Shows
Attention Different | Adulting with ADHDToxic Productivity is NOT Helping Your ADHD“Self-care stops being self-care when you’re doing it to prove you’re good enough.”In this episode of the Attention Different podcast, co-founders Aaron Smith and Stephen Tonti explore a surprising question: Can self-care actually become toxic?Drawing from Aaron’s work as a therapist and ADHD coach and Stephen’s storytelling perspective, the conversation unpacks how modern productivity culture has reshaped the idea of rest. What started as a movement toward wellness has, in many cases, become another pressure-filled performance, complete with rigid routines, influencer checklists, and productivity-driven “optimization.”For many ADHD and neurodi...
2026-03-051h 00Attention Different | Adulting with ADHDToxic Productivity Is Burning Out Your ADHD BrainThis is about redefining what success means for your ADHD brain and building a life that works with you, not against you.Join Attention Different co-founders Aaron Smith, LCSW, and Stephen Tonti, MFA, for this dynamic panel discussion from the International Conference on ADHD 2025: Connect Learn Thrive (November 2025).In this panel discussion, Aaron and Stephen bring together some of the brightest voices in the ADHD community to tackle the patterns that keep us stuck, toxic productivity, languishing, and burnout, and explore what it actually looks like to flourish with ADHD.Featured Panelists:...
2026-02-0551 minAttention Different | Adulting with ADHDWhy Process Goals Are Better Than Outcome GoalsWhy do New Year’s resolutions fall apart so fast for ADHD brains?What if the problem isn’t motivation, but how we define success?In this Attention Different roundtable, Stephen Tonti, Aaron Smith, and Devin Pitts-Rogers get honest about goals, follow-through, and why “trying harder” rarely works for neurodivergent adults.This wide-ranging, candid conversation digs underneath surface-level habits and into what actually drives consistency: values, identity-based goals, energy management, and focusing on process over outcomes. From abandoned language apps and inconsistent gym routines to bass lessons, injuries, and unrealistic expectations, the group explores...
2026-01-081h 19Attention Different | Adulting with ADHDADHD Folks Are Struggling 10x Right Now💡 Why are so many adults suddenly getting diagnosed with ADHD, and what does it mean for our future?Today, hosts Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith dive into one of the biggest mental health shifts of our time: the massive rise in adult ADHD diagnoses since the pandemic.From telehealth loosening restrictions to TikTok stories going viral, from parents realizing their kids’ struggles mirrored their own to women reporting symptoms at historic rates—the numbers are staggering. New adult ADHD diagnoses rose 53.8% between 2019 and 2021, with women seeing an 84% increase, and adults aged 30-45 experiencing a jaw-dropping 91% rise.
2025-10-171h 01
MASTERS by Winn ClaybaughStephen TontiStephen Tonti is a producer, writer, entrepreneur, and ADHD advocate. As the co-founder of Attention Different, he has spoken and lectured at ADHD Conferences and given keynote addresses. His TEDx Talk, "Attention Different, Not Deficit," has over 3 million views. Interviewed by Winn Claybaugh, Stephen describes his journey of growing up with ADHD, launching Attention Different, the gifts that can come from an ADHD diagnosis, and how companies and schools can embrace those differences.""
2025-10-151h 17Attention Different | Adulting with ADHDRFK Jr. Is Targeting Every Neurodivergent Person in America💡 What happens when misinformation about ADHD and autism comes straight from the top?When public officials spread conspiracy theories and dismiss neurodivergent lives as “less than,” the impact isn’t just political—it’s deeply personal and dangerous.In this roundtable episode, Stephen Tonti, Devin Pitts-Rogers, and Aaron Smith unpack the rhetoric and policies of RFK Jr. as US Secretary of Health and Human Services, exploring how vaccine conspiracies, wellness farm proposals, and anti-medication agendas fuel fear, stigma, and real-world harm.From historical parallels with eugenics to the lived pain of hearing children devalued on national t...
2025-09-2348 minAttention Different | Adulting with ADHDMedia Overwhelm & ADHD💡 How do we stay informed without drowning in stress?When the world feels chaotic, the political climate is relentless, and the news never stops, it’s easy for ADHD brains to spiral into overconsumption and burnout.In this Roundtable episode, Aaron Smith, Stephen Tonti, Devin Pitts-Rogers, and David Grabowski gather to unpack the weight of political anxiety, media overload, and what it means to care for your mental health in uncertain times. Through raw stories and honest reflection, the hosts explore how ADHD intensifies emotional flooding—and how res...
