How do sensory processing differences show up in children with ADHD, and how can parents offer better support?

In this episode of the All Aboard ADHD podcast, Claire is joined by Professor Samuele Cortese, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Southampton, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, and one of the world’s leading ADHD researchers, to understand sensory processing and ADHD. 

Drawing on a major meta-analysis of 30 studies with over 5000 participants, Professor Samuele explains why sensory processing is highly relevant in ADHD, how it links to emotions, behaviour, and learning, what this means for ADHD assessment, plus how understanding our children's sensory needs can help us better support them at home and at school.

They discuss:

❓What sensory processing is: how our senses shape thinking, emotions, behaviour, and learning

🧩 ADHD and Sensory Processing: why sensory differences are not unique to autism, why it’s highly relevant for children with ADHD, and how they can also appear in neurotypical children

⚖️ Hypo vs Hyper: understanding sensory avoidance and seeking, plus how differences show up across tactile, visual, and auditory domains - not just touch or noise

📋 Why clinicians must start asking about sensory issues: the gap between evidence and diagnostic guidelines mean that sensory processing is often missed 

🧠 What’s happening in the brain: the structural differences in white matter, changes in dopamine signalling, and how these may affect the way ADHD brains process sensory information.

💊 The effect of stimulant medications: why they might influence sensory processing, and why we need more research to understand the relationship in more detail

🌋 Sensory overload and emotional dysregulation: how sensory load can drive meltdowns and why clinicians must look for underlying causes to behaviours

🏫 Classrooms and school support: how the classroom environment can affect learning and regulation, plus the important role occupational therapists play

🫶 What parents can do: encouraging careful observation, recording concrete examples to share with clinicians and schools, as well as involving children in conversations about their own lived experience

If you’ve ever felt that professionals are missing something about your child’s overwhelm, meltdowns, or struggles, this episode gives you the language, the science, and practical next steps to join the dots between ADHD and Sensory Processing, to your child's emotions and behaviours, in order to advocate more effectively for the support your child needs.

Please note Professor Samuele was in his office when this episode was recorded, so you will hear notifications buzzing in the background.

Further resources and links

• Professor Samuele Cortese – University of Southampton profile: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5xf5yj/professor-samuele-cortese 

• Read the Sensory Processing in ADHD Meta-Analysis in full: https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(25)00209-6/fulltext

• Listen to Professor Samuele Cortese’s previous All Aboard ADHD episode: ADHD Medication 101: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4D24IDKpNUJXPrdnK0o7ux?si=1b7708600d2844bc&nd=1&dlsi=e13c3972df164781 

• ADHD coaching and resources from Claire: https://allaboardadhd.com

• Follow Claire on Instagram & TikTok: @allaboardADHD

The views shared in this episode are those of the guest, based on their professional expertise and personal experience. This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, educational, or psychological advice. Please consult a qualified professional for personalised support relevant to your individual circumstances.

How do fluctuating female hormones interact with ADHD? And why can perimenopause make everything feel like it’s suddenly falling apart?

In this episode of the All Aboard ADHD podcast, Claire is joined by Dr. Helen Wall - Senior NHS GP, British Menopause Society Specialist, and author of Menopause and ADHD. 

Together they unpack the science to help women better understand the powerful connection between hormones, the brain, and ADHD. They discuss:

🧠 The Patient Who Changed Everything: how one “treatment‑resistant” patient, misdiagnosed for years with anxiety and depression, led Helen to realise “we were basically managing undiagnosed ADHD”. This, alongside her own perimenopause, sparked her mission to understand hormones and neurodivergence, reshaping her whole approach medically.

🎢 Dopamine, Oestrogen and the “Double Whammy”: why ADHD brains rely so heavily on stable dopamine, how wildly fluctuating oestrogen in perimenopause disrupts that signalling, and why so many women describe midlife as feeling like “a bomb has gone off” when it comes to their ability to function.

🎭 Masking, High Functioning, and the Hidden Cost: how girls learn to “fit in” using layers of scaffolding and people‑pleasing, until hormones shift, the mask slips, and the structure collapses: “what they were doing was never sustainable in the first place.”

🔍 ADHD vs Perimenopause: the huge overlap in symptoms (brain fog, emotional swings, overwhelm), how to tell what’s lifelong ADHD traits versus newer hormone-driven changes, and understanding why ADHD doesn’t start at menopause.

💊 HRT, Progesterone Sensitivity and Trial-and-Error: what we now know (and don’t yet know) about HRT in ADHD, body-identical vs synthetic progesterone, Mirena coils, and why some neurodivergent women respond very differently: “there’s no good and bad progesterone - every woman is very different.”

