ADHD Essentials

By Brendan MahanHealth & Fitness Mental Health Education Self-Improvement

ADHD Essentials episodes

March 01, 2019Parental Self-Care with Louise Clarke
I really enjoyed talking to Louise Clarke of "Your Parenting Partner". Lousie has a child with ADHD, and is also a parenting coach. So, the conversation was an interesting one.

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
The power of parent coaching
Controlling our reactivity through self-care
Losing touch with our own needs because we're focused on everyone else
Role modeling self-care
Scheduling self-care
Busy weeks make it harder to show up for our kids
The frustration of parenting ADHD
The isolation of parenting ADHD
Louise's Son's ADHD project
Always be curious
Look for the unmet need in poor behavior
An expectation is a prediction of the future
Expect the process, not the outcome

Guest Links:
Find Louise at https://yourparentingpartner.com
Louise’s Son’s ADHD project video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lG0WnkR2DM&t=2s

Shameless Plugs:
Email me your questions for the first ever ADHD Essentials online Q&A at [email protected]
Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups!
Join The ADHD Essentials Facebook Community
40 min
February 22, 2019Getting Help for a Child in Crisis, and Being UnNormal with Kimberly Berry
Today, we’re talking to Kimberly Berry of Being UnNormal.
This episode has some hard parts. I’m not going to lie to you.

Kimberly Berry tells the tale of her struggles to get her daughter the help she needed after her ADHD and other mental health challenges led to a child in crisis. Although it ends well, part of Kimberly’s story includes her 10 year-old daughter’s suicide attempts. Luckily, medication, parental skill building, and good mental health care, as you’ll hear, have made a world of difference for them both.
I should note, that while Kimberly focuses on her daughter’s ADHD, her daughter also has a mood disorder diagnosis, and that certainly played a role in the crises they faced as well.

Collection of Links to Resources for Kids in Crisis In The States, and Worldwide
http://www.safekids.com/resources-for-youth-in-crisis/

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
Being UnNormal's origin
ADHD misconceptions due to media simplification
If it was easy, don't you think I would have don it?
Learning to accept differences
Visual cues don't work if there' a visual processing disorder.
Challenges with getting help for a child in crisis
Handling childhood meltdowns with grace
The mission of Being UnNormal

Guest Links:
Find Kimberly Berry at https://www.beingunnormal.com

ADHD Essentials Links:
Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
ADHD Essentials Homepage
Contact Brendan at [email protected]
Join Our Facebook Community
41 min
February 15, 2019Planning for College with Linda Katz
Today, we’re talking to Linda Katz or Right Fit College Coaching.
Linda specializes in providing students with ADHD and similar learning disabilities with comprehensive college planning. She helps them find the colleges that will best suit their interests and needs, and then helps them through the application process.
In today’s episode, we talk about the college application process, how important it is for our kids to try out the career they’re looking at before committing four years of study to it, how to find just such an internship in high school, and how college is different from high school.

Shameless Plugs:

Podcast Support:
Today’s Episode was edited by Jeffrey Gordon of Ideal Video Strategies. Go to www.idealvideostrategies.com to learn more about their work.
Guest Links:
Learn more about Linda Katz and her work here.
ADHD Essentials Links:
ADHD Essentials Homepage
Contact Brendan at [email protected]
Join Our Facebook Community
Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
42 min
February 08, 20198 Ways to Help Your Kids Manage Stress & Anxiety
In today's episode, I discuss 8 Ways to Help Your Kid Manage Their Stress and Anxiety.

In Advance
1. Reduce sensory stimulation
2. Set & Have Reasonable Expectations
3. Be clear about your own escalation

(4-6) In the Moment
4. Help them get grounded in reality
5. Name emotions
6. Reflective Listening

(7-8) In the Aftermath
7. Forgive
8. Fix

Shameless Plugs:
Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details on the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.
Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups!
Or register at https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/.
Join the ADHD Essentials Facebook Community.
11 min
February 01, 2019A Good Relationship Pushes Us to Be a Better Person with Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA
Today, we’re talking to Ari Tuckman.
Dr. Tuckman is a psychologist in private practice, specializing in diagnosing and treating children, teens, and adults with ADHD, anxiety, and depression. He has appeared on CNN, National Public Radio, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe. And now, he’s on the Pod!
In today’s episode, we talk relationship skills. The episode focuses on marital and parent/child relationships, but the concepts discussed apply to all of them. And we dig deep, discussing the roles effort, shame, problem-solving, communication and even asymmetrical information play in our relationships. I really enjoyed doing this episode, and think you’ll enjoy listening just as much.

Guest Links:
Find Dr. Tuckman at AdultADHDBook.com
Shameless Plugs:
Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details on the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.
Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups!
Or register at https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/.
Join the ADHD Essentials Facebook Community.

