The ADHD Kids Can Thrive Podcast

My guest is Kayvon Afsarifard , a clinical team leader at TeamWonder.org.  This insightful discussion dives into how ADHD affects not only the individual but the whole family system, emphasizing the crucial role parents and families play when a child is dealing with ADHD. Kayvon shares effective strategies on how parents can keep their child focused and organized, discussing developmental stages and ADHD symptoms. He urges parents to adjust their parenting techniques as their children grow and highlights the importance of teaching them self-reliance and independent decision-making skills.
TeamWonder.org offers programs that include a continuum of youth and parent coaching combined with family therapy that is customized to families' needs. We work with a wide spectrum of behavioral and emotional challenges, including struggles with anxiety, depression, failure to launch, school refusal, learning and social differences, ADHD, ASD, executive function challenges, self-harm, suicidality, gender identity, and adoption. We support relationship healing in wounded families and help teens and young adults reach goals in school, vocation, personal growth, and community engagement.
Learn more at https://www.teamwonder.org/
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Topics covered in this episode:
How parents and family system is impacted when a child has ADHD?
Importance of staying regulated with a child is dysregulated?
The independence vs. interdependence dichotomy battle parents face?
Communication tools parents can use?
Video gaming effects on ADHD kids?
Advice on interventions families can implement at home?
Words of wisdom for parents who are raising neurodiverse kids.
 
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Learn More From Kate at http://adhdkidscanthrive.com/
 
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Thank you for listening! 
 
#adhd
#adhdkid
#adhdparent
#adhdkidscanthrive
#adhdparentsupport
#adhdsupport 
#specialed
#parenting
#ADHDkidhealth
#brainhealth
#anxiety
#depression
#learningdisabilities
#dyslexia
#executivefunctioning
#dyslexic
#neurodiversity
 
 
 

What if your child with ADHD or dyslexia isn’t deficient — but learns differently in a system that wasn’t built for them?
In this episode of The ADHD Kids Can Thrive Podcast, Kate Brownfield talks with Jonathan Mooney, writer, speaker, advocate, and adult with ADHD and dyslexia.
Jonathan did not learn to read until age 12. Growing up, he faced low expectations and repeatedly heard that he did not fit the definition of a “good student.” Yet he went on to graduate from Brown University with honors in English literature and wrote Learning Outside the Lines, The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal, and Normal Sucks.
His story challenges one of the most damaging messages neurodivergent children can receive: different means deficient.
Jonathan shares how adults who believed in him, especially his mother, helped him see he didn't need to be “fixed.” Instead, he needed environments, tools, and people willing to understand how he learned.
In this conversation, we discuss:
• What it feels like to grow up with ADHD and dyslexia in a traditional school system• The impact of low expectations on a neurodivergent child• Why one supportive adult can make such a difference• How parents can advocate without sending the message that their child is broken• Why changing the environment can sometimes be more helpful than trying to change the child• The importance of active, hands-on learning for some ADHD students• How movement, exercise, mindfulness, accommodations, and other supports helped Jonathan• Why “sit and get” learning may not bring out the best in every student• How parents can advocate for active-learning supports through a 504 plan• Why neurodivergent children need opportunities to discover their strengths, gifts, and interests• How Jonathan’s own experiences shaped his work as an advocate — and now as a parent
Jonathan also shares a message parents may especially need to hear when they are worried about their child’s future:
A bright light is at the end of the tunnel.
A child who struggles in school today is not showing you the full picture of who they will become.
Jonathan encourages parents to spend less time focusing only on what their child can’t do and more time noticing what they can do — then help them build an educational path, and eventually a life, around those strengths.
For parents raising a child with ADHD, dyslexia, learning differences, or a brain that simply does not fit neatly into traditional expectations, this is a hopeful conversation about advocacy, belonging, education, and seeing possibility where others may only see struggle.
Learn more about ADHD parent coaching and resources:https://adhdkidscanthrive.com
Get the free ADHD Parent Reset:https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/IUVgRZz

