Episode 63 · The ADHD Parenting Podcast
Top Three Tips For A Successful School Year (Elementary & Middle School)
12 Aug 2026 · 26 min
Episode 63 · The ADHD Parenting Podcast
12 Aug 2026 · 26 min
Hosts Ryan and Mike share the three things that will have the biggest impact on an ADHD child's school year — and none of them involve buying supplies. First, they explain why setting clear, specific expectations before school starts (morning routines, homework, electronics, bedtime, after-school activities) prevents the negotiation battles that derail families every fall. Second, they walk through building routines now rather than scrambling once school begins, with particular emphasis on keeping school-issued laptops out from behind closed doors and advocating with the school when…
by The ADHD Parenting Podcast · English · Kids & Family
The ADHD Parenting Podcast helps parents of children and teens with ADHD improve behavior, emotional regulation, executive function, and cooperation at home and school. Hosted by Ryan Wexelblatt, LCSW, founder of ADHD Dude, and Mike McLeod, SLP, executive function specialist and author of The Execut
E66 · 23 Sep 2026 · 16 min
ADHD Parenting Podcast – Episode 66: Understanding ADHD Medications: What Parents Need to Know – Part Two Hosts Ryan and Mike continue their two-part deep dive into ADHD medications by walking through the actual medication categories and how they differ. They cover the two stimulant families — methylphenidate-derived (Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, Jornay PM) and amphetamine-derived (Adderall, Vyvanse, Dexedrine) — and explain why a poor response to one class doesn't mean all stimulants will fail. From there they break down alpha agonists like clonidine and guanfacine, non-stimulants including…
E65 · 9 Sep 2026 · 27 min
Hosts Ryan and Mike tackle one of the most frequently asked questions from parents: Is ADHD medication safe? In this first installment of a two-part series, they break down what the long-term research actually shows about stimulant medications, address common fears around side effects — including appetite suppression, sleep difficulties, growth concerns, personality changes, tics, and cardiovascular risks — and explain how each is typically monitored and managed by prescribers. They also discuss the medication holiday debate, make the case that medication decisions should be adult-guided…
E64 · 26 Aug 2026 · 20 min
Hosts Ryan and Mike deliver the high school companion to their elementary and middle school back-to-school episode, focusing on the shift parents need to make from managing their teen to consulting. Find Mike @ www.grownowadhd.com & on IG Find Ryan @ www.adhddude.com & on Youtube {{chapters}} [00:00:00] Start [00:04:26] Tip 1: Stop Rescuing Executive Functions [00:06:43] Tip 2: Set Technology Expectations Now [00:10:00] The Phone You Bought Is Your Problem [00:14:01] Tip 3: Build Independence, Not…
E62 · 22 Jul 2026 · 26 min
Hosts Ryan and Mike make the case that children with ADHD don't need fewer responsibilities — they need better-scaffolded, consistent ones. They introduce the idea of a "competent role": an ongoing, child-owned job that genuinely matters to the family, distinct from a random chore. Along the way they name the "high giving, low expectations" trap that well-meaning parents fall into, explain why learned helplessness gets weaponized to escape non-preferred tasks, and walk through the executive-function skills these roles quietly build. The episode closes with a practical playbook for creating…
E61 · 8 Jul 2026 · 30 min
Hosts Ryan and Mike work through five real listener questions covering some of the most common — and most misunderstood — challenges of raising kids with ADHD: a six-year-old with borderline intellectual functioning caught between a cautious school and a hands-off psychiatrist, a ten-year-old with total time blindness for non-preferred activities, sibling conflict where the hosts openly diverge on whether to hold the older child more accountable or redirect the younger one, a physically aggressive first-grader stuck in a cycle of ineffective next-day suspensions, and a fifteen-year-old with…
E60 · 24 Jun 2026 · 15 min
In part two of this two-part series, Mike and Ryan discuss why families often abandon medication too quickly after a single difficult trial, the importance of trial-and-error in finding the right medication regimen, and why genetic testing isn't the shortcut many parents hope it will be. Find Mike @ www.grownowadhd.com Find Ryan @ www.adhddude.com Timestamps [00:00:00] Start [00:00:46] Why Families Give Up on Medication Too Easily [00:01:30] Two Main Stimulant Categories Explained [00:03:42] Non-Stimulant Medication Options [00:04:22] Why…
E59 · 10 Jun 2026 · 18 min
Ryan & Mike take on ADHD kids' medication based on research and doctors, not social media. They cover untreated ADHD risks, debunk the psychiatrist myth, and put decisions with parents and prescribers. Find Mike @ www.grownowadhd.com Find Ryan @ www.adhddude.com {{chapters}} [00:00:00] Start [00:01:05] Why Parents Get Confused About Medication [00:03:40] The Risks of Untreated ADHD [00:06:46] Where Medication Misinformation Comes From [00:10:15] Do You Really Need a Child Psychiatrist? [00:13:34] Who Makes the Medication Decision Citations…
E58 · 27 May 2026 · 19 min
Ryan and Mike take on four of the loudest myths in Facebook ADHD parenting groups: pharmacogenetic ("cheek swab") testing for medication selection, the idea that every ADHD child needs one-to-one talk therapy, the "everything is sensory" framing, and rejection sensitive dysphoria as a discrete diagnosis. For each one, they walk through what the actual research and clinical practice guidelines support — and what they don't. Find Mike @ www.grownowadhd.com & on IG Find Ryan @ www.adhddude.com & on Youtube…
E57 · 13 May 2026 · 28 min
In this episode of the ADHD Parenting Podcast, hosts Mike and Ryan tackle a provocative but critical topic: why high expectations are the most loving thing you can do for a child with ADHD. They respond to a listener’s experience in which an effective classroom point system—backed by decades of research—was canceled after other parents of children with ADHD complained. Mike and Ryan break down the difference between evidence-based structure and popular social media narratives, explaining why removing consequences and lowering the bar can lead to learned helplessness, prompt dependence, and…
E50 · 29 Apr 2026 · 25 min
In this episode, Ryan and Mike explore the real reason children with ADHD struggle with reading comprehension and written expression—working memory issues, not laziness or oppositional behavior. They explain the role of nonverbal working memory (mental movies) and verbal working memory (inner voice) , share key research findings, and offer practical strategies to support children at home and school. Find Mike @ www.grownowadhd.com & on IG Find Ryan @ www.adhddude.com & on Youtube {{chapters}} [00:00:00]…