Shows
Something Shiny: ADHD!Do you trust that others (especially those in power) will help you?So with news articles and headlines about how folks with ADHD need to get off their meds or go outside or be 'cured', there's something of a big misunderstanding and gaps in perspectives on ADHD and what it actually means. Including our shared values as a real ADHD culture, especially around how people or authority figures will relate to us. David and Isabelle describe some of the shared values in neurodivergent or ADHD culture, including ideas around masking, disclosing, lateral thinking, and questioning authority--and whether you believe that others, particularly those in power, will help you or understand you...2025-06-1816 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Do folks with ADHD 'stim' (and what is it)?Isabelle and David talk 'stimming'-AKA "Self-stimulating behavior": what is this word, where does it come from, and what does it mean to 'stim'? Perhaps spoken of more in the autism community, stimming applies to ADHD also, and can connect to not just how we use sensory inputs as ballasts or balance systems, but also unique indicators of a ADHD culture of our own. David and Isabelle dig deep with some adorable sneezes, more on the ballast systems of ships, and the tail expressions of animals along the way.----David and Isabelle describe how cat and dog...2025-05-2128 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Can you be super empathic and autistic? (um...YES) - Neuropsychs Explored Part IVIsabelle finishes sharing her neuropsych results, including recommendations for ADHD and autism (HINT: unmask! WHAT?) From the categorization of ADHD like a storm warning system (Mild/moderate/severe) to how job interviews might be the one place to mask (and how David does his interviews), David and Isabelle spelunk around how certain measures, like empathy, are not 'markers' of autism in the way we may think. Share your favorite fidgets with us! Go to somethingshinypodcast.com/fidgetlove now!---Isabelle goes into greater detail about how her neuropsychological assessment was able to show her how s...2025-04-2317 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Do we really need labels like ADHD and AuDHD? - Neuropsychs Explored Part IIIIsabelle and David continue to explore how an official ADHD or autism or AuDHD diagnosis might be a useful bridge to belong to a community. But what about the people who see these labels as pathologizing, including famous ADHD researchers like Dr. Russell Barkely? David and Isabelle explore some of the ways that thinking of ADHD from the negatives only and leaves people using the label not as a tool for empowerment, self-understanding, and advocacy--but as an excuse. Furthermore, what about labels like "Asperger's" (low-support need/high-masking autism) that has its roots in Nazi extermination camps? Neuropsychs Explored Part...2025-04-0220 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!How can you trust the world when the world doesn't get you? - Neuropsychs Explored Part IIDavid and Isabelle go into greater depth about neuropsychological assessments--both back in the day and now-for kids, and for adults--and Isabelle's AHA moment about self-disclosing her AuDHD self. From the odd history of the intersection of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD (did you know you couldn't be diagnosed with both for a long long time?) to realizing how literally she takes the world and how much it helps to finally have a turn signal on the car that is her, David and Isabelle dive deep into unmasking and the mistrust we have for the world when we are...2025-03-2621 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!What is a neuropsych anyway? What is AuDHD? - Neuropsychs Explored Part IIsabelle shares the results of her neuropsych with David: she is AuDHD! As a grown human learning she has AuDHD (ADHD + Autism Spectrum Disorder), what does it mean to 'get a neuropsych?' What even IS a neuropsych? Who gets one and why? How does high-masking autism look like for Isabelle? Busting myths, calling out fun factoids, and celebrating this news and the decrease of suffering it has brought to gain self-understanding and acceptance. ---Isabelle is SO EXCITED to see David's face. Because for the last few recording sessions she hasn’t been able to see hi...2025-03-1926 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!From "toughen up" to "the trauma ends with me" - with guest, Marcus Soutra (For the Good Consulting)Isabelle and David welcome back Marcus Soutra, co-founder of Eye to Eye and founder of For the Good Consulting, and ask an interesting question of this nation-wide advocacy expert and fellow ADHD and LD-er: how has life in schools changed for neurodivergent kids, especially now that some of us are parents/educators/in charge? Are kids still afraid, as David was, of having to go to the nurses' office? And how has what's "cool" been redefined in the past decades? From trauma modes to collared shirts, from shifting ADHD from a diagnosis to an identity, the three explore perspectives...2025-02-2626 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Why is the transition to sleep so extra hard?Isabelle and David continue to talk with David’s brother’s friend, Aaron, and dig deep into why winding down and going to sleep is the hardest transition of all: because you're staring into a black hole of no dopamine for hours! And also, a lot of traditional sleep hygiene tricks may not work. Folks with ADHD have higher rates of sleep apnea, among other sleep disorders, and also, can do with staying away from preferred activities before bed. This, sleep tips and tricks, and recognizing the value of being open about your neurodivergence...as well as some really good...2025-02-1933 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Are folks with ADHD natural promoters?Isabelle and David continue to talk with David’s brother’s friend, Aaron, and contemplate why folks with ADHD can be so enthusiastic and excited about interests, people, etc. Is it because we are like puppies who are starved for reinforcement (dopamine)? Or does it come from living a life on the outside and the joy of connection when it has been missed for so long. With callbacks to Greatest American Hero (See Ep095) as well as the real story behind the theme song to St. Elmo's Fire.—-David describes how borrow...2025-02-1227 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!What happens when you be more of the person you want to be?Isabelle and David welcome David’s brother’s friend, Aaron, who, as a recently diagnosed ADHDer, brings up the idea of if ADHD is a superpower, it's like the super suit in “Greatest American Hero:” a suit given with a manual that got lost on the first day of use. What happens when you find your ‘ingredient’ for doing the things you previously struggled with and now can do? How does your self esteem and sense of self efficacy impact how you handle days when that ingredient is missing? This plus being puppy dogs together, tackling Mt. Laundry, and why intimacy...2025-01-1529 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Does ADHD Make You Overly Optimistic?Does ADHD make you an overly optimistic puppy dog? Or the sprinkle of trickster magic in someone else's day? And is there really a "better" way to be, optimistic or pessimistic? From David being a prophetic hot dog vendor at Wrigley Field, to trickster archetypes, to the differences between vulnerable in the process of something or being vulnerable at the end, Isabelle and David dig into a totally unique way to consider optimism and pessimism as adaptive. ----Once upon a time, David sold hot dogs at Wrigley Field, yelling out “here’s your hot dogs...2025-01-0127 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Holiday Prep Series - ADHD, meet time off perfectionismHow do you make your time off the most efficiently relaxing? Or unlock a peak game night or other family time experience? And why are we so hell bent on intensity of experience, versus frequency? David and Isabelle straddle talk of perfectionism, their own relationships to building time-off experiences, and how frequency is our friend, as well as the idea that perfectionism is not a dirty word, but perhaps relates to masking, needs for structure and predictability in neurodivergence.