social environment. However, parents worry about how much time their kids are spending on screens. FInding balance is key, but you can also use your child’s interest in digital play to build skills, like executive functions. Kids are practicing planning, organization, time management, problem solving and more in their video games. You can use that to help them apply those skills in their everyday, offline life. And that’s exactly what my guest, Randy Kulman, Ph.D., founder of Learningworks for Kids, discusses in this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast. Join us to learn how to use his Detect-Reflect-Connect model to help your kids relate the skills they use in their favorite games to real life tasks and activities.

Everybody lies to some degree (remember when you told your friend she looked beautiful when wearing a dress you hated?). Lying is part of growing up. And kids want to do well — they want to meet your expectations and please you. When your child tells you a lie, it isn’t because they “disrespect” you. It’s so much more than that, and isn’t really about you at all.  In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Dr. Norrine Russell is back to explain why kids lie, what it’s really about, and what you can, and should, do about it. One key strategy is to ask yourself how much is fact and how much is wishful thinking. This conversation is not what you would assume and that’s what makes it so powerful.

Did you know that meltdowns are different from tantrums? While a tantrum can devolve into a meltdown, a meltdown is very different. A child is not in control of themselves during a meltdown. Their brain has sort of been hijacked. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, my partner in the Behavior Revolution, Sarah Wayland, Ph.D., and I take a deep dive on meltdowns. We’re talking about what a meltdown is and how it’s different from a tantrum, and we’re outlining the five steps you need to take when your child is having a meltdown — and some of these steps may surprise you. If you want to reduce the intensity and duration of meltdowns, and help your child when they’re having a hard time, this episode is a must-listen. 

The autonomic nervous system governs the majority of our responses and reactions because behavior is biological. Fight, flight and freeze are all states of the autonomic nervous system, and all states of dysregulation. Calm and connected is also a state of the autonomic nervous system, when an individual is regulated. When you understand these connections to regulation and behavior, you have the foundational information necessary to understand behavior, notice, get curious, and create some transformation. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, nervous system expert Irene Lyon teaches us about trauma, the autonomic nervous system, unresolved survival stress, and how those experiences and biology come together to shape behavior.

An ADHD diagnosis can come with a lot of emotions, especially shame. So many kids and adults feel ashamed of their ADHD and lack confidence to be their true selves as a result. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, ADHD Adult and Executive Function Coach, Mallory Band shares her story of growing up with ADHD, accepting her brain and its differences, and learning to live authentically. Mallory has tips for parents on how to help your kids gain the confidence it takes to live as their true selves too.

It has always been tough to be a teenager, which has been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic and schooling at home for long periods. Teens are struggling more with their mental health than ever, which means they need more support and guidance in this area than ever. But teens aren’t always open to talking with their parents about the hard stuff, or talking to anyone about it.  In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Natalie Borrell & Alison Grant of Life Success for Teens share the stress and anxiety they are seeing today in their school and among their clients. They also offer tips and strategies to help teens who are struggling.

Emotional intelligence is a learned skill set. We must teach our kids about feelings — what they are and what they mean — as well as how to manage them and communicate them to others. In her work with children and her emotional toolkit, Nadine Levitt teaches that emotions are trying to help us. They’re messengers. Some emotions are more challenging to feel but they’re all natural and necessary. It’s our job to figure out what the message means and what to do about it. Tune in to this episode to learn how to talk to your kids about their emotions and teach them the skills necessary to navigate their feelings in productive and healthy ways.

American culture implies that if you are in control of your child’s behavior, you are a “good parent.” But that is extremely flawed logic. Our job as parents is to guide our kids to create a life of joy, fulfillment, and success for themselves. It’s not to have little people that we control. It’s not to have someone to exert authority over. How would that benefit our kids? How would that benefit us?    So we have to relinquish some control to our kids to teach them independence and set them up for success. But we also have to relinquish control to our kids for the benefit of their confidence and sense of competence. Kids can’t do well if we don’t allow them to make their own choices and take charge of themselves (and they can’t develop those skills either). Join me as I talk about the benefits of relinquishing control to our kids, and the importance of accepting what we cannot control and focusing our energy instead on what we can influence.

Scientific research shows us that affirmations are a powerful tool to combat negative limiting beliefs and reshape our neural pathways in the brain for the positive. Kids with ADHD (and/or autism) get exponentially more negative messages throughout their days which has a damaging impact on their confidence, sense of competency, and self-esteem. They need tools and strategies like affirmations to counterbalance the negative input and self-beliefs that commonly impact them.  In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m joined by the co-founder of Self-Pause, Jaeden Schafer, to discuss what effective affirmation practice looks like and why it’s so beneficial to adults and kids alike. Listen in to learn how you can support your child and their self-confidence with affirmations.

We don’t naturally think about how much of our parenting is actually about our kids and their needs, and how much of it is actually about ourselves. Yet, it’s crucial that we do build an awareness around when our own experiences, challenges, fears, and traumas are getting in the way of seeing our kids’ needs clearly and providing for their needs. More often than not, our reactions and responses are more about us than about our kids.  In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking about how to determine what is about your child and what is more about you, and how to use that information to be adequately focused on your child’s struggles to be a better parent. One strategy is to ask yourself, “What does my reaction say about me?” We cover more insights and strategies in the show, as well.

Gender diversity is more common among neurodiverse kids and teens, especially those on the autism spectrum. People who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth are three to six times as likely to have autism as people who don’t question their gender assignment, according to the latest studies on the subject. Neurodivergent kids have trouble fitting in and they often explore different communities to discover where they fit, including the transgender community.  In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I have an open and honest conversation with transgender woman, Wynne Nowland, about how parents, friends, and families can support a child or teen who is questioning their assigned gender or has reached the realization that they are transgender. One of the most important aspects is getting mental health experts involved to help you and your child navigate gender exploration and gender identity. A humanistic approach is key to a healthy journey. This episode is for every human! It’s time to open our hearts and minds to accept every single person as their authentic selves.

We’re working on our next free online Parenting ADHD & Autism Summit — Decoding Behavior Summit February 11-13, 2022. In interviewing all these experts on behavior, parenting, ADHD, autism, and anxiety we have had our own lightbulb moments.  In this episode of the podcast, we’re sharing some of what these experts will be offering during the Decoding Behavior Summit and letting you know how you can participate in this online conference for free.

Many individuals with ADHD struggle with anxiety as well, wether it be an additional condition or the result of the challenges that come with ADHD. Anxiety is often misunderstood by parents and other adults in a child’s life, and can feel like it should be easily rationalized away. But, those with anxiety know no amount of rationalizing can just “turn off” an anxiety attack. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Psychologist, Dr. Dawn Huebner offers both insights for understanding anxiety, as well as strategies to help your child through the difficult challenges of anxiety.

Your parenting mindset is the #1 most important aspect of parenting kids with ADHD, autism, or other neurobehavioral disorders. Being the best parent you can be for your neurodiverse kid is 90 percent about changing yourself — it’s never about changing your kid.  This episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast is part of our Behavior Revolution series. Penny and Sarah outline the perspective you need to adopt to address behavior in a compassionate and effective way, while honoring your child’s neurodiversity (instead of trying to change it). Let’s start 2022 by getting your mind right for parenting your neuro-atypical child.

Ari Sokolov grew up with ADHD, but she didn’t let her struggles in school define her. Instead, she found ways to make her strengths of creativity and problem-solving work for her. And everything changed when she accidentally walked into a computer science class in middle school and discovered coding. Coding is an outlet for her ADHD creativity and hyperfocus and she grew so passionate about it that it became her path forward. My guest on this episode is 20-year-old Ari Sokolov, a college student and app developer who founded The Trill Project, a safe space for teens and adults to get mental health support. Join us to hear Ari’s inspiring story.

Self-care is a necessity, not a luxury. Even more so for parents raising neurodiverse kids, like those with ADHD or autism. And yet, self-care is the first thing we sacrifice as parents, thinking we are doing better by our kids and our families in doing so. The reality is, the less we care for ourselves, the less we have to give to others. Sacrificing your self-care is actually making you less able to give your all to others.  On this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking to the author of “Sit Down to Rise Up,” Shelly Tygielski about radical self-care. Listen in to learn about developing compassion-based resilience and creating a community of care for yourself to prevent caregiver depletion and burnout. You’ll leave this episode feeling valued and inspired.

Creative parenting not only helps you create moments of magic, but it also fosters trust and independence, emotional expression, out-of-the-box thinking, happiness through connection, and the ability to let go of perfection. Creative parenting can cut through the stress, anxiety, and struggle to bring more light and joy to your child, yourself, and your family, as well. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, theater producer, Nina Meehan, shares the basics of creative parenting and the tools you need to embrace creativity in all aspects of your parenting. We all have creativity within us — Nina helps you rediscover it and use it to bring mre magic and joy to your family.

By college age, 66-85 percent of all people have been impacted by trauma. And marginalized populations — including those with disabilities like ADHD, autism, and anxiety — are much more likely to experience trauma, many consistently and frequently. We can’t prevent all trauma, but we can affect how our kids (and ourselves) cope with it and heal it. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Dr. Randall Bell, author of “Post-Traumatic Thriving,” outlines the three choices an individual faces after trauma and the strategies scientific research identifies as necessary to thrive. If you are the caregiver of a child with ADHD, autism or anxiety, I can almost guarantee your child has been traumatized — and you probably have too — just by trying to succeed as a neurodiverse person in a neurotypical world. I encourage you to listen to this episode and help your family heal.

