ADHD Essentials

EXCITING NEWS: On September 1st, Overcoming the Wall of Awful releases in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats wherever great books are sold! Even better, you can preorder it right now at TheWallofAwful.com!   Today’s episode is just me.  I’ll be discussing Dr. Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences - what it is, and why it’s useful. We discuss: Why this theory isn't quite a theory The eight types of intelligence according to Gardner The types that Gardner dismissed The new type that's been discussed recently Why Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences is useful, even if it's not quite valid   >>>PREORDER OVERCOMING THE WALL OF AWFUL HERE<<<  

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Caroline Maguire, M.Ed., ACCG, PCC.  Caroline is an internationally recognized expert in social-emotional learning, ADHD coaching, and relationship development. She is the author of the award-winning book, "Why Will No One Play with Me?" and the forthcoming "Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults" (Balance Books, April 14, 2026), and hosts "The ADHD Social Playbook" podcast. Caroline talks to me about her new book, Friendship Skills for Neurodiverse Adults.  We discuss: Approaching making friends as a skill Improving her book by listening to the cynics  Reading the room you’re in & the room inside yourself The 3 Ps of friendship And how third places and joining activities helps us make friends   Guest Links: Learn more about Caroline and her work here:  Caroline Maguire: https://carolinemaguireauthor.com/ Order Caroline's book and get "Book Bonuses" here: https://carolinemaguireauthor.com/book-bonuses/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Cate Osborne (aka Catieosaurus) & Erik Gude.  Cate and Erik co-hosts the podcast Cate and Erik’s Infinite Quest: An ADHD Adventure, and are co-authors of the The ADHD Field Guide for Adults.    They’re here to talk about that very book!  We discuss: How they made the most ADHD friendly book I’ve ever read. The endeavor of reading a book Analog Doom-Scrolling How to prove to yourself that you can do the thing! And the wide variety of people with ADHD   Guest Links: Learn more about Cate and Erik here: The ADHD Field Guide for Adults: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Erik-Gude/214689550 Infinite Quest: https://infinitequestpodcast.com/ Cate's website: https://catieosaurus.com/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community   

Today's episode is a little different.  My buddies Shane Thrapp and Braden Young have started the DadDHD Podcast, and I'm helping them with their launch!  So rather than an episode of ADHD Essentials, I'm featuring episode 5 of their show where they interviewed me about fatherhood and ADHD.  I hope you enjoy it.   Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Guest Links: Find the DadDHD podcast here: https://www.daddhd.com/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

In today’s episode, I talk to ADHD coach Bradley Smith II. Bradley joins the pod to talk about about how restrictions help ADHD and creativity thrive.  We discuss the nature of creativity, the ways that ADHD can lead to small scale mourning, how limitations can be useful, and how to set those limitations.    Learn more about Bradley and his work at: https://www.mindsmithcoaching.com/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]