----Isabelle describes how her and Bobby would take time away just the two of them...2024-12-1834 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Holiday Prep Series - ADHD, meet gift giving!Just in time for the mounting stress at the end of the year, here’s an ADHD-friendly gift-giving guide! David and Isabelle have ideas, accommodations, and acceptance around giving and receiving gifts with neurodivergent folx. How hard it is to buy things for folx who impulsively purchase all (cheaper) things for themselves? How to tackle the mystery of huge shopping carts and no good memory if you bought the thing after all, or not? What to get your brilliant neurodivergent child (psss…it’s the experience, not the shiny thing!)? And MORE!-----Aside from discussing how Isabel...2024-12-1126 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Holiday Prep Series - ADHD, meet holiday travel!How do you survive holiday travel with ADHD? What about traveling with children, particularly small children? And what happens when you find yourself rushing, leaving things until the last minute, and forgetting your charger once again? David and Isabelle swap stories and share specific tips to traveling and also discuss WHY ARE THERE SOCK NUBBINS AND TAGS. Seriously.-----There can be so much pressure to have a Hallmark, picture-postcard perfect holiday and it’s so important to revise those expectations and think about what you actually want to do, for example, maybe it’s “we go to the...2024-12-0429 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Holiday Prep Series: ADHD, meet family (get-togethers)How do you survive family dinners? Sitting at a table until everyone is done? Overstimulation? Sticky conversations and setting boundaries? David and Isabelle talk concrete tips for getting through family dinners, and even enjoying them—and the truth behind ear worm songs’ lyrics that may pop your Thanksgiving Day Parade Spiderman balloons.----David and Isabelle name that any time you’re meeting with family, traveling, disrupting routine, and then you throw in kids—how do we do this? Let’s start with dinner, and then work our way back to how you get there. Whenever you’re going out...2024-11-2736 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Holiday Prep Series: ADHD, meet more food...and real Thanksgiving winsWhat do you do when people are openly judging your food sensitivities (or the food sensitivities of your kid)? What's the difference between a soft and hot response to commentary? Why do we go to town over certain foods we love and then have such particular things we dislike and how much the Thanksgiving feast of it all can be about winning the feeling and vibe, rather than 'winning' at some carbon copy idea or expectation of what the holiday (and meal) should be. Filled chock full of food facts, favorite foods, and alternate ways to celebrate, this episode...2024-11-2025 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Holiday Prep Series: ADHD, meet food!This week we're revisiting what happens when you show up at a holiday meal and immediately realize with a sinking feeling- "Not again…I can't eat anything here…" From honoring the cook's efforts while not betraying your own needs, to recognizing the joys of chewing on pens and ice, join David and Isabelle as we embrace our sensory sensitivities and make our own neurodivergent-friendly and inclusive traditions. Check out our Holiday Survival Guide! Part of a holiday prep series designed to help take some pressure off the holiday season.——David and Isabelle stare down the fast mov...2024-11-0632 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Is it ADHD culture or just ADHD trauma?Is there a way to switch gears even when you're running late, overhwhelmed, and already past crispy? Isabelle and David explore how changing gears, especially during a transition--whether it's starting a conversation, leaving the house, beginning a work task--is up to us and how hard and real the struggle is and how important it can be to get your reps in. From potato sprouts and Carl Rogers, to neurodivergent trauma as culture, to all those half finished water bottles underneath your carseat, this conversation embraces what it means to share collective wounds as well as adaptations to a world...2024-10-2328 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Why do we burn ourselves out?Why do we push ourselves so hard, hyperfocus, are ready to do 80 things at once, then crash and run out of steam before we ever move the needle? How much does this boom/bust cycle harm us, our relationships, and our wellbeing? David and Isabelle discuss how, as neurodivergent folx, we can't see our own energy bars and how this gets us into trouble. They also describe a game changing idea, of making their energy bars observable, that has helped them both actually see and attend to their needs well for the first time--and why they were compelled to...2024-10-0925 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Does 'back to school' season hit you hard, too?Ep075: Does back to school season hit you hard, too?Why is it so hard and triggering and exhausting to go back to school (even if you’re not a student or have a student in your life right now)? And what is this idea, “pervasive demand avoidance” (or a persistent drive to autonomy) and how can it crop up during massive transition times? David and Isabelle come back from a summer spent working on exciting new Something Shiny resources and describe some of the demands that may be filling up your slots this time of year. Also in...2024-09-2928 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Summer Starter Series: When can hyperfocus be your friend?What happens when the rewards for doing something don't show up until way later? Or if it's harder to tell you're making progress on something, like saving money, applying for jobs, buying a house? David and Isabelle are joined by Isabelle's husband, Bobby, who also has ADHD, swapping stories about delaying gratification, shame spirals, and how we ruminate and distract AND hyperfocus for the win.---- The only thing that’s reinforced are tasks toward goal completion. What could I do today that would move me toward that goal? The only question: is it moving toward my goal...2024-09-1735 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Summer Starter Series: Can you turn anxiety into excitement?Why are some of us anxious and some of us excited (or a combo platter of both)? And is it possible to turn anxiety, or anger, or shame spirals, into something else? David and Isabelle swap stories, talk transgenerational trauma, and get curious about how we are socialized to mask and behave...and that perhaps the solution for being overly apologetic lies in the midwestern gem: "ope.”-----Isabelle starts by expanding on the idea of how you think about things, how that inner landscape can connect into tapping into norepinephrine—if you’re practicing going “I see you a...2024-08-2826 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Summer Starter Series: Why are decisions/transitions so easy/hard?Why do some of us minimize and reduce the number of choices while others seek excitement and novelty? Why do some of us need everything listed out while others need to just try something blindly? The secret? Different types of ADHD and different ways our ADHD shows up in different environments! David and Isabelle are joined by Bobby and Noah, who also have ADHD, and talk about things like trying to leave the house, deciding what to eat, and why their accommodations all look so different.-----Transitions and choices are hard. Isabelle and David are joined...2024-08-1421 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Summer Starter Series: How do we find our worth in a world that doesn’t value us?David and Isabelle navigated the treacherous landscape of surviving and being the lucky ones; are we trash? Are we seahorses? From defeating the enemy that is loose glitter, to brain regions resembling animals, to why it hurts when we beat up on ourselves, tackling the pain and looking at ourselves with intention. ——Isabelle was told she’s a talker, but she’s also a listener. There’s this thing Isabelle borrows from mindfulness practices and therapy ideas: what you resist persists, what you go with flows, go for the ride. She had this moment the other day...2024-07-3129 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Summer Starter Series: Why does feedback hurt so much?Does feedback sting extra hard? David introduces the concept of rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), where you interpret feedback or questions or redirections as being very harsh and personal, and then really take it to heart—even if that’s not really what is being communicated to you--and how this plays into relationships. This episode, David and Isabelle are joined by fellow ADHD clinician, Noah, and Isabelle's husband, Bobby, who both also have ADHD.-----Isabelle & David welcome Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, and David’s friend and fellow clinician, Noah, who both also have ADHD. David introduces the concept...2024-07-1722 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Summer Starter Series: ADHD & RelationshipsEver wonder if it’d be easier to be partnered with someone who also has ADHD (or, someone who is neurotypical)? How can you coexist no matter what the combo platter of neurodivergence? Robin, David’s neurotypical partner, and Bobby, Isabelle’s neurodivergent partner, join a relationship round table filled with practical tips on how neurotypical and neurodivergent partners can better support, communicate, and respond in key moments with one another. ---ADHD is often scapegoated within relationships. David & Isabelle are joined by David’s partner, Robin, who is neurotypical, and Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, who also has AD...2024-07-0330 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Summer Starter Series: All About ADHD - Part IIIEverything you ever wanted to know about ADHD...continues! WOOHOO! Go back and check out Parts I & III, or start here to learn more about dopamine, how to differentiate someone with ADHD v. someone who is neurotypical, why folx with ADHD run late, and what the impacts are on school (sadly, so far, not great) when someone is labeled with ADHD and receives accommodations. The things that are easy, hard, and all the myths and misperceptions that exist about what is really not a deficit, but rather an abundance and variety of, attention. The third part of a series...2024-06-1921 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Summer Starter Series: All About ADHD - Part IIEverything you ever wanted to know about ADHD...continues! WOOHOO! Go back and check out Part I, or start here to learn more about what's happening in the brain, how to use environments to cue ourselves, how debate and manufactured fights can be ways to help you focus, and more! The things that are easy, hard, and all the myths and misperceptions that exist about what is really not a deficit, but rather an abundance and variety of, attention. The second part in a series from David, who has lectured as an expert and advocate on this subject nationally...2024-06-0520 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Summer Starter Series: All About ADHD - Part IEverything you ever wanted to know about ADHD. Seriously. From what's happening in the brain, to how it's experienced day to day--the things that are easy, hard, and all the myths and misperceptions that exist about what is really not a deficit, but rather an abundance and variety of, attention. The first part in a series from David, who has lectured as an expert and advocate on this subject nationally, and assisted by Isabelle, who is eagerly sponging up the information. A neurodivergent and neurotypical blend of friends Christina, AJ, Gabe, and Isabelle's husband, Bobby, sit in to ask...2024-05-2325 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!The good, bad and stereotypes of being homeschooled with ADHD? Part IIDavid and Isabelle welcome Ren, a fellow therapist with ADHD, who digs into what was rough and unique about being homeschooled as a neurodivergent person. From the spaghettification-like transition to college, to the stereotypes of homeschooling as being for white Jesus-Jumper-wearing Christians (Duggar style), what it means to face things like frustrating and nonsensical busy work, a lack of structure, and learning how to study from television. Tackling questions about confidence, self-image, and Dickensonian skull-caps. Part II of a series. —-David wonders what different versions of homeschooling Ren was exposed to growi...2024-05-0824 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!What is is like to have ADHD and be homeschooled? Part IDavid and Isabelle are delighted to be joined by their colleague, Ren, a fellow therapist who describes their journey to understanding their neurodivergence. From to what it was like growing up the eldest of six kids and being homeschooled until college, to how different it is to cope with our neurodivergence when we recognize that it's "for keeps," to how we have a "cartoon" of ourselves that can do it all. Covering questions about structure, how strange it is to remove the pressure of having anxiety all the time through medications and accommodations, and how White supremacy generates the...2024-04-2429 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!How to be a better group project member...to yourself?In this hodgepodge of truth bombs, David and Isabelle cover a bit about how menopause and hormonal changes make it less rewarding to help others, how to assume your partner is doing more than you and turn tedious tasks into bigger wins, and how much we still need positive reinforcement as adults. That David and Isabelle explore the truth that in every silverware drawer there is a good spoon and a bad fork...and the return of David's beloved industrial-pack of fruit leather for a true ice cream win.—-We talk al...2024-04-1029 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!How to stop when you don't wanna?How do you teach yourself (and/or children) how to stop, especially when you want to keep going/overcommitting/hyperfocusing? Like videogames, sugar, saying yes to everyone and being—anything addictive—how do you actually stop? David and Isabelle explore the difference between maximizing your time and actually setting reality checks for time blindness (which is real! We have FIVE MINUTES, after all…), how we experientially learn how to start/spot hyper focus things (when we have opportunity to do them), operationalizing and externalizing tasks, and digging into parenting strategies like punishments and limits (not just for parents, btw). 2024-03-2722 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!A slow clap for voice assistants?Why is it that I have 1000 planners/calendars/whiteboards and still forget stuff all the time? It’s not you, it’s them: they don’t ask you to attend to them, they are passive things that don’t ask you to attend to them. David and Isabelle dig into why voice assistants (like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri) are a potentially useful neurodivergent accommodation strategy—and no judgment if you value your privacy above the outsourcing your working memory. Covering visual timers, what to avoid if you’re setting up a reminder program, and the power of a slow...2024-03-1316 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Can you stop the to-do's and hit the pause button?Isabelle struggles with the idea of doing 'little yucks' because her to-do list is endless, she never stops, and the demands on her feel endless--how can you even think about what you need or stop to rest without feeling guilty/lost/overwhelmed with unstructured time? David counters with a behavioral truth bomb: the power of knowing your establishing operation. What levers did the environment around you press?