Kids with special needs get in trouble at school — both disciplinary action and involvement of law enforcement — far more than neurotypical students. Kids with ADHD, anxiety, learning disabilities, and autism are suspended far more than their peers. And that’s not ok. It’s downright scary for parents of kids with behavioral issues when they know the behaviors are a manifestation of the disability but the school is still taking punitive measures to try to stop the behavior. These interventions often quickly escalate to law enforcement involvement, which no parent wants for their child. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, educational and criminal attorney (who happens to have ADHD), Robert Tudisco, walks you through what to do to prevent the escalation of behavior challenges in school and the very, very important steps you need to take if and when your child is facing disciplinary actions or arrest at school. We also talk about how to handle the threat of truancy for kids with school refusal and avoidance. You must not miss this episode!

The common advice from many clinicians for parenting kids with ADHD is to start a behavior chart and reward system to create external motivation. The problem is that these charts and systems often add more work for overwhelmed parents and kids, and often don’t produce results. And in our schools and classrooms, they end up instilling shame, blame, and fear, which is actually harming our children. Tune in to this episode of the Parenting ADHD podcast to learn a better way to help our kids do well. Afterall, kids do well when they can.

We only encourage play up to age five in our culture, but play should be lifelong, because curiosity, learning, and growth should be lifelong. We need to trust our kids (and ourselves) to follow individual interests and passions to create learning and fulfillment. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with play enabler and parent coach, Sivanne Lieber, about using play to help our kids in academics and in everyday life. Listen in to learn how to shift your mindset about play and learning, and how to help your child follow their instincts for true success.

When we choose to view ADHD as a difference, we show our kids that they’re not broken and help them harness their strengths. As ADHD Coach, Tamara Rosier, Ph.D., tells us in this episode, people with ADHD eventually grow into their brains. It’s our job as parents to help them navigate big emotions and develop strategies to get things done despite having an ADHD brain. Tamara provides strategies for this and also shares many of her own methods learned from being an adult with ADHD and raising kids with ADHD.

Does your child avoid or flat-out refuse to go to school sometimes? School avoidance and refusal is the most stressful and upsetting thing I’ve gone through as a parent. The law says my kid has to attend school but my kid is so stressed and so pained in that environment that he couldn’t physically force himself to go many days, no matter the consequences. Listen in as I share our 9-year journey with school refusal and help you understand why it’s happening and how to handle it as effectively as possible. The struggle is real… but you are not alone.

Our culture seems to dictate that parents should have control over their kids. We should command them and they should comply. But this authoritarian parent-child relationship is harmful and not at all helpful. It sets us up to see our kids as our enemies — a mindset that is enormously damaging and actually makes our kids’ behavior worse. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’ll outline how to get on the same team as your child and show you how that positively impacts your child’s behavior, self-worth, and success. 

Yelling at someone who is causing you anguish or frustration is totally natural. We are wired to respond in kind to keep ourselves safe. However, yelling at our kids, no matter what the situation, is never helpful. Ok, if they’re running out into traffic, yelling is warranted, I’ll give you that. But outside of safety situations, yelling is counterproductive. Listen in to this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast where I talk with parent coach, Robbin McManne, about the power of putting a pause in place and what that looks like. You must put space between what’s happening for your child and what’s happening for you at that moment so you can parent with intention… and effectively. Listen in as Robbin explains why you have to fight for your calm like you fight for your kids. 

Parents get to choose how they view their child’s behavior. You can decide that they are behaving poorly or have “bad” qualities, like laziness. Or, you can take into account your child’s brain and biology and use it to guide how you view challenging behavior. It really is your choice to make. In this first episode of the Behavior Revolution series on the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Sarah and I share how to choose and use the most effective view of behavior. You’ll learn about dysregulation and why your child acts the way they do and, most importantly, how to help your child feel better and do better.

A lack of motivation isn’t a character flaw. There’s always a reason why someone isn’t on task or meeting expectations, and it’s virtually never that they just don’t care. When it feels like your child is unmotivated, ask yourself, “What’s getting in the way?” In this episode of the parenting ADHD Podcast, Dr. Norrine Russell shares how to take a deep dive into a seeming lack of motivation to determine what is preventing your child or teen from getting things done.

When kids are struggling in school, it’s not just about academics — social connectedness and mental and emotional health play a key role in success at school too. Our current tick-the-box, high-stakes educational culture doesn’t work for our kids, especially kids with ADHD and/or autism. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, join me as I talk with Jeannine Jannot, Ph.D., author of “The Disintegrating Student,” about what to do when your bright kid hits the wall of rigor and loses confidence in their ability to succeed at school. 

Many students with ADHD are underachievers or gifted underachievers. They are bright but don’t do well in school. Alex Hargrove JD — author of "Reversing Underachievement: A Practical Guide for Parents of Underachieving Gifted Children," is one of those students. He graduated high school with a 2.2 GPA and a real disinterest in school and learning. Yet, he went on to get a law degree and co-found a multimillion-dollar company. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Alex shares what sparked his eventual school success and what parents can do to help their underachieving students find their own spark.

What I most wanted to know when my son was little was what it was like to have ADHD. I wanted to know his experience so I could be as helpful as possible. I asked as many ADHD adults as I could what would be helpful for my son. Lia McCabe is sharing these same insights as an adult who grew up with undiagnosed ADHD in this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast. She shares her story with you to help you understand your child and what they need from you most. 

Many parents feel like their kids simply won’t listen to them. And when you have a kid with ADHD (or autism), it feels like they won’t listen most of the time, but you can change that. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with Julie King, co-author of the newest book in the famed “How to Talk” parenting series, How to Talk When Kids Won’t Listen. Join us to learn the three basics of getting kids to listen, as well as many strategies to foster a family dynamic where kids are primed to listen.

No one disputes that raising kids with ADHD is more challenging. There’s a definitive struggle that can often overwhelm parents and family. But, that doesn’t mean your parenting life and family journey has to be devoid of joy. Quite the opposite! Join me and the ladies of The Childhood Collective — Lori Long, Mallory Yee, and Katie Severson — as we discuss the process necessary for parenting with intention and creating joy. Learn to see the beauty of the storm.

Very often people receive something we say differently than we intended them to. This is even more true for kids with neurodifferences like ADHD and autism. Kids who struggle with social skills, emotional awareness, a sensitized stress response, and an inflated sensitivity to rejection and criticism. Our parenting comes from the best of intentions and love, but it’s often received much differently than intended. Listen in as Penny highlights the pitfalls of unintended messages and outlines how to be more mindful of the ways your messages are received and interpreted to prevent inadvertently hurting our kids. 

ADHD creates many hurdles to academic success, most often in the way of lagging executive functioning skills. It takes an ADHD-informed caregiver, coach, or tutor to truly help a student with learning challenges that stem from ADHD. And it’s also important to know when to keep challenging and when a student needs the pressure released. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with school counselor and the founder of Progress Parade, Laura Reber, about how to guide kids to turn their learning challenges into lifelong achievements. Spoiler alert! It isn’t all about academics. 

We don’t want to change who our kids are, but we do want them to feel empowered to function well in our neurotypical world so they can build a fulfilling life for themselves. And the only way to do that is to see behavior as communication, understand the biology that triggers challenging behavior, and implement a systematic approach that uses those foundations as it’s core. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Penny and Sarah talk about their Behavior Revolution and the new system they developed to finally address behavior in a compassionate and informed way, grounded in brain science and honoring neurodiversity. If you struggle with your child’s behavior, this episode is a must listen. 

The COVID pandemic has been hard on almost everyone in one way or another. It has changed us, and it has certainly changed our kids. Understood.org conducted a survey to get a clearer picture of how the pandemic has impacted kids who are different learners and different thinkers, like kids with ADHD. On this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I welcome back Amanda Morin to share some results of their study and, most importantly, how to go forward from here to help restore the mental and emotional health of our kids. Going back to school isn’t going to be easy, so parents will need to talk with their kids and make plans to ease the anxiety and stress. Listen in to find out how. 

Neurodivergent kids can often be picky eaters. And parents of picky eaters worry about their child’s health and wellness when their list of approved foods is very narrow and limited. However, there are things you can do to help picky eaters broaden their food horizon that don’t include bartering and threats (which don’t work anyway). In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with the author of Play with Your Food, Sarah Appleman. Sarah uses a sensory lens to understand food aversions and help kids become less tactilely defensive in small, incremental steps. Learn how to do that with your child as well as how to make sure you’re setting your kid up for success when it comes to food. Get ready to play with your food!

Middle school is hard. There’s lots of development during that time, and lots of insecurity. All kids are struggling, but kids with ADHD have an additional level of difficulty when it comes to the social and emotional challenges of being a tween. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, certified professional school counselor, Phyllis Fagell, shares her strategies on helping kids navigate the innate challenges of middle school so they can thrive there, and beyond. 

Teaching self-regulation can be tricky, especially with impulsive kids with ADHD who are often lagging in skills like social and emotional intelligence and self-awareness. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with Elizabeth Sautter about the Zones of Regulation, a tool and curriculum designed to teach kids of all ages to reflect on how their body is feeling and then use strategies to help regulate, when needed. Listen in to learn all about the Zones of Regulation program and how to use it with your child to build self-awareness and self-regulation. 