It’s January 10th.  By now, odds are you’ve already fallen down on some of your resolutions.  To that end, I want to talk about two of my goals that I can almost guarantee were more delayed than yours are, and the takeaways I have from them. When my boys were born, I set a goal to earn my black belt and write a book by the time they turned five.  They’re sixteen now, almost seventeen, and I finally reached both of those milestones - a mere eleven years later than I planned. Let’s unpack that. In hindsight, the black belt goal was ambitious, but realistic.  The book goal was naive at best. Please indulge me for a minute while we play “Storytime with Mr. B”. I had been training in Kempo for a little less than a year when my boys were born.  I don’t remember what belt I was, probably orange or green, but I went to the dojo a lot.  As long as grading permitted, I was still a teacher at the time, I spent about 10 hours a week there across four days. By the time they turned four, I had earned my brown belt.  And there I would stay for the next 12 years. So what happened?  Around the time the boys turned four, my career as a teacher ended and I had to rebuild myself. I ended up exploring ADHD coaching and pursuing a second Masters in Counseling. At the same time, my mom fell very ill and eventually passed away. Oh, and my car burned down. It was a lot to absorb, and eventually led to me leaving the dojo because I didn’t have time for it. No regrets, though, because that road eventually led me to where I am now. And I am both better at my ADHD work than I was at teaching, and find it more fulfilling. In June of 2018, the dojo lost one of its members, and I attended the funeral. Which led me to reconnect with Master Phil, my instructor, and return my training. By the time I had knocked the rust off, and ranked up to just below black belt, COVID hit and the world shut down. Taking class over Zoom and in parking lots without the ability to actually interact with each other doesn’t make for the best training. Things were mostly back to normal by 2022, and told me I should prepare to test for Black belt at the end of the year. I did. But in March of that year, my son’s OCD spiked and by July he would be in McLean Hospital’s OCDi Jr program, coming home that October.  Thankfully, it worked and he got better.  But the whole experience left an impact on our family, and I spent much of the rest of the year managing the lingering effects on his twin brother while also helping to care for my dad who was sick at the time.  (Eventually, everyone got better, but I was pretty burned out.) And so, I told Master Phil that I wasn’t going to be ready for December. It broke my heart. He told me not to worry, and that the Black Belt test would come when I was ready. That happened this past December. It was a seven hour test. I had bronchitis. It sucked. But I passed. I had a lot of mixed emotions in the moment, mostly guilt and shame for it taking so long. But when I took that first Black belt class, I knew I belonged there.   Takeaway #1: People say that a goal without a due date is just a dream. I say a goal that you keep working toward regardless of a lapsed timeline will be reached eventually. Just keep moving forward. As for the book, mostly I was naive.  I had a good idea for a fantasy novel.  It’s still good, actually.  But I didn’t realize how big of an undertaking writing a book is, and I also didn’t yet know that I had ADHD. It was honestly more of a dream than a goal. But then my teaching career ended, I started to move into ADHD work, and I developed the Wall of Awful model. When I presented it for the first time on a professional stage, I was immediately asked if I was writing a book. I wasn’t ready to then, I barely had enough content to talk about it for an hour, but as time went on, the concept grew.   And, as you know, as time went by I also ended up pretty burned out. One thing I knew at the time was that I wouldn’t get out of burnout if I didn’t have something to head towards that felt like growth. Enter Alex Hughes Capell. We had interacted on Twitter (back when it was good), and she posted about being for hire as a ghost writer. I contacted her, and she was excited about the project. She had heard of, and been helped by, my Wall of Awful model, and wanted more insight into it.  With some financial help from my newly recovered dad, I hired her. But, she’s my co-writer, not my ghost writer. Her name is on the book just like mine.  That partnership led to a publishing deal with the Balance imprint of Hachette Book Group at the start of last year. The book comes out in September. Takeaway #2: Goals aren’t met without support. Without my dad, I don’t hire Alex. Without Alex, I don’t write the book. Heck, without Caroline Maguire, who I didn’t even mention, I don’t get my amazing agent Michele, and without Michele I definitely don’t get a deal with Hachette. Figure out who is on your team. Go build one if you have to. We go further together than we do alone.   Takeaway # 3: Forgiveness and permission. To me they’re two sides of the same coin.  I basically see permission as proactive forgiveness.     Let’s start with forgiveness- The weeks running up to the black belt test were pretty trying for me with regard to my emotions and my self-talk. Spending 11 years as a brown belt is kind of absurd, and I beat myself up for it a bit. Getting bronchitis a month before the test, and watching all the growth I had gained from working on my cardio, at the request of my sensei, wither away didn’t help. The Saturday class a week before the test, I was so in my head that I couldn’t do anything right and was so frustrated, embarrassed, and ashamed of my performance that I came to my lesson the following Monday in a foul mood.  Phil was good humored about it and told me not to worry about it, perhaps not seeing the effect the press of that decade of delay was having on me because he knew how much work I had put in, and knew my skill and ability even if I was off for a day. His graciousness about it helped me forgive myself, not just for the poor performance. And although it took me a little longer to forgive myself for the decade of delay, I’ve mostly gotten there. I’m comfortable in the Black Belt classes, and standing in the front of the class observing techniques rather than in the rows doing them with the lower ranks. Forgiving ourselves for our short-term errors and side-quests is critical if we want to reach our goals in the long run.   And permission is just as important.  I had it in my head that because I’m a pretty good writer and had been an English teacher, I had to write my book on my own. But I just wasn’t doing it. I was doing a lot of other things - this podcast, working with clients, school and business trainings, parent workshops, summit appearances,  appearances on other podcasts… you get the idea - but I wasn’t writing a book. Eventually I had to realize it was because my time was needed elsewhere.  Meeting Alex, and learning about what she did, gave me permission to ask for and accept help in writing the book.  (So did learning about just how many experts in their field work with ghost writers to get their books done.) Giving ourselves permission to get help, make mistakes, do things in ways that work for us but are maybe outside of the norm, and change or even disregard our goals is all part of meeting with success.   Thank you for listening (reading), I hope you found this useful. Have a pleasant day.