-----Isabelle wonders whether she even knows what a little yuck is; she turns everything else in to a big yuck, or a bunch of ‘to-do’s’ — for David, a...2024-02-2923 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!More is better...or is it?Isabelle and David catch up and grapple with those moments when you have a ton of energy or anxiety or excitement, and you tackle way more and up the difficulty on your video game of life, instead of going for an easy win. The way we tend to think more is better when it comes to interventions or accommodations when actually it’s the little stuff. The power of the little yuck, and also the way we buy 4 cases of fruit leather and only later consider where we will store them. -----David is sharing how time do...2024-02-1430 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Neurodivergent Generations LIVE! - Q & AIn a panel recorded live in front of an audience at the 2023 Eye to Eye National Friends and Allies conference, David and Isabelle sit down with Eye to Eye co-founders David Flink and Marcus Soutra, Eye to Eye student leader Kayla and an Eye to Eye student leader’s parent Claudia to discuss what it is like to be neurodivergent—or a parent to a neurodivergent kid—across different generations. Part three of three. To learn more about Eye to Eye, visit www.eyetoeyenational.org In this part, we cover the everyone’s favorite accommodations, how to confront stigma, and what...2024-02-0122 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Neurodivergent Generations LIVE! - How Is Our Culture Changing?In a panel recorded live in front of an audience at the 2023 Eye to Eye National Friends and Allies conference, David and Isabelle sit down with Eye to Eye co-founders David Flink and Marcus Soutra, Eye to Eye student leader Kayla and an Eye to Eye student leader’s parent Claudia to discuss what it is like to be neurodivergent—or a parent to a neurodivergent kid—across different generations. Part two of a series. To learn more about Eye to Eye, visit www.eyetoeyenational.org In this part, we cover masking, loving/hating school, and what's next for the ne...2024-01-1724 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Neurodivergent Generations LIVE! - From Living at the Margins to a Culture of Our OwnIn a panel recorded live in front of an audience at the 2023 Eye to Eye National Friends and Allies conference, David and Isabelle sit down with Eye to Eye co-founders David Flink and Marcus Soutra, Eye to Eye student leader Kayla and an Eye to Eye student leader’s parent Claudia to discuss what it is like to be neurodivergent—or a parent to a neurodivergent kid—across different generations. Part one of a series. To learn more about Eye to Eye, visit www.eyetoeyenational.org. In this part we cover how we have moved from the margins to a neur...2024-01-0328 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Something Shiny LIVE! Fireside Chat with David and Eye to Eye's Alyssa - Q & ADavid sits down with Eye to Eye's Alyssa Tundidor for the question and answer portion of their fireside chat. The audience members, who are young student leaders from across the country who are neurodivergent or have a learning difference, ask brilliant questions, like what is David most proud of, how do you answer someone who is pitying your neurodivergence, what do. you say when people insist "everyone has a little bit of ADHD!", and to how to share special interests with neurotypical folx. To learn more about Eye to Eye, visit www.eyetoeyenational.org-----Lee asks...2023-12-2028 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Something Shiny LIVE! Fireside Chat with David and Eye to Eye's AlyssaDavid sits down with Eye to Eye's Alyssa Tundidor for a fireside chat. Covering everything from David’s origin story, to where Something Shiny came from, to co-creating spaces safe enough for folx who are neurodivergent. To learn more about Eye to Eye, visit www.eyetoeyenational.org.-----Alyssa Tundidor (Alyssa Tundidor is Eye to Eye's Senior Mentoring Program Coordinator--for more on Alyssa, see below!) facilitates a fireside chat for the participants of the Eye to Eye Organizing Institute (OI) at the University of Denver. David names this is the first time he is sharing his st...2023-12-0626 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Thanksgiving Special - Food, meet ADHD!Ever shown up at a holiday meal and immediately realized with a sinking feeling- "Not again…I don't can’t eat anything here…" this episode's for you! From honoring the cook's efforts while not betraying your own needs, to recognizing the joys of chewing on pens and ice, join David and Isabelle as we embrace our sensory sensitivities and make our own neurodivergent-friendly and inclusive traditions. Check out our Holiday Survival Guide!——David and Isabelle stare down the fast moving train of holidays and expectations that is barreling toward us right now. As we approach Thanksgivi...2023-11-2230 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Never Been Broken - Conversation with Eye to Eye Co-Founders David Flink & Marcus Soutra - Part IIThe second part of an illuminating conversation with David Flink and Marcus Soutra, co-founders of Eye to Eye, friends and pioneers in education equity for neurodivergent folx. The group explores how a story of neurodivergent shame and trauma can shift to feeling like the story of surviving, how the pain stays with us but the reaction of a listener can layer over it, and how we can to begin to heal old wounds. Furthermore, what does it actually mean to be cool or to be a role model people want to look up to? To learn more about Eye...2023-11-0823 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!“Your Story Matters and It Can Change the Life of Someone Else” - Conversation with Eye to Eye Co-Founders David Flink & Marcus Soutra - Part IDavid and Isabelle are joined by David Flink and Marcus Soutra, co-founders of Eye to Eye, friends, and pioneers in education equity and empowering young neurodivergent folks to know and own their story and change the education system and world for the better. Go deep into how this youth-led movement started 25 years ago, the impacts Marcus and David have witnessed, and what it has always hinged upon: that our neurodivergent stories and culture matter and sharing them can change the lives of others for the better. To learn more about Eye to Eye, visit www.eyetoeyenational.org.——...2023-10-2530 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!What about the grief that comes when you find your tribe?Isabelle and David continue to reflect upon what it was like to experience the Eye to Eye Young Leader's Organizing Institute Conference—Isabelle describes how strange and surreal it felt to not be judged for things she’s used to having to manage and mask about; what it means to recognize that there is a part of you that goes unseen so much of the time and when you connect with it, the grief that comes. The power of recognizing you are among your particular tribe and the jarring feeling of realizing how rare it is. And also, ADHD podc...2023-10-1119 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Ever feel like you found your home planet?Isabelle and David reflect upon what it was like to experience the Eye to Eye Young Leader's Organizing Institute Conference--in a nutshell, for David, figuring out 20 some odd years ago that his learning style was valuable, and then reclaiming hope after great loss, and for Isabelle, just this past year, feeling like she discovered her home planet in a conference room in Denver. Covering bits about medications, creating neurodivergent-friendly spaces, and masking, David and Isabelle go deep, and also discuss how there should be a "leave no trace" pact between a chair's fabric and your leg. ——2023-09-2731 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!How do we