ADHD Essentials

Latest Episodes:

51: Gifted with ADHD, with Aurora Remember Holtzman, ADHD & Gifted mother of an ADHD & Gifted Child Dec 21, 2018

Show notes

Today, we’re talking to Aurora Remember Holtzman.

Aurora is a school psychologist, host of the “Embracing Intensity” podcast, and a twice exceptional mother of a twice exceptional son. They both have ADHD and giftedness.

In today’s episode, we’re talking ADHD and giftedness through the lens of someone who’s living it. We explore growing up gifted, impulsiveness vs impulsiveness, the value of teachers who “get” your kid, and the importance of learning to self-regulate as a parent.

Guest Links:

Aurora's Website: http://www.auroraremember.com
Embracing Intensity Podcast: http://www.auroraremember.com/embracing-intensity

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/
Join the ADHD Essentials Facebook Community

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:

Growing up Gifted with ADHD
High achievers will achieve regardless of supports
Gifted kids struggling with Executive Function of Social Skills need support
The value of growing up with a foundation of acceptance and love
Adulting can be a challenge
Aurora’s son being too distractible to nurse
The effects of missing meds
Missing meds is not an excuse for poor behavior
Looking for the off-kilter reasons for behavior
Compulsive or Impulsive?
Looking at behavior through the lens of Dopamine
Relationships with teachers affects engagement
Exponential reactions to stressors
“Self Reg” by Stuart Shanker
It's hard to not escalate when your kid is melting down
The importance of learning to self-regulate as a parent
Weaknesses as the flipside of a strengths

50: Talking to Our Kids About Sex (Our Context is Not Their Context) with Erika Miley, Mental and Sexual Health Therapist Dec 14, 2018

Show notes

We made it to 50 episodes!! Thanks for being a part of it

You might want to preview this if you tend to listen with your kids, because in this episode, we're discussing how to talk to our kids about sex.

Today, Erika Miley guides us through talking to our kids about sex. We start with talking to younger kids about sex, and the move on to older kids as the episode progresses. Regardless of the age of your child, there should be something in this episode that you find useful.

You can find Erika at www.ErikaMiley.com.

Shameless Plugs:

I’m offering 3 sessions of the ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups. They’ll start the week of Jnaiuary 20th. One session will be at noon on Mondays and Wednesdays. Another at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the final session will be Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5pm.

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/.

Registration closes next Friday, December 21st.

Guest Links:

You can find Erika at www.ErikaMiley.com.

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:

Kids can learn about it from you, or from the internet. Your choice.
When to start talking to kids about sex
Where to begin when talking about sex. (Hint: It’s not intercourse.)
Typical developmental behavior
Helping kids understand consent
You don’t need to tell the about everything at once.
The importance of really listening
Times to talk to kids about sexual safety
Why we shouldn’t use cutesy names for genitalia
Sex talk with older kids
The importance of open-ended questions
Ask the question, shut your mouth
“Let me give you context.”
It’s okay to say, “You don’t want to know.”
Working as a parenting team
Porn will come to your kids
And it’s performance. Not reality
Where to get better sex info
Scarleteen.com
Every question is an opportunity
Give the gift of curiosity
Our context is not their context
Kids talk above their heads
Dopamine seeking behavior & playing with sexual language
Framing sex conversations around family values
Relationships > Sex

49: Talking Organization with Cindy Jobs, Professional Organizer & ADHD Coach Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

Today, we’re talking to Cindy Jobs.

Cindy is a professional organizer and ADHD coach who I met at last month’s ADHD conference. And I’m really glad I did, because organization is a thing we ADHD folks tend to struggle with.

In today’s episode, we talk about organization as a balance between space and stuff, the clutter/anxiety connection, and making holiday kits.

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:

Why Cindy enjoys working with ADHD folks
The benefits of having a "Why"
Organization takes time
Brendan's two organizational insights (that came to him really late in life)
Clutter correlating with anxiety
Closet drama
Getting rid of duplicates
Looking at space like real estate
Storing like things together
Organizing through kits
The geography of organization
Reducing the barrier to entry
Reducing the barrier to completion
Organizational consent

Guest Links:

Cindy's Website: https://www.cindyjobs.com

ADHD Essentials Links:

Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
ADHD Essentials Homepage
Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
Join Our Facebook Community

48: An ADHD View from Down Under with Jon Hassall of Connect ADHD Nov 30, 2018

Show notes

Jon and his wife Monica run Connect ADHD out of Australia. Jon’s a brilliant guy, and we go deep on multiple topics related to ADHD. In today’s episode, we talk about how ADHD leads to our kids’ behavioral explosions, how environment affects our ADHD, the importance of science in ADHD.

I got to spend time with Jon (and Monica. Her workshop was excellent!) at this year's ADHD conference, and editing the show this week felt like I was reuniting with him. I look forward to continuing our relationship in the future.