In this episode, I resume the tradition of dragging a bunch of people into my room to reflect on the day's events of the ADHD Conference.  This is the second day of the general conference - Saturday, November 15, 2025.   My guests include: The ADHD MD, Dr. Carolyn Letzsch-Parcells Author Caroline Maguire ADHD Coach Kate Barrett from Coaching Cville Dr. Zach Gershon, facilitator of ADDA's Young Adult Support Group Liz Lewis writer at https://www.healthyadhd.com/  Brittany Smith from Devise and Conquer Coaching Will Curb, host of the Hacking Your ADHD podcast Keith Griffin, living This ADHD Life Myself, host of the ADHD Essentials podcast

In this episode, I resume the tradition of dragging a bunch of people into my room to reflect on the day's events of the ADHD Conference.  This is the first day of the general conference - Friday, November 14, 2025.   My guests include: Jessica McCabe of How to ADHD Braden Young of Empower ADHD Solutions Shane Thrapp of Creating Order from Chaos  Inger Shay of the ADHD Black Professionals Alliance Lucia Miri Echavarria of EspacioTDAH Chris Hendrickson of being an awesome person with ADHD Myself of ADHD Essentials

In today’s episode, I talk to a genuine trailblazer - Dr. Larry Jones. Dr. Jones is a retired pediatrician who won CHADD’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. He is the founder of the 501(c)3 nonprofit Enable Tables, and the co-author of “Falling Through the Ceiling: Our ADHD Family Memoir", both with his wife Audrey.   Dr. Jones shares his road to becoming a doctor as a black man in the 1970s.  With the support of his family and community, he graduated both undergrad and medical school at Johns Hopkins, and became a pediatrician all while navigating the challenges of undiagnosed ADHD and the institutionalized racism of the 1970s.  He shares insights into the importance of community and lessons he’s learned as both a father and a pediatrician, and discusses his company Enable Tables, which teaches parents and educators how to support, motivate, and instruct ADHD children to perform in well in school and live stable, productive, resilient lives.   Guest Links: Learn more about Dr. Jones and his work here:  Enable Tables  https://enabletables.com/ Enable Tables on YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@enabletablesmedia3133 Get Dr. Jones’s Book Here   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

In today’s episode, I talk to my friend Dr. Ari Tuckman about ADHD and Productivity.  Ari has been working in the field of ADHD for over 25 years. He’s part of the leadership team for the International Conference on ADHD, speaks all over the world, and is the author of five books on ADHD, including his latest, The ADHD Productivity Manual. Ari and I talk about the essential challenges of ADHD and productivity.  We discuss the importance of managing your environment (including screens), the benefit of doing things in ways that work better for ADHD brains even if they’re atypical, why getting clear on why we’re doing the thing can help us get it done, and how our relationship to productivity affects the way we present ourselves to the world.       Guest Links: Learn more about Dr. Tuckman and his work here:  https://adultadhdbook.com/   Order "The ADHD Productivity Manual" here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4M3PM4W?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

What’s Up Team?! It’s your humble host, Brendan Mahan, back at it again.  The podcast has been on hiatus for a while, but I am finally in a position to resume posting.  So please tell your friends that I have returned.   The plan is to continue with the interview format that established ADHD Essentials as one of the top ADHD podcasts in the field, and to add in the occasional episode of me exploring useful topics as appropriate.  That said, I am expanding the scope to ADHD in general, as well as other neurodiverse topics such as anxiety and autism.  The parenting information will still be there, but I’m no longer covering parenting exclusively.  And odds are that I will be playing with my Wall of Awful model more frequently, because one of the reasons for the extended hiatus was that I a have signed a book deal with Hachette Book Group’s Balance Imprint, and Overcoming The Wall of Awful: Why It’s Hard to Get Things Done When You Have ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety, (and how to do them anyway) will be in a bookstore near you in the Fall of next year.  Turns out writing a book is REALLY time consuming. That said, ADHD Essentials will resume with some long-overdue episodes, including interviews with ADHD luminaries Ari Tuckman, Archie Chimayani, Larry Jones, and Farah Jamil.  And I’ll also share my thoughts on subjects ranging from afterschool restraint collapse to emotional regulation and connection. I plan to post several episodes in the next week or so to get the ball rolling, and then settle in to a once-a-week pattern after that. I’m glad to be back at it, I hope you enjoy what I have in store for you. Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]

