Episode notes
In this episode, Mike and Ryan walk through the core questions parents often ask about independence, responsibility, and executive functioning in kids with ADHD—using the framework developed in Mike’s recent book and workbook. Rather than focusing on behavior management or short-term strategies, the conversation centers on how internal skills develop over time and how parents can support that development in realistic, age-appropriate ways. Find Mike @ www.grownowadhd.com & on IG Find Ryan @ www.adhddude.com & on…
Podcast
The ADHD Parenting Podcast
The ADHD Parenting Podcast · Kids & Family · English
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
More from The ADHD Parenting Podcast All episodes →
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E50 · 29 Apr 2026 · 25 min
Why ADHD Kids Struggle with Reading and Writing
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]…
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E55 · 15 Apr 2026 · 28 min
ADHD Kids and Consequences – What the Research Says
In this episode, Ryan and Mike take on one of the most hotly debated topics in the ADHD parenting space: do kids with ADHD actually need consequences? Social media influencers say no — just connection, co-regulation, and emotional validation. Ryan and Mike push back hard with decades of research showing the opposite: ADHD is a disorder of performance, not knowledge, meaning behavior is governed by immediate consequences far more than by understanding or insight, and kids with ADHD need more consequences, not fewer — clearer, more consistent, and delivered in the moment. They also dismantle…
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E54 · 25 Mar 2026 · 39 min
Stepping Into Your Parental Authority
Today's episode is a re-release of Episode 43, because the message is just that important. In this episode of The ADHD Parenting Podcast , hosts Ryan Wexelblatt and Mike McLeod explore what it means to “step into your parental authority.” Drawing from research and clinical experience, they discuss how authoritative parenting—balancing warmth with structure—helps children with ADHD develop self-regulation, emotional safety, and independence. The hosts challenge social media’s rebranding of permissive parenting as “gentle” or “compassionate” and explain why consistency, clear expectations, and…
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E53 · 11 Mar 2026 · 37 min
Answering Parents' Questions
In this episode of the ADHD Parenting Podcast, Mike and Ryan answer several listener questions about common challenges parents face when raising children with ADHD. They discuss why some children struggle to initiate friendships despite wanting them, the role of social anxiety and executive functioning in social behavior, and why screen time can reinforce avoidance of real-world interaction. The hosts also address sibling conflict when children are at different developmental stages, explain why brain scans and “types of ADHD” promoted by certain authors lack scientific support, and offer…
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E52 · 25 Feb 2026 · 22 min
What New Research Says About Screen Time & ADHD (And Why Online Advice Gets It Wrong)
In this episode, Ryan and Mike discuss how screen time impacts the executive functioning skills already delayed in kids with ADHD — things like impulse control, attention shifting, and cognitive flexibility. They challenge the popular online messaging that frames screens as "social" or "regulating" for neurodivergent kids, arguing that these messages make parents feel better but don't actually build skills in children. They also cover practical advice for managing school-issued devices, why parents don't need their child's buy-in to set screen limits, and why short-term calm from screens…
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E50 · 28 Jan 2026 · 33 min
Answering Parents' Questions
In this listener Q&A episode, Ryan and Mike tackle some of the most challenging real-life situations parents of kids with ADHD face at home. From bedtime anxiety that spirals into nightly meltdowns, to medication concerns around mood changes and irritability, to constant attention-seeking and dysregulation at home, this episode focuses on what’s really driving these behaviors—and how well-intentioned parenting can sometimes make them worse. They also discuss how to think about summer camps for kids with ADHD, especially when explosive behavior has led to removals from programs in the past.…
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E49 · 14 Jan 2026 · 28 min
Debunking Four Common ADHD Parenting Myths
In this episode of the Mike and Ryan break down four widespread myths about ADHD that continue to circulate on social media, in parent groups, and even in professional settings. Using research-based evidence and clinical experience, they explain what’s accurate, what’s not, and why these misconceptions can be unhelpful for families. Find Mike @ www.grownowadhd.com & on IG Find Ryan @ www.adhddude.com & on Youtube {{chapters}} [00:00:00] Start [00:00:48] Mike’s Book Announcement [00:01:42] Ryan’s…
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E48 · 24 Dec 2025 · 37 min
The Best Treatments For ADHD Kids, Based on Evidence
This episode breaks down the major misconceptions about ADHD treatment and clarifies what decades of research, major clinical guidelines, and leading experts actually recommend. Ryan and Mike explain why weekly talk therapy is not an evidence-based treatment for ADHD, why parent training and environmental structure are consistently shown to improve outcomes, and how parents can make informed decisions without getting pulled into common myths. Find Mike @ www.grownowadhd.com & on IG Find Ryan @ www.adhddude.com & on…
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E42 · 10 Dec 2025 · 23 min
Your Child Is Not Your Co-Parent | part 2
This is part 2 of "Your Child Is Not Your Co-Parent". Ryan and Mike continue examining why popular “gentle” and heavy emotional-validation parenting approaches often backfire for kids with ADHD. They break down the research, explain the leadership needs of ADHD brains, and outline why overtalking, overprocessing, and overnegotiating increase dysregulation rather than calming it. Find Mike @ www.grownowadhd.com & on IG Find Ryan @ www.adhddude.com & on Youtube {{chapters}} [00:00:00] Start [00:00:46] Rise of…
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E46 · 26 Nov 2025 · 22 min
Your Child Is Not Your Co-Parent | part 1
In this first half of a two-part episode, Ryan and Mike break down why many modern parenting approaches—especially those centered on constant negotiation and seeking a child’s input for every decision—backfire for kids with ADHD. They outline how clear leadership, predictable structure, and authoritative (not authoritarian) parenting create emotional safety, reduce conflict, and support executive functioning. Find Mike @ www.grownowadhd.com & on IG Find Ryan @ www.adhddude.com & on Youtube {{chapters}}…
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