What does your child with ADHD wish you understood about what it feels like to be them?
In this episode of The ADHD Kids Can Thrive Podcast, Kate Brownfield talks with Dr. Sharon Saline, clinical psychologist and author of What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew, about ADHD, executive functioning, anxiety, motivation, and what children and teens with ADHD need most from the adults raising them.
ADHD can be confusing for parents because a child may be capable of doing something one day and unable to follow through the next. Dr. Saline explains why this inconsistency is part of ADHD and why interest, motivation, executive-function skills, overwhelm, and emotional regulation all play a role.
Together, Kate and Dr. Saline discuss:
• Why ADHD is closely tied to executive-function challenges• Why ADHD kids can be highly motivated by some things and struggle enormously with others• How inconsistent performance can create anxiety for both children and parents• Why bright children may compensate for ADHD challenges until school demands become greater• How overwhelm can show up as withdrawal, frustration, dropping grades, or conflict at home• Why parents need to manage their own emotions before trying to help an overwhelmed child• How to meet your child where they are instead of where you think they “should” be• Why collaboration works better than constantly telling ADHD kids what to do• How predictability, routines, visual reminders, and external supports can reduce daily friction• Why recognizing effort matters just as much as celebrating outcomes• How parenting needs to evolve as ADHD teens move toward young adulthood and independence
Dr. Saline also shares her Five C’s of ADHD parenting:
Self-Control: Manage your own emotions first so you can respond effectively.
Compassion: Understand your child’s experience and meet them where they are.
Collaboration: Include your child in creating solutions instead of imposing every solution.
Consistency: Provide predictable structure and support without expecting perfection.
Celebration: Notice effort, progress, and what your child is doing well, not only what still needs fixing.
As children with ADHD become older teens and young adults, the parenting role changes again. Dr. Saline encourages parents to become more of a sounding board, sometimes offering advice, but sometimes simply listening.
A helpful question she suggests asking is:
“Would you like support, or would you like advice?”
The goal is not complete independence overnight. It is what Dr. Saline describes as connected independence, allowing young people to make more decisions for themselves while still having appropriate support available as they develop.
For parents who sometimes wonder, “Am I helping too much? Am I pushing too hard? What does my child actually need from me?” this episode offers a compassionate, practical framework for raising an ADHD child from childhood through the emerging-adult years.
Learn more about ADHD parent coaching and resources:https://adhdkidscanthrive.com
Get the free ADHD Parent Reset:https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/IUVgRZz
 

In this compelling episode, Kate Brownfield interviews Jesse J. Anderson, a renowned author, social media influencer, and ADHD advocate. diagnosed with ADHD himself, Jesse takes us through his personal experiences, focusing on triumphs and struggles, and analyzes techniques that can work for those with ADHD.
More about Jesse J. Anderson at https://adhdjesse.com/
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Topics covered in this episode:
-Jesse’s shares his personal journey of growing up with ADHD
- How he ended up penning the highly influential book 'Extra Focus’
- Why toxic productivity doesn’t work for an ADHDer?
- How to use the 4 C’s to help an ADHDer?
- How to use pomodoro time to help a with time blindness?
- Jesse’s words of wisdom for parents and educators supporting an ADHD child?
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Learn More From Kate at http://adhdkidscanthrive.com/
Free Weekly meet- up
Topic will be centered around the most recent ADHD Kids Can Thrive podcast
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Thank you for listening! 
 
#adhd
#adhdkid
#adhdparent
#adhdkidscanthrive
#adhdparentsupport
#adhdsupport 
#specialed
#parenting
#ADHDkidhealth
#brainhealth
#anxiety
#depression
#learningdisabilities
#dyslexia
#jessejanderson
#extrafocus

My guest Dr. Nicole  Michaeli, a pediatric psychologist specializing in comprehensive psychoeducational assessments of children, adolescents, and young adults. Over the last 15 years, Dr. Michaeli’s work has focused on the identification and treatment of young individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Michaeli received her BA from the University of California Los Angeles, where she studied sociology. She earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) in Los Angeles. 
You can learn much more about Dr. Nicole Michaeli at https://mychildassessment.com/
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Topics covered in this episode:
What are  signs and symptoms of a child who may have ADHD?
At what point should a parent consider a comprehensive assessment for their child?
What phrases does a  teacher use to flag a child?
What is difference between a private assessment vs a school IEP assessment?
How will a parent and child benefit from a private comprehensive assessment?
How is a parent, caregiver, teacher, and child involved in the process?
What strategies work for ADHD kids in the classroom?
For how many years is an assessment considered valid?
What are the costs involved?
Dr. Nicole Michaeli’s words for wisdom for parents.
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Learn More From Kate at http://adhdkidscanthrive.com/
Free Weekly meet- up
Topic will be centered around the most recent ADHD Kids Can Thrive podcast
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Thank you for listening! 
 
#adhd
#adhdkid
#adhdparent
#adhdkidscanthrive
#adhdparentsupport
#adhdsupport 
#specialed
#parenting
#ADHDkidhealth
#brainhealth
#anxiety
#depression
#learning disabilities
#dyslexia
#ComprehensivePsychoeducationalAssessments
 

My guest is a mother of an ADHD child who is now in his mid-twenties. I asked Helen to join me to share her top 10 pieces of earned wisdom that she has gained over the years to share with other parents who may be on a similar journey. She agreed to share in service of helping other parents.
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Topics covered in this episode:
Mother’s Top 10 pieces of wisdom earned from raising a child with ADHD
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👉 Join Kate's Parent Support Group: Sign up for details here
Learn More From Kate At http://adhdkidscanthrive.com/
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Thank you for listening! 
 
