ADHD Essentials

It’s that time of year again.  The leaves are turning, acorns litter the ground, the air is becoming chilly.  It’s the season of pumpkin spice!  It’s been around for years now, but it seems like people are still out of their minds about it.  

Why?  Why is pumpkin spice so exciting for so many people? Because it’s a special event. It adds an interesting twist to ordinary, commonplace things - like coffee, pancakes and muffins.  And, it’s only available for a little while. 

What does this have to do with ADHD?

The ADHD brain loves unique experiences and reward.  Pumpkin spice, because of it’s limited timeframe, is a unique experience. And for some, the unique flavor it adds to their food is a reward. People with ADHD need a little “pumpkin spice” every now and then to help motivate them. It adds an interesting twist to an activity that has become boring and uninteresting.  

How to Use “Pumpkin Spice”

• Best used to manage unique challenges or when the ADHD person is stuck

The pumpkin spice approach to motivation works best when unique challenges arise.  It can be very helpful when people with ADHD go through a period of increased difficulty with motivation or productivity.

Just like coffee shops and bakeries keep coming up with new uses for Autumn’s favorite flavoring, there are no limits to how pumpkin spice approach to motivation can be used.  I’ve shared a few examples.  Please let me know how you apply it.  I’d love to hear from you.

Today, we’re talking to Danielle Frisby.  Danielle is the mother of a son with ADHD, and a Social Impact Event Coordinator.   Her company,  “UnBoxing Change” provides a voice to communities through membership driven engagement activity and involvement.

In today’s episode, Danielle shares with us how being an event planner has informed the way she approaches motherhood, including - why we should look at meals as events, the importance of dates, times and locations, finding the good no matter what, and figuring out ways to help our kids feel safe so they can have hard conversations with us.  And, she shares her son Jordan’s Ending Essentials to conclude the show.

• Learn more about Danielle and her work with UnBoxing Change on

• Instagram (@unboxingchange)

UnBoxing Change Mission:

UnBoxing Change believes that​ ​Community​ i​ s the secret.

UnBoxing Change was created to tackle the most pressing problems people face on the planet. We believe that​ ​“Community”​ ​is the key to solving these problems and that we, as members of this mission, are the agents of change that we all seek.

UnBoxing Change understands that we are all responsible for our piece of the mission. From the Homeless to the Hungry; To the Left behind and the Forgotten-UnBoxing Change provides a voice to communities through membership-driven engagement activity and involvement.

• Learn about & Register for the The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups 

Today, we’re talking to Alan Mosden.  Alan is the father of several children with special needs, who wrote a comment letter that addresses how the Family Medical Leave Act applies to IEP Meetings.

In today’s episode, we discuss what a comment let is, and how FLMA applies to school care meetings, petitioning the government to get things done, and advocating for our kids.

Special Note: Nether Alan nor I are lawyers. So, although we talk about legal matters in this episode, do not take any of it as legal advice.  Consult your legal representative before implementing anything discussed in this episode.

• The Comment Letter (FMLA2019-2-A) discussed in this episode, in which the DOL concluded that FMLA covers an employee’s attendance at a school meeting where their child's IEP will be discussed.

• The article written by Jeff Nowak about Aelan's Comment Letter mentioned in today's episode.

• Learn about & Register for the next round of The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups 

Today, we’re talking to Matt Fahy, LMHC.  Matt is a licensed mental health counselor based in Florida.  He began his quest to better understand the human condition as an Anthropologist, spending a number of years exploring and working on archeological sites.  Eight years ago, he shifted his focus to mental health counseling.  And now, he has married the two and uses his Anthropology knowledge and counseling skills to run therapeutic games of Dungeons and Dragons for his clients.

In today’s episode, we talk about what Dungeons and Dragons is, how Matt uses it as a therapeutic tool  to help the kids he works with develop social skills,  problem-solving skills, and greater insight into themselves, the roots of this approach in classic psychological approaches, and Matt shares with us the tale of the clients in one of his groups helped Boogers the Goblin learn coping strategies to better manage his anxiety.

• Learn more about Matt Fahy and his work at https://mattfahy.com.

• Learn more about Dungeons & Dragons at https://dnd.wizards.com.