In today’s episode, I talk to my friend Tamara Rosier.  Tamara runs the ADHD Center of West Michigan, she is also the author of two books - “Your Brain’s Not Broken”, and her new book, “You, Me, and Our ADHD Family”, as well as the workbooks that accompany both.  Tarama and I discuss her new book, and explore how ADHD affects family communication patterns, over-functioning and under-functioning, triangles, and ways to mend relationships.   Guest Links: Learn more about Tamara and her work here:  https://www.tamararosier.com/ https://adhdcenterofwestmichigan.com/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Find Dr. Carolyn at: http://drcarolynparcells.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.adhd.md/   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community     

It’s the end of 2024, so Dr. Carolyn and I are talking about goal-setting and how we view New Year’s Resolutions.  Along the way, we dabble in the importance of working with our brains rather than against them, the power of feeling seen, and why staying true to our values is important.   Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Find Dr. Carolyn at: http://drcarolynparcells.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.adhd.md/   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

Today, we’re joined by executive function and leadership coach Frankie Berkoben.  She shares why our executive function capacity can be so variable and the importance of being able to accept that variance, as well as the seven types of bandwidth, and why executive function coaching is helpful for leaders. Guest Links: Learn more about Frankie and her work here: https://www.franklyquiteadhd.com/ Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links:   Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Patrick LaCount, the research officer for the “How to ADHD” YouTube channel. Patrick talks to us about ADHD in young adulthood. We discuss the importance of taking a long view for both parents and young adults, tips for making friends, and the value of mindfulness.     Guest Links: Learn more about Dr. LaCount and his work here: https://practicalpsychservices.com/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

Our friend Dr. Caroyn, the ADHD MD is back! We talk about the importance of community to ADHD, how those communities allow us to embrace different parts of ourselves, and why the ADHD Conference is so meaningful to so many.     Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Find Dr. Carolyn Lentzsch-Parcells at: http://drcarolynparcells.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.adhd.md/   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community   

In today's episode, we're joined by Julie Kliers.  Going undiagnosed until age 46 and not wanting to see her sons repeat her own struggles, Julie embarked on a crusade to learn all she could about ADHD, and became the person she needed.  Now, she helps adults and students with ADHD embrace their unique and unlock their full potential! Julie talks to us about the power of diagnosis, overwhelm, and boundaries.  We discuss the ADHD trap of thinking we should be doing things in a neurotypical way and then beating ourselves up when we can’t, how executive function challenges lead to overwhelm, the struggle of black-and-white thinking, and ways to get into action.   Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Guest Links: Learn more about Julie and her work here: https://www.julieadhdcoach.com/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Kyrus Keenan Westcott of The Vibe with Ky. Ky talks about behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances, the power of the stories we tell ourselves, masking, being an introvert, and the growth he’s gained from doing The Vibe with Ky.   Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Guest Links: Learn more about Ky and his work here:  https://thevibewithky.com/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

Dr. Carolyn is back!  Carolyn is a pediatrician with ADHD who can talk about the disorder from any number of directions! You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as the ADHD MD. In today's episode, Dr Carolyn Lenszch-Parcells shares some good news, and we finish up our conversation about ADHD meds.  This time, we discuss non-stimulants, and a bit about the med shortage.     The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups    Learn more about Dr. Carolyn and her work here:  http://drcarolynparcells.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.adhd.md/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community   

In today’s episode, we talk to friend-of-the-pod, and New York Times Best-Selling author AJ Jacobs.  AJ is an editor at large for Esquire, as well as a journalist, author, and lecturer best known for writing about his lifestyle experiments.  He’s also a fellow ADHDer.  AJ talks to us about his latest book, The Year of Living Constitutionally.  We discuss: How his year of living like a colonial American affected AJ’s mental health (mostly in good ways) Why flexible thinking matters and how to support it Lifestyle lessons from Benjamin Franklin And election cakes Guest Links: Learn more about AJ Jacobs and his work here:  https://ajjacobs.com/     Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join the ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