2025-08-301h 04Attention Different | Adulting with ADHDADHD & Burnout w/Trina Haynes (@myladyadhd) | Firesides Ep. 01🔥 What happens when ‘ADHD Burnout’ is normalized and becomes your baseline?In this Fireside Chat, we sit down with Trina Haynes—founder of @MyLadyADHD and co-host of the Brain Waves podcast. Trina brings us an unfiltered conversation about what it means to live in constant overdrive.From late diagnosis to ‘mom guilt,’ from masking to mental exhaustion, Trina opens up about how years of undiagnosed ADHD dramatically shaped her identity—and what it ultimately takes to grow out of those negative, core beliefs in order to forge a new path towards radical acceptance. ✨ Highlights ✨ ...
2025-07-3116 minAttention Different | Adulting with ADHDLiving with ADHD: Identity, Self-Acceptance, and ConnectionJoin us for an engaging and heartfelt conversation in the Los Angeles installment of our Attention Different Fireside Chats series. This episode brings together a group of ADHDers to explore the nuances of living with ADHD in adulthood, unpacking personal stories, challenges, and triumphs.✍️ - Creators ➡ Stephen Tonti, Benj Welmond, & Aaron Smith🎥 - Director & Cinematographer ➡ Benj Welmond🎞️ - Editor ➡ Maggie "Maggs" Thibideaux🏠 - Studio Location ➡ Big Time Studio LA ✨ Highlights ✨"I Have vs. I Am ADHD" – A thought-provoking discussion featuring Adam and Daniel as they explore how ADHD shapes identity. Adam reflects on self-acceptan...
2025-07-0359 min
Hacking Your ADHDAttention Different with Stephen Tonti & Aaron SmithThis week, I'm talking with Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith, co-founders of the ADHD edutainment platform Attention Different. It's a podcast and resource hub for ADHD adults looking for support, humor, and, most importantly, strategies that actually work. I got to know Stephen and Aaron at the 2024 ADHD Conference in Anaheim. Stephen's a filmmaker and longtime ADHD advocate who's been trying to reframe ADHD as a difference, not a disorder. Aaron's a licensed therapist and ADHD coach, helping clients bridge the gap between clinical understanding and real-world functionality. In this episode, we dig into the...
2025-06-091h 00Attention Different | Adulting with ADHDADHD Myth-busting: Strengths and NOT my thing | Attention Different Fireside ChatsIn this powerful roundtable episode of Attention Different, host Stephen Tonti brings together eight ADHD adults from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences, challenge common misconceptions, and celebrate what makes their neurodivergent brains unique. From late diagnoses to childhood realizations, these candid conversations reveal the complex reality of living with ADHD and the journey toward self-acceptance. As Stephen puts it: "ADHD is not a disorder—we are a group of ADHD adults determined to address the ways in which our unique brain wiring makes our lives more complicated but also to celebrate the traits that make us some of th...
2025-04-2544 minAttention Different | Adulting with ADHDWhat Is ADHD?In this foundational episode of Adulting with ADHD, we break down the basics of ADHD. What is it really? Hint: It's not just about being hyperactive or unfocused. 💡 Discover how ADHD functions as a difference in brain chemistry, not a disorder, and learn how it shows up uniquely in adults. We bust common myths, explore its impact on daily life, and share insights into navigating creativity, productivity, and challenges with radical acceptance.🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith, this episode is perfect for anyone newly exploring ADHD or looking for a fresh perspective. Whether you have ADHD, lo...
2025-02-1340 minAttention Different | Adulting with ADHDGetting an ADHD Diagnosis as an AdultIn this episode of the Attention Different Podcast Co-founders of Attention Different Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith talk with Marlena Pavich about her journey of being diagnosed with ADHD later in life and accepting her diagnosis. --------------------------------------------------------------------Follow Us on Instagram:Marlena Pavich https://www.instagram.com/marlenalikeantennaStephen Tonti https://www.instagram.com/stontiAaron Smith https://www.instagram.com/potentialwithinreachSend a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention D...
2024-10-0133 minAttention Different | Adulting with ADHDReacting to our TEDx Talk about ADHDIn this episode of the Attention Different Podcast Co-founders of Attention Different Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith react to an old TEDx talk (ADHD As A Difference In Cognition, Not A Disorder: Stephen Tonti at TEDxCMU) that Stephen gave many years ago that was the inspiration for the launch of a new company.Send a textWe are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "...