Sensory processing is how we react to the world through our eight senses (yes, 8!). If you have a child with ADHD and/or autism, your child has some sensory challenges. I am thrilled to have the author of THE sensory guidebook, “The Out-of-Sync Child,” Carol Stock Kanowitz share a primer on sensory processing and how it affects our kids’ behavior. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, you’ll learn about all eight senses, what it looks like when a child seeks or avoids in each sensory area, and some activities to strengthen their sensory experience in this world. 

Positive parenting is the foundation of the parenting approach I teach neurodiverse families. It is, by far, the most effective approach for kids with ADHD and/or autism. And yet, too much positivity can actually send the wrong message to our kids, and ourselves. Acting like things are all sunshine and roses when they’re clearly not, makes kids think we don’t see them and see their struggle. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m outlining the instances when positivity can actually become negative and sharing how to be mindful that your child is getting your intended message through balance and empathy. 

Slow processing speed is common among individuals with ADHD. It can affect everything from responding when someone talks to you, to not getting classwork finished, to struggling in social interactions. A child can struggle with visual, motor or verbal processing, or any combination of the bunch. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD podcast, Dr. Ellen Braaten shares how to identify slow processing speed and how to accommodate for it through adjusted expectations, assistive technology, and a strengths-based approach.

We are creatures of habit, and one of the habits that seems to be part of our human DNA is judgement. Specifically, the judgement of others. We formulate a first impression of someone — i.e., a judgement — in one-tenth of a second. And we do the same to our kids. That’s right, we are judging our children constantly. Yes, there is an element of necessity; I’m not contesting that. What I’m blaring the warning siren about in this episode is the type of judgements we make of our kids, most often character judgments. How many times have you thought of or called your child rude, disrespectful, selfish, defiant, etc.? Today I’m calling your attention to it, explaining exactly why this is so harmful, and offering a parent mindset on character and judgements that will make a huge difference for your family.

A child who exhibits challenging or tricky behaviors has a different way of moving through and coping with the world. The key is to understand the neurological reasons for the behaviors and to address behaviors in a habitual way. Clinical psychologist, Andrew Fuller, developed a system called R.E.S.O.L.V.E. to do just that and shares the steps in this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast. While challenging behavior may feel like the norm for your child, you must make it abnormal, and always approach it as “our problem” not your (the child’s) problem. 

Most kids with ADHD and/or autism feel so alone in their struggles. They don’t see themselves in their classmates, the movies they watch, or the books they read. They are underrepresented in the media, a truth that is fortunately changing. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m chatting with children’s book author and founder of ANovelMind.com, a database of books full of neurodiverse characters. Join us for a discussion of how to get kids reading and what books will help neurodiverse kids learn and grow… and feel less alone.

Health is the foundation of everything. The healthier our bodies are, the better they function, and the better medication and supplements may work. ADHD symptoms aren’t just driven by the brain — the entire body is one interconnected system so we need to take a holistic approach to get the very best results with ADHD. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Dana Kay walks us through the different subsystems of the body that impact ADHD symptoms and some functional testing that could provide insights to help improve ADHD symptoms. 

Whether it’s fueled by anxiety, compassion, or something else, many of us sacrifice our own wants and needs for the good of others. Sometimes we want to. Sometimes we feel we have to. It’s very common for parents and it’s even more common in siblings of neuroatypical kids, like those with ADHD and/or autism. Listen in as Penny explains what it means to “take up space” and encourages you to make sure your kids, especially those siblings, know that they have the right and permission to.

A parent’s protective nature is often at odds with preparing our kids for adulthood and handling any problems that come their way. Our intention is to lovingly protect them from harm and struggle, but not experiencing struggle means they’re not prepared to do for themselves and handle the basic problems of life. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, CEO of EmpoweringParents.com, Kimball Lewis, shares insight into why this generation of teens and young adults don’t seem prepared and strategies to prepare kids to be successfully independent. It’s ideal to start young, very young, but it’s never too late for change. Whether your child is 7 or 17, this episode has great wisdom for you.

One of the top complaints from parents is procrastination. Kids procrastinate on a variety of things, but the most common are schoolwork and chores. The key to resolving procrastination (or letting it go) is to understand the reasons behind it. Does your child wait until the last minute for a reason? Does your teen refuse the tools you suggest for a reason? Yes, there’s always a reason. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Leslie Josel, an ADHD-academic and parenting coach, explains how to understand your child’s brain and procrastination, as well as what to do to honor how your child functions while also getting important things done.

Our culture tends to dictate a certain path to success in life. Yet, we are free to choose our path and there is no more liberating message for kids with ADHD, autism, or learning disabilities. In this episode, I’m discussing how to help kids, teens, and young adults find their path with co-founder of the Inventive Labs, Tom Bergeron. At Inventive Labs, they focus on interest, aptitude, and engagement to help their students create a path to success. Listen in and learn how to start empowering even young children to find their path. 

The amount of time our kids spend gaming or want to spend gaming gives a lot of parents heartburn. And yet, Eric Siu was an avid gamer growing up turned wildly successful entrepreneur. He and his parents battled over the amount of time he invested in gaming. But, Eric grew up and recognized that he learned many life skills through gaming. Now he goes through life “Leveling Up” and viewing it as a game of sorts, and he is a true success story, more successful than most of us dare to dream of. Listen in and learn how to help your gamer translate the skills they’re learning to everyday life success.

The college admissions process can be complicated and overwhelming. There’s no much for you and your teen to consider and make decisions on in order to find a good fit, especially when learning challenges also have to be considered. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I talk with Dr. Pamela Ellis about the five areas of fit to consider and how to find schools that will support your student’s learning challenges.

Siblings fight. It’s true. It’s something most parents have come to expect, but still find it impossible to accept. And you really should only expect that it happens on occasion, not all the time. What I found so intriguing from my conversation with Kirk Martin of Celebrate Calm for this episode is that the fighting is more often about boredom and low confidence than anything else. It circles back to one of my favorite life tenants — when you feel good, you do good. Kirk shares how to help your kids feel good, so they’re good to each other. 

Many families of kids with learning challenges — like ADHD and autism — consider homeschooling at one time or another. It can be an overwhelming process to transition from school that happens outside the home to school at home, not to mention adding the role of teaching your child to your role as parent. Yet, many find homeschooling freeing. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, homeschooling advocate and 2e expert, Colleen Kessler shares the process of transitioning to homeschooling, as well as the benefits to the kids and families alike.

It’s no secret that families dealing with ADHD and/or autism have an extra dose of challenges. And all those challenges can create chaos and really weigh you down. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Liza Blas shares how to shift your focus to the positive to discover and celebrate the everyday wins, including creating a family constitution highlighting what’s really important in your family.

Emotions play a much bigger role in our lives and behavior than we often realize. Emotional intelligence, communication, and regulation are often delayed in kids with ADHD (and/or autism), which can cause dysregulation, anger, frustration, and unwanted behavior. Join Lauren Spigelmyer, M.Ed. and I as we discuss how the emotional brain works, how to determine what’s causing emotional outbursts and other unwanted behavior, and how to help your child develop these skills and strategies to calm.

Stress is contagious, and so is calm. The world is full of stress right now, including events that are piling more stress onto kids with ADHD who already stress more than they should have to about school. When parents are stressed about school as well, it's contagious to the entire family. But, parents have the power to reduce the stress and bring the calm. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD podcast, Rebecca Branstetter, Ph.D. offers a 10-step plan to help your child press the reset button when they've just had enough and give up on school. Hint: only one of the 10 action items has anything to do with school. 

Harmony in the home can be really tough to attain when you have a child with ADHD or other neuro-atypical diagnoses. Emotions are high and day-to-day life can be harder. But, peace and harmony are absolutely attainable. Join me and Dr. Lynyetta Willis to learn how to recognize stable misery and how to get unstuck and foster positive, meaningful relationships throughout your family. We talk about co-regulation, intention, recognizing our own triggers, and Dr. Willis’ PATHS framework to guide helpful interactions with our kids and our loved ones.

Children with ADHD and/or autism have developmental delays in many areas, which often include social skills and emotional intelligence and regulation. These lagging skills can lead to challenges with social interactions and relationships, listening, communication, appropriate communication of  feelings, transitions, flexibility, willingness to try new things, behavior, and so much more. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Speech and Language Pathologist, Elizabeth Sautter, CCC, and I discuss the importance of social and emotional learning for our kids, activities to help your child grow in these areas, and how to weave this type of learning into the fabric of your everyday lives. 

This current era in American education is a challenging time for families. Virtual learning is a challenge for many kids, especially for those students with learning challenges and/or ADHD. The home environment is more distracting, often filled with things kids would rather be doing instead of school, not to mention the boredom factor that comes with learning on the computer, at home, alone. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, school psychologist and inventor of the reVibe, Richard Brancaccio, offers many tools and strategies to help kids with ADHD participate in remote learning successfully.

Life is full of chaos and uncertainty, especially when you have a child with ADHD, and especially when you’re also living through a pandemic. Join me and Meditation Coach, Josephine Atluri, to learn the techniques to shift your mindset, calm your mind and body, manage your stress, and move through life and parenting with purpose. The techniques and practices Josephine teaches us during this episode will help you create the life you want for yourself, and for your entire family.