Guest Links:

Jon’s Website: http://www.connectadhd.com

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:

Jon’s ADHD Origin Story
ADHD Coaches as the Missing Link for Big Pharma
How Jon works with his clients
ADHD & Potential
Why Scientific Studies spoke to Jon
ADHD & moments of connection
How & Why Brendan does his first sessions.
ADHD Explosions: The Neurochemistry, and recovering afterward
Fight, Flight, Freeze, (Fib)
Forgiving & Fixing
The Underpinning of “We’re all good people”
Russell Barkley’s Extended Phenotype model of ADHD
Brendan’s Executive Function Algebra
Jon’s Performance Influences Model for Executive Function
The Myths of ADHD
Monitoring your inner voice
Using Monitoring, Referencing, and Self-Direction to manage ADHD

ADHD Essentials Links:

Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
ADHD Essentials Homepage
Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
Join Our Facebook Community

47: The History of ADHD at School with Richard Kelley, Veteran Educator for Over Four Decades Nov 23, 2018

Show notes

Today, we’re talking to Richard Kelley!

I've received excellent feedback on past episodes that looked at the history of ADHD through a personal lens. So, I decided to bring in my friend Richard Kelley. Rich is an Assistant Executive Director with the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA). And he has been working in education for longer than I've ben alive. (Admittedly, only by a year.)
(Side note: I erroneously identify Rich as the President of MSAA during the interview. Thankfully, he corrected me. Sometimes the ADHD wins.)

In today’s episode, Rich shares his experience as an educator for over 42 years, and how he’s seen the approach to ADHD at school change over the decades. It's an interesting conversation. I hope you enjoy it!

ADHD Essentials Links:

Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
ADHD Essentials Homepage
Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
Join Our Facebook Community

46: This ADHD Life with Keith Griffin, ADHD Coach Nov 16, 2018

Show notes

Today, we’re talking to Keith Griffin!

Keith is an ADHD coach, and host of “This ADHD Life” on YouTube. He’s also got a webinar on surviving the holidays with ADHD coming up through the Attention Deficit Disorder Association.

Keith can be found at ThisADHDLife.com.

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:

Information Overload
How music can help our morning routines
No screens in the bedroom
Productivity Tips
Tragic Stories
How to Positivify
Brendan's "Today's Awesome" gimmick on FB
The difference between eating watermelon and eating grapes
Self advocacy
And doing less

Shameless Self Promotion:

Learn about The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups!
Or register at https://www.adhdessentials.com/sign-up/.
Don't forget to give us a 5-Star rating & review on iTunes! Thanks!

45: Done is Better than Perfect at the International Conference on ADHD 2018 Nov 09, 2018

Show notes

I'm at the International Conference on ADHD. Here is a brief episode where I share a few takeaways.

44: Parenting as Leadership with Tamara Rosier, PHD, BCC, ADHD Mom, and President of the ADHD Coaches Organization Nov 02, 2018

Show notes

Today, we’re talking to Tamara Roseer.

Tamara is the president of the ADHD Coaches Organization, the co-founder of Acorn Leadership, and the founder of the ADHD Center of West Michigan.

In today’s episode, we talk about parenting as leadership, developing core values in our kids, ways to avoid passing anxiety on to our kids, and the importance of being authentic when we parent.

Guest Links:

ADHD Coaches Organization https://www.adhdcoaches.org
ADHD Center of West Michigan http://www.miadhd.com

ADHD Essentials Links:

Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
ADHD Essentials Homepage
Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
Join Our Facebook Community

43: Managing Self-Sabotaging Thoughts, Positive Psychology, and Upward Spirals of Emotion with Mindy Katz, ADHD Coach, Social Worker, and Parent with ADHD of Adult Kids with ADHD Oct 26, 2018

Show notes

Today, we’re talking to Mindy Katz.

When Mindy learned that she and her daughter had ADHD, it led to her becoming an ADHD coach, and eventually a Social Worker. She’s a big proponent of positive psychology, and developing resiliency in our kids.

In today’s episode, we talk about how to manage our sabotaging thoughts, upward spirals of emotion, and the power of curiosity.

Alright, let’s get rolling.

Shameless Plugs:

Go tohttps://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:

Being calendar challenged
Why no two people with ADHD have the same challenges
Managing self-sabotaging thoughts
Positive Psychology
Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
Valuing the process more than the results
Resilience
How perfectionism undermines our efforts
Upward Spirals of Emotion
Positive Paper Chains
How hard it is to talk about what’s going well
Using curiosity to celebrate good news
Kids want to succeed. If they aren’t, something is wrong with the process
Coach training & social work
Going back to work as a grey-haired adult
Alan Brown’s See-Saw Visual

Guest Links:

Mindy’s Website: http://mindyschwartzkatz.com

ADHD Essentials Links:

Learn about & Register for The ADHD Essentials Online Parent Coaching Groups
ADHD Essentials Homepage
Contact Brendan at brendan@ADHDessentials.com
Join Our Facebook Community

42: Still the Kid Avoiding Her Homework with Rene Brooks of Black Girl, Lost Keys Oct 19, 2018

Show notes

Today, we’re talking to Rene Brooks from Black Girl, Lost Keys.

I always enjoy it when I talk get to talk to someone for the first time, but it feels like they’re already a good friend. Talking to Rene was one of those times, and it was a pleasure.

With to her clear memory of childhood, and her thorough understanding of ADHD, she makes the experience of having the ADHD both understandable and relatable.

In today’s episode, we discuss all kinds of things. From Rene’s journey with ADHD, to the extra scrutiny African American children experience in school and how that affects the ADHD diagnosis, to the importance of going with the flow of ADHD. We even delve into the controversial land of whether or not ADHD is a superpower. (But you’ll have to listen to find out how we fall on it.)

Shameless Plugs: