Understanding the ADHD brain: support, empowerment, and managing challenges

Pediatric neurologist Paige Kalika discusses her article, "Why ADHD kids struggle and how we can truly help," sharing insights from her perspective as a pediatric neurologist and parent of a child with ADHD. She outlines compassionate ways to talk to children about ADHD, starting by validating their efforts ("Are you trying harder?") and explaining that ADHD affects focus, not intelligence or worth. Paige emphasizes the importance of diagnosis as a tool to counteract negative self-labels ("lazy," "bad") that children internalize, reframing ADHD as having a brain that works differently, using analogies like the "Ferrari brain with bicycle brakes." The conversation addresses common parental concerns about medication, countering the "natural vs. unnatural" debate and explaining medication's role in addressing neurotransmitter differences, comparing it to "glasses for the brain" or a "bag with a hole" for scattered thoughts ("marbles"). Paige offers practical advice on finding the right medication, stressing that the goal is to empower "neurospicy" children to understand their unique brains and thrive.

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