• Learn about & Register for the next round of The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups 

Today, we’re talking to Amy Leone.  Amy is a mental health clinician who specializes in adolescent and youngadults with dual diagnoses, including substance abuse, and behavioral or trauma related symptoms.  I first met Amy when I joined her Juvenile Advocacy Group, a group she created to address the effects of the opioid epidemic in Milford, MA, which has become a model for many other towns throughout Massachusetts, as well as the state as a whole.  She is one of the most caring and driven people I know, and it an honor to call her my friend.

In today’s episode, Amy talks to us about vaping. What it is, why it’s so hard to catch, its connection to marijuana use, step we can take to keep our kids from doing it, and the fact that it might be a signal of the need for stress reduction and mental health supports for both kids and parents.

This week’s episode is about vaping.  It touches on addiction, and the kinds of behaviors that might signal addiction.  I don’t want to panic anyone.  If your kid engages in one or two of the behaviors mentioned, that doesn’t mean they’re vaping or engaging in addictive behaviors. Sometimes our kids becoming more secretive is a perfectly healthy, developmentally appropriate way of seeking independence and setting boundaries. 

That said, the more of these behaviors you see, the more concerned you may need to be.  You can learn more about addiction and what to do if your kid might be  vaping, or using drugs or similar substances athttps://www.drugabuse.gov, and https://drugfree.org. 

• Learn more about Amy and her work at https://community-impact-inc.com.

• Learn about & Register for the next round of The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups 

Today, I share a handful of back to school tips and ideas.  Depending on the age of your kid and your individual situation, some of these might need a little tweaking, but I’m sure you’ll find things in here that are useful.

The topics include:

• Expectations

• Learn about & Register for the next round of The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups 

Today, we’re talking to Seth Perler.  Seth is an Executive Function and Twice Exceptional Coach who has dedicated his life to helping kids overcome their challenges so they can live great lives.  He does this by teaching the world about executive function. Unsurprisingly, he’s also the founder of The Executive Function Online Summit.

In today’s episode, Seth and I talk about the resistance our kids sometimes experience when faced with challenging tasks, how major shifts come from millions of little successes, The Executive Function Online Summit (TEFOS), and the importance of our relationships with our kids. 

• Learn more about Seth at https://sethperler.com.

• Learn about & Register for the next round of The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups 

My buddy Adam Wilson is back on the pod! Adam is the founder of Calm Passion, a non-profit that creates sensory sensitive spaces to help those with sensory needs participate in events like comic book conventions and movie showings that might otherwise be too overwhelming for them.  He also runs Calmer Con, which is an entire pop culture convention Adam has developed for kids, adults, and families with sensory needs.

In today’s episode, Adam and I talk about the importance of having a consistent approach to how we handle our kids, the power reframing our struggles, navigating the isolation of raising a kid with special needs, including our kids on their support team, and going out to dinner to get on the same page as our partner.

Replay of my ADDitude Webinar on The Wall of Awful

Register for the Live Q&A with Eric Tivers

Register The Executive Function Online Summit

• Learn more about Adam & Calm Passion at http://calmpassion.org

• Learn about & Register for the next round of The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups 

Today, we’re talking to Lindsey Steele.  Lindsey is a high school social studies teacher with ADHD. She writes about managing the life of a teacher while having ADHD on her blog, Fight, Pray, Teach.

 In today’s episode, Lindsey and I talk about how having ADHD informs her teaching practice, and her relationships with her students.  She also shares some of the organization strategies she uses in her classroom, and we talk about how they can be applied in the home by parents affected by ADHD.      

• Learn more about Lindsey and her work at https://fightprayteach.wordpress.com/

• Learn about & Register for the next round of The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups 

Today, we’re talking to Doug Harris of ADHD Synergy.  Doug is a long-time ADHD coach, working primarily with creatives and the gifted.  He organizes the Ann Arbor Michigan ADHD Support group, and was an absolute blast to talk to!

 In today’s episode, Doug tells us about finding connection in ADHD conferences and groups, how he used streaks to meditate for 388 days in a row, his theory of pre-trying, and growing up with ADHD.

• Learn more about Doug at http://adhdsynergy.com

• Learn about & Register for the next round of The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups