Episodes
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In school, a teacher made Rakia Reynolds push her desk all the way to the principal’s office for getting in trouble. Rakia had undiagnosed ADHD. She was energetic, creative, and the class clown. Rakia is now a businesswoman and creative leader with diagnosed ADHD — a diagnosis that she never shared publicly… until now.
Hear from Rakia, the founder and executive director of Skai Blue Media, on why she shied away from talking about her ADHD until now. Did a level of success make it feel safer to talk about? And if so, what can we learn from that?
Related resources
Rakia’s company, skaibluemedia.comWhy some kids clown around in class 32 examples of workplace accommodationsTimestamps
(01:41) Speaking publicly about having ADHD
(07:47) Rakia’s childhood and school life
(12:43) Hitting a wall in graduate school
(14:36) Rakia’s “aha“ moments
(16:51) ADHD strengths and weaknesses
(18:53) Coping at work
(21:36) How employers can create an inclusive and supportive workplace
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
Want to share your “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.
Em Schulz thought they were just lazy growing up. Years later, after discovering that not everyone’s TikTok was full of ADHD tips that “weirdly work,” they realized they might have ADHD.
Em is a paranormal investigator (aka ghost hunter) and co-host of the And That’s Why We Drink podcast. Em and Laura chat about ghosts and ghosting, as in ghosting relationships — a not uncommon ADHD behavior. And Em shares their take on whether people believe less in ghosts or ADHD.
Related resources
Em’s podcast website, andthatswhywedrink.com“Is ADHD real?” What experts say when people doubt ADHDADHD fact sheetTimestamps
(01:32) What it’s like being a paranormal investigator
(06:13) What do people believe in less: ADHD or ghosts?
(07:02) Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD
(10:42) Em’s pandemic diagnosis
(14:02) TikTok ADHD tips that resonated with Em
(15:39) How did Em’s ADHD diagnosis change their life?
(16:55) What’s scary about ADHD?
(18:34) Why Em became a paranormal investigator
(19:33) ADHD creativity at night
(20:28) Scary movies
(23:43) Where you can find Em
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
Want to share your “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.
Growing up as a Black girl with undiagnosed ADHD, Kayla Sanders learned very early that getting into trouble was not an option. Kayla was imaginative, playful, and extremely bright. She was also hyperactive, which was occasionally mistaken for disobedience.
One incident in particular in the first grade left a lasting mark on Kayla. From then on out, Kayla did everything she could to avoid causing trouble for her hard-working, loving mom. She pushed down her hyperactivity and masked her symptoms for years. Then, during the pandemic, Kayla was finally diagnosed with ADHD.
Join Kayla and host Laura Key’s chat on ADHD and masking, and the added pressure that comes from racial bias.
Related resources
To be Black in America with a learning disabilityBias in school discipline: When the teacher says your child is “acting out”, from Opportunity GapADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)Timestamps
(01:10) Kayla’s pandemic ADHD diagnosis story
(06:53) Kayla’s childhood behavior
(09:45) The pressure to mask ADHD as a Black woman
(13:56) Covering up “mistakes” in the classroom
(15:35) Kayla’s relationship with her mom
(20:11) Cultural masking, and the intersection of ADHD and race
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
Want to share your “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.
Patricia Sung was diagnosed with ADHD in her first year of college. It wasn’t until she became a mother, and other people relied on her, that she realized just how much ADHD affected her.
Patricia now hosts the Motherhood in ADHD podcast. Join Patricia and host Laura Key as they talk about managing emotions with ADHD. Patricia explains the concept of “raging” — that moment when you go from 99 to 100 and emotions boil over. She also shares strategies that can help.
Related resources
Building self-compassion skillsADHD and angerPatricia’s podcast, Motherhood in ADHDTimestamps
((01:10) Patricia’s diagnosis story
(06:16) How “ADHD” changed for Patricia when she became a mom
(09:09) ADHD mom challenges
(21:47) Acknowledging realistic “wins” for women with ADHD
(26:41) How you can join Patricia
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
Want to share your “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.
Matthew Raghunauth always felt like he was a little lazy and sluggish — that’s just how he was. Then the time came to return to office after the pandemic, and he really started struggling at work. He questioned why he would put things off so much. He was scared to mess up, and afraid that his colleagues would think he’s a bad employee.
Matthew is an artist and UX designer who was diagnosed with ADHD about a year and a half ago. Join Laura and Matthew as they talk about this ADHD fear of being “found out,” and a grown-up view of growing up.
Related resources
ADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)Imposter syndrome at work: How I stopped feeling like a fakeNot lazy, but exhausted from analysis paralysis (Emily’s story)Timestamps
(01:25) Why did Matthew seek out an ADHD evaluation?
(05:59) ADHD and prioritization overload
(07:23) Anxiety and fixations while growing up
(10:10) Putting off things out of fear of failing and being rejected
(12:34) ADHD and catastrophizing
(15:32) Are we really “too sensitive”?
(16:38) When “growing up” means taking care of yourself
(21:20) The added pressure of being first generation American
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
Want to share your “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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If you like this show, consider making a donation this holiday season. 100% of your donation will go towards helping us create more podcasts (like this one!). Click here to make a gift today.
Farah Jamil had to stand up for herself when two health care providers told her she couldn’t have ADHD. The reasons cited? One thought she was too smart, charming, and cared for to have ADHD. The other seemed to question whether ADHD was even real. Fortunately, Farah has strong self-advocacy skills that allowed her to debunk these myths in real time.
Farah is an executive coach, ADHD life coach, and the founder of the community groups Muslim ADHDers and Interfaith ADHDers. Listen as host Laura Key and Farah bust common ADHD myths. They also talk about how ADHD can make keeping friends hard.
Related resources
From Sorry, I Missed This: The impact of ADHD on workplace relationships8 common myths about ADHDMuslim ADHDersInterfaith ADHDersTimestamps
(01:14) Farah’s first attempt to get an ADHD diagnosis
(05:11) Unpacking the 4 myths her doctor told her about ADHD
(09:22) Farah’s second attempt to get an ADHD diagnosis
(10:55) What was Farah struggling with?
(13:41) Why is Farah surprised she “still has friends”?
(18:53) The ADHD communities Farah has founded
(27:24) Farah’s advice
(29:53) Where you can find Farah
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
Want to share your “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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How to ADHD creator Jessica McCabe has been the source of many ADHD “aha” moments — so what were her ADHD “aha” moments?
Jessica was diagnosed when she was 12 years old but didn’t start to look into what ADHD meant for her until she was 32. Taking ADHD medication felt like putting on glasses — experiencing the world as everyone else did. But she didn’t have the skills and strategies to cope with ADHD.
So, she started making YouTube videos...and the rest is history. Listen in as Jessica answers Laura’s many questions, including: What’s it like for her to be a new mom with ADHD? Does she ever get a vulnerability hangover? And why doesn’t she think she’s cool?
Related resources
Jessica’s YouTube channel, How to ADHDAll about ADHD medicationUnderstanding trouble with social skillsTimestamps
(03:08) How Jessica feels about being involved in so many people’s “aha” moment
(04:55) Jessica’s diagnosis story at age 12
(06:16) Jessica’s ADHD medication “aha” moment
(07:33) The creation of Jessica’s YouTube channel How to ADHD
(11:29) Jessica on social anxiety
(14:07) Busting ADHD medication stigma
(16:52) ADHD and new motherhood
(22:49) Going back to work after maternity leave
(26:01) Laura’s rapid-fire questions
(31:49) Jessica’s parting words
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
Want to share your ADHD “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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Dr. Monica Johnson joins Laura to talk about a topic that comes up a lot on ADHD Aha!: ADHD and trauma. She explains how trauma and ADHD can look alike and whether ADHD can lead to trauma. Dr. J, as she’s known, also talks about misdiagnosis, treatment, and how to support someone who’s struggling.
This episode contains discussion about trauma, PTSD, and examples of traumatic events. It’s intended for educational purposes, but may not be for everyone. You can visit mentalhealthhotline.org, or rainn.org for support.