We live in a culture and a time of more — the more you do, the more you have; the more you have, the more successful you are. And yet, that pressure and constant fear of failure is damaging, especially to our neuro-atypical children with ADHD and/or autism. One thing that can help tremendously in all aspects of school and home life is following the adage that less is more, as Executive Function & 2e Coach, Seth Perler, discusses in this episode. When kids with ADHD have less visual and mental clutter, there’s less to be distracted by. When they have less overwhelm and stress and pressure, they’re able to focus and function. When they have opportunities for successes — no matter how simple or how small — they succeed more. Learn how to help your child (and yourself) dial it back so you can feel good and live your best lives.

In everything we do or say, we have a choice. Even when your child is intensely emotional or explosive — you have a choice in how you respond. You can react in kind and prolong the battle, or you can respond calmly and purposefully to help your child and protect your relationship with them. I’m talking with Deborah Ann Davis, author of “How to Keep Your Daughter from Slamming the Door,” about the superpower of choice all parents possess. Learn how the choices you make in interactions with your children affect their behavior and your relationship.

Each year, my friend and colleague, Sarah Wayland, PhD and I gather experts in ADHD, autism, and parenting to share their top insights and strategies on raising kids with ADHD and/or autism in our parenting summits. In this episode, we are sharing the best insights we learned from this year's 35 experts, as well as an overview of the Summits and how you can participate in them free. We're covering diagnosis, emotions, behavior, creating calm, school, life during a pandemic and so much more. 

This is an episode you should listen to with your neuro-atypical kids! I have been trying to get my son to do an episode of the podcast with me for a couple years, and he finally agreed. In this episode, you'll meet my son, Luke, a nearly 18-year-old with ADHD, ASD, LDs, and a gifted IQ. We jumped on the microphone and found out he has a lot to say about growing up with differences and learning challenges. I posed this question to him: What are some things parents and teachers did for you that really helped you over the years, and what are some things we did that weren't helpful at all, or even harmful. The common message woven throughout our conversation was pressure — how parents and teachers amp it up, and how it causes kids like him to be less able to meet expectations. He also shares what he really needs from the people in his life, and even has a message of hope and perseverance for your kids. So listen in an meet my funny, compassionate, insightful boy who has inspired this podcast and all the work that I do. 

Many children and teens struggle with confidence, social anxiety, and bullying, but kids with ADHD often struggle even more with this challenges. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Kranzler talks about his new book, "The Crimson Protector," and the themes that are woven into the story to help kids build confidence, manage social anxiety, and deal with bullying. You'll learn that managing all of these situations boils down to building a sense of control, and how to help your child do just that.  

Society has always thought of lying as a character flaw. While willful lying to deceive is not acceptable and could be an indicator that someone lacks integrity, it's not that simple when talking about kids with ADHD and/or autism. There are many reasons that individuals lie. To avoid negative consequences and to impress others are the top two. When the child is neuro-atypical though, lying just isn’t always that simple. In this episode, I outline the five main reasons your child may be lying to you, and how to reframe this behavior so that you can successfully address it and improve it. Hint: Punishment won't make it stop.

We're in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic and filled with uncertainty and a lot of intense feelings. That's true for most of us as adults, and it's doubly true for our kids. There's a lot of helplessness during uncertain times like these and that lack of feeling in control of life can be extra tough for kids to navigate. In this episode, I'm talking with Dr. Shelli Dry about how we can help our kids navigate their big emotions and care for their mental health in the midst of uncertainty. Dr. Dry offers several parenting strategies and resources we can provide to our kids to help them move forward, despite the uncertainty. When we give kids resources — things they know that they can fall back on — when the world is saying, "We don't know what's next," your child can say "I don't either, but I know that I have these things I can do to help me feel better about myself and what's going on in the world."

Our sensory systems are how the brain processes all the information that’s around us. When one or more of the sensory systems is off kilter, it creates challenges in moving through the world from day to day. And these sensory challenges can often trigger anxiety and/or negative behavior. In this episode, I’m talking with occupational therapist, Nikki Perez, about all things sensory — from the different sensory systems, what behaviors may be caused by sensory avoidance or sensory seeking, and what you can do at home to help ease your child’s sensory needs. There are many activities and tools and resources mentioned in this episode. Don’t miss it.

When we talk with parents about the struggles they experience raising kids with ADHD and/or autism, all of the various challenges boil down to one thing — behavior. In this special 100th episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, my colleague, Sarah Wayland and I hosted a Q&A session with parents all about behavior. We discuss what causes challenging or intense behavior, aggression, kids who only have inappropriate behavior at home, strategies and tools for calming, and so much more. 

I talk a lot about motherhood on this podcast, because that’s the world I know. On this episode, we get a father’s perspective. Larry Hagner, founder of the Good Dad Project, joins me to discuss growing up with ADHD, raising a child with ADHD, and being an intentional man and dad to better connect with your kids and support their journey to success. Connection is the key — "without connection you have no influence."

Anxiety affects more and more kids and adults every day. It’s taking over lives and eroding the confidence of our kids (and ourselves). But, as therapist Jodi Aman outlines in her new book and explains in this episode, anxiety can be dramatically improved and brains can be hardwired for happiness. Join us in this episode to learn about the inner critic, how the “monkey mind” feeds and grows anxiety, and what parents can do to help teens and themselves reduce anxiety and be more confident. Happiness is attainable for everyone when the work is done to shift your mindset.

We all want four things in our lives that contribute to our happiness: less stress, connection to others, purpose, and meaningful relationships. Many things get in the way of achieving these things for our kids with ADHD and/or autism (and ourselves), including a frequently triggered nervous system and dysregulation, the way our own past traumas have shaped the way we parent, our expectations of our kids, and wanting to protect our kids from the negative events in our own childhood.   On this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with Dr. Nima Rahmany, a chiropractor and educator specializing in helping individuals and professionals get to the ROOT CAUSE of their physical and emotional challenges, from stressed, depressed, and anxious to living Powerfully Aligned and on Purpose. We discuss connection, trauma, triggers, regulation, and the autonomic nervous system and the way these are all interconnected and are clues on how to integrate mind-body tools to go deep with our kids and truly help them build regulation and connection from the bottom up. This all culminates in recognizing behavior as adaptive instead of abnormal, which puts parents in the best position to truly improve behavior and help our kids achieve success and happiness.

If your child has ADHD (or is on the autism spectrum), behavior is likely top of mind for you. They act in ways we don’t understand, find inappropriate, or don’t approve of when we view behavior through the traditional behavior lens. Brain-based science now helps us understand behavior and how our autonomic nervous system — our physiology — drives how we feel and how we respond to how we feel.   In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, psychologist and behavior expert, Mona Delahooke, PhD, explains Dr. Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory and how to harness an understanding of the autonomic nervous system to appropriately and positively address behavior challenges. While everything we discuss is backed by brain science, we’ve broken it down into simple terms. This conversation is one that all of us can understand and includes proven strategies to implement with your child right now.

The teen years have always been tough. There’s a ton of change coming at teens from all directions, as well as an ever-increasing expectation of independence, accountability, and responsibility. But it’s a much bigger challenge to be a teen today, with the added social complexity of instantaneous distribution and social media. It’s no wonder the tween and teen years often have an inherent lack of self-confidence. I’m talking to psychologist, Dr. Melanie McNally about supporting self-confidence in our teens and young adults on this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast. Dr. McNally offers loads of insights about healthy self-confidence and outlines several strategies for parents to help their kids manage anxiety and improve self-confidence. And this conversation is perfect for parents of younger kids too — start young because they’ll all be teens one day.

If there's one tool we all need for life in this world — kids and parents — it's calming techniques. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast I explain the role of the vagus nerve and our autonomic nervous system in getting us activated and feeling unsafe, and then list more than 20 tools and techniques to use for calming yourself or your child, by stimulating the vagus nerve to calm the nervous system. 

Is it will or skill? Behavior challenges often look on the surface like willful acting out, but rarely ever are. Behavior is simply a symptom of the “real problem” — the lagging skill, differences in neurology, dysregulation, or misunderstanding of others. Rather than judge and react to your child’s behavior and parent through a behavior lens, it’s paramount to take into account your child’s differences — physiological brain-based differences — and let that guide your parenting. This is what licensed clinical social worker, Eileen Devine, calls a brain-based lens. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Eileen and I discuss challenging parenting paradigms and shifting your mindset to parent through a brain-based lens. This is the ultimate in parenting the child you have, and raising happy successful kids. Listen in now!

If there’s one thing parenting kids with ADHD is, it’s unpredictable and inconsistent. We can be stressed by those characteristics and fight hard against them, or we can accept them and use them to our advantage. Seeing the ups and downs of this special brand of parenthood as an adventure and a perpetual learning and growth opportunity is how mom and blogger, Beth Grushkin, aka FuzzyMama, meets the challenge of raising two boys with ADHD with courage and passion. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Beth and I discuss how a creative and adventurous perspective have helped her to keep going— to keep rising after challenges knock her off her feet. She also shares what she has found to be most important for her kids and family, including sleep, nutrition, screen time, out-of-the-box parenting, and modeling what we want to see in our kids. The struggle is real, and Beth acknowledges that while providing strategies and hope to help you keep going.

A larger percentage of the ADHD population — kids and adults alike — struggle with sleep. Your child might have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep during the night, or both. When kids aren't sleeping, parents likely aren't getting adequate sleep either and that takes a toll on the entire family. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with sleep consultant, Melissa Doman, about all things sleep. We discuss why sleep challenges arise, strategies to help your kids fall asleep and stay asleep, and even how to get kids sleeping in their own beds. If your child (or you) struggle with sleep, this is an episode not to be missed. 

We are all guilty of it. Blowing up at our kid at one time or another is inevitable, because we parents are human and we make mistakes. Of course, we don't want to blow up at our kids, and it certainly doesn't have to be part of our everyday family lives, and it shouldn't be. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking to psychologist and ADHD specialist, Dr. Marcy Caldwell about the reasons we blow up at our kids with ADHD, and strategies to blow up less and how to handle it when we do blow up. They keys are mindful awareness, co-regulation, empathy and validation, and connection between parent and child. Listen in now to get Dr. Caldwell's expert insights and strategies to improve your interactions with your kids. 

It's no surprise that I'm a big fan of Brené Brown and her podcast, Unlocking Us — she's a woman of great wisdom and inspiration. I had an epiphany of sorts when listening to a recent episode on loneliness when her guest said, "We must feel good to do good." Everything I know about parenting kids with ADHD / autism and self-care instantly collided with this statement and provided a jolt of inspiration. a big part of what I teach parents is summed up by this quote — we do have to feel good to do our best for others, and for ourselves. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I take a deep dive into why this quote is so important for parents like us, and discuss how to use this quote as one of your parenting and self-care guides. 

Challenges with planning and organization are common among kids with ADHD. It shows up with messy bedrooms, lost items, missing or never turned in homework, not putting things away, etc. The consequences of disorganization aren’t just frustrating for kids, they’re frustrating for their parents, too.  In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with organizing expert, Laurie Palau of Simply B Organized. Join us as we discuss how everyone learns and processes differently, how to communicate with your child so they are clear on expectations and processes and open to hearing your suggestions, implementing routines to improve organization, and Laurie’s top five tools and strategies for anyone to get and stay organized. 

One of the biggest struggles with ADHD is executive functioning deficits. These are skills in the areas of planning and organization, problem solving, task initiation, working memory, self-regulation, and self-awareness. Many kids with ADHD are often two to three years or more behind same-age peers in these areas. And, yet, these skills are crucial to success both at home and at school.  In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I’m talking with educational therapists and hosts of the Learn Smarter Podcast, Rachel Kapp and Stephanie Pitts. Listen in to learn how to identify lagging executive functioning skills in your child, as well as how to improve and accommodate these deficits.

  Connection is one of the most important and powerful human needs. It provides a sense of safety, security, belonging, and fulfillment. And yet, we often struggle with making true, genuine connections. And our kids with ADHD/autism struggle with it far more. As this episode airs, we are under lockdown due to the Corona virus pandemic. You'd think this would provide so much more connection being stuck at home, but it really doesn't. We have to act with intention to create genuine connection. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I've listed 25 ideas to connect with your kids and family at home, right now, and at any time in the future.         

Connection is a fundamental human need, and one that holds an immense amount of power for individuals, even kids. Especially kids. And, when we're talking about kids with ADHD and/or autism, connection is often a struggle — socially or with family members, like parents. Feeling connected to others provides a sense of safety and security. We feel more at ease and less anxious when we feel connected. This means better behavior and a better sense of self and self-worth. I'm joined by Rebecca Brown Wright, creator of the Back-and-Forth Journal, for this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast. Rebecca shares her journey to realizing that connection with her children is more powerful than discipline and correction, and how it improved her kids' behavior. We also discuss how you can build and nurture authentic connections with your kids, too. 

Get curious and support your child in the struggles they have without judgement. With the knowledge we have about brain development and structure, we can better understand our kid's behaviors and the way they learn. We can also better understand their strengths and, in turn, lift their self -esteem. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with online reading strategist, Jean Harville, about the neuroscience behind a positive, strengths-based approach, as well as the tools, strategies, and mindset to help your child thrive. 

As moms, we think of self-care as selfish and frivolous. But self-care is so much more than a spa massage or a weekend away with your girlfriends. Self-care includes all eight dimensions of wellness: physical, spiritual, emotional, social, environmental, financial, intellectual, and career. That's true wellness, and it takes mindful awareness and some work. Remember, self-care isn't selfish... you can only give your best to your kids and your family when you are feeling your best — feeling your best in all areas.   In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Kate Lynch of Healthy Happy Yoga about mama wellness. Not only do we talk about the dimensions of wellness and your mama mindset and self-compassion, but we offer many insights and strategies on how to shift your mindset, make wellness a priority, and fit it into your life. And, we're giving you permission to take care of you, Mama. 

Parents are expected to be authoritarian and parent through a system of crime and punishment. We're raised to believe this is what defines a "good parent." I argue that we need to flip this idea on its head — that crime and punishment parenting is actually making you a "bad parent." It does more harm than good for our kids, especially kids with ADHD and/or autism. There is a much, much better way to raise kids that will become happy, successful adults. Listen in and I'll explain why crime and punishment is bad and how to serve our children much better.

"There needs to be a desire to go to college. Just sending somebody because that's what's expected is not going to be good for that student."

Our culture defines expectations of our parenting priorities. When we become parents, we latch onto those expectations and adopt them as our own. The problem is, those priorities were created for neurotypical kids and we are raising kids with differences. If our child is different, our parenting should be different too. That means that not everything that matters to our culture really matters for our special brand of parenthood. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I outline what truly matters when raising kids with ADHD (and/or autism). "The rest of it is just noise that we need to start turning down." Resources in the Episode Nowhere to Hide, Dr. Jerome Schultz, The Insider's Guide to ADHD, by Penny WilliamsDr. Hallowell's Mirror Traits: Article or VideoHappy Mama Retreat Thanks for joining me! If you enjoyed this episode, please use the social media buttons to the left or within the player to share it. Have something to say, or a question to ask? Leave a comment below. I promise to answer every single one. **Also, please leave an honest review for The Parenting ADHD Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and appreciated! That's what helps me reach and help more families like yours. Listen to More Parenting ADHD Podcast Episodes

There's no disputing that — especially team sports — can be a difficult environment for individuals with ADHD to naturally succeed in. It's not just developmental delays and social differences with peers that can make it tough. Things like emotional sensitivity and dysregulation, poor working memory, anxiety, and lagging executive functioning skills can also make it hard to meet peer and coach expectations, because they are set or neurotypicals. However, this doesn't mean that kids with ADHD cannot succeed and thrive in athletic endeavors. Join me as I talk with Susan Stout, founder of My Own Beat, about the challenging areas of athletics for those with ADHD and how you can help your child succeed in sports that are interested in and/or passionate about. Even if your child just plays Little League or Peewee Football, you can't miss this discussion. Listen now!

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm diving into stress management for parents of kids with ADHD and/or "high-functioning" autism. I used to think I'd have to change the characteristics of my life and family — like give away my kids — to reduce my stress. Turns out, I just didn't know what real stress management was and how to apply it to a life that is inherently more chaotic, demanding, and stressful. Thank goodness I finally discovered how I could manage my stress. It's made a monumental difference in my physical, mental, and emotional health. I am so much happier. So much calmer. So much freer. And, even better, so are my kids and everyone else in my life. My stress management is one of my top strategies for effectively parenting kids with ADHD/autism. It changes everything. Listen in now to find out how to manage your stress and change your family for the better too.     Resources in the Episode Happy Mama Conference & Retreat Thanks for joining me! If you enjoyed this episode, please use the social media buttons to the left or within the player to share it. Have something to say, or a question to ask? Leave a comment below. I promise to answer every single one. **Also, please leave an honest review for The Parenting ADHD Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and appreciated! That's what helps me reach and help more families like yours. Listen to More Parenting ADHD Podcast Episodes

Parents can create an environment that empowers kids with ADHD and helps them thrive. It's about the relationships, perspectives, understanding, and compassion we have with our kids and how that affects behavior and grit.

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm filling you in on the upcoming FREE Parenting ADHD Summit. It's a free online conference with 28 experts on ADHD and parenting sharing a little of their wisdom with you to empower you to empower your child. In this podcast episode, I'm sharing clips from five of the sessions, including Dr. Edward Hallowell, Julie F. Skolnick MA, JD, Ross Greene, PhD, Jerome Schultz, PhD and Amanda Morin. There's valuable information just in these clips. Listen in and get new strategies for parenting your child with ADHD.      Resources in the Episode Parenting ADHD Summit: Grab your spot here! Thanks for joining me! If you enjoyed this episode, please use the social media buttons to the left or within the player to share it. Have something to say, or a question to ask? Leave a comment below. I promise to answer every single one. **Also, please leave an honest review for The Parenting ADHD Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and appreciated! That's what helps me reach and help more families like yours. Listen to More Parenting ADHD Podcast Episodes