🌿 Lifestyle, Nervous System Regulation and Externalising the Brain: practical ways to widen your bandwidth: everything from stress, cortisol, sleep, and gut health; to cutting back on alcohol / caffeine. Plus ADHD‑friendly strategies like “externalising the brain” with lists, structure and support.

🎗️ Diagnosis, Support and Self-Advocacy: why you shouldn’t put your life on hold waiting years for an NHS assessment, the value of ADHD coaching and peer support, and Helen’s core message: “trust your gut… don’t diminish yourself.”

This episode is a validating, science-rooted deep dive for any woman wondering why midlife suddenly feels unmanageable, or whether ADHD and hormones might be part of the story.

Please note Helen was in her busy NHS GP office when this episode was recorded, so you will hear mic knocking, keyboard sounds, and background noise as a result.

Further resources and links:

• Follow Helen on Instagram: @doctorhelenwall

• Dr Helen Wall’s book Menopause and ADHD: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Menopause-ADHD-neurodivergence-Vermilion-Empowered-ebook/dp/B0FMHWD54R

• Find More about Helen’s Work: https://tvhealthdoctor.com/

• ADHD AF charity: https://adhdaf.org

• ADHD coaching and resources from Claire: https://allaboardadhd.com

• Follow Claire on Instagram & TikTok: @allaboardADHD

The views shared in this episode are those of the guest, based on their professional expertise and personal experience. This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, educational, or psychological advice. Please consult a qualified professional for personalised support relevant to your individual circumstances.

How can a late ADHD diagnosis reshape your understanding of your childhood, identity, and future - especially when you’re also navigating queerness, creativity, and being “the hyper kid” who never quite fit the school system?

In this episode of All Aboard ADHD, Claire talks to Dean Quinton - UK broadcaster, radio presenter, Big Brother 2024 housemate, and LGBTQ+ advocate. Newly diagnosed with ADHD at 37, Dean shares how “everything finally clicked into place,” from school struggles and sleepless nights to creative careers, queer identity, and a deep drive to help young people feel seen. Together they discuss:

🧭How Dean first recognised his ADHD: working in a school with SEND students and being affectionately called “obviously ADHD” by both pupils and friends.

🎭His school experience as an undiagnosed child: not sitting still, constant talking, being told “he’s intelligent, but he doesn’t listen”, yet thriving in art, drama and music.

🏷️Internalised labels and adult self‑doubt: how years of being seen as disruptive or lazy turned into feeling “I’m not intelligent enough”, which held him back from jobs and opportunities.

😴Sleep, sensory needs and the ADHD brain at night: lifelong insomnia, racing thoughts, and why background noise like a bedroom fan or ADHD sleep playlists can make all the difference.

🎙️Creativity as a superpower from radio to barbering and beyond: hyperfocus, seeking perfection, being entertaining on air, and refusing to live “in a box” - “I can’t do numbers all day, but I can entertain the masses”.

🏳️‍🌈Queer, neurodivergent and finding your chosen family: Pride, representation, and how being open and authentically you, creates visibility that helps others come out and seek support.

❤️Parenting, education and what kids really need: why love, acceptance and flexible schooling matter more than grades - “You don’t realise how much just loving and accepting that child will change their entire life”.

If you were ever “too much” as a kid, if your child is both neurodivergent and queer, or if you’ve wondered whether a late ADHD diagnosis will help explain your whole life story, Dean’s honest, colourful, and hopeful reflections will leave you feeling seen, and remind you there is nothing wrong with your brain.

Further resources & links

• Follow Dean on Instagram @deanquinton 

• Youth Charity: It Gets Better UK - positive stories and support for LGBTQ+ young people: https://www.itgetsbetter.org.uk/ 

• GlitterBeam Radio - Proud to be Different: https://www.glitterbeam.co.uk/

• ADHD coaching and resources from Claire: https://allaboardadhd.com

• Follow Claire on Instagram and TikTok: @allaboardADHD

The views shared in this episode are those of the guest, based on their professional expertise and personal experience. This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, educational, or psychological advice. Please consult a qualified professional for personalised support relevant to your individual circumstances.

How are ADHD and hypermobility connected? And what does that mean for our kids’ bodies, brains and behaviour?