Today’s episode features Alan Brown, the ADD Crusher!  And it's a little different from the norm because it was recorded live at the 2023 ADHD Con during my Lunchtime Q&As with ADHD experts and dignitaries. Alan and I discuss his principles for success with ADHD.   Managing our outlaw brain Doing what we didn’t want to do Not relying on motivation The importance of baby systems Learning vs. Execution   The episode was produced by Stephen Tonti and Benj Welmond of Attention Different.  Guest Links: Learn more about Alan and his work here:  https://addcrusher.com/ https://www.alanpbrown.com/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

Today, Dr. Carolyn, the ADHD MD returns to the show!  We discuss: Overwhelm Work/Life Balance The risks of tasks that help us activate, but aren’t what we need to do Being a person on the internet The importance of having a team  The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups REGISTRATION CLOSES FRIDAY!    Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Brendan Goes "Live" every Friday at 11am EST. Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Find Dr. Carolyn at: http://drcarolynparcells.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.adhd.md/   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

Content Warning - brief mention of suicide. Today, I’m joined by Tracey Otsuka author of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. In this episode Tracy talks to us about ADHD and women.  We discuss: Gender norms and ADHD The lack of formal research on women with ADHD The connection between estrogen and dopamine Women and trauma Imposter Syndrome Procastivity ADHD & Perimenopause    Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here     Learn more about Tracy and her work here:  https://www.tracyotsuka.com/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community   

Today, I’m joined by Dr. William Dodson.   Now semi-retired, Dr. Dodson is a Board-Certified adult psychiatrist and was one of the first clinicians to specialize in adults with ADHD over 25 years ago. He has been on the faculties of Georgetown University and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.  He was the recipient of the national Maxwell Schleifer Award for Distinguished Service to Persons with Disabilities in 2006, and was named a Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association in recognition of his clinical contributions to the field of ADHD in 2012.  He has written more than 120 articles and book chapters designed to help a lay audience better understand ADHD and its treatment. In this episode Dr Dodson shares his “Interest-Based Nervous System” approach to ADHD.  We discuss: The changes he’s seen in ADHD treatment over the course of his career How the ADHD nervous system differs from the neurotypical one, and how that causes confusion and challenges when it comes to motivation. Key Questions to ask about ADHD  The 5 general areas that support ADHD engagement The dangers of creating urgency & catastrophe in order to activate    Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Guest Links: Learn more about Dr Dodson here: https://www.dodsonadhdtreatment.com/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group

Today Talli Dolge and Amanda Morin join the pod.   Talli is a national mental health strategic advisor and executive consultant, and the Founder and CEO of Mindful Workplace LLC.  Amanda is a neurodivergent neurodiversity activist, award-winning author, certified educator, and nationally-known speaker.  Tallia and Amanda have recently launched the Empathic Edge Podcast, where they have intimate conversations with inspiring leaders with the aim of shattering preconceived ideas and providing actionable items to help listeners understand and work with different personalities and new ideas in the ever-changing work environment.  In this episode Talli, Amanda, and I talk about leadership.  We discuss  The difference between bosses and leaders Leadership as more art than science The interplay between leadership and professionalism The importance of trust in the workplace How the workplace is changing   Check Out the ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups Here!!!    Guest Links: Learn more about Talli Dole, Amanda Morin, and their new podcast "The Empathic Edge" at:  https://theempatheticedge.com/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Find Dr. Carolyn at: http://drcarolynparcells.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.adhd.md/   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

Dr. Carolyn Lentzsch-Parcells joins us again! That’s right, it’s a rock-block of Dr. Carolyn!  Carolyn is a pediatrician with ADHD who can talk about the disorder from any number of directions! You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as the ADHD MD. In an episode that is long overdue, Dr. Carolyn talks about ADHD medication - primarily stimulants.  We’ll cover non-stimulants in a future episode.  Carolyn discusses the role of medication as part of a gold-standard treatment plan, meds as a protective factor for both kids and adults, medication and substance use, and the importance of factoring a risk/benefit ratio when deciding whether or not to take medication.   The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups    Learn more about Dr. Carolyn and her work here:  http://drcarolynparcells.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the.adhd.md/   Learn More about Brendan and his work at:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community   