Related resources
6 ways ADHD and PTSD can look alikeTrauma, learning differences, and kids of color (from The Opportunity Gap podcast)MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women ChannelTimestamps
(04:05) Dr. J defines trauma
(05:18) The difference between trauma and PTSD
(07:59) Can trauma cause ADHD? Can ADHD cause trauma?
(09:51) Misdiagnosis
(16:50) What happens when you have both ADHD and trauma
(19:25) Possible treatment
(23:54) How can caregivers and loved ones support someone who has ADHD and trauma?
(28:13) More on ADHD and... on the MissUnderstood podcast channel
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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Breon and Dan Gummel are a mixed-neurodiversity married couple. After about 5 years of marriage, Breon was diagnosed with ADHD. The conflicts they’d been having as a couple took on a new shape. The more they learned about ADHD, the better they understood each other.
Now, they’ve founded an ADHD community called ADHDinner. This is where people with ADHD, and their close ones, can come together for a meal and share their experiences. You can create your own wherever you live with their free ADHDinner guide.
Related resources
adhdinner.orgADHD and marriage (Rachel and Jon’s story)Driven to Distraction by Edward Hallowell and John RateyThe ADHD Effect on Marriage by Melissa OrlovTo get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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Leadership and career coach Phoebe Gavin was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age. Phoebe’s mom was her number one advocate. She never made Phoebe feel like there was something wrong with her, and that’s followed her to this day. Now, she works with clients to empower them in the same way.
Phoebe takes us through serving in the military, to fashion school, to starting a business with ADHD. She shares career tips when you have ADHD and her journey navigating ADHD and PTSD.
Related resources
Phoebe’s episode of How’d You Get THAT Job?!Phoebe’s website, betterwithphoebe.com6 ways ADHD and PTSD can look alikeTo get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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As women, it can feel like we have to do it all, yet not be “too much.” Add ADHD stigma and shame on top, and it can feel impossible. Good thing we have Tracy Otsuka to remind us that no one has ever made a difference by being “too little.”
Tracy is an ADHD coach, the host of the ADHD for Smart Ass Women podcast, and author of the book with the same name! In this episode, host Laura Key and Tracy talk about how her son’s diagnosis led to her own, the need for an ADHD cookbook, and challenging the status quo.
Related resources
Tracy’s podcast, ADHD for Smart Ass WomenTracy’s book, ADHD for Smart Ass WomenADHD and women: The essentialsTo get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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Jesse Anderson wishes he’d had an ADHD manual when he was first diagnosed as an adult, so he wrote one. Before he was diagnosed, he never considered having ADHD himself. After his wife encouraged him to look into it more, his trouble with remembering to do things, time management, and anger started to take a different shape in his mind.
Today, Jesse is an ADHD advocate, writer, speaker, and author of the book Extra Focus: The Quick Start Guide to Adult ADHD. Join host Laura Key and Jesse as they discuss toxic productivity, prospective memory, and the magic of owning a whiteboard.
Related resources
ADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)ADHD and angerJesse’s website, adhdjesse.comTo get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. Learn more at Understood.org.
And if you like what you hear, help us continue this work by donating at understood.org/donate.
Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.
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
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When William Curb learned he had ADHD (and wasn’t just lazy), he felt empowered to build coping skills. Now, he hosts the Hacking Your ADHD podcast where he talks about ADHD supports, workarounds, and more.
In this bonus episode, host Laura Key and William talk about ADHD and emotions and his favorite ADHD hacks.
Related resources
William’s podcast, Hacking Your ADHDADHD and emotionsADHD and the myth of lazinessTo get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. Learn more at Understood.org.
And if you like what you hear, help us continue this work by donating at understood.org/donate.
Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.
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
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ADHD coach and creator Caren Magill was diagnosed with ADHD in 2020, during the pandemic. Caren gets real about her experience as a teen girl with undiagnosed ADHD: dropping out of high school, smoking, having poor self-care, and being a “messy kid.” She also shares how she manages her ADHD through fitness, sleep, and meditation.
Caren is also the host of It’s The ADHD-Friendly Show podcast. Listen as she shares what she’s hearing from women with ADHD about overwhelm, and approaching ADHD challenges with curiosity instead of shame.
