ADHD Podcasts

Children and teenagers are more exposed than ever due to social media. They share what they are doing in real-time. As a result, experts say kids are growing up with more anxiety and less self-esteem. For parents, knowing what their child or teen is thinking and feeling becomes even more challenging. So, when do the usual ups and downs of a child with ADHD become something to worry over?  What if your teen is thinking about suicide? Do you know the warning signs? In this episode, Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman talks about the warning signs for parents to watch for in their children. Also, she provides strategies for talking to your child and teen about suicide, building a support network, and preventive measures.
 
Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD, is vice president of research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She works with over 200 scientific advisors to evaluate progress in the field and chart the next areas of inquiry to yield impactful insights and strategies for suicide prevention. Dr. Harkavy-Friedman has published over 100 articles. She works closely with AFSP’s education, communication, and public policy and advocacy teams to develop programs and messages to ensure they follow best practices in suicide prevention and reflect the latest findings in research. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and her master’s degree and doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Florida. In 1984, she joined Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine as an assistant professor. She established the Adolescent Depression and Suicide Program. In 1989, Dr. Harkavy-Friedman moved to Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, first as an assistant professor and later as an associate professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry. As a licensed psychologist, she maintains a clinical practice in Manhattan.

Transitioning from high school to college is a sign of independence for many teens. But is your teen with ADHD ready for the responsibilities that come with college life? Do they have the self-advocacy skills needed for college? Judith S. Bass, a certified educational planner, provides insight on ways to help parents determine if their teen is college-ready. She also discusses the life tools students need to survive college and the appropriate time to start teaching self-advocacy skills to your child with ADHD.
 
Judith S. Bass, CEP
Founder, CollegeWebLD, and Certified Educational Planner
Judith S. Bass, CEP, is an internationally recognized expert in the field of college and postsecondary placement for students who learn differently. For the past twenty years, she has provided comprehensive planning services for students with ADHD, ASD, and other learning differences. Bass is a contributing author to Navigating the Transition from High School to College for Students with Disabilities. Her articles have appeared in numerous magazines, including Washington Parent and Attention. She founded CollegeWebLD, (www.collegewebld.com), a one-stop source of information on college disability services at over 400 colleges in the United States. A past chair of the Commission on Credentialing for AICEP (www.aicep.org) and a past board member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), she serves as a consultant to several independent high schools in the Washington, DC, area. Bass received her undergraduate degree in education and Spanish from Stony Brook University, earned a graduate-level certificate in college counseling from UCLA, and holds the Certified Educational Planner designation.
 

Many teens and young adults with ADHD struggle about staying compliant with their treatment plans for various reasons. Strategies that work for their lifestyle are the key to treatment compliance. But what is an effective treatment plan for someone with ADHD?  In this episode, Kate Barrett provides strategies for medication compliance, good sleep hygiene, and recognizing the signs when your method is no longer effective. She also gives insight into the effects of self-medicating with caffeine and marijuana to help with ADHD symptoms.
 
Kate Barrett, ACG, ACC
Kate Barrett, ACG, ACC, is a writer and ADHD and executive function coach and the founder of Coaching Cville, providing services internationally from Charlottesville, Virginia. Her background includes extensive volunteer and advocacy roles in the public school system and ADHD expert roles in parent, couple, and student education seminars. She presents individual and group programs locally and internationally and speaks regularly to professionals, community, and industry on executive function and ADHD. Barrett’s focus is to overlay executive function theory with ADHD coaching in order to facilitate systemic scaffolding and support for those diagnosed with ADHD. In addition, she finds teaching and coaching non-ADHD caregivers and partners on the intricacies of ADHD further supports all members of the relationship through the development and practice of empathy and appreciation for neurodiversity within the family structure.

Convincing teens or young adults about the importance of sticking with a treatment plan for their ADHD proves challenging for many parents. What is the best way for a parent to support transition-age youth through a period when they reject their diagnosis or treatment completely? What if something in the treatment plan is not working? What can a parent do if they notice symptoms are becoming a problem, but the teen or young adult either is not seeing it—or does not want to discuss the matter? ADHD coach Kate Barrett shares treatment compliance strategies and tips to help parents support teens or young adults through a successful transition toward adulthood.
 
Kate Barrett, ACG, ACC
Kate Barrett, ACG, ACC, is a writer and ADHD and EF coach and founder of Coaching Cville, providing services internationally from Charlottesville, Virginia. Her background includes extensive volunteer and advocacy roles in the public school system and ADHD expert roles in parent, couple, and student education seminars. She provides individual and group programs locally and internationally and speaks regularly to professionals, community, and industry on executive function and ADHD. Barrett’s focus is to overlay executive function theory with ADHD coaching in order to facilitate systemic scaffolding and support for those diagnosed with ADHD. In addition, she finds teaching and coaching non-ADHD caregivers and partners on the intricacies of ADHD further supports all members of the relationship through the development and practice of empathy and appreciation for neurodiversity within the family structure.

ADHD professionals recommend combining treatment approaches to address children’s ADHD symptoms. These can include social skills training, behavioral treatment, parent education and support, medication management, and coaching for older teens. But, as a parent, how do you choose the best treatment options for your child? What questions should you ask? And where do you begin to look for the answers you need?
In this episode, clinical psychologist Roberto Olivardia and a parent will model the conversations you would like to have with your child’s ADHD professional or treatment provider. This discussion offers an example of the questions to ask your child’s provider. In addition, it provides a road map that may make your family’s ADHD journey a little easier.
Roberto Olivardia, PhD
Dr. Olivardia is a lecturer in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of ADHD, executive functioning issues, and students with learning differences. He also focuses on the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders in boys and men. He currently serves on the professional advisory boards for CHADD, ADDA, and the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders.