Today’s episode is a bit of a departure from the norm.  In it, I’m joined by my friend Dr. Carolyn Lentzsch-Parcells, the ADHD MD!  Carolyn is a pediatrician with ADHD who can talk about the disorder from any number of directions!  She’s been on the show a few times, and will be joining me periodically to explore ADHD, and related topics.    In a more personal conversation, Carolyn and I talk about how ADHD affects our lives, the importance of just getting started, and how being busy can cause an ADHD cascade.       ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

In today’s episode we talk to Peter Shankman.  Peter is an entrepreneur, a keynote speaker, the best-selling author of six books, founder of the neurodiversity consultancy firm Mental Capital, and he’s a dad.  Peter talks to us about parenting, the power of getting out of your own element to get work done, and his recent children’s book, “The Boy with the Faster Brain”, and why ADHDers have to learn how to use the faster brain that they have, rather than the neurotypical brain that they don’t have.  Also, his dog might have the best timing in the whole world.  But you’ll have to listen to find out why.   Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Guest Links: Learn more about Peter and his work here:  https://www.shankman.com/ Buy “The Boy with the Faster Brain” here.     ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

In today’s episode we talk to Anita Robertson, LCSW.  Anita is an ADHD and relationship therapist.  Her goal is to help individuals and couples understand ADHD and find the right systems that work for them.    Anita talks to us about navigating the challenges of being in the sandwich generation while having ADHD.  We discuss the challenges of caring for neurodiverse children and ailing parents - the impact it takes on our executive function, how it affects our relationships, and the toll it can take on our well-being.  As well as the need for social supports and understanding for adults in this uniquely challenging period.  Of course, we also talk about tools and strategies for navigating this time in our lives! Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Guest Links: Learn more about Anita and her work at https://www.anitarobertson.com/ Follow her on social media here: https://www.facebook.com/anitarobertsonlcsw https://www.instagram.com/strengthinyourmind/ https://www.tiktok.com/@strengthinyourmind https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitarobertson   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]   Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community

In today’s episode we talk to Mark Smeets.  Mark is a neurodiversity advocate out of British Columbia, and the host of the “We are the ADHD Family” podcast. Mark talks to us about his family’s experience with ADHD.  We discuss the journey to his son’s ADHD and autism diagnosis, how it led to his and his wife’s ADHD diagnoses, generational trauma, mental health advocacy work, and being on with where you are. Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Guest Links: Learn more about Mark and his work here:  https://linktr.ee/wearetheadhdfamily   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected]

In today’s episode we talk to Jessica McCabe! Jessica is the creator and host of How to ADHD on YouTube and author of a new book that came out yesterday! Jessica talks to us about that very book, aptly titled “How to ADHD”.  We discuss her new book, as well as the importance of accessibility for ADHD folks, divergent vs convergent thinking, why trying harder is not the answer, and how ADHD affects us socially. Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Guest Links: Order Jessica’s book at https://howtoadhdbook.com/ Learn more about Jessica and her work at https://howtoadhd.com/ Check out How to ADHD on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@HowtoADHD   Register for the Event with Dr. Dodson Here   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Website Contact Brendan at [email protected] Men’s ADHD Support Group Links: Learn more about the Men’s ADHD Support Group Join the Men’s ADHD Support Group’s Facebook Community 

In today’s episode we talk to Dr. Roberto Olivardia.  A Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Instructor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Olivaria specializes in ADHD, Executive functioning issues, and OCD, as well as Body Dysmorphic Disorder and eating disorders.   Dr. Olivardia talks to us about ADHD and eating.  We discuss the executive function challenges that underpin healthy eating, the eating disorders most common to ADHD, the social nature of eating, and how the things we eat can affect our ADHD.   Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Guest Links: Learn more about Dr. Olivardia’s work here.   Check out the Men’s ADHD Support Group Here   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]

In today’s episode we talk to Julie Skolnick, founder of With Understanding Comes Calm.   Julie guides parents of gifted and distractible children, mentors 2e adults, trains educators and advises professionals on how to bring out the best in, and raise self-confidence of, the 2e people in their lives. Julie talks to us about her new book, "Gifted and Distractible".  She talks to us about what 2e means, her Cycle for Success model, the overexcitability of gifted folks, asynchronous development, and how to advocate for ourselves and others.   Guest Links: Buy "Gifted and Distractable" Here!!! Learn more about Julie and her work at https://www.withunderstandingcomescalm.com/   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]