In this episode, Claire is joined by Dr Jessica Eccles, Consultant Psychiatrist, Associate Professor in Brain–Body Medicine at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, and award‑winning researcher. Drawing on over 17 years of research, Jessica unpacks:

🤸‍♀️What hypermobility really is: exploring hypermobility as a clue to connective tissue differences affecting joints, gut, blood vessels, lungs, skin & more. 

👀Clues for parents to spot hypermobility early: such as sitting in “the W position”, sway‑back knees, frequent ankle sprains, “clicky hips” & long thin fingers or toes.

😵‍💫Pain, dizziness, POTS & standing in queues: how loose connective tissue affects blood flow, and can cause light‑headedness or palpitations, causing struggles with things like school assemblies, queues & hot showers.

🧬The prevalence of hypermobility in women with ADHD and autism (nearly 70%!) : the fascinating research linking hypermobility with many other conditions, including ADHD, autism and Tourette’s, dizziness, inflammation, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and long Covid.

🌡️The surprising links between hypermobility, emotion regulation, interoception & alexithymia: exploring the connections between the nervous system, difficulty naming feelings (alexithymia), poor interoception (e.g. not noticing hunger) & how this relates to meltdowns & impulsivity.

🏫School, support & reasonable adjustments: why school can be extra hard due to pain, fatigue and dizziness, plus practical ideas to support children.

🌟From “falling apart” to pattern recognition & strengths: helping families see one connected picture instead of “15 separate problems”, and recognising the strengths it brings, such as creativity & unique ways of thinking.

If your child has ADHD and also struggles with tummy troubles, joint pain, clumsiness, dizziness, fatigue, or “mystery” symptoms, this episode may completely reframe how you understand them. It offers a powerful, science‑backed lens on the brain–body connection that could change how you advocate for, and support your child.

Resources & Links

• Dr Jesscia Eccles Linktree: https://linktr.ee/bendybrain

• Bendy Brain YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BendyBrainDrJessicaEccles 

-Dr Jessica Eccles interview with her mum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3SCSdMMfIo 

-Anxiety and emotional regulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szH-jEr6SNA&list=PLYbWSKEtwW7cv-IH55EXbI8PtZJ5RlN3H&index=6 

• EDS GP Toolkit (for talking with your GP about hypermobility): https://gptoolkit.ehlers-danlos.org/ 

• EDS School Toolkit (school‑based support ideas): https://theschooltoolkit.org/ 

• SEDS Connective – charity on hypermobility & neurodivergence (Jane Green): https://www.sedsconnective.org/ 

• Neurodivergent characteristics predicting emotional regulation problems linked to proprioception: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39005028/ 

• Chronic pain and fatigue paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33479064/ 

• BBC History of ADHD episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0028997

• Jane Green - Alphabet Soup: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7kPEeuOMgB/ 

• Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS): https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ehlers-danlos-syndromes/ 

• Types of EDS - EDS3 / EDHST /  JHS / BJHS: https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/what-is-eds/information-on-eds/types-of-eds/ 

• Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS): https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/postural-tachycardia-syndrome/ 

• Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs/ 

The views shared in this episode are those of the guest, based on their professional expertise and personal experience. This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, educational, or psychological advice. Please consult a qualified professional for personalised support relevant to your individual circumstances.

How can neurodivergent adults, especially those with ADHD and/or autism, build trust and maintain authentic friendships, in a way that works with their brains instead of against them?

In this episode of the All Aboard ADHD podcast, Claire is joined by Caroline Maguire, award‑winning author, ADHD coach, and neurodivergent adult herself. Building on her first book Why Will No One Play With Me?, Caroline’s new book Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults, offers a practical playbook for adults who have always felt “bad at friendship” and are ready to try again on their own terms. Claire and Caroline discuss:

🤔 Why adult friendship still feels hard - the impact of childhood social struggles, lack of practice, together with “a new day” of diagnosis and self-understanding.

🧠 What’s actually going on in our brains - the layered challenge of executive function, developmental delay (“stage not age”), plus how this shapes confidence and connection.

🧩 Past experiences, rejection, and self-worth - how old wounds, people pleasing, and low confidence can push friendship to the bottom of the list.

🎭 Masking vs adapting - the difference between suppressing traits vs choosing temporary adjustments; plus the links to anxiety, depression, and people pleasing.

🌡 Levels of friendship and rushing intimacy - exploring the idea of different friends for different things, the 60‑hour guideline, and why acquaintances aren’t necessarily friends

🍦 Trust, oversharing, and the ice‑cream scoop model - building trust through track record, sharing information about ourselves in “scoops” rather than tubs, and how to spot both red and green flags.

