For kids who struggle with ADHD, building skills like executive function and self-advocacy can be difficult. 

In this episode of In It, hosts Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek welcome Dr. Andy Kahn. Andy is a licensed psychologist and the associate director of behavior change and expertise here at Understood. He’s also the host of the podcast Parenting Behavior with Dr. Andy Kahn.

Andy discusses why skill-building is important for kids with ADHD. He also shares many ways families can help.

Related resources

• Understanding impulsivity in kids
• The 3 areas of executive function
• ADHD medication shortages: 8 ways to cope
• Listen: Talking through social struggles
• Listen: The power of self-advocacy for kids at IEP and 504 meetings

Timestamps  

(1:27) Reasons why some kids do not take meds 

(3:42) Areas where skill-building can help kids with ADHD 

(5:33) Skill-building for executive function 

(10:38) Skill-building for social situations

(15:40) Skill-building for impulsivity 

(19:25) Understanding and working on self-advocacy 

(23:00) The connection between access to medication and skill-building

For a transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the In It page on Understood.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at init@understood.org.

Understood 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

What makes learning to read difficult? And how does having dyslexia make it even more challenging?

In this episode of In It, hosts Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek welcome literacy expert Louise Baigelman. A former teacher, Louise is the co-founder and CEO of the literacy organization Storyshares. She explains why reading can be so challenging for kids who struggle with dyslexia, and shares tips and strategies to help.

Tune in to get Louise’s expert advice on how to help struggling readers.

Related resources

• 9 terms to know if your child has trouble with reading
• The difference between dyslexia and dyscalculia
• 9 free public library resources for your child (and you)
• What is explicit instruction?
• Listen: Dyslexia is more than mixing up letters

Timestamps 

(1:08) Why reading is such a challenge for kids with dyslexia

(2:06) The meaning of explicit instruction

(2:37) Common reading struggles for kids with dyslexia

(4:18) Reasons learning to read gets harder as kids get older

(5:19) Ways to engage struggling readers

(8:14) How audiobooks can help

(12:16) The science of reading

(17:11) Activities to help support reading  

(22:53) Next steps and tips for parents of struggling readers

For a transcript and more resources, visit the In It episode page on Understood.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at init@podcast.org.

Understood 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

Parenting can often feel socially isolating. On this episode of In It, we hear from a few parents who have felt socially isolated while raising kids with learning and thinking differences. 

They share some of the challenges they have run into and talk about some strategies they’ve found for building relationships with other adults. 

Related resources

• 8 things I wish people knew about parenting a child with ADHD
• Why some kids have trouble making friends
• 7 ways to prepare kids for visiting relatives and family friends
• Listen: ADHD and puberty: What to expect
• Listen: Guided meditation for stressed parents
• Listen: Homework battles: What really matters

Timestamps  

(1:10) Parent friendships

(1:59) When your parenting style is misunderstood or judged

(5:48) Finding parents who can relate

(7:34) Realizing the risks that come with sharing experiences with other parents

(8:49) Being friends with parents of kids who are not friends with your own kid

(10:31) When the parent is neurodiverse

For a transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the In It page on Understood

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at init@understood.org

Understood 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

What is dyscalculia? How can parents spot it? And is it anything like dyslexia?

Find out about all of this and more from Brendan Hodnett. Brendan is a middle school special education and math teacher. He is also an adjunct professor at Hunter College in New York City, where he offers courses on inclusive ways to teach math.

Tune in to learn more about early signs of dyscalculia, how it affects kids inside and outside the classroom, and tips that can help.

Related resources

• 10 surprising ways dyscalculia impacts kids
• Signs of dyscalculia at different ages
• Dyscalculia and managing money
• Listen: Math anxiety, dyscalculia, and other reasons math can be hard for kids
• Listen: What if the teacher has learning differences too?

Timestamps

(1:04) How to pronounce dyscalculia

(1:38) How dyscalculia relates to dyslexia

(2:48) How it affects a child’s concept of time and sense of direction

(4:34) Early signs 

(5:29) Exploring a diagnosis

(10:24) How dyscalculia shows up outside of math class

(13:48) Understanding money

For a transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the In It page on Understood.org.

We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at init@understood.org

Understood 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

From school to friends to home, being a teenager is tough. Also tough? Raising one! 

On this episode of In It, hosts Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek welcome Karen Wilson. Karen is a clinical neuropsychologist, director of West LA Neuropsychology, and host of the Diverse Thinking, Diverse Learning podcast.

Tune in to get Karen’s expert advice about supporting your child through the teen years.

Related resources

• How to help high schoolers gain self-control
• Developmental milestones for teenagers
• What to do when your teen or tween is lonely
• Listen: When kids and teens have tantrums: how to help
• Listen: Unpacking the teen mental health crisis: How we got here and what to do about it

Timestamps  

(01:35) What’s going on in teens’ brains

(06:10) When teens want more independence

(16:56) Sexual and gender identities

(21:48) The awesome side of teens

For a transcript and more resources, visit the In It page on Understood.org

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at init@understood.org.

Understood 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

Money. Budgeting. Savings. They’re all stressful. And when you factor in the added expenses that can come with raising a child with learning and thinking differences, it can feel like too much.

