Parenting is challenging. Some of the challenges—like effective disciplining and present moment awareness—are ubiquitous to parenting. No matter who you or your kids are, moments and experiences will test your patience and your wisdom. But while no parent has it easy, parenting children with special needs, neurodiversity, or mental or physical health issues comes with unique, extraordinarily trying experiences, and big questions to which it can be hard to find reliable answers.
In this episode of Psychologists Off the Clock, Yael talks with Dr. Russell Barkley, an international authority on ADHD. Russ is also author of many books, including the bestselling Taking Charge of ADHD and his recently released 12 Principles for Raising a Child with ADHD. Using principles from his books and decades of research, Russ takes on questions Yael collected from friends, family, and peers about parenting children with ADHD. Join us to hear in-depth and reliable answers to our most pressing questions about how to raise neurodiverse children!
Listen and Learn:
- The seven executive functions and how they’re impacted by ADHD
- Russ’ expert, in-depth answers to your questions about parenting and loving people with ADHD!
- What ADHD is and why the label can be misleading
- About some misconceptions parents often have about ADHD
- How to better parent a child with ADHD
- How to be compassionate towards yourself and your child as you parent
- Key differences in behavioral markers of ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
- About the long-term data on medication for children
- How to find, appreciate, and reinforce strengths that show up in neurodiverse children
- Effective parenting and discipline strategies for children with ADHD
- Russ’ hopes for his legacy, and the future of ADHD
Resources Discussed on this Podcast Episode:
- Dr. Barkley’s book, 12 Principles for Raising a Child with ADHD
- Find some of Dr. Barkley’s lectures on his website
- Find other interviews with and lectures by Dr. Barkley on YouTube
- Emily Perl Kingsley’s poem, Welcome to Holland
- Jon Kabat Zinn’s book, Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting
- Alison Gopnik’s book, The Gardener and the Carpenter
About Dr. Russell Barkley:
Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized authority on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) in children and adults who has dedicated his career to widely disseminating science-based information about ADHD. Dr. Barkley retired as a Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology from the University of Massachusetts Medical Center (1985-2002) and subsequently worked as a Professor of Psychiatry and Health Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (2003-2016). He is currently a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center (2016-present). In semi-retirement, he continues to lecture widely and develop continuing education courses for professionals on ADHD and related disorders, as well as consult on research projects, edit The ADHD Report, and write books, reviews, and research articles.
Related Podcast Episodes:
- Episode 14. Mindful Parenting
- Episode 48. Practical Wisdom with Dr. Barry Schwartz
- Episode 123. Tantrum Survival Guide with Dr. Schrag Hershberg
- Episode 149. How Not To Lose It with Your Kids with Dr. Carla Naumburg
- Episode 161: The Gift of Failure with Jessica Lahey
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
E-Book PDF (transcript): Open in New Window | Download
Boy howdy. I need to brush up on (and by brush up on I mean learn) my ADHD knowledge. I was taken aback by this interview. I’ve heard everything from ADHD doesn’t exist to it’s way over diagnosed to it’s very common, but I’ve not heard this view before. I’m curious if this is the take on it that you guys align with?
(I recognize I’m posing this as an opinion-based question – which maybe is inappropriate as he’s obviously spent his life in science diving into ADHD, but I assume there are others who have done the same and come down on another side? maybe? maybe not. I just don’t know where to start – and going down this path would be very different from going down others.)
Hi Georgia, Thanks for commenting here!
I’m not sure what the take is that you’re asking about? Which part of the interviews feels controversial? Please share more thoughts! Warmly, the POTC gang