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with documentary filmmaker, Ana Joanes, about the journey to becoming the parent you want to be. We discuss how our childhood experiences shape the parent we become, how those experiences change our neurological physiology, parent stress, the importance of self-compassion and self-care, and the fact that you are not alone. This episode will help you parent with intention and purpose, rather than just trying to get through each day. "You're not alone. We all have times when we don't like our child, when we reset their presence."     Resources in this Episode (Yes, some of these are affiliate links.)Articles/Topics/Podcasts Mentioned: The experience of autism (and ADHD) is almost identical in the brain as trauma. A life with autism includes traumatic experiences. At the intersection of autism and traumaThe Life Recovery Method, by Robert Cox, LPC Radical self-careFar from the Tree, by Andrew Solomon Healing Program on WrestlingGhosts.comWatch Wrestling Ghosts My Guest Ana Joanes is a documentary filmmaker dedicated to inspiring conscious action and systemic change through film. Her previous works include Generation Meds, an exploration of our fears and misgivings about mental illness and medication, and Fresh, which celebrates the farmers, thinkers and entrepreneurs who are reinventing our food system. Before dedicating herself to filmmaking, Ana was a lawyer. She founded Reel Youth, Inc., a video production program for youth coming out of detention and other underserved youth. Ana is the mother of three children, and with Wrestling Ghosts, she hopes to contribute to a shift toward a more compassionate world. Where to Find Ana Website: wrestlingghosts.com Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @WrestingGhosts Thanks for joining me! If you enjoyed this episode, please use the social media buttons to the left or within the player to share it. Have something to say, or a question to ask? Leave a comment below. I promise to answer every single one. **Also, please leave an honest review for The Parenting ADHD Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and appreciated! That's what helps me reach and help more families like yours. Listen to More Parenting ADHD Podcast Episodes

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm tackling developmental age. ADHD is a development disorder. Very few people talk about it in that way but it's 100 percent a developmental disorder. Your child with ADHD is two to three years behind their same-age peers in a lot of ways. If you're child's functioning and skills are at a 7-year-old level, but he or she is actually 10, what is going to be more successful: expecting neurotypical 10-year-old behavior or 7-year old behavior? Your job and the success of your parenting hinge on setting appropriate expectations for the child you have. Listen in as I explain developmental age further, and how to set appropriate expectations for your child to succeed and thrive.       Resources in the Episode Executive Function Age chart floating around social mediaRussel Barkley on his 30% Rule Thanks for joining me! If you enjoyed this episode, please use the social media buttons to the left or within the player to share it. Have something to say, or a question to ask? Leave a comment below. I promise to answer every single one. **Also, please leave an honest review for The Parenting ADHD Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and appreciated! That's what helps me reach and help more families like yours. Listen to More Parenting ADHD Podcast Episodes

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with coaches Natalie Borrell and Alison Grant of Life Success for Teens. We discuss how to help kids with ADHD address and overcome challenges and obstacles. Learn how to help your kids build grit and resistance — the core aspects of being able to overcome challenges without falling apart or avoiding obstacles. "Sometimes it's easier to just give up."     Resources in this Episode (Yes, some of these are affiliate links.)Articles/Topics/Podcasts Mentioned: Life Success for Teens My Guest Natalie Borrell is the Founder of Life Success for Teens. She coached high school and competitive cheerleading for 8 years and this is where she realized that she had a gift for connecting with teenagers and motivating them to be the best version of themselves. She has 11 years of experience working as a school psychologist in a public high school. Her areas of expertise include working with students who have ADHD, executive functioning weaknesses, and other learning differences. Natalie earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Ohio State University in 2004, her masters degree in school psychology in 2006 from Michigan State University, and her Educational Specialist Degree in 2007 from Kent State University. She became a certified Academic Life Coach in 2015 and founded Life Success For Teens in 2016. When she is not coaching students, Natalie can be found traveling with her family, reading cookbooks, or binge-watching episodes of Friends. One of her favorite part of coaching is getting a text or email from her former students. Alison Grant joined the LSFT team with 15 years as a Family Consumer Science teacher at Willoughby South High School. As a teacher, Alison has advised groups including Student Council, Teen Institute and Class Officers. Alison has coached dance, cheer, and tennis and in 2011 was named Adele Knight Teacher of the Year. In recent years, she has been part of an initiative to develop a mentoring program that assists freshmen in the transition from middle school to high school. Alison earned her Academic Life Coach certificate in 2017 which allowed her to help students realized they can be successful inside and outside the classroom. Her favorite part of coaching is watching a student have a moment when everything clicks and their hard work has paid off! Alison earned her bachelor’s degree in vocational education from Kent State University in 2003 and her master’s degree in educational administration from Ursuline College as well as a masters in school counseling from John Carroll University. Alison lives in Willoughby, OH with her husband and two daughters Maggie and Gwyneth. When she is not spending time with her family, Alison enjoys crafting and taking snapshots of her family’s adventures! Where to Find Natalie and Alison Website: lifesuccessforteens.com Facebook: LSFTcommunity Listen In! Parenting #ADHD Podcast 057: Grit & Resilience: Teaching Kids with ADHD How to Overcome Obstacles, with Natalie Borrell & Alison Grant. #ADHD #LD #autismClick To Tweet Thanks for joining me! If you enjoyed this episode, please use the social media buttons to the left or within the player to share it. Have something to say, or a question to ask? Leave a comment below. I promise to answer every single one. **Also, please leave an honest review for The Parenting ADHD Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and appreciated! That's what helps me reach and help more families like yours. Listen to More Parenting ADHD Podcast Episodes

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm tackling a questions I get from parents all the time... how to stay calm when your child is having an outburst or a meltdown. There are a couple tricks that helped me gain control of how I stay calm and respond in these moments. I've shared both these fundamental pieces, as well the real transformational power remaining calm has for your child, for you, and for your entire family. 

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with occupational therapist, Susan Schenk, about learning challenges. Susan shares her story of growing up and finding success with learning challenges. Then we dig into how to help our own kids who are struggling with learning disabilities through tools, strategies and technology. Listen in for inspiration from Susan's story as well as resources to help your challenged learner. "Tap into the part of the brain that goes on fire to tackle the challenges." 

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I have a very important message for you. You're not alone. You're not alone in this special brand of parenthood. There are millions of parents raising challenging kids. The fact that your parenthood is different isn't your fault, and you're not the only one with these challenges. You must find your tribe. Having a tribe around you who "gets it" is everything. Let me tell you why...     

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking IEPs and 504 Plans with former teacher and educational advocate, Amanda Morin. We're defining IEPs and 504 plans, and the differences between them. In addition, learn how to determine what services and accommodations your child may need in school, and how to go about securing them. We also answer questions like, should my child come to school meetings? And we're busting some myths around the rights of kids with special needs at school.

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, teacher and education advocate, Meg Flanagan, and I discuss taking a collaborative approach to working with teachers and advocating for your child at school. To achieve an effective working relationship with the school, parents need to approach teachers and school staff with the attitude of working together, as allies instead of adversaries. Sometimes it's tough to strike a balance between being a strong advocate for your child and seeming confrontational. Meg and I discuss strategies for this and more during this episode. Listen in now! 

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I outline different behavior triggers that are common with ADHD and/or "high-functioning" autism. Within this list are developmentally lagging skills, but also differences in how a child's brain functions when they have ADHD. Recognizing these and other triggers in your child will help you improve behavior and reduce the instances of outbursts and meltdowns. This knowledge will also help you understand your child better and remain a calm parent.

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm honored to have talked with Ana and Curt Warner about the challenges and isolation of raising kids with autism. They've shared their experiences raising twin boys with "low-functioning" autism in their new book, The Warner Boys: Our Family’s Story of Autism and Hope, and they've graciously shared a glimpse of their parenting experiences here with us. While your child may not have autism, the struggles and triumphs of this parenthood are much the same. I promise, you'll be moved by their story. “It wasn’t ever the pressure or exhaustion that was most troubling to us; it was the realization that our boys were in a kind of pain we couldn’t understand. For some unknown reason, everything was so hard for them.” — Ana Warner, The Warner Boys

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking about how to finally stop battling with your child. Day in and day out, the challenging behaviors, the impulsivity, the seeming argumentativeness feel like we are battling with our kids. Sure, most of the triggers are symptoms of their ADHD and/or autism, but that doesn't make it any easier or any less painful to accept these battles. But, the thing is, you don't have to accept these battles — you can stop battling with your child. I'm not saying that you just don't engage, although that's a little part of it. I'm saying there's a way to end the battles, most of them, and have a lot more calm and joy in your family. Listen in to learn more.

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with licensed child therapist, Angela Pruess, about emotional intelligence. Building emotional intelligence skills is an important part of raising kids with ADHD, kids who are often dysregulated emotionally and struggle with interactions with others. We discuss emotional awareness, emotional regulation, and how emotional intelligence plays a role in relationships with others and social interactions. Listen in to learn how to assess your child's current emotional intelligence and then work on building skills where there are gaps. "They need to be able to handle the highs and lows in life. Emotional intelligence skills will enable us to see that our kids thrive."

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I was inspired this week to talk to you about saying yes more often. As parents, we are programmed to say no automatically, but we need to find ways to say yes. Our kids already get messages that they “can’t” more than anything else, so they need more yeses, more positives in their day-to-day lives. There are other good reasons to start saying yes more often, too. When everything is no, kids stop asking. Saying no also limits discussion and building and practicing problem-solving skills. Automatic no's often create power struggles, which no one wants. And, lastly, our kids need to feel like they have some control in their lives, and finding ways to say yes to them helps with that. I explain that and how to say yes more without "giving in" in this episode. Enjoy!

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I was inspired this week to talk to you about the language you use to describe your child's behavior. I see parents day in and day out use language that sounds as though they're describing a character flaw. Language that sets a tone of "can't" and "won't," instead of describing things for what they really are — which is most often your child having a hard time, not giving you a hard time. Join me as I illustrate the differences and how to change your language for greater success and peace in your family.