2024-08-2143 minAttention Different | Adulting with ADHDReacting to our TEDx Talk about ADHDIn this episode of the Attention Different Podcast Co-founders of Attention Different Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith react to an old TEDx talk (ADHD As A Difference In Cognition, Not A Disorder: Stephen Tonti at TEDxCMU) that Stephen gave many years ago that was the inspiration for the launch of a new company.We are Attention DIFFERENT not DEFICIT An advocacy and edutainment podcast centered on radical acceptance and neurodiveristy. Attention Different aims to de-stigmatize and build community by exploring the intricacies of living life and "adulting" with ADHD in the...
2024-08-1644 min
ADHD EssentialsYour Outlaw Brain with Alan Brown Recorded Live at ADHD Con 2023Today’s episode features Alan Brown, the ADD Crusher! And it's a little different from the norm because it was recorded live at the 2023 ADHD Con during my Lunchtime Q&As with ADHD experts and dignitaries.
Alan and I discuss his principles for success with ADHD.
Managing our outlaw brain
Doing what we didn’t want to do
Not relying on motivation
The importance of baby systems
Learning vs. Execution
The episode was produced by Stephen Tonti and Benj Welmond of Attention Different.
Guest Links:
Learn more about Alan and his w...
2024-05-3022 min
profunda.mente🧠 | Dopamina, TDAH e Abordagem Integrativa para Saúde MentalDentro da abordagem de saúde integrativa, não existe apenas "diagnóstico e remédio”. Neste episódio, falo sobre Dopamina, um neurotransmissor envolvido em diversas funções do nosso corpo e mente, sobre formas de aumentar nossos estoques de Dopamina de forma saudável e como nosso estilo de vida pode ser a principal causa de dificuldade de foco e atenção. Referências: PMID: 34201523, 33816425, 32448293, 35564536. Recomendações sobre o tema: (1) livros: Ritalin Is Not The Answer: A Drug-Free, Practical Program for Children Diagnosed with ADD or ADHD...
2023-04-2416 min
JFKS IDEASExploring Mental Health and Neurodiversity with JFKS GuidanceIf you enjoy our podcasts and journals, please support IDEAS! Half of your donations will be shared with our allies at LSVD. Make a donation, however humble, over here.Endorsements:Andrea Rathke would love to see you in room B222 and endorses the idea attributed to Francis of Assisi, "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."Tamara Faber usually holds down the fort in Haus Reil, but for now is in GR204. She endorses Growth Mindset with The Big Life Journal. She also mentioned...
2022-01-0437 min
Luce With ADHDitudeI am ADHD, Yet I am LucieWanna hear a joke? Hello, I’m ADHD, Hi ADHD, I’m Lucie. Get it? Because I am ADHD? Not funny. Okay… Anyways, today’s episode is all about ADHD and identity: How much of your personality can you base on your ADHD? Should you define yourself through your ADHD? Is ADHD something you have or something you are? To be or not to be, that is the question that I am going to address. There are no right or wrong answers but there are intentions behind these questions that may or may not be good for the neurodiverse communit...
2021-09-0717 min
THE COGNITIVE RAMPAGETCR #102: Stephen TontiTEDx CMU Speaker, writer, director and 102 other titles, Stephen Tonti brings his #ADHD #CognitiveRampage to the show. A man of many parts, we discuss his early childhood diagnosis of ADHD, as well as explore multiple etiologies of mental disorders. Stephen created a different perception of his spectrum of diagnosis,and may be developing a new approach to embracing ADHD to master ADHD.
2016-10-211h 27The Cognitive RampageTCR #102: Stephen TontiTEDx CMU Speaker, writer, director and 102 other titles, Stephen Tonti brings his #ADHD #CognitiveRampage to the show. A man of many parts, we discuss his early childhood diagnosis of ADHD, as well as explore multiple etiologies of mental disorders. Stephen created a different perception of his spectrum of diagnosis,and may be developing a new approach to embracing ADHD to master ADHD.
2016-10-211h 27
ADHD reWired110 | A Healthier Relationship with Medication110 | A Healthier Relationship with Medication guest Stephen Tonti Stephen's primary focus is writing and directing for film and various other multimedia projects. On top of being a film director, Stephen also tours as a public speaker advocating for men and women diagnosed with ADHD. In 2013, Stephen was selected for the Carnegie Mellon University TEDx Student Speaker Competition. He gave his first speech on the subject there, in front of over 700 fellow students, professors, and various educators. His talk is on YouTube and has gathered almost 680,000 views to date. Stephen is yet unsigned, but will begin giving an updated version of...
2016-04-051h 23