find our worth in a world that doesn’t value us?David and Isabelle navigated the treacherous landscape of surviving and being the lucky ones; are we trash? Are we seahorses? From defeating the enemy that is loose glitter, to brain regions resembling animals, to why it hurts when we beat up on ourselves, tackling the pain and looking at ourselves with intention. ——Isabelle was told she’s a talker, but she’s also a listener. There’s this thing Isabelle borrows from mindfulness practices and therapy ideas: what you resist persists, what you go with flows, go for the ride. She had this moment the other day...2023-09-1327 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!What if I could choose my own adventure?David and Isabelle grapple with flipping the focus from ADHD symptoms into strengths, as survivors in a neurotypically-geared world. From questioning why we don’t use our toes more often, to the Boxcar Children, to maybe "outgrowing ADHD" is more connected to growing up, having more power, and choosing your own adventure. ——Isabelle struggles with going in and out doors, getting on/off escalators, and also not injuring herself or others in revolving doors—it’s like the old Far Side comic, “Midvale School for the Gifted” where the kid is pushing on the pull door. David nam...2023-08-3020 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Did I break it?Isabelle and David reflect on going on 3 years of working on this podcast (note: this is now are 4th year working on it! WHAT?! WE LOVE YOU!) and how much the common way of interacting with inanimate objects is “did I break it?” And when we don’t, the realization of: “it’s more better!” Thinking about all the shiny neurodivergent folks gleaming around the planet, the power of your suggestions and ideas for shaping this podcast, and things we’ve learned as adults that changed the game (see: logos, gas station hacks, successfully getting everything for a recipe at the grocery...2023-08-1635 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!REPLAY: ADHD & Relationships Round TableWhile we reunite (in person!) and prep some amazing new episodes, here's one of our top ever: ever wonder if it’d be easier to be partnered with someone who also has ADHD (or, someone who is neurotypical)? How can you coexist no matter what the combo platter of neurodivergence? Robin, David’s neurotypical partner, and Bobby, Isabelle’s neurodivergent partner, join a relationship round table filled with practical tips on how neurotypical and neurodivergent partners can better support, communicate, and respond in key moments with one another. For our younger ears: there is a swear in the la...2023-08-0430 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!When do you want to learn how to swim?Isabelle and David explore a bit about dyslexia, dyscalculia, and all the ways we walk around accommodating ourselves without knowing it. From making ADHD pasta, to thinking about ourselves in behavioral terms and moving from being driven by feelings to being able to make choices, the question really is, when do you want to learn how to swim? When you're in a pool, or when you're thrown into the ocean? -----Isabelle describes hanging out with a dear friend (who she hopes will be a guest on the podcast soon) who late in life was d...2023-07-0527 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Who am I and can I just take the win?David and Isabelle name that a big part of any behavior change is a change in how you identify; to go from “I’m a damaged person full of failure” to “I’m a person who’s needs have not been met by the world and I’m doing my best and what can I do?” Furthermore, it is vulnerable and anxiety-producing to be neurodivergent and to live with failure on the regular. How to take the wins while honoring the hurt and healing the hits to our sense of self.-----We don’t exactly always kno...2023-06-2130 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Are we clumsy or just going for more wins?David and Isabelle explore the myriad injuries and ponder the links between clumsiness and ADHD--is it because we're clumsy (which there are some fascinating links) or do we try and do too much? And speaking of doing things we don't want to do, but we care about doing, how does chunking help? All this, plus how we try to win by getting all the groceries in the house in one trip. -----Isabelle recounts a series of minor injuries, a bum knee, menstruating, and funny bone elbow stuff, and as she was sitting down she hit bone...2023-06-0724 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!REPLAY: How do you travel (with ADHD)?In honor of summer travel plans and it's own type of holiday magic, we revisit this classic (Episode 038): How do you survive traveling with ADHD? What about traveling with children, particularly small children? And what happens when you find yourself rushing, leaving things until the last minute, and forgetting your charger once again? David and Isabelle swap stories and share specific tips to traveling and also discuss WHY ARE THERE SOCK NUBBINS AND TAGS. Seriously.------There can be so much pressure to have a Hallmark, picture-postcard perfect holiday and it’s so important to revise th...2023-05-2431 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!REPLAY: I'm Not Tired, You're TiredWe replay one of our favorites (Episode 022): Are folx with ADHD made to be night owls? Or early birds? Or does your early bird/night owl setting, which feels so engrained in your personality, actually have more to do with giving yourself distraction-less time? David and Isabelle explore myths, misperceptions, and truth bombs about the nature of sleep and ADHD, including tips on setting up your morning or evening (or all day) routines, dropping the shame, and embracing what you may be doing right in staying up late (or waking up early). ---- Isabelle is super tired...2023-05-1031 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Women & ADHD Round Table - Part IV - Our BodiesDavid and Isabelle are joined by two fellow therapists who have ADHD, Caily & Sarah. They talk about how much shame we carry around our bodies and how that impacts so much of our wellness, the way women's pain and experiences are minimized and questioned, the need to stop protecting men from discomfort, and what advice they would give their younger neurodivergent selves. (Part IV of a series)-----Full Show Notes:Sarah names we do not talk about bodies—as women, we are sexualized, but we don’t talk about our bodies, we carr...2023-04-2623 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Women & ADHD Round Table - Part III - HormonesDavid and Isabelle are joined by two fellow therapists who have ADHD, Caily & Sarah. They talk about how we don’t talk about hormonal changes and their impacts on ADHD enough: in short, your hormones change your ADHD symptoms during your menstrual cycles, pregnancies, post-partum, and into menopause. They cover PMDD, postpartum depression and anxiety, and a whole host of ways neurodivergent—and all—women’s experiences are systemically invalidated, and what we can do. (Part III of a series)------How do we start a conversation, say about how PMDD is a real thing for wome...2023-04-1227 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Women & ADHD Round Table - Part II - What's up with all this anxiety?David and Isabelle are joined by two fellow therapists who have ADHD, Caily & Sarah. They talk about how ADHD and anxiety can go hand in hand in women with ADHD, how anxiety and discouraged anger relate, how gender norms for women set up neurodivergent women to mask, and the value of just TAKING AWAY THE CHAIR. All this in twenty-some minutes? Believe it. (Part II of a series)-----David and Isabelle continue their conversation with colleagues Caily and Sarah, two therapists who identify as women who also have ADHD. David names that there...2023-03-2922 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Women & ADHD Round Table - Part I - HyperactivityDavid and Isabelle are joined by two fellow therapists who have