In this episode, I continue the tradition of dragging a bunch of people into my room to reflect on the day's events of the ADHD Conference.  There were a bunch of us - Members of the Men's ADHD Support Group, Inger Shay Colzie, ADHD Nerd Dad, Teresa Taylor, ADHDruid, and Dr. Carolyn Lentzsch-Parcells - we had pizza.   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]

In today’s episode we talk to Suchi Deshpande.  Suchi is the founder of Learnfully, a digital learning platform, balanced with insights from machine learning and expert human interaction. that connects specialists and caregivers to gain a deeper, more accurate, and actionable understanding of the learning needs of their kids. Suchi talks to us about how Learnfully helps neurodiverse kids access education.  She discusses the importance of figuring out your kid’s learning profile, the role anxiety plays in education, why support has to work for both the family and the kid, the power of getting diagnosed as an adult, and the importance of trying differently rather than harder.   Guest Links: Learn more about Suchi and her work at https://learnfully.com/   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]

In today’s episode of ADHD Essentials, we talk to Rebecca Rolland.  Rebecca is an author, speech language pathologist and lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  She talks to us about her book, “The Art of Talking with Children”.  We discuss the Zone of Proximal Development, the role of temperament in conversation, the principles of social talk, and boundary setting. Guest Links: Learn more about Rebecca and her work at https://rebeccarolland.com/ Buy Rebecca's book here   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]

In today’s episode, we talk to Cris -a web developer and software engineer who has created Focus101.com, an outstanding virtual body-doubling tool.   Cris talks to us about how Focus 101 works, the power of co-working and bodydoubling, and the importance of playing with your own creations.     Guest Links: Check Out Focus101.com here!   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]  

It's just me for this episode.  I'm sharing some reflections and lessons on helping that I've learned after the trials of the COVID pandemic, caring for a son with OCD, and supporting a dad with cancer.  And stay to the end for a special announcement about my latest project!   Links to the Friends and Colleagues I Thanked in this Episode:   Jessica McCabe Her upcoming book - "How to ADHD" Jordan Harbinger His podcast - "The Jordan Harbinger Show" Caroline Maguire Her book - "Why Will No One Play With Me?"   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]

In today’s episode, we talk to Ying, a Chinese immigrant to the United States who has ADHD who goes by the handle, ADHD Asian Girl on Twitter. She talks to us about how Asian cultural expectations affect her ADHD, cultural and neurodiverse masking, how ADHD increases challenges of being an immigrant, as well as mindfulness and the calming power of shaking and dancing.   >>>Learn About Both ADHD Conferences Here<<<   Guest Links:  Follow Ying on Twitter! ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]  

In today’s episode, we talk to Jesse Anderson! Jessie is an ADHD influencer who goes by the handle ADHDJesse, and the author of “Extra Focus: The Quick Start Guide to Adult ADHD”. Jesse talks to us about his new book, “Extra Focus, and shares some tips from it.  We discuss the modern view of ADHD, Jesse’s four Cs of motivation, and juggling chainsaws.   Guest Links: Learn more about Jesse and his work here! Get Jesse's book, "Extra Focus" here!   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]

In today’s episode, we talk to ADHD creator and friend of the show, Dani Donovan!  (Dani has created the Anti-Planner, a phenomenal tool for helping folks with ADHD get stuff done.) Dani talks to us about the Anti-Planner, and why it it such a powerful tool for folks with ADHD. She shares some of the strategies in it.  Strategies that she actually used in creating it!  (Like letting yourself bounce from one strategy to another, paper football decision-making, KanBan boards, even strategies for meal planning!)   Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Guest Links: Check Out Dani's work here! And buy the Anti-planner Here!    ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]    

In today’s episode, we talk about the Men’s ADHD Support Group with founders Marc Almodovar and Kristian Moton.  Marc and Kristian discuss the reason they started the group, and the needs they’re meeting with it.  They talk about the shame that ADHD and similar mental health struggles can create for men, how the cultural resistance to male vulnerability both impedes healing and leads to anger, the power of self-talk, the importance of community, and their goals for the Men’s ADHD Support Group.   Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups Here   Guest Links: Learn more about the Men's ADHD Support Group Here   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]  

This is the 250th episode of the ADHD Essentials Podcast. For those of you who have been wondering why the show has been inconsistent for the last little while, this is your answer.  I hope you find meaning and comfort in our story.   In today’s episode, my family and I share the mental health struggles that have affected our lives over the past four years, as well as the things we did to address, and eventually, overcome them.  This episode is mainly about my son Nathan’s struggle with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but the lessons hiding inside it related to compassion, family, and perseverance apply to all mental health challenges, ADHD included.   A few notes:  I did not propose the idea.  My kids did.  They wanted to do this for the 250th episode.   Also, we talk pretty frankly about Nate’s OCD, and even joke about some of the events it caused.  None of that was done with resentment or ill will.  The entire conversation was based in love and acceptance.  If anyone, especially Nate, had appeared uncomfortable or distressed by the conversation at any point, I would have ended it and not posted this.   Finally, this was recorded in January.  The boys finished 8th grade two days prior to posting, and did so with great success.  I’m proud to say that in the time since we recorded, our entire family has moved from a place of healing to a place of growth growth.   OCD Resource Links: International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/ McLean Hospital's OCD Programs: https://www.mcleanhospital.org/treatment/ocd-institute NOCD: https://www.treatmyocd.com/   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]

Today, we’re talking to Seoniadh Jameson.  Seoniadh is a fitness professional with ADHD and the author of “Why You Skipped Your Workout”. Seoniadh talks to us about her book, and exercise in general.  She discusses the mind-body connection and how exercising can help our brains, the nature of making changes in our lives, the power of self-talk, and the emotional side of ADHD and exercise.   >>>  Learn About the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups

Today, we’re talking to Lynne Lyons.  Lynn is a psychotherapist, author, and speaker in private practice for over 30 years.  She specializes in treating anxiety disorders in adults and children. Lynne talks to us about her book “The Anxiety Audit”, and anxiety in general.  She discusses the differences between stress, anxiety, and worry, how accommodations play a different role treating ADHD than they do with anxiety, where many parents go wrong with their kid’s anxiety, all or nothing thinking, and how anxiety affects us physiologically. >>>Get Your ADHD Essentials Merch Here!!!

It's just me for this episode.  I'm sharing my thoughts on neurodiverse masking - what it is, why we do it, and the need for a more nuanced conversation in that area with regard to what I'm seeing online.   >>> Book your free information call about the  ADHD Essentials Parent Coaching Groups!

Today, we’re talking to author Caroline Maguire.  Caroline is the author of “Why Will No One Play With Me?”, as well as a social skills and ADHD coach.  She recently did a TEDx Talk about her social spy approach to improving our interpersonal skills.    Caroline talks to us about being a social spy during the holidays.  She shares how (and what) to observe when we first enter into social situations, why it’s so important to read the room, helping sensitive kids manage their sensitivity, and ways to gamify the teaching of social skills.   >>> Book your free information call about the  ADHD Essentials Parent Coaching Groups!

Today, we’re talking to David Greenwood, author of "Overcoming Distraction", and "Overcoming Burnout". David talks to us about burnout. We discuss causes of burnout, different kinds, including professional and caregiver burnout, and David gives us tips for both managing and avoiding it. Alright, let’s get rolling.   >>>Register for the ADHD Essentials Parenting Groups

Today, we're continuing our annual episodes from the International ADHD Conference.  This episode, as well as the previous and the next are all quick, minimally edited group debriefs of ADHD Con 2022.  My guests for this chat are numerous, honestly, I'm toasted from the conference.  But among them are ADHD luminaries Dani Donovan, Jessica McCabe, Caroline Maguire, Eric Tivers, and Cate Osborn, as well as past show guests Dr. Caroline Lentzsch-Parcells and Chris from NASA.  That's a lot of names.  I didn't even mention everyone.  We may have had a pizza party.     ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]   ADHD reWired Podcast Network Plugs: ADHD reWired Hacking Your ADHD ADHD Essentials ADHD Diversified

Today, we're continuing our annual episodes from the International ADHD Conference.  This episode, as well as the previous and the next are all quick, minimally edited group debriefs of ADHD Con 2022.  My guest for this chat are Lollie Weeks, Kate Barrett, Marc Almodovar, Elizabeth Kilmer, John Hazelwood, and Michelle Buzgon.   ADHD Essentials Links:   Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups  Join Our Facebook Community Check out the ADHD Essentials Homepage Contact Brendan at [email protected]   ADHD reWired Podcast Network Plugs: ADHD reWired Hacking Your ADHD ADHD Essentials ADHD Diversified