ADHD Essentials

1. Let them read whatever they want.  2. Use audiobooks (or audible). 3. Encourage books that are part of a series. 4.Encourage books from a high interest universe they know from other media (Spider-Man, Star Wars, Minecraft, LEGO, etc...). 5.Remember nonfiction. 6. Encourage reading comics & graphic novels. 7. If they're reading at inappropriate times (the dinner table, when they should be sleeping, etc...) don't make a huge deal out of it. 8. Make time for reading.  9. Read to them. 10. Read yourself.     SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: My "Wall of Awful"model was recently featured on Jessica McCabe's How to ADHDchannel on YouTube.  I'd love it if you'd go check out other her channel, and my episode.  She does great work! Here's the link. Shameless Plugs (Besides the "Wall of Awful" video):   ADHD Essentials Homepage Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups! Join Our Facebook Community Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.      

One of my favorite things about doing this podcast is the way it has helped me reconnect with people.  Today’s episode is an excellent example of that.  I recently invited my old principal, Gerry. Goyette, to come on the show to talk ADHD from the administrative side of school, and he was nice enough to agree.  It was an absolute pleasure to talk ADHD and education with him. He’s just as smart as I remembered.   In today’s episode, we get an inside look at a principal’s approach to leading a school through the lens of ADHD.  We discuss the Intersection of Anxiety and Standardized Testing, the ebb and flow of stress in the school year for ADHD kids, the importance of consistency,  and the value of trust.   SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT (part 1): Calmer Con, a sensory friendly comics & pop culture event, is taking place on Saturday, April 27that Becker College in Leicester, MA.  Get tickets here.  Listen to our episode about it here. Shameless Plugs:   ADHD Essentials Homepage Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups! Join Our Facebook Community Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.   SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT (part 2): My "Wall of Awful" model was recently featured on Jessica McCabe's How to ADHDchannel on YouTube.  I'd love it if you'd go check out other her channel, and my episode.  She does great work! Here's the link.

The other day, my friend Tim, an ADHD dad himself, was telling me about his job.  It turns out that one of his responsibilities is helping kids (and adults) understand the importance of protecting their identity when online.  I thought that might be useful information for you all to have, so I invited him on the pod!   In today’s episode, we talk about ways to keep identity safe, what to do if it’s not, and how to behave so that we don’t need to worry about our identity being stolen any more than we worry about getting hit by a car.  We also discuss managing the contents of our phones, teaching our kids about social media, and how to create a password you’ll remember.   Shameless Plugs:   Contact me at brendan@ADHDessentials.com Join Our Facebook Community Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups! Registration starts soon! https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/. My "Wall of Awful"model was recently featured on Jessica McCabe's How to ADHD channel on YouTube.  I'd love it if you'd go check out other her channel, and my episode.  She does great work!

Today, we’re talking to David Greenwood.  David and I first connected when he interviewed me for his book on ADHD & productivity, Overcoming Distractions.  He is a father with ADHD who has a son with autism.  I really enjoyed our talk.  I hope you do too.  In today’s episode, David tells his tale of finding his way with ADHD.  We talk about the value of experiential learning, the challenge of balancing the demands of a career, children with special needs, and aging parents, ikigai, and guarding our time.     SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: My "Wall of Awful"model was recently featured on Jessica McCabe's How to ADHD channel on YouTube.  I'd love it if you'd go check out other her channel, and my episode.  She does great work! Here's the link. Guest Links: Visit David's Website! Buy Overcoming Distraction on Amazon!   Shameless Plugs (Besides the "Wall of Awful" video):   ADHD Essentials Homepage Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups! Join Our Facebook Community Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.

Today, we’re talking to Ms. Sally.  Sally is a high school special education teacher who has ADHD.  Which means she gets them on a level not all teachers can.  In today’s episode, we talk about Sally’s journey to becoming an educator, why teachers have to depersonalize their student’s understanding, how having ADHD has affected her teaching practice, and why her mission statement as a teachers is to help her kids redefine who they are as students and learners.     SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: My "Wall of Awful" model was recently featured on Jessica McCabe's How to ADHD channel on YouTube.  I'd love it if you'd go check out other her channel, and my episode.  She does great work! Here's the link. Shameless Plugs (Besides the "Wall of Awful" video):   ADHD Essentials Homepage Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups! Join Our Facebook Community Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.