It’s school time again, and as a parent, you want to make sure your child with ADHD has all the necessary tools to succeed in the classroom. Therefore, it’s crucial that you establish good communication with your child’s teacher at the beginning of the school year to ensure a smooth and successful term. If your child requires accommodations, how do you know if they are being provided or working? What is the best way to stay in contact with teachers? What if your child’s teacher isn’t familiar with ADHD—what should you do? This role-playing episode features Laci Culbreth, Head of School at Chatham Academy, and Jami Demuth, CHADD’s Midwest Regional Manager. You will learn the importance of establishing good communication with your child’s teachers, getting school support for your child’s learning challenges, asking for accommodations, creating a support network, and much more.
 
Laci CulbrethHead of School at Chatham Academy
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools have transitioned to remote learning or hybrid learning. For learners with ADHD, there are many changes that can make it difficult to succeed at home. Parents and teachers are discovering new ways to help students learn to the best of their abilities. Laci Culbreth discusses the difficulties of ADHD symptoms while learning from home and talks about her experience as a teacher. She provides suggestions for parents on how to help their children with ADHD at home. She also discusses strategies teachers can use to increase support for students with ADHD through remote learning.

Trying to find a suitable doctor for your child with ADHD can be challenging. The key to a successful search is knowing as much as possible about ADHD, your child’s struggles, and the right questions to ask the potential provider. In fact, knowing the right questions to ask can make a big difference in the way you manage your child’s ADHD. In this role-playing episode featuring Dr. Maggie Sibley and Jami Demuth, you’ll hear how one parent interviewed a psychologist before she made her selection and scheduled her child’s first appointment.
 
Margaret H. Sibley, PhD: Dr. Margaret Sibley is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children's Research Institute. Dr. Sibley’s work focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in adolescents and young adults. She has authored or co-authored over 80 scientific papers on ADHD and published a book with Guilford Press on treating executive functioning and motivation deficits in teens. She is a member of the CHADD professional advisory board.  

Many teens and young adults with ADHD have social skills challenges that make it difficult for them to develop healthy friendships. Their eagerness to fit in can lead them to participate in dangerous and unhealthy activities. Caroline Maguire walks us through the components of healthy peer relationships and signs of unhealthy relationships. She also answers questions from teens and young adults on how to cultivate meaningful, healthy relationships.
 
Caroline Maguire, MEd, ACCG, PCC
Caroline Maguire, MEd, ACCG, PCC, is a personal coach who works with children who struggle socially and the families who support them. She earned her master’s degree in education and early childhood development, with a specialization in social emotional learning, from Lesley University. She is the author of the award-winning book, Why Will No One Play with Me? and founder of the SEL training methodology designed to teach emotional regulation, social and self-awareness, and responsible decision-making skills. She founded the only coach training program accredited by the ICF, ADDA’s The Fundamentals of ADHD Coaching for Families. Visit her website, CarolineMaguireAuthor.com, follow her @AuthorCarolineM and download her free video, How to Tell a Tighter Story. She is a contributing editor to CHADD’s Attention magazine.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death among adolescents ages 13 to 19 — and the leading cause of death among 13-year-olds. The suicide death rate among Black youth is increasing faster than any other racial/ethnic group. In addition, 18.4% of youth with ADHD made at least one attempt by age 18, in stark contrast to only 5.7% of youth without ADHD. What are some of the predisposing factors of ADHD that increase the risk of suicide? Michael Meinzer provides insight into the difference between suicidal ideation and self-harm, triggers, warning signs, treatment, and appropriate responses to help someone with suicidal thoughts. He also sets the record straight on myths that prevent individuals and family members from reaching out for support.
 
Michael Meinzer, PhD
Michael Meinzer, PhD, is an assistant professor in the department of psychology and the director of the Young Adult and Adolescent ADHD Services Lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also directs UIC’s SUCCEEDS College ADHD Clinic. His research focuses on adverse outcomes (such as depression, early pregnancy, substance use, delinquency) that are particularly prevalent among individuals with ADHD during adolescence and early adulthood. Dr. Meinzer is interested in examining the mechanisms behind ADHD and comorbid psychopathology and subsequently developing tailored programming to address these difficulties. His work has been recognized by various mental health organizations and has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. He received the Young Scientist Award from CHADD in 2016. He serves as the chair (elect) of the ADHD special interest group for the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) and the secretary (designate) of the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Division 53 of the American Psychological Association). Dr. Meinzer is also a consulting editor of Clinical Research Digest, the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, and the Journal of Attention Disorders.
 
 

Life management skills are skills we all need to manage our day-to-day activities. For some teens and young adults with ADHD, those daily tasks can be a challenge. In this series of podcasts on helping teens and young adults become independent, Andrea Tuscano provides tips and strategies for maintaining an ADHD treatment plan, medication management, and talking with a healthcare provider. She also provides a plan of action for seeking accommodations on the job, scheduling study time, minimizing distractions, and getting to places on time.
 
Dr. Andrea Chronis-Tuscano
Dr. Andrea Chronis-Tuscano is the president of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, an associate editor of the Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, and a member of the CHADD Professional Advisory Board. Dr. Chronis-Tuscano currently serves as ADVANCE Professor for the College of Behavioral & Social Sciences (BSOS) at UMD.