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Dr. Sharon Saline about what your child with ADHD wishes you knew, in conjunction with the release of her new book. We're talking about how most kids feel like parents aren't hearing what they're saying, and vice versa. Dr. Saline offers many strategies to communicate better, for a more successful and joyful family life. "Stop. Take a 'time apart.' Think things over when everyone's a little calmer. Then you act." 

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with divorce and family attorney, Morghan Leia Richardson, about how to navigate co-parenting a child with ADHD when the parents don't agree on ADHD treatment and parenting. There are ways to pre-plan for these parenting disagreements during the divorce process, as well as resources and recourse for resolution after. Court proceedings aren't the only option for resolution, and Morghan outlines a few better options. If you and your co-parent disagree on how to parent your child with ADHD, this episode is a must-listen. "Shielding your child from the conflict and a legal process is really important to protect your child. If you go to court about your child's treatment, your child will be required to be involved."

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm giving you a pep talk for parenting kids with special needs. Use this pep talk when you're feeling low, lacking confidence in your parenting, apprehensive about starting another day, or just having a bad day. If you're feeling yourself slip, use this pep talk as your reminder that you've got this!

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm sharing tips and strategies to help your child overcome social struggles and make and keep friends. ADHD makes social interactions challenging for kids for a variety of reasons. I outline the different reasons kids with ADHD struggle with friendships, offer strategies to help your child build social skills, and share how to create opportunities for social successes.

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Heather Chauvin about defining our job as a parent. Heather talks about her journey to discover her authentic role as a mom and how to parent in a way that serves the true goal and purpose of parenting — that serves her sons but also serves herself, too. Listen in to find out what is your real responsibility as a parent? Heather shares how to choose how you live, work, play and PARENT on your terms. "My son taught me how to take back control of how I feel by purely trying to help him manage his own big emotions. As I started implementing these tools and strategies that I was learning, I started to feel in control of my own anger and anxiety. Then I could teach my son how to do the same."

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with therapist, Kimberly Beaman, about the importance of therapy, how to find the right therapist for your child and your family, and the power of creative arts in the lives of kids with ADHD and other challenges. Listen in as Kim offers a wealth of resources and guidance on therapy for kids with ADHD.

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with nutrition and wellness practitioner, Jennifer Scribner, about creating a non-toxic lifestyle. Many kids with ADHD have genetic polymorphisms like MTHFR that reduce the body's ability to detoxify effectively. A non-toxic lifestyle is important for all of us, but especially kids with ADHD and sensitivities. Listen in for what items should be on your radar and tips and strategies to detoxify your home, for everyone's health. "Detergents, and particularly fabric softeners, are the biggest source of toxins in our homes."

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with speech-language pathologist and author of "My Second Year of Kindergarten," Becca Eisenberg, about repeating a grade in school. Listen in as we discuss the signs that a child might need to repeat a grade, the aspects of school to think about when making the decision, and how to walk your child through acceptance and the transition. *Note: The sound on this episode isn't as good as I'd like it to be. The message, however, is fantastic, so please forgive the sound quality.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people call a meltdown a tantrum. A tantrum is a fit a child throws to get their way. A meltdown is when your child is stuck and their brain has been sort-of hijacked. A child in a meltdown does not have control of their actions. Listen in to this episode as I discuss the full differences between a tantrum and meltdown and provide insights and strategies to begin to tame them. 

School struggles are one of the leading causes of parent and child stress in families with kids with ADHD. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I share some red flags that your child may need extra help and support in the classroom, outline the steps parents should follow to request services and accommodations at school, and explain the basic differences between a 504 Plan and an IEP. * Please note: Nothing in this episode or in this post constitutes legal advice. I am not an attorney. Always consult an attorney for interpretation of and guidance on the law. 

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with behavior analyst, Holly Moses, about why looking at behavior as "bad" isn't the best parenting approach for kids with ADHD. Often, the gap between expectation and capability leads to unwanted ("bad") behavior. Listen in to learn effective strategies to elicit appropriate behavior, and to effectively address unwanted behavior. Holly and I will adjust your mindset for behavior so you can be the parent your child needs.

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Julie Neale about our Mother's Quest, discovering your passion, living with purpose and intention, and surviving and thriving when raising kids with ADHD. Julie is sensitive to the constraints of this special parenthood, having two differently-wired boys of her own. Listen to learn how to slow things down, take a pause, and move forward with your purpose and intention. "We don't have to figure it out on our own."     

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Frank South about his life with ADHD and raising his two kids with ADHD. Frank has had an intense, fascinating, challenging life with ADHD, which makes for an intense, fascinating, challenging parenthood raising kids with ADHD. He's compiled his family stories in a new book called, A Chicken in the Wind and How He Grew. Learn more about Frank's life and parenthood, his insights on raising kids with ADHD and letting them find themselves, and why having ADHD is kind of like being a chicken in the wind. "We're there to listen, support, and help them solve problems, not to bring more outside judgements and goals that we put on them."

There's little that instills more fear in parents than the idea of giving their child ADHD medication. That fear is built on a foundation of largely myths and fear-mongering, but it exists nonetheless. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm sharing the basics of ADHD medication, as well as nuances and little-known facts I've learned over the years. This is the information I desperately wish I'd had when starting and trialing ADHD medications. This is the information every parent should have before they fill the first prescription for their child. * Please note: Nothing on this episode or in this post constitutes medical advice. I am not a clinician. Always consult your child's doctor for guidance before making any medication decisions or changes. Enjoy! 

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Dr. Roberto Olivardia, a Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School, about how imperative it is to think outside the box when raising kids with ADHD. And Dr. Olivardia should know, he has ADHD himself and employs some very creative strategies to manage his own challenges. His insights and experience will inspire your parenting.

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm tackling the misnomer of helicopter parenting. We think hovering over our kids is protecting them, and loving them, but it actually does more harm than good. By hovering over our kids and overprotecting them, we are robbing them of building lagging skills, successful future independence, and the joy of doing something on your own for the first time. So, let's dive in and get your out of the pilot's seat. Enjoy!

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Jeff Copper of DIG Coaching, about teens with ADHD and the reality of motivation. I hear parents complain about their teen with ADHD and their lack of motivation very frequently. I am living this struggle myself right now, with my own teen son with ADHD. What Jeff and I talk about is why kids with ADHD lack motivation — for things like school performance —and how to both spark some motivation for the brain with ADHD, and survive that chapter of your parenthood. Please note: while we do talk specifically about teens with ADHD in this episode, a great deal of our conversation applies for parents of younger kids with ADHD, and it also helps you prepare better for the teen years ahead of you.

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking about why traditional parenting norms don't work for kids with ADHD, and how to create a parenthood that works for your kid. Here are the steps I talk about in detail in this episode: Destroy traditional parenting ideals and norms. Cast them out of your mind.They don’t work for ADHD. How to be a detective and learn your child’s truth. Use that truth as your guide to rewrite the plan for your parenthood, being sure expectations are developmentally appropriate, and respect who your child truly is. Focus on the positive more than the negative. Create opportunities for success, and for building confidence. (Many kids with ADHD feel they are “stupid,” “bad,” or “broken” and this helps to counter that.) Don’t expect the “norm,” and don’t expect perfection. Some of this episode overlaps with episode 017: Throw Out the Traditional Parenting Rulebook. That's how crucial and powerful this lesson is — that I repeatedly talk about it. :) 

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Dr. Randy Kulman, of Learning Works for Kids, about screen time and gaming. We focus our discussion on the benefits of gaming and technology, including a list of games that are good for your child. Yep, I said good for your child. Listen now to find out what skills can be improved, and by which games. And, recognize that screen time isn't all bad. Enjoy! *Note: I experienced a small technology glitch when recording this episode that resulted in an audio glitch in the middle of the recording. It doesn't affect the awesome information you get from this episode. 

In this episode of the podcast, I was inspired by the celebration of a new year (so hard to believe it's 2018!). I don't like to make New Year's Resolutions, because I associate those with deprivation. However, I love to set an inspirational word for the new year and think of it as a sort-of clean slate and opportunity for improvement. In this show, I challenge you to implement 5 key opportunities for improvement in your life, your child's life, and your family. New Year. New Opportunity. Yes, I'll take it! 

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with Elaine Taylor-Klaus and Diane Dempster of ImpactADHD about maintaining healthy family relationships in a family with a child with ADHD. We define what a healthy relationship is, how to repair broken relationships, and how to maintain healthy relationships between spouses/partners, siblings, and with yourself. How do you get on the same page when co-parenting? Can you accept different parenting approaches? Let's talk about your relationships! 

In this episode of the podcast, I discuss your thoughts, and how they hold the key to everything. Being mindful of the emotions and thoughts you attach to a situation, and changing them to serve you and your family better. It's not easy to do, but let's talk about taking more control of your thoughts, and how powerful that will be in your life. Positive thinking leads to positive parenting, and positive parenting leads to better behavior. Positive thinking and better behavior make for better mental and physical health for all. Listen now and learn how to change your thoughts. 

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking with occupational and physical therapist, Suzanne Cresswell. Often, kids with ADHD are told to "try harder," especially in school. Suzanne explains the physiology behind how the brain works in an individual with ADHD and challenged learners, which further explains why telling a child with ADHD to "try harder" can't help. This was a truly fascinating conversation for me — I learned a great deal from Suzanne that I hadn't yet learned in 9+ years of obsessing about ADHD and how to help my child. We talk about the role the sensory systems play in neurological function, and the invisible impact it often has for kids with ADHD and learning challenges. How each student acquires knowledge, i.e., learns, is different, but sensory has a huge impact on it. Rhythm is a key component. Let's talk about unique learners!

This episode of the podcast is inspired by my new book, The Hidden Layers of ADHD: The Underlying Complexities of ADHD, and Their Powerful Affect on Your Parenting Success. I'm so excited to share with you why you should look at ADHD like an iceberg, what that means for your parenting, and all the hidden layers of ADHD you need to understand in order to do your best for your child. Listen in as I outline and briefly explain each hidden layer. 

In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Debbie Reber and I discuss shifting your mindset and tilting your parenting to become the best parent you can be for your differently wired child. Debbie, founder of Tilt Parenting, is passionate about changing the conversation on neurodiversity and differently wired kids from one of being "broken," to being different but having many gifts to share. Listen in as we touch on everything from school struggles to the importance of self-care, and many nuggets of wisdom somewhere in between. 

I had a very emotional conversation with a coaching client this week, and it inspired me to talk to you about making mistakes as parents, forgiving ourselves, having a healthy conversation with ourselves about it, and living in a place of self-compassion. Mom guilt doesn't serve you, and it doesn't serve your child or your family either. Be authentic and be human, but forgive yourself for the things in your past that were the best you could do at that moment. Hindsight really is 20/20, but looking back doesn't serve us. Listen in and learn how to be a more compassionate, authentic mom. You are enough! I promise.

You have to get your mind right in order to be an effective parent to a child with ADHD. One of the facets of getting your mind right for this special parenthood is to throw out the traditional parenting rulebooks and norms, and rewrite a custom parenting rulebook for your child, where they are today. For your child, and your entire family. In this podcast, I explain what I mean by writing your own rulebook for parenting, and how to go about it. 

Danielle Matthew has devoted her work to helping kids through the emotional, and often damaging, experience of being bullied. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Danielle and I talk about one-on-one support, guidance and education to empower children and teens to heal from bullying, address conflict, and move forward. Listen and learn what you can do to help your child if/when they are the victim of bullying. 

I've been reading Ross Greene's newest book, Raising Human Beings, and I am so inspired to share how his insights and approach to parenting challenging kids can be a powerful force in your parenting. Of course, I've been a fan of Greene's work for years, and I recommend his books to parents constantly. What you have to understand first, before you can implement his collaborative problem solving process with success, is that behavior is simply a symptom of the actual problem. The behavior is not the problem. Stick with me... it makes sense. It's a problem, but not the problem. Learn all about it in this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast. 

I'm so excited to have Ben Glenn (aka, The Chalkguy) on this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast. He is a remarkable human being and offers great insights to parents raising kids with ADHD and/or learning disabilities, because he was that kid. Ben begins by sharing his story of growing up with learning disabilities and ADHD, unhappy in a self-contained classroom for many years. Then, with the help of an out-of-the-box-thinking high school principal, Ben discovered his gift — art. During our conversation he shares what it's like to grow up thinking something's wrong with you, and how he found his motivation and became a successful, happy adult. Hearing his story also reinforces that what our kids are doing right now (like cheating in Ben's case), doesn't necessarily mean they will grow up to still employ those unsavory coping mechanisms. Ben is a fun and funny guy. His energy and drive to help others are infectious. His story will inspire you. Enjoy! 

On this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I talk with Sarah Wayland, PhD, a Consultant and Special Needs Care Navigator, of Guiding Exceptional Parents. Sarah and I have known each other for several years, after meeting at the Happy Mama Retreat. She truly understands kids with ADHD and autism and always offers great insights in informed and compassionate parenting. My favorite topic to turn to Sarah about is the idea that "behavior is communication." She and I are both huge fans of Ross Greene's work, where he outlines this concept and much more. This is Part 2 of a 4-part series on behavior as communication that I'm doing with Sarah on the podcast. I'm super excited about it! Part 1 was episode 003: What Your Child's Behavior is Actually Telling You. If you haven't listened to it yet, you definitely should, but you don't have to listen to it before this episode. On this show, Sarah and I discuss why kids with ADHD get angry, and what parents can do about it. We discuss emotions, developmental age/delay, meeting your child where they are, and handling big emotions and intense kids. There are a lot of really powerful insights on behavior, deciphering what it really means, and having a positive affect on it going forward.

There can be no debate that parenting kids with ADHD (and/or autism) is hard. Super hard! However, there are many approaches that can soften the edges and make this special brand of parenthood a little easier, and a lot more successful. Brian R. King, aka The Compassionate Dad, teaches parents to be a student of your child — to let your child's truth guide you. It's all about compassionate parenting — compassion for your child, and for yourself — and it's powerful for parents of kids with ADHD. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, Brian and I discuss compassionate parenting, how to implement it, and the power that it holds for families of kids with ADHD.

I'm so excited to share the magic parenting phrase for kids with ADHD (and autism) and how to implement this strategy successfully with your child! This one phrase is so, very helpful. Truly, I cannot emphasize enough how "magical" asking your child this one question can be. So, sit back and get ready to get your mind right. Enjoy!

ADHD can look very different in girls and women than it does in boys and men. That different appearance of symptoms, coupled with gender stereotypes, means girls with ADHD often fall through the cracks and struggle without a diagnosis for much longer. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I talk with ADHD Coach and adult with ADHD, Linda Roggli, PCC about the symptoms to watch for in girls, the role estrogen plays in ADHD symptom severity, and the ways that ADHD is just plain different for girls. 

I cannot tell you how upset it makes me for someone to tell my child that he's "smart enough" to do something (that he obviously hasn't done to their satisfaction). It makes me livid folks. Intelligence is not the sole predictor of capability, especially in the traditional public school system. Especially when you have ADHD and/or learning disabilities. So, this week we're discussing "smart enough" on the Parenting ADHD Podcast. I'll explain what's wrong with telling a child they're "smart enough to do _______" and fill you in on what other factors predict capability. I'll give you a hint, there are a lot of them. So, sit back and get ready to get your mind right. 

Kids with ADHD are exponentially more likely to have poor planning and organization skills, part of their poor executive functioning. That's something Leslie Josel of Order Out of Chaos knows all too well... as do I. This can be a constant battle for parents of kids with ADHD, but it doesn't have to be. In this episode, Leslie and I discuss different organizational challenges of kids with ADHD, and what products, strategies, tools, training, and expectations parents can implement to make a positive difference with this struggle, both at school and at home. You will love Leslie's energy and passion as she shares many valuable organizational strategies that work for organizationally-challenged kids with ADHD, including her own son, who's now a successful college student (it is possible folks!). Grab pen and paper and start the podcast audio, and get ready for some new strategies you can implement today. And, don't forget to download Leslie's free One-Stop List of Recommended Products for ADHD Organization below.

It's no secret that kids with ADHD (and autism) struggle immensely with self-esteem. They're bumping around in a world of constant messages that they're different, broken, incapable... As parents of kids with ADHD, a big part of our job is to boost our kids' confidence and self-esteem. In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I talk with therapist Jackie Flynn about simple ways to build our children's self-esteem. These 10 strategies are simple to implement in our chaotic lives, yet powerfully effective.

Your child has ADHD. Now what do you do? On this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I talk about what your next steps should be after diagnosis, including many things it took me years to discover. 

ADHD Coaching: What is it? Who needs it? How does it work? Does it take the place of medication or therapy? These are common questions, and my interview with John Tucker on this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast will provide answers to all those questions, and more. ADHD coaching can be a powerful tool for teens and young adults, OR for parents of teens and young adults. Please note! This is not just an FAQ about ADHD Coaching. John shares lots of his coaching wisdom and strategies in this episode as well. 

One of the most important things we can do to be successful and effective parents, is to take time for ourselves — time to recharge, rejuvenate, recenter, and reclaim a mindful existence. Parents (especially moms, {wink, wink}) make kids and spouses top priority and only then then consider something for ourselves, if there’s time (there’s never time when you have kids. never. ever.). The oxygen mask theory applies to life though, you have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first to be able to do your best for others. That’s a fact! It takes determination and learning to say “no,” but you can take time for yourself. Permission granted. Let's chat more about how important parent self-care is, and how to get time to yourself no matter how hectic your life is. 

On this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I talk with Sarah Wayland, PhD, a Consultant and Special Needs Care Navigator, of Guiding Exceptional Parents. Sarah and I have known each other for several years, after meeting at the Happy Mama Retreat. She truly understands kids with ADHD and autism and always offers great insights in informed and compassionate parenting. When my son was struggling with some serious increased anxiety and crisis behaviors about two years ago, Sarah introduced me to the concept of "behavior is communication." It is a profoundly powerful parenting perspective. On this show, Sarah and I discuss what "behavior is communication" means, what behaviors parents see that are actually communicating something else, and how to let this knowledge guide you to more effective parenting for your child with behavioral and/or developmental disorders. 

On this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I outline all the elements of ADHD outside of the typical diagnostic symptoms of impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. These additional elements are crucial to your understanding of your child, and to successfully parenting a child with ADHD.

This week's show is the very first for the Parenting ADHD Podcast. {Here we go!} As such, I share my story, why I do what I do, and what you can expect from future shows.