Today, we’re talking to Dawn Marie DesRoche of EQ Solutions: You 2.0 about Emotional Intelligence.  Dawn Marie helps people learn to recognize their reactions to people and situations, and teaches them how to respond to those same people and situations with more productive thoughts, feelings, and actions. In today’s episode, we talk about balancing societal expectations against the needs of ourselves and our kids, experiencing a terrible moment without becoming the terrible moment, losing parents, and how adjectives are like stones in a basket.   Guest Links: Find Dawn Marie at: https://eqsolutionsu2.com Or check out her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmdesroches   Shameless Plugs:   Join Our Facebook Community ADHD Essentials Homepage Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.

Today's episode is a quick and actionable one on setting clear expectations.  I hope you find it useful.   ADHD Essentials Links: ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community

Today, we’re talking to Isaac.  Isaac has ADHD, OCD, and Tourette’s.  And, as a senior in high school, Issac is the first person below the age of 18 that have been featured on the pod.  (Don’t worry, I got permission from his mom.)   As you’ll hear, he’s an incredible young man, who has overcome his varied challenges though hard work, resilience, ingenious strategies, and the support of his family and friends.  I greatly enjoyed talking to him.   In Today’s Episode We Discuss: Goal Setting The blending of impulsivity and compulsivity  Tourette's Syndrome Overcoming stigma Isaac's college planning The value of social support  Being driven Isaac's use of running to manage his symptoms  The power of Self-Acceptance    Shameless Plugs:   Send Q&A Questions here:  brendan@ADHDessentials.com Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups! Or register at https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/. Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.  

I really enjoyed talking to Louise Clarke of "Your Parenting Partner".  Lousie has a child with ADHD, and is also a parenting coach.  So, the conversation was an interesting one. In Today’s Episode We Discuss: The power of parent coaching Controlling our reactivity through self-care Losing touch with our own needs because we're focused on everyone else Role modeling self-care Scheduling self-care Busy weeks make it harder to show up for our kids The frustration of parenting ADHD The isolation of parenting ADHD Louise's Son's ADHD project Always be curious Look for the unmet need in poor behavior An expectation is a prediction of the future Expect the process, not the outcome    Guest Links: Find Louise at https://yourparentingpartner.com Louise’s Son’s ADHD project video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lG0WnkR2DM&t=2s   Shameless Plugs:   Email me your questions for the first ever ADHD Essentials online Q&A at brendan@ADHDessentials.com Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups! Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community  

Today, we’re talking to Kimberly Berry of Being UnNormal. This episode has some hard parts.  I’m not going to lie to you.  Kimberly Berry tells the tale of her struggles to get her daughter the help she needed after her ADHD and other mental health challenges led to a child in crisis.  Although it ends well, part of Kimberly’s story includes her 10 year-old daughter’s suicide attempts.  Luckily, medication, parental skill building, and good mental health care, as you’ll hear, have made a world of difference for them both. I should note, that while Kimberly focuses on her daughter’s ADHD, her daughter also has a mood disorder diagnosis, and that certainly played a role in the crises they faced as well.    Collection of Links to Resources for Kids in Crisis In The States, and Worldwide http://www.safekids.com/resources-for-youth-in-crisis/   In Today’s Episode We Discuss: Being UnNormal's origin ADHD misconceptions due to media simplification If it was easy, don't you think I would have don it? Learning to accept differences Visual cues don't work if there' a visual processing disorder. Challenges with getting help for a child in crisis Handling childhood meltdowns with grace The mission of Being UnNormal   Guest Links: Find Kimberly Berry at https://www.beingunnormal.com   ADHD Essentials Links: Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com Join Our Facebook Community