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
Happiest ADHD couples felt that their partner put in good effort on managing ADHD
The importance of communication
Prioritizing relationship & partner needs bodes well for a relationship
If it’s easy for me, but hard for you, I might not give you enough credit for doing it.
Why scapegoating ADHD is a bad plan
Bob Brooks’ Islands of Competence
The narrative of imbalance
“Is this how it needs to be? Do we have better options?”
Demystifying the perils of doing the dishes
Why we rate our effort as higher than that of others
Changing our questions/assumptions
The anxiety of not doing your job.
“We can’t expect our partner to behave better than we do”
“Giving the other person your dilemma”
Emotional self-regulation is the key to healthy relationships
Strategies for having hard conversations
A good relationship is one that pushes us to be a better person
Modeling self-advocacy & flexible problem-solving
Communicate honestly. Listen respectfully. Work together.
50 min
January 25, 2019ADHD, Small Not-For-Profit Private Schools, and the Muslim American Experience with Dr. Noor Ali, Principal of Al Hamra Academy
Dr. Noor Ali is the principal of Al Hamra Academy, a private K-8 Islamic School. Al Hamra. Noor has long been an advocate for students with special needs, and brings her strong advocacy, and thoughtful manner to the pod!
In today’s episode, we talk about the intersections and commonalities between the Muslim and ADHD experiences, the importance of celebrating your child’s diagnosis, the special education challenges faced by small faith-based schools, and how a child is like an interactive canvas.

Guest Links:
Al Hamra Academy - https://www.alhamraacademy.org
Shameless Plugs:
Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.
Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups!
Or register at https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/.

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
Noor's experience with ADHD in the Islamic Community
Bringing parents to the idea of ADHD
Why it can be easier to blame the child than to pursue a diagnosis
Getting advanced degrees is possible with ADHD & Dyslexia
Micro-aggressions and feeling like your experience is irrelevant to the mainstream
10 year old Muslim girl gets death threats at school
How Ramadan & Afternoon Prayer could single out Muslim students,
Why it’s important to teach about these cultural differences
Special Education in a private school vs. a public school
Coaching parents
Universal Design
Teaching is hard, meaningful work
Mentorships foster resilience
41 min
January 18, 201955: Stress Management with Jason Dulac, M.Ed., M.S.
Today, we’re talking to Jason Dulac.
Jason is a mental health counselor, and expert in stress management, having taught about it at the college level. He’s also an old friend. We’ve worked together as both teachers, and as mental health clinicians.
In today’s episode, we talk about the physical nature of stress, various levels of stress management ranging from short term Band-Aids to more long-term approaches, and I even share a story about the time I was assaulted in Whole Foods.

ADHD Essentials Links:
Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
ADHD Essentials Homepage
Contact Brendan at [email protected]
Join Our Facebook Community
55 min
January 11, 201954: Being Outrageous to Keep Their Attention, with Lauren Mahan, teacher. (Special Guest Appearances by Nathan and Gavin Mahan)
Lauren Mahan is a fourth-grade teacher in Massachusetts, and my sister! That’s right, I’m celebrating the anniversary of the pod with family! And since Nathan and Gavin are in fourth grade this year, and Lauren is their aunt, we had them sit in on the interview, and contribute their thoughts. You’ll hear about 4th grade from both sides of the teacher desk. (As well as on top of it!)
In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
Why teaching every kid like they have ADHD works
How costumes affect the classroom
The influence of Ms. Frizzle
Showing your work
"Sideways Stories from Wayside School"
Writing on desks in math
Teaching on tables
ADHD is more than one fire to put out
Teaching sarcasm and fidgets
The importance of recess
The power of class pets
ADHD & Anxiety
If the kids didn't learn it, you didn't teach it

ADHD Essentials Links:
Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
ADHD Essentials Homepage
Contact Brendan at [email protected]
Join Our Facebook Community
39 min
January 04, 201953: Three Tiered Goal Setting & 2019 Intentions
In today's episode, I walk us through how I'm setting my goals for 2019. I think you'll find it useful. In fact, this is probably a good one to share with your middle school and older kids.

Shameless Plugs:
Join Our Facebook Community
Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups!
Or register at https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/.
Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
Intentions vs. Resolutions
Setting goals with emotions in mind
SMART Goals
Pre-Mortems
Brendan's quest for a Black Belt
The role shame plays in derailing us from our goals
Using accountability & scheduling to keep our goals on track
Alexa as a reminder tool
The power of being a role model for our kids as a motivation tool
Happy New Year!
ADHD Essentials Links:
Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
ADHD Essentials Homepage
Contact Brendan at [email protected]
Join Our Facebook Community
18 min
December 28, 201852: ADHD and Giftedness with Dr. Robert Gruberman
Kids with both ADHD and giftedness, and often referred too as "Twice Exceptional". Today, we're talking about them. (But not behind they're back. They're welcome to listen in.)

Our guest for today's episode is Dr. Robert Gruberman.
Robert is the director of his school district’s gifted and talented program. He has been assessing and teaching gifted children in his district for nearly two decades, and has been a public educator for even longer.
In today’s episode, we discuss ADHD and giftedness through the lens of an academic expert in the field. We talk about the various components of giftedness, and where they overlap with ADHD, the social emotional side of giftedness, how twice exceptional kids are affected by having both ADHD and giftedness, and how to help kids with ADHD, giftedness, or both, manage the challenges they face.

Shameless Plugs:
Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups!
Or register at https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/.
Go to https://www.adhdrewired.com/events/ for details about the monthly Q&A with Eric Tivers.

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:
The various components of Giftedness
The Social-Emotional side of Giftedness
Models of the solar system upsetting a 4-year-old
The overlap between ADHD & Giftedness
Giftedness & ADHD are not two sides of the same coin
Shared characteristics, arrived at differently
But there’s lots of crossover
Giftedness and ADHD can exacerbate each other when they co-occur.
When school challenges become home challenges
Work in short bursts toward small, manageable goals
The importance of getting kids invested
The power of choice
Peer support
“All Summer in A Day”
Don’t rush to judgement
ADHD Essentials Links:
Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
ADHD Essentials Homepage
Contact Brendan at [email protected]
Join Our Facebook Community
33 min