In this episode of In It, hosts Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek welcome personal finance expert Kim Palmer. Kim is a mom to three kids and she writes for NerdWallet. She’s also the author of three books about money: Smart Mom, Rich Mom; The Economy of You; and Generation Earn.

Tune in to get Kim’s expert advice about budgeting when you have kids with learning and thinking differences.

For a transcript and more resources, visit the In It page on Understood.org

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at init@understood.org.

Related resources

• Long-term financial planning for a child with special needs
• Checklist: Saving for college
• Listen: Impulse buying, negative bank balances, and the ADHD tax

Timestamps  

(1:38) Unanticipated expenses

(5:54) Budgeting tools

(10:53) Emergencies and the struggle to save

(22:23) Letting kids in on the finances

For a transcript and more resources, visit the In It page on Understood.org

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at init@understood.org.

Understood 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

We’ve all been there: Our child is refusing to do something that, to us, seems super reasonable. Do we offer them a reward to get them to cooperate? Where is the line between bribery and rewarding a child? Will we ruin them?

In this episode of In It, hosts Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek welcome Dr. Andy Kahn back to the show. Dr. Andy is a licensed psychologist and Understood’s associate director of behavior change and expertise. He’s also the host of the podcast Parenting Behavior with Dr. Andy Kahn.

Tune in to get Andy’s expert advice about bribes and rewards.

Related resources

• What are positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS)?
• 7 ideas for using rewards and consequences
• The power of motivation for kids who learn and think differently
• How to give praise that builds kids’ self-esteem
• “I’m not yelling—you’re yelling!” Tips for staying calm when kids act out

Timestamps 

(1:22) The difference between a bribe and a reward

(5:08) Pairing verbal praise with reinforcement

(8:31) How close to the behavior should the reward be

(16:03) Money as a reward

(21:08) Behavior charts and LTDs

(25:14) Helping kids change behaviors

For a transcript and more resources, visit the In It page at Understood.org

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at init@understood.org.

Understood 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

Sometimes, parents and caregivers can feel overwhelmed or burned out. Caring for children can feel exhausting and add up without us even realizing it.

What’s a parent to do?

In this episode of In It, we talk with Dr. Nekeshia Hammond. Hammond is a psychologist, executive function coach, and motivational speaker. She specializes in helping people navigate burnout and exhaustion, as well as how to build resiliency.

During our conversation, Nekeshia shows us ways to answer the following questions:

• How am I doing?
• What do I need?
• What steps can I take today to make some improvements in my life?

She also talks about the importance of finding support you can lean on and understanding that you, as a parent or caregiver, don’t have to do everything. 

Timestamps

(02:08) Taking a minute

(04:47) Adult time-outs for managing parental burnout

(06:28) Long-term strategies for your mental health and finding boundaries

(11:11) Delegating tasks and accepting help

(14:07) What to do when we lose it

(17:10) Knowing when to walk away

(20:25) Feeling isolated

Related resources

• Parenting guilt: Tips to get past it
• A personal conversation about being a mom (and woman) with ADHD
• “I’m not yelling—you’re yelling!” Tips for staying calm when kids act out
• Building self-compassion skills
• 32 examples of workplace accommodations

For a transcript of this episode and additional resources, visit the In It page on Understood.org.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at init@understood.org.

Understood 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

This week on In It, a crossover episode! 

Co-host Rachel Bozek chats with Mallory Yee, PhD, who is a host of Shining With ADHD, a parenting podcast from The Childhood Collective. Mallory is also a licensed psychologist specializing in kids with ADHD. 

On this episode, the two talk about how they handle moments and situations when their personal and professional lives meet. 

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at init@understood.org.

For a transcript and more resources, visit the In It page on Understood.org. 

Timestamps

• (04:30) Relating to our kids’ teachers
• (09:20) Being able to look back and laugh
• (12:54) Mallory on our personal vs. professional selves
• (14:29) Rachel on taking experts’ advice in real life
• (16:00) Thinking about our own advice and expectations

Related resources

• Shining With ADHD from The Childhood Collective
• Hygiene battles: Tips from an ADHD expert
• Social media and parenting: How much is too much?

Understood 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

The news is often scary, confusing, and sometimes overwhelming. And kids who learn and think differently may have an especially hard time with intense news cycles. 

In this episode of In It, hosts Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek talk with returning guest Dr. Kristin Carothers. Kristin is a clinical psychologist based in Atlanta and New York City who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral interventions. She’s also an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at Morehouse School of Medicine and an expert contributor for Understood. 

Kristin offers tips and strategies to help parents and caregivers navigate difficult news cycles with kids who learn and think differently.

To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the In It podcast page at Understood.

We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at init@understood.org.

Related resources

• How scary news can impact kids who learn and think differently
• What is perseveration?
• Racism and violence: How to help kids handle the news
• ADHD parenting tips from a Black clinical psychologist

Timestamps

(3:18) Understanding the effect the news is having on your child

(6:45) Flexible thinking

(9:50) Respecting different points of view

(13:32) Perseveration

(17:08) Managing the impulse to overshare

(17:44) Understanding levels of disclosure

Understood 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