ADHD, Caily & Sarah. They talk about how they came to feel something was wrong with them, or the system around them, how girls are often socialized to mask impulsiveness or hyperactivity, and how stereotypes around ADHD impact all gender expressions. (Part I of a series)-----After a technical difficulty, David and Isabelle reintroduce Caily and Sarah, two therapists who identify as women who also have ADHD. Caily had shared how when she was little, she wanted to be the teacher’s pet, and remembers a ma...2023-03-1534 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Conversation with LeDerick Horne - Part IV - “Until Every Barrier Falls"David and Isabelle continue their conversation with poet, speaker, and activist for people with disabilities, LeDerick Horne—and get to hear him recite some of his incredible spoken word poems. They talk about how songs taught them to spell, the power of oral traditions, and an incredible school in Kenya that expanding education and access for those with disabilities. Seriously, his poetry will give you life. (Part IV of IV)------LeDerick continues sharing some of his poetry, describing his father’s record collection and his mother’s love of music—he recites his poem, “A...2023-03-0125 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Conversation with LeDerick Horne - Part III - "Dare to Dream"David and Isabelle continue their conversation with poet, speaker, and activist for people with disabilities, LeDerick Horne—from how the LD/ADHD community often generates it’s knowledge base from peers and social media, to losing resources by ignoring people, to recognizing that the suffering is real and the urge to help someone not suffer as you did has a big fancy psychology term for it (transmuting internalization, PHEW). Go further into the depth of how you’re not alone and also hear one of LeDerick’s incredible poems - Dare to Dream. (Part III of a series)----...2023-02-1531 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Conversation with LeDerick Horne - Part II - "Being Seen By Somebody Like You"David and Isabelle continue their conversation with David’s dear and incredible friend, LeDerick Horne—a poet, speaker, and activist for people with disabilities. From vision boarding your IEP, to the importance of near-peer mentors and role models who have walked a little further down the LD/ADHD road, to accommodations and frustrations in LeDerick’s multiple roles (as businessperson, activist, poet, writer, tree farmer, etc.). Go deeper into recognizing an inclusive view of success, and what success can look like for each of us individually. (Part II in a series)----David describes how in education, it mig...2023-02-0134 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!REPLAY: Why are decisions and transitions so easy/hard?Here's a REPLAY of good ol' episode 11 to help ease your transition into 2023-with new episodes coming soon! -- Why do some of us minimize and reduce the number of choices while others seek excitement and novelty? Why do some of us need everything listed out while others need to just try something blindly? The secret? Different types of ADHD and different ways our ADHD shows up in different environments! David and Isabelle are joined by Bobby and Noah, who also have ADHD, and talk about things like trying to leave the house, deciding what to eat, and why...2023-01-0420 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!REPLAY: Are we designed to procrastinate?(originally episode 08! rerun for your holiday break enjoyment!) How do we separate a task from our emotions about it? Especially when it comes to our own battles with procrastination? Isabelle is struggling with this and Bobby, her husband, is curious to hear more. David breaks it down like this: let’s say the task is running 5 miles in 60 minutes, which sounds very hard to Bobby. Does it matter what you’re wearing? What time of day you go? If it’s raining or not? There’s lots of things we can get caught up in the ‘emotionality’: I don’t have the rig...2022-12-2120 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!How do you travel (with ADHD)? - Holiday Series - Part IIHow do you survive traveling with ADHD? What about traveling with children, particularly small children? And what happens when you find yourself rushing, leaving things until the last minute, and forgetting your charger once again? David and Isabelle swap stories and share specific tips to traveling and also discuss WHY ARE THERE SOCK NUBBINS AND TAGS. Seriously. -----There can be so much pressure to have a Hallmark, picture-postcard perfect holiday and it’s so important to revise those expectations and think about what you actually want to do, for example, maybe it’s “we go to the th...2022-12-0731 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!How do you holiday (with ADHD)? - Holiday Series - Part IHow do you survive family dinners? Sitting at a table until everyone is done? Overstimulation? Sticky conversations and setting boundaries? David and Isabelle talk concrete tips for getting through the holidays, and even enjoying them—and the truth behind ear worm songs’ lyrics that may pop your Thanksgiving Day Parade Spiderman balloons. ----David and Isabelle name that any time you’re meeting with family, traveling, disrupting routine, and then you throw in kids—how do we do this? Let’s start with dinner, and then work our way back to how you get there. Whenever you’re going out t...2022-11-2334 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Can you turn anxiety into excitement?Why are some of us anxious and some of us excited (or a combo platter of both)? And is it possible to turn anxiety, or anger, or shame spirals, into something else? David and Isabelle swap stories, talk transgenerational trauma, and get curious about how we are socialized to mask and behave...and that perhaps the solution for being overly apologetic lies in the midwestern gem: "ope.”----- Isabelle starts by expanding on the idea of how you think about things, how that inner landscape can connect into tapping into norepinephrine—if you’re practicing going “I see you an...2022-11-0925 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Want to feel more productive?The first thing David wants to talk about how amazing Dolly Parton is, how he’s heard more amazing things that she’s done in the last six months and it blows his mind.. Isabelle references the podcast Dolly Parton’s America, about how Jad Abumrad’s (of Radiolab’s) dad befriended Dolly Parton, and just how beloved she is and why that might be. David names Imagination Library, which gives free books to kids 5 and under every month to encourage literacy, because her own dad never had a chance to learn how to learn how to read. Isabelle really wan...2022-10-2624 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Do you see yourself clearly?Isabelle and David check in and Isabelle describes trying Pickleball, and the way that physical activity is wonderful but you don’t know you’re tired until it’s too late. David and Isabelle then try something new, in that they are revisiting their previous episode and what it brought up in each of them. David listened to the preview of the previous episode (Ep032: When is hyperfocus your friend?) and he felt like he talked too much and interrupted and did a poor job and felt like maybe they shouldn’t release the previous episode. Isabelle names that David of...2022-09-2830 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!When can hyperfocus be your friend?What about a task that doesn’t have a sense of doing it well? You do it or you don’t do it, like earning money, or getting that job, or buying a house? The only thing that’s reinforced are tasks toward goal completion. What could I do today that would move me toward that goal? The only question: is it moving toward my goal? If so, it’s effective (or if not, not effective), rather than good or bad. For example, David venting about his paper to his friend helped him be on task, rather than not being on...2022-09-1433 