🧭 Caroline’s formula for friendship - shared experiences + nurturing + reciprocity + time; and how to troubleshoot when progress stalls.

🔁 Maintaining friendships with ADHD brains - the challenge of "out of sight, out of mind", plus how to use systems, reminders, and honest communication about capacity.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m just not good at friendship,” this episode gives you the language, validation, and concrete tools (not vague advice) to gently rebuild your confidence and create lasting, fulfilling friendships.

Further resources & links

• Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults by Caroline Maguire

• Why Will No One Play With Me? by Caroline Maguire

• Follow Caroline on Instagram: @authorcarolinem

• Learn more about Caroline and Social Skills: https://carolinemaguireauthor.com/

• ADHD coaching and resources from Claire: https://allaboardadhd.com

• Follow Claire on Instagram & TikTok: @allaboardADHD

The views shared in this episode are those of the guest, based on their professional expertise and personal experience. This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, educational, or psychological advice. Please consult a qualified professional for personalised support relevant to your individual circumstances.

What does it feel like to raise and advocate for a child with ADHD and autism, in systems that weren’t designed for them?

In this episode of the All Aboard ADHD podcast, Claire is joined by Susie Verrill, Parenting and Lifestyle Influencer, writer, and mum of three. Susie shares her experience of raising a son with an AuDHD profile: from the early signs she noticed in preschool and the school’s dismissive response, to navigating the long NHS diagnostic process, adapting family life, and parenting in a way that works for her child, even when it doesn’t match other people’s expectations.

They discuss:

🧩 Early Signs and Gut Instinct: emotional dysregulation in preschool, strong family “radar” for neurodiversity, and why the fact that “he has friends and makes eye contact” was enough for teachers to overlook him.

🏫 School Resistance and SENCO Support: the disappointment of being shut down by teachers, the harmful “just boy behaviour” narratives, and the turning point when Susie pushed for proper SENCO involvement.

🩺 Diagnosis Through the NHS: the long wait, “throwing everything at it” with practical supports, then how the diagnosis brought relief and validation, rather than shame.

⚡ ADHD in Daily Life: craving novelty, extremes of focus and distractibility, sleep struggles, social energy, and the familiar “I’m bored” crash after big days out.

🏡 Parenting Differently: using screens as regulation, having flexible expectations around clothes, manners and mealtimes, plus embracing a loud, chaotic, and loving home.

💛 Strengths and Hope: Susie shares her love for her son’s clear boundaries, blunt politeness, humour, physical energy, curiosity, and her belief that “there is space in the world” for him exactly as he is.

If you’re parenting a neurodivergent child and feeling dismissed, judged or unsure if you’re “doing it right,” this warm and honest conversation will leave you feeling less alone, more validated, and more confident to trust your instincts and build a life that fits your child’s brain.

Further resources and links:

• Find Susie on Instagram @susiejverrill

• ADHD coaching and resources from Claire: https://allaboardadhd.com

• Follow Claire on Instagram & TikTok: @allaboardADHD

The views shared in this episode are those of the guest, based on their professional expertise and personal experience. This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, educational, or psychological advice. Please consult a qualified professional for personalised support relevant to your individual circumstances.

Is it "just menopause", or has your ADHD brain reached a tipping point?

In this episode of the All Aboard ADHD podcast, Claire is joined by Sharon Worth, Menopause and ADHD Coach, plus co-author of the book Meno-Wars: Battling the Menopause with ADHD. Sharon shares her own powerful journey of being diagnosed with ADHD at 49 and autism at 51, after the hormonal shifts of perimenopause made her lifelong "mask" finally slip.

For many women, the transition into midlife isn’t just about hot flushes; it can also be the stage where ADHD symptoms, which may have been managed or masked for decades, suddenly feel far more overwhelming. Sharon and Claire explore why this happens, the role hormones play, and how women can navigate this complex “tipping point” with greater clarity, understanding and far less shame.

They discuss:

🧪 The Oestrogen-Dopamine Connection: the biological link between hormones and brain chemistry, where falling oestrogen levels can disrupt dopamine regulation, making ADHD symptoms more noticeable

🎭 The Collapse of the Mask: why perimenopause often acts as a "tipping point" where the coping mechanisms women have used for years to mask their struggles, no longer work

📉 The Diagnostic Challenge: navigating a medical system that often attributes ADHD symptoms to “just the menopause”

💊 The Medication Puzzle: why ADHD medication and HRT may need re-evaluating in midlife, as symptoms change during perimenopause

🏥 Self-Advocacy at GP Appointments: practical advice for women on how to prepare for doctor’s appointments, including using tracking tools and symptom lists

🩷 Strategies for the ‘Meno Wars’: lifestyle, rest and exercise strategies to help manage midlife overwhelm, alongside adjusting expectations around productivity and capacity

✨ Finding Self-Compassion: moving from feeling like you’re “falling apart” to understanding the changes in your brain and body, while learning how acceptance and support can ease this stage of life

This conversation is a vital roadmap for any woman feeling lost in the fog of midlife. It is a reminder that you aren't "broken", it’s a reminder that you are navigating a significant neurological and hormonal shift that requires a new set of tools, greater understanding and a lot of self-kindness.

🎧 Listen to Sharon's “My ADHD Story - Battling Perimenopause" to understand why things feel harder, and how to find your way back to yourself.

Further resources and links:

• Find out more about Sharon’s work here: https://sharonworthcoaching.com/

• Read Meno-Wars: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Meno-Wars-Battling-menopause-ADHD-comorbidities/dp/1919340602/

• Read The Menopause Brain https://www.amazon.co.uk/Menopause-Brain-Empowering-Knowledge-Confidence/dp/1838957499/ 

• ADHD coaching and resources from Claire: https://allaboardadhd.com

• Follow Claire on Instagram & TikTok: @allaboardADHD

The views shared in this episode are those of the guest, based on their professional expertise and personal experience. This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, educational, or psychological advice. Please consult a qualified professional for personalised support relevant to your individual circumstances.

What does OCD look like in children and how can we spot when it overlaps with ADHD?

In this episode of the All Aboard ADHD podcast, Claire is joined by Professor Per Hove Thomsen, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and one of the world's leading experts on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people. Together, they explore what OCD actually is, how it affects family life, and why it sometimes occurs alongside ADHD. They discuss:

💭 The 'Sticky Brain' of OCD, where distressing thoughts repeat uncontrollably despite an awareness they are absurd or irrational. 

🧠 How the term “OCD” is often misused casually - moving beyond the casual use of the term to understand how true obsessions and compulsions work, and how they differ from normal childhood rituals.

🙉 The “Pull-Yourself-Together” Myth: why people with OCD can't simply choose to stop listening to their thoughts. How the shameful, frightening, or taboo nature of these thoughts can make it hard for children to open up and can often cause families to keep the condition hidden.

🔍︎How to spot early signs of OCD in children, for example behaviour changes such as taking longer the bathroom washing their hands, or experiencing difficulty joining family meals due to food-related fears.

🤔Understanding OCD as “A Disorder of Doubt” - how a child’s inner experience of insecurity and fear drives their cycle of obsessions and compulsions.

🤝 The Surprising Overlap: exploring how 20% to 25% of people with OCD also meet the criteria for ADHD. Professor Thomsen explains how exhausting it is for children caught between rigid OCD patterns and the impulsive chaos of ADHD.

🌪️The Snowballing Brain: how the racing thoughts of an ADHD brain can interact with intrusive thoughts, causing fears to build up rapidly like a snowball getting bigger and bigger.

💬 Parental Support: How parents can encourage their children to share, and how to accept their children’s thoughts as symptoms of OCD, rather than actual desires, in order to reduce the “drama” and provide a safe space for their child to share.

This conversation is an educational and empathetic deep dive into a co-occurring condition that many parents have questions about, offering clarity and validation for families supporting complex minds.

Further resources and links:

• Find out more about Prof Per Hove Thomsen’s work here: https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/[email protected]/ 

• ADHD coaching and resources from Claire: https://allaboardadhd.com

• Follow Claire on Instagram & TikTok: @allaboardADHD

The views shared in this episode are those of the guest, based on their professional expertise and personal experience. This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, educational, or psychological advice. Please consult a qualified professional for personalised support relevant to your individual circumstances.

What role do kindness and self-compassion play in navigating a late diagnosis?

In this episode of the All Aboard ADHD podcast, Claire is joined by the wonderful Alyssa Kyria, better known to millions as The Funny Mummy @thefunnymummyuk. As an actress, comedian, and content creator, Alyssa has built a massive following through her hilarious and honest takes on motherhood, but behind the viral sketches was a lifetime of feeling "different."

Diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 45, Alyssa opens up about the grief of a late diagnosis, and how she is now using her experience to shape a more positive path for her own child.

They discuss:

🕒 Diagnosis at 45: Alyssa’s introduction to ADHD was a friend suggesting she should look into it. She shares the complex mix of relief and grief that comes with a late diagnosis, and reflects on the decades spent "masking" and trying to be the person she thought she was supposed to be.

🌪️ The Hormonal Shift: The "perfect storm" of perimenopause and ADHD. Alyssa shares how fluctuating hormones made her symptoms feel louder and harder to manage, eventually leading her to seek an official diagnosis

🧒 Childhood experiences and bullying: Alyssa shares openly about her experiences of bullying and rejection sensitivity, and how they deeply affected her self-perception.

♀️Gender and ADHD: Alyssa shares how societal expectations, and the pressure to put others' needs first, have impacted her experience with ADHD as a woman, only now “unravelling” a lifetime of people-pleasing tendencies.

🤱 Parenting the Next Generation: The "lifelong project" of raising a child. Alyssa and Claire discuss the healing power of being able to tell our children "I understand" and helping them find the things they find easy and wonderful.

🎭 Comedy as a Coping Mechanism: How Alyssa’s ADHD traits of quick wit and "too-muchness" became the foundation for a successful career in acting and comedy, turning what felt like a "weakness" into a massive strength.

🌱 Self-Compassion: Moving away from the narrative of being "lazy" or "broken" and embracing the reality of a brain that simply processes the world with more intensity and creativity.

This conversation is a warm, witty, and deeply validating look at the female ADHD experience. It’s for anyone who has ever felt like they were "too much" or wondered why life felt harder for them than everyone else.

Further resources and links:

• Find Alyssa on Instagram @thefunnymummyuk 

• ADHD coaching and resources from Claire: https://allaboardadhd.com

• Follow Claire on Instagram & TikTok: @allaboardADHD

The views shared in this episode are those of the guest, based on their professional expertise and personal experience. This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, educational, or psychological advice. Please consult a qualified professional for personalised support relevant to your individual circumstances.

What is parental burnout and how can we better manage our stress levels as parents of ADHD children?

In this episode of the All Aboard ADHD podcast, Claire is joined by Dr. Claire Plumbly, a clinical psychologist and author of the bestselling book ‘Burnout’. Together, they tackle the subject that many parents of neurodivergent children feel but rarely have the words for: the bone-deep exhaustion of parental burnout.

When you are raising a child with ADHD, you aren't just parenting; you are often acting as their external executive function, their sensory filter, and their emotional regulator. Dr. Claire explains why this constant "high-alert" state isn’t just tiring - it’s a biological process that can push your nervous system to its absolute limit.

They discuss:

🔥 What parental burnout is vs "normal" levels of tiredness and how it is characterised by a “triad” of symptoms: emotional and physical exhaustion, detachment from children, and reduced sense of accomplishment.

🧠The unique challenges of parenting ADHD kids and how the unpredictability, sensory demands, and the constant need to "fix" situations can make parents of neurodivergent kids vulnerable to chronic stress.

🪟 Understanding the science of your nervous system and your window of tolerance - how we move between "fight or flight" and "shutdown," and why we find it hard to parent effectively when we are outside our calm zone.

🪧 The importance of learning to recognise the signs of burnout, such as operating on “auto-pilot” and how we can better manage our nervous system states: green (rest and digest), amber (urgency), and red (shutdown).

♀️The potential impact of hormonal changes and aging on parental burnout, for example, how perimenopause can affect our nervous system and stress tolerance.

🛑 Why traditional self-care (like a spa day) often feels like another chore, and how to use 30-second "nervous system snacks" to regulate yourself in the heat of the moment.

🌱 Shifting the focus from trying to "solve" your child’s ADHD to managing your own internal state, and why a regulated parent is the best gift you can give a struggling child.

This episode is a vital permission slip for any parent who feels they are running on empty. It’s an invitation to stop apologising for your exhaustion and start understanding the science of your nervous system.

Further resources and links:

• Follow Dr Claire on Instagram: @drclaireplumbly

• Dr. Claire Plumbly’s book: https://amzn.eu/d/0cfy1bvy

• Try the Parental Burnout Inventory: https://alexasaba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/THEPARENTALBURNOUTINVENTORY.pdf

• Read Dr. Claire Plumbly’s 5 Steps for Switching Off After Work: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/700252/156268792795628975/share

• ADHD coaching and resources from Claire: https://allaboardadhd.com

• Follow Claire on Instagram & TikTok: @allaboardADHD

The views shared in this episode are those of the guest, based on their professional expertise and personal experience. This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, educational, or psychological advice. Please consult a qualified professional for personalised support relevant to your individual circumstances.