Listen to people share candid stories about the moment it clicked that they have ADHD. Host Laura Key, who’s had her own ADHD “aha” moment, chats with guests ab...
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, Jared Robson got so sick of failing that he decided, “trying isn’t for me.” Jared got into trouble all the time and bounced around different high schools. He eventually graduated high school but admits that that might not have happened if his family weren’t so well-off. Now, Jared’s a stay-at-home dad and thriving as a college student taking courses online (He has a 4.0 GPA!). Jared and Laura talk about the “hyperactive little boy” stereotype. Listen as he describes his quest to find stillness and how he thinks of the ADHD failure cycle today. Related resourcesUnderstanding hyperactivityWhat is the school-to-prison pipeline? From Opportunity GapADHD in boysTimestamps(01:01) Jared’s school life growing up(07:08) “Trying isn’t for me”(10:54) Changing around high schools(12:53) Trying out different colleges(13:56) Managing expectations(17:31) Jared’s “aha” moments(20:14) Jared’s pandemic lifestyle change(23:36) Jared’s mindset shift in the present dayFor a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! page on Understood.org.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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29:07
AuDHD, sensory meltdowns, and hormones (Sam Hiew’s story)
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.After Samantha Hiew had her second child at age 40, hormonal changes shed light on her ADHD symptoms. She was diagnosed with ADHD and, later, autism. Sam talks about her experience with AuDHD, including regulating emotions and sensory meltdowns. Sam also talks about her multicultural experience and the importance of community when you have ADHD. Sam is a social entrepreneur, scientist, and advocate. She’s also the founder and director of ADHD Girls, an award-winning social impact organization that helps neurodivergent girls succeed.Related resourcesWhat is AuDHD?A guide to hormones and ADHDadhdgirls.co.ukSam’s personal website, samanthahiew.comTimestamps(01:21) What is ADHD Girls?(02:59) Why was Sam questioning if she had ADHD?(06:42) Sam’s multicultural experience with ADHD(10:12) Sam’s ADHD symptoms(12:04) Having both ADHD and autism(14:32) Sensory meltdowns(18:12) Sam’s childhood(19:58) ADHD and hormones(26:00) Where you can find SamFor a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! page on Understood.orgWant 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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29:16
Going on the record with ADHD (Rakia Reynolds’ story)
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.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 resourcesRakia’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 workplaceTo 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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26:24
What’s scary about ADHD? (Ghost hunter Em Schulz’s story)
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 resourcesEm’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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25:57
When ADHD is mistaken for disobedience (Kayla Sanders’ story)
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 resourcesTo 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
Listen to people share candid stories about the moment it clicked that they have ADHD. Host Laura Key, who’s had her own ADHD “aha” moment, chats with guests about common topics like ADHD and shame, mental health challenges, and more. Through heartfelt interviews, listeners learn about the unexpected, emotional, and even funny ways ADHD symptoms surface for kids and adults.