Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a clinical psychologist and ADHD expert who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. As he learned about ADHD in his career, the signs felt familiar: impulsivity, trouble with focus, and more. He procrastinated constantly in college and was mischievous as a kid. He was even kicked out of Sunday school. 

Once he got his sleep apnea under control, his ADHD difficulties became even clearer — and it wasn’t just what you’d typically find in the DSM. (That’s the handbook health care professionals use when diagnosing things like ADHD.) 

Roberto is the host of Season 2 of Understood Explains, where he unpacks the ins and outs of adult ADHD diagnosis. He also has two kids with ADHD. Listen to this episode of ADHD Aha! to learn about ADHD and trouble sleeping, plus ADHD time zones (the “now” and the “not now”). 

To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood.  

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Related resources

• Driven to Distraction, by Edward M. Hallowell, MD, and John J. Ratey, MD
• How ADHD affects sleep — and what you can do to help
• Is it ADHD or a sleep disorder?
• Understood Explains Season 2: ADHD diagnosis in adults

Listen to Everyone Gets a Juice Box, a new podcast from Understood.org where host Jessica Shaw has honest talks with parents raising kids who learn and think differently.

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

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