ADHD Aha!

Debbie Reber — author, podcast host, and founder of Tilt Parenting — shares her unexpected journey of discovering her ADHD as an adult. She talks about the imposter syndrome that came with it, especially after years of writing about executive function and advocating for neurodivergent kids.

Debbie explains how being extremely organized her whole life — hacking her ADHD without realizing it — kept her from seeing the signs sooner. She reflects on believing she “should” be someone who has natural balance, feels accomplished every day, and can simply unwind at night.

She also opens up about growing up as the class clown, being told she was too loud, and how therapy is helping her untangle those early messages and better understand herself.

For more on this topic: 

• ADHD and imposter syndrome in women
• Personal story: What I do when imposter syndrome creeps in 
• Check out Debbie’s books, including Differently Wired: The Parent’s Guide to Raising an Atypical Child

For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]

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Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate.

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This week, we’re sharing a powerful episode from our friends at Hyperfocus — a deeply personal story with its own “aha” moments. Inattentive ADHD is often missed, especially in boys who don’t fit the typical ADHD stereotype. Brandon Saiz shares his later-in-life diagnosis and what it meant to have been overlooked for so long. 

If you’re not already listening to Hyperfocus, check it out here.

Content warning: Mentions of suicide

For more on this topic: 

• Read: The 3 types of ADHD
• Listen: The “devastating” findings of a decades-long ADHD study
• Follow: Brandon Saiz on Substack   

For a transcript and more resources, visit our friends at Hyperfocus on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]

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Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate.

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Back by popular demand… it’s Ange Nolan! Ange returns to ADHD Aha! to share how her ADHD journey has evolved since we last spoke. That includes her decision to study disability theology and help make worship spaces more supportive for neurodivergent people. 

Going back to school brought up old memories of past academic struggles. Ange talks openly about navigating those feelings with more clarity and self-understanding. She also gives an update on her personal life — this time, celebrating a calm, steady relationship that looks very different from the intense dynamics she experienced in the past.

For more on this topic: 

• Ange’s first interview: ADHD, loving intensely, and impulsivity
• A guide to  ADHD and emotions

For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected]

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Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we’re revisiting one of our favorite ADHD Aha! episodes. 

Ange Nolan once suspected she had ADHD but was dismissed by her doctor. Years later, an ADHD “iceberg” graphic that visualized how so many ADHD symptoms live beneath the surface finally made everything click. 

After her diagnosis, Ange recognized how much ADHD had shaped her romantic relationships, her drive for intense connection, her “chameleon” behavior, and her impulsive career changes. 

Be sure to tune in next time! Ange is coming back to tell us how life has changed in the three years since her episode aired. Spoiler: She’s doing great.

For more on this topic:

• Listen: ADHD and messiness (Jeannie’s story)
• Read: ADHD and emotions
• Read: Understanding impulsivity
• Listen: ADHD and marriage (Rachel and Jon’s story)

Timestamps: 

(00:50) The ADHD iceberg moment that revealed hidden symptoms
(05:20) Early warning signs, misdiagnosis, and feeling dismissed
(09:40) Career pivots, masking, and finding work that finally fits
(15:30) Impulsivity, hyperfixation, and burnout in relationships

For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].

Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate.

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When Atira Roberson was in first grade, she was evaluated and diagnosed with ADHD, dyscalculia, and a specific learning disability. But she didn’t find out about those diagnoses until college — when she went through all of her old paperwork herself. 

Growing up, Atira knew she was different and was bullied because of it. Her mother was her biggest advocate, but her parents chose not to tell her about her diagnoses at the time. 

In this episode, Atira — now an English language arts teacher — shares how learning the truth changed the way she saw herself, and how it shaped her passion for teaching and education policy today.

For more on this topic: 

• Why Black girls with learning disabilities need more visibility, from the Opportunity Gap podcast
• To be Black in America with a learning disability, by Atira Roberson
• What are learning disabilities?

For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].

Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jim Tews is a comedian, Coast Guard veteran, and New York Times bestselling author who’s not shy to talk about ADHD in his stand-up act. Jim shares how he went from doing admin work in the Ohio Coast Guard to community college, where panic attacks finally led to his ADHD diagnosis. Jim shares what it was like trying medication for the first time and why he thinks he wasn’t diagnosed sooner. (“I had girl ADHD.”) 

These days, he’s channeling all of it into comedy. With a new special (With Pictures) and album (Without Pictures), Jim talks about how stand-up keeps him grounded and what he’s learned along the way. He also looks back on a childhood full of distractions — like hiding behind doors and watching squirrels — and how those moments still show up in his life and work.

For more on this topic: 

• Jim’s book: Felines of New York
• ADHD and distraction in the military
• ADHD and the brain

Timestamps: 

(01:52) Starting out in the Coast Guard in Ohio

(05:51) Jim’s doctors dismiss a possible ADHD diagnosis

(07:30) How college made ADHD more obvious

(15:29) Going alcohol-free with ADHD

(16:45) ADHD stories from childhood

For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].

Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, host Laura Key sits down with her co-worker Dr. Ann Bennett, who leads applied research and evaluation at Understood.org. Ann shares her own autism and ADHD diagnosis story — one that didn’t unfold until the end of her PhD program.

Ann was valedictorian of her high school. She also had a disciplinary record. She’d get bored and sometimes fall asleep in class because she’d already taught herself the material. First diagnosed with autism and later with ADHD, Ann reflects on what those labels helped her understand about herself and her brain.

She also shares findings from our recent “Women With ADHD: The Power of Podcasts” study, where she surveyed and interviewed women who listen to Understood podcasts — including ADHD Aha! Along the way, Ann found herself having her own “aha” moments.

For more on this topic: 

• Women with ADHD: The power of podcasts
• What is AuDHD?
• ADHD and women

Timestamps:  

(00:00) Intro

(02:08) Growing up undiagnosed 

(06:13) Being diagnosed with autism and ADHD during her PhD

(11:07) Meeting her husband, and unmasking for the first time

(13:28) Sharing her story more with others

(14:19) “Women With ADHD: The Power of Podcasts” study Ann conducted on Understood.org podcasts

(23:44) Specific statistics from the study

(32:00) Outro and credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us at [email protected].

Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lisa McNeil grew up being called the “bad” twin — the one who talked back and couldn’t do well in school. Her sister was the “good” one. It wasn’t until years later, when Lisa joined a Duke University study to earn some extra cash, that she discovered she had ADHD.

In this episode of ADHD Aha!, host Laura Key talks with Lisa about how that ADHD diagnosis reframed her childhood, why being a paramedic suited her brain, and how playing violin in fourth grade unexpectedly helped her with reading.

For more on this topic:

• ADHD and siblings: Tips from an expert
• How to deal with sibling rivalry when one child learns and thinks differently

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:19) Growing up as a twin

(09:22) The impact of music on Lisa in the fourth grade

(11:23) Early adulthood before ADHD diagnosis

(12:33) The Duke study Lisa took part in to be diagnosed

(16:02) How religion has affected Lisa’s relationship with her family as an adult 

(18:10) Life after diagnosis

(23:27) Outro and credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit ADHD Aha! on Understood.org. You can also email us adhdaha@understood.org.

Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever felt like a fraud, even in the work you know best? Dr. Nerissa Bauer has. After years as a researcher, teacher, and children’s doctor, burnout led her to step away from academia. Not long after, she found out she had ADHD herself. At first, the diagnosis left her embarrassed and full of questions. How could she have missed it for so long?

That turning point brought both sadness and relief, and it changed the way she connects with families. Since then, Nerissa has built a new path in telehealth and started Teach Me ADHD, an online course for families. In this episode, she talks about how burnout and her own ADHD diagnosis reshaped her work — and how they help her show up more honestly for others.

For more on this topic

• Nerissa’s organization, Let’s Talk Kids Health
• ADHD burnout
• ADHD and: Imposter syndrome

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(01:23) ADHD and burnout, and losing structure

(08:23) Nerissa’s ADHD evaluation as a physician herself, and imposter syndrome

(16:42) What is the value of an ADHD diagnosis as an adult? As a parent?

(21:08) Nerissa’s online course, Teach Me ADHD

(26:28) Outro and closing

For a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at [email protected] or record a message for us here. 

Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Derek Miller wears many hats: money coach, musician, athlete, performer, cider guide, and more. His ADHD story is just as full of twists. Derek didn’t find out he had ADHD until college. The jump from high school left him struggling to focus — especially while also caring for his wife during her cancer treatment. To get through the stress, he often used caffeine, while also working on managing his emotions and finding ways to improve himself.

Derek’s view of life and money also changed during his time in Mozambique, where he served as a Mormon missionary. That experience shaped how he thinks about community and resilience. In this episode of “ADHD Aha!,” host Laura Key talks with Derek about majoring in math even though he had math anxiety, how he learned to handle his emotions and focus, and why he now helps others build a healthier relationship with money.

For more on this topic

• ADHD and managing money
• ADHD and caffeine
• Derek's financial education instagram

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(01:07) Derek’s college ADHD diagnosis story

(05:53) Math anxiety

(09:04) Self awareness and introspection

(12:32) How emotional money can be

(15:49) Derek’s time living in Mozambique, and what he learned about rejection sensitivity

(21:40) What’s next for Derek

(22:53) Outro and credits

For a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! show page on Understood.org. 

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at [email protected] or record a message for us here. 

Understood is a nonprofit where millions of people who are navigating neurodivergence find clear guidance, practical tools, and people who get it. To help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/podcast-donate.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.