#adhd
#adhdkid
#adhdparent
#adhdkidscanthrive
#adhdparentsupport
#adhdsupport 
#specialed
#parenting
#ADHDkidhealth
#brainhealth
#top10
#wisdom

Why is ADHD so often missed in girls, and what can happen when it goes unrecognized?
In this episode of The ADHD Kids Can Thrive Podcast, Kate Brownfield, ACC, talks with Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UCSF, about ADHD in girls and women, stigma, diagnosis, and what decades of research have taught us about how ADHD can present differently across children.
Dr. Hinshaw is one of the leading researchers in ADHD and child and adolescent mental health. His work has included major longitudinal research following girls with ADHD over time, as well as research on ADHD treatment, mental-health stigma, and developmental outcomes.
In this conversation, we discuss:
• Why ADHD can be harder to recognize in girls• How ADHD may look different in girls than the stereotypical picture many people associate with ADHD• Why inattentiveness and internal struggles can be overlooked• Common myths and misunderstandings about ADHD• The history of stigma surrounding ADHD and mental health• How school environments and expectations may affect girls and boys differently• What long-term research on girls with ADHD has taught us• Why understanding ADHD earlier can matter for a child’s self-concept and support• What parents should know when a girl appears capable on the outside but may be struggling underneath• Dr. Hinshaw’s perspective for children, teens, and adults living with ADHD
This episode is especially important for parents of girls and teenage girls. ADHD does not always look like disruptive behavior or obvious hyperactivity. A girl may be bright, hardworking, anxious, perfectionistic, distracted, overwhelmed, or quietly struggling while adults around her assume she is doing fine.
Understanding the broader ways ADHD can present can help parents ask better questions, gather more information, and seek appropriate evaluation and support when concerns persist.
Learn more about ADHD parent coaching and resources:https://adhdkidscanthrive.com
Get the free ADHD Parent Reset:https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/IUVgRZz
 
 
 
 

What can another parent teach you about raising a child with ADHD? Sometimes, a lot.
In this episode of The ADHD Kids Can Thrive Podcast, Kate talks with her friend Lisa, a fellow mom raising a child with ADHD, about what she's learned over years of navigating the ups, downs, questions, and uncertainty that come with parenting a neurodivergent child.
This is a conversation between two parents about the real-life side of ADHD parenting: the things you learn over time, the resources that help, the perspective you gain, and the wisdom that often comes only from living through it.
Lisa shares lessons she's learned along the way, including how she's supported her child, found helpful resources, adjusted expectations, and grown in her understanding of ADHD.
For parents who sometimes feel like everyone else has it figured out, this episode reminds us that parenting a child with ADHD often means learning as you go, asking questions, making adjustments, and finding people who understand the journey.
Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is listen to another parent’s story and remember we are not the only ones figuring this out.
Learn more about ADHD parent support and resources:https://adhdkidscanthrive.com
Get the free ADHD Parent Reset:https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/IUVgRZz
 

How do you know whether ADHD medication may help your child, and how do you know if it’s actually working?
In this episode of The ADHD Kids Can Thrive Podcast, Kate Brownfield, ACC, talks with Dr. William Dodson, a board-certified psychiatrist and longtime ADHD specialist, about the role medication can play in ADHD treatment.
Dr. Dodson explains why medication is commonly considered as part of ADHD treatment, what stimulant and non-stimulant medications are designed to address, and why the right treatment plan can look very different from one person to another.
In this conversation, we discuss:
• Why medication is often considered after an ADHD diagnosis• Why some people with ADHD benefit from medication while others may not need it• What ADHD symptoms stimulant medications may help address• How non-stimulant medications differ• How parents and patients can tell whether a medication is helping• Why finding the right medication and dose can take careful observation and adjustment• The role aerobic exercise may play in supporting people with ADHD• What types of professionals may be involved in ADHD treatment• What parents should understand when considering medication as one part of a larger support plan
For many parents, the decision around ADHD medication can bring a lot of questions, uncertainty, and sometimes fear. This episode offers a straightforward introduction to how ADHD medication is used and what families should watch for as they work with a qualified medical professional.
Medication is not the whole picture of ADHD support, but for some children, teens, and adults, it can be an important part of helping the brain manage attention, impulsivity, activity level, and everyday demands more effectively.
Learn more about ADHD parent coaching and resources:https://adhdkidscanthrive.com
Get the free ADHD Parent Reset:https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/IUVgRZz