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!All About ADHD - Part XIsabelle & David welcome Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, and their friends, Christina, AJ, and Gabe, to continue to listen and learn from David’s tried and tested presentation on ADHD, which he normally gives to fellow clinicians (for the 1st-9th parts of this talk, please see episode 4, All About ADHD Part I; episode 6, All About ADHD Part II; episode 9, All About ADHD Part III; episode 12, All About ADHD Part IV; episode 15, All About ADHD Part V; episode 18, All About ADHD Part VI; episode 21, All About ADHD PART VII; episode 24, All About ADHD Part VIII; episode 27, All About ADHD Part IX...2022-08-1728 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!What happens when we make mistakes?David asks: what about brushing your teeth and things that don’t have immediate gratification, necessarily, but you have to do them over and over again? How do you motivate yourself to do them? It’s preventative-you don’t see what you save, you don’t know what Past You did for Future You when you’ve brushed your teeth. David’s answer is to outsource a lot of decisions that he doesn’t want to make to ritual, and the world of pain is part of everything we have to do. He just does it because it’s the routine (lik...2022-08-0325 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Frustrated with your frustration tolerance?David begins by naming that dealing with a lot of a frustration is part and parcel of ADHD—and yet, we don’t want to make everything easy, some things are supposed to be hard. Essentially, there is a certain amount of frustration and discomfort that someone with ADHD has to be ready to experience. Isabelle is hit with that and explains that frustration tolerance is how much discomfort we can handle—when we’re waiting, someone’s running late, we’ve lost an item, pick a thing—and as much as it might be nice to hit the easy button an...2022-07-2026 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!All About ADHD - Part IXIsabelle & David welcome Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, and their friends, Christina, AJ, and Gabe, to continue to listen and learn from David’s tried and tested presentation on ADHD, which he normally gives to fellow clinicians (for the 1st-8th parts of this talk, please see episode 4, All About ADHD Part I; episode 6, All About ADHD Part II; episode 9, All About ADHD Part III; episode 12, All About ADHD Part IV; episode 15, All About ADHD Part V; episode 18, All About ADHD Part VI; episode 21, All About ADHD PART VII; episode 24, All About ADHD Part VIII). David describes how with ADHD, the...2022-07-0622 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Live Q & A - Part 2 - Overexplaining, Taking Breaks, and How to RechargeIsabelle & David welcome guests to a live Q & A (previously recorded) and start by addressing the question: What is it about folx with ADHD and overexplaining? Isabelle really relates to this as she overexplains the question. David describes the intersection between mastery and guilt. When you have a lot of mastery around the topic makes it hard to structure a response. You have so much to say, and as you start talking, you realize the holes in what you’re saying, so you go back and try to respond more and try to fill in more and more, and be...2022-06-2232 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Live Q & A - Part 1 - Prescribers, Meds, & RelationshipsIsabelle & David welcome guests to a live Q & A (previously recorded) and describe the origins of the podcast, when the two were working together. David had given a presentation and had been gifted a microphone to record his presentation and turn it into an audio book. Isabelle had been welcomed by David to the tribe of folx with ADHD as she slowly realized her own ADHD diagnosis, and was hopeful she had it because it could remove so much shame, blame, guilt, and doubt and increase her understanding of herself. She was brimming with questions for David. They wanted...2022-06-0832 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!All About ADHD - Part VIIIIsabelle & David welcome Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, and their friends, Christina, AJ, and Gabe, to continue to listen and learn from David’s tried and tested presentation on ADHD, which he normally gives to fellow clinicians (for the 1st-6th parts of this talk, please see episode 4, All About ADHD Part I; episode 6, All About ADHD Part II; episode 9, All About ADHD Part III; episode 12, All About ADHD Part IV; episode 15, All About ADHD Part V; episode 18, All About ADHD Part VI; episode 21, All About ADHD PART VII). Bobby starts by naming that a lot of self-help and business book...2022-05-2526 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Ready to unmask all that sensory stuff?David mentions that he is sitting on the floor, because he still hasn’t gotten a desk. Isabelle supports the floor sitting and prefers it herself for her sessions, or standing. The two agree on swivel chairs and some of the squeaky and smooth qualities of swinging or rocking, and Isabelle mentions that 5 S’s, or the hacks that are supposed to help lull an infant to sleep (5 S’s) —what is it about water that Isabelle finds so soothing on a sensory level? Isabelle’s theory is that it provides a deep consistent pressure, and a lot of sensation...2022-05-1131 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!I'm Not Tired, You're TiredAre folx with ADHD made to be night owls? Or early birds? Or does your early bird/night owl setting, which feels so engrained in your personality, actually have more to do with giving yourself distraction-less time? David and Isabelle explore myths, misperceptions, and truth bombs about the nature of sleep and ADHD, including tips on setting up your morning or evening (or all day) routines, dropping the shame, and embracing what you may be doing right in staying up late (or waking up early). ---- Isabelle is super tired and is tired of her own choosing. Sh...2022-04-2730 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!All About ADHD - Part VIIIsabelle & David welcome Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, and their friends, Christina, AJ, and Gabe, to continue to listen and learn from David’s tried and tested presentation on ADHD, which he normally gives to fellow clinicians (for the 1st-6th parts of this talk, please see episode 4, All About ADHD Part I; episode 6, All About ADHD Part II; episode 9, All About ADHD Part III; episode 12, All About ADHD Part IV; episode 15, All About ADHD Part V; episode 18, All About ADHD Part VI). Gabe starts by asking about bedtime, or really any time when you have unstructured time or less to d...2022-04-1324 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!A Conversation About ADHD Medications - Part IIBig Ol’ Disclaimer: We are not doctors or prescribers, but two therapists who have a lot of experience working with folx on/off, loving/hating, trying/not trying all types of medications and accommodations for ADHD. Please seek medical advice for all your medication questions! Continuation of disclaimers galore: we are not giving medical advice, just our opinions. The importance of having a therapist or someone who can help you monitor medications if you are on them. Isabelle describes what it’s like to be off of her ADHD medications while she’s been pregnant/breastfeeding children the last...2022-03-3031 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!All About ADHD - Part VIIsabelle & David welcome Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, and their friends, Christina, AJ, and Gabe, to continue to listen and learn from David’s tried and tested presentation on ADHD, which he normally gives to fellow clinicians (for the 1st-5th parts of this talk, please see episode 4, All About ADHD Part I; episode 6, All About ADHD Part II; episode 9, All About ADHD Part III; episode 12, All About ADHD Part IV; episode 15, All About ADHD Part V). The audience checks in about the things they’ve