Related resources:
ADHD in teens: From friendship to forgetting homework (Miya’s story)
5 ways ADHD teens take risks — and why
Caren’s website
Caren’s podcast, It’s The ADHD-Friendly Show
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. Learn more at Understood.org.
And if you like what you hear, help us continue this work by donating at understood.org/donate.
Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.
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
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Casey McQuiston, best-selling author of Red, White and Royal Blue, grew up in a neurodivergent family and was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age. Still, they had trouble coping, and in high school, English teachers gave them an intervention for “not trying hard enough.”
Casey is the author of multiple books in the queer romance genre. Casey chats with Laura about how ADHD influences their writing. They also share a sneak peek of their upcoming book The Pairing, coming out August 2024.
Related resources
Why “just try harder” is a mythBeing Trans with ADHD (Max’s story)caseymcquiston.comTo get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.
Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.
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
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What makes being a mom with ADHD so hard? Navigating executive functions and emotional labor, for one. And feeling burned out when burnout isn’t an option — because there’s always something else that needs your very limited attention!
Talking about it with someone who just “gets it” is such a relief. In this episode, Laura talks to her friend and colleague Rae Jacobson, also a mom with ADHD. Listen to their conversation and insights on this bonus Mother’s Day episode.
Related resources:
Rolling with my ADHD Mom BrainBuilding self-compassion skills3 things I’m learning as a new mom with ADHDTo get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the “ADHD Aha!” podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.
Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.
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
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Ellyce Fulmore had structures in place her whole life that kept her ADHD hidden. When the pandemic hit, those structures disappeared. Doing basic daily tasks — things like cooking and running errands — got really hard. Then she went down a research rabbit hole on ADHD in women and asked for an ADHD evaluation.
Before the pandemic, Ellyce had been struggling with impulsive spending. It made her feel like she was in control when really the spending was controlling her. Now, she’s the author of the book Keeping Finance Personal.
Related resources:
5 tips to help teens and young adults manage moneyEllyce’s book, Keeping Finance PersonalQueerdco.comTo get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
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
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ADHD coach Jaye Lin is no stranger to ADHD burnout. As an Asian American former gifted kid with undiagnosed ADHD, her parents thought she was just being lazy and not applying herself. This pressure and shame followed until her 30s, when her anxiety peaked while she was working at a high-pressure job.
Jaye’s therapist thought she was drug-seeking when she wanted to be screened for ADHD. Now, Jaye builds communities and helps others prioritize what’s important when tunnel vision takes over our lives.
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the “ADHD Aha!” podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Related resources
ADHD and anxietyJaye's websiteADDA Asians with ADHD support groupThe Monoceros InitiativeUnderstood 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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In 2016, Paulette Perhach wrote a piece proclaiming that all women need an emergency fund — what she calls an “f-off fund.” But when she struggled to secure an emergency fund for herself, she suspected she might have ADHD. Paulette, a successful author and writing coach, put off the evaluation because she couldn’t afford the $260 price tag.
In this episode of ADHD Aha!, Paulette talks about her trouble with impulse buying and online shopping. She shares her family’s history with money issues, including bankruptcy. And she and Laura have an emotional exchange about the ADHD tax.
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Related resourcesWhat is the ADHD tax?ADHD and managing moneyPaulette in the New York Times: “For women with money issues, an ADHD diagnosis can be revelatory” See more of Paulette’s writing on her website.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
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As a child, David Flink was told to “just try harder.” But David wasn’t lazy. He was trying as hard as he could.
After being diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia in the 5th grade, David went to a school that taught him to “try smarter” instead. There he learned to pick paths that work better for his brain.
Today, David is an author, advocate, and speaker. He’s also the founder and chief empowerment officer of Eye to Eye, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving experiences for students with learning differences. Host Laura Key and David discuss how Eye to Eye was born, and bust some age-old ADHD myths.
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Related resourcesDavid’s article, “Why just try harder” is a mythHow having mentors can help kids who learn and think differentlyEye to Eye’s websiteUnderstood 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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