remembered from previous lectures—the need for structure, wins, energy bar (making sure you use your...2022-03-0231 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!ADHD Origin Stories: How Isabelle & David Each Learned They Had ADHDJoined by Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, who also has ADHD, Isabelle and David explore their origin stories in the first recording of Something Shiny ever (from over 3 and a half years ago). Isabelle describes how she first became more familiar with ADHD through working with David and working with clients who had the diagnosis, turning to David for help. She would then come home and tell Bobby the tips and kept telling him he had ADHD, not like it was some bad thing, but like it would only help him to know. She started noticing how sessions with her cl...2022-02-1627 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!ADHD Origin Story - Do I need medication?David describes his recent dream ADHD scenario: he was craving sweets (rare, for him) and went to 7-11 and got four different kinds of donuts, then had a bite of each one. He didn’t have to decide which one to get, he didn’t have to prioritize, he could just eat a bite of each one and then change his mind to cheese fries. Bobby describes similar dynamics, except with candy bars, and how he gets candy for Isabelle to justify what he did. Is it disordered eating or ADHD? Most of the time, Bobby doesn’t do this...2022-02-0231 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!All About ADHD - Part VIsabelle & David welcome Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, and their friends, Christina, AJ, and Gabe, to continue to listen and learn from David’s tried and tested presentation on ADHD, which he normally gives to fellow clinicians (for the 1st-4th parts of this talk, please see episode 4, All About ADHD Part I; episode 6, All About ADHD Part II; episode 9, All About ADHD Part III; episode 12, All About ADHD Part IV). Gabe wonders at how structure can be a win, and Isabelle gives an example of how instead of ruminating in the middle of the early morning, she came up with...2022-01-1922 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!What happens when you don't get to play?Isabelle, David welcome Isabelle's husband, Bobby, and David’s friend and clinician, Noah (who also have ADHD) and all connect four weeks into the lockdown of 2020 to meet virtually and play online game to help beat the pandemic fears and the scared and cooped-up blues. We’re overstimulated with grief, shame, sorrow, anxiety, etc, and yet under stimulated with the lack of transitions, being cooped up in our house, seeing the same two rooms every day. David talks about missing novel chaos, and also, what game should they play? After spending a while playing some online games together, Isabelle talk...2022-01-0524 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Holiday Special - ADHD Gift Giving Guide!Just in time for the mounting stress at the end of the year, here’s an ADHD-friendly gift guide! David and Isabelle have ideas, accommodations, and acceptance around giving and receiving with neurodivergent folx. How hard it is to buy things for folx who impulsively purchase all (cheaper) things for themselves? How to tackle the mystery of huge shopping carts and no good memory if you bought the thing after all, or not? What to get your brilliant neurodivergent child (psss…it’s the experience, not the shiny thing!)? And MORE!-----David and Isabelle record this ADHD g...2021-12-2231 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!All About ADHD - Part IVIsabelle & David welcome Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, and their friends, Christina, AJ, and Gabe, to continue to listen and learn from David’s tried and tested presentation on ADHD, which he normally gives to fellow clinicians (for the first, second, and third parts of this talk, please see episode 4, All About ADHD Part I; episode 6, All About ADHD Part II; episode 9, All About ADHD Part III). David describes how deep self esteem injuries go for folx with ADHD. That and a lack of response cost (see definition below) and how frequently you fail—means that folx with ADHD will jump o...2021-12-0824 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Why are decisions and transitions so easy/hard?Transitions and choices are hard. Isabelle and David are joined by Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, and David’s friend and fellow clinician, Noah, both of whom also have ADHD to talk about different types of ADHD. We don’t remember all the stuff we have to do to leave the house. Isabelle describes a detailed whiteboard and just how long it took to get into the habit of not forgetting things like lip balm. David puts everything into his bag at night. Isabelle has to do a one-touch rule. Noah’s and Bobby’s work bag are empty. Bobby’s really int...2021-11-2420 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!ADHD & Relationships - Round TableFor our younger ears: there is a swear in the last minute of the episode. Be warned. Ever wonder if it’d be easier to be partnered with someone who also has ADHD (or, someone who is neurotypical)? How can you coexist no matter what the combo platter of neurodivergence? Robin, David’s neurotypical partner, and Bobby, Isabelle’s neurodivergent partner, join a relationship round table filled with practical tips on how neurotypical and neurodivergent partners can better support, communicate, and respond in key moments with one another. ---ADHD is often scapegoated within r...2021-11-1029 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!All About ADHD - Part IIIEverything you ever wanted to know about ADHD...continues! WOOHOO! Go back and check out Parts I & III, or start here to learn more about dopamine, how to differentiate someone with ADHD v. someone who is neurotypical, why folx with ADHD run late, and what the impacts are on school (sadly, so far, not great) when someone is labeled with ADHD and receives accommodations. The things that are easy, hard, and all the myths and misperceptions that exist about what is really not a deficit, but rather an abundance and variety of, attention. The third part of a series...2021-10-2719 minSomething Shiny: ADHD!Are we designed to procrastinate?How do we separate a task from our emotions about it? Especially when it comes to our own battles with procrastination? Isabelle is struggling with this and Bobby, her husband, is curious to hear more. David breaks it down like this: let’s say the task is running 5 miles in 60 minutes, which sounds very hard to Bobby. Does it matter what you’re wearing? What time of day you go? If it’s raining or not? There’s lots of things we can get caught up in the ‘emotionality’: I don’t have the right clothes, I don’t like the weather...2021-10-1319 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!Isn't there a right way of doing things?What if there is no one right way to do something? Isabelle and David are joined by Isabelle’s husband, Bobby, who also has ADHD, in this discussion on why we care how we do a thing. The idea there isn’t a right way is a hard for Isabelle to take in, especially as David describes that how we feel when we feel like we have to be perfect on the outside to hide the fact that we feel so different/deficient on the inside (AKA Imposter Syndrome). For folx with ADHD, this can look like our habits and...2021-09-2921 min
Something Shiny: ADHD!All About ADHD - Part IIEverything you ever wanted to know about ADHD...continues! WOOHOO! Go back and check out Part I, or start here to learn more about what's happening in the brain, how to use environments to cue ourselves, how debate and manufactured fights can be ways to help you focus, and more! The things that are easy, hard, and all the myths and misperceptions that exist about what is really not a deficit, but rather an abundance and variety of, attention. The second part in a series from David, who has lectured as an expert and advocate on this subject nationally...2021-09-1518 min