What is actually going on inside your child's ADHD brain and why understanding it changes everything about how we support them. This is the starting point for everything that comes next in this podcast.

In this episode: 

• How ADHD is a neurological difference, not a behaviour problem
• Why dopamine matters and what dopamine seeking looks like in daily life
• The interest-based nervous system and why importance doesn't drive the ADHD brain
• Why ADHD and intelligence are not linked
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Mentioned in this episode: 

Dr. William Dodson on the Interest Based Nervous System

If your child is melting down, shutting down, refusing, or falling apart,  that behaviour is telling you something. In this episode I talk about why behaviour is a message to understand, not a problem to fix, and how to start reading what your child's behaviour is actually communicating.

In this episode: 

• Why behaviour in ADHD is almost always a nervous system response 
• The difference between a tantrum and a meltdown 
• Common ADHD behaviours and what they might be communicating 
• How to pause and observe before reacting

Mentioned in this episode: 

Dr. Ross Greene on "Kids do well if they can"

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Instagram: @behaviourcoach 

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Your child wants to do the thing. They are excited about it. They have ideas. And they still can't start. In this episode I talk about the intention-action gap, why the ADHD brain runs on different fuel than the world expects, and what actually turns on motivation when importance alone doesn't work.

I share a client story about a 12-year-old who couldn't start a large school project, a personal story about my daughter and a sewing project, and the five motivators that I come back to again and again in my coaching practice. If the word "lazy" has ever been used about your ADHD child, this one is going to reframe a lot.

Mentioned in this episode: 

Dr. William Dodson (the interest-based nervous system)

Dr. Ross Greene (kids do well if they can)

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Instagram: @behaviourcoach 

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Overwhelm is one of the biggest parts of the ADHD experience and it doesn't always look the way we expect. In this episode I talk about what's actually driving overwhelm, why your child falls apart at the end of the day, and how to start reducing the load so they have more capacity for the hard stuff.

In this episode: 

• The ladder analogy 

• why your child loses it over "nothing" 

• What contributes to overwhelm in ADHD 

• The difference between escaping and regulating 

• Identifying triggers and hazards with your child  

• Simplifying as an overwhelm support tool

Mentioned in this episode: 

Dr. Russell Barkley on the 30% rule and stress response research, https://www.russellbarkley.org/

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Instagram: @behaviourcoach 

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This one is for you, not your child. Your nervous system matters just as much as theirs and your child is co-regulating off of you whether you realize it or not. I share what co-regulation actually looks like, why you don't need to be perfectly calm, and what to do when you're the one who's activated.

In this episode:

• Why your child's regulation starts with yours 

• The parent stress cycle and how we get caught in it

•  What co-regulation looks like in real life 

• Simple tools to interrupt your own stress response

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Instagram: @behaviourcoach  

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Your child threw a snowball when they knew the rule. They punched a kid on the soccer field and couldn't explain why. They blurt out in class even though they have been reminded a hundred times. Adults read this as disrespect or aggression, but in most cases the action happened before the thinking brain had time to weigh in. In this episode I talk about what impulsivity actually is, why it happens in the ADHD brain, and how to build plans that actually work. I cover hazards and triggers, why generic "stop and think" advice fails without a concrete plan underneath it, and three targeted approaches for physical impulsivity, verbal impulsivity, and impulsive decision-making. There is also a section for adults with ADHD who recognize themselves in every example.

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Instagram: @behaviourcoach

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Meltdowns are one of the hardest parts of ADHD parenting and also one of the areas where understanding makes the biggest difference. In this episode I walk through what is actually happening in the brain during a meltdown, how meltdowns are different from tantrums, and what the full cycle looks like from buildup to tipping point to recovery.

I share a story about my youngest daughter at an archery range that I think is going to make a lot of this click. I also cover the traffic light model, how to identify rumblings before they escalate, the know-plan-intervene framework for prevention, what to do mid-meltdown, and how to take care of yourself and your child after.

If you want to go deeper on meltdowns, check out my Meltdowns Mastery audio course, available on a pay-what-you-can basis.

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Instagram: @behaviourcoach 

Newsletter: https://masterclass.neilsonmahoneycoaching.com/behaviourcoachpodcast

Summer is harder for ADHD families than we are told to expect. The structure just left. Your kid is burnt out from a school year of holding it together. You are too. Now it's two depleted nervous systems trying to navigate 10 weeks together without the scaffolding of school.

If summer is hard in your house, you're not failing. This season is genuinely harder for our families.

This week's episode walks through the five things that actually help: decoding what "I'm bored" really means, building boredom infrastructure that quietly does the work all summer, a real summer screen plan, how to prep summer camp counsellors so your kid can succeed, and downtime, for your kids and for you.

Next week: travel with neurodivergent kids.

I'm joined by Fayth Caruso, who has spent 15 years working with rebounding as a tool for the body, with people of all ages and abilities, including a lot of neurodivergent kids and adults.

We talk about why movement is so powerfully regulating for the ADHD nervous system, the difference between sensory seekers and avoiders, why so many neurodivergent kids crash and chew and never stop moving, what to do when a movement tool makes overwhelm worse instead of better, and how to introduce movement so it actually gets used.

A note on disclosure: this is not a paid or sponsored episode. I have been gifted a bellicon through a past social media collaboration, and I genuinely love and use the product. There is an affiliate link in the show notes, which I disclose to listeners. But the conversation is editorial. The focus is sensory, movement, and supporting neurodivergent kids.

FURTHER READING

2025 randomized controlled trial on vestibular and proprioceptive exercises reducing hyperactivity and impulsivity: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S305065652500015X

Rebounding for ADHD and autism, in plain language: https://www.boogiebounce.com/rebounding-with-autism-and-adhd/

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My bellicon affiliate link

Use code BEHAVIOURCOACH for a discount.

If meltdowns are part of the daily picture, Meltdowns Mastery audio course. Pay what you can!

If you've watched your ADHD kid stare at something they can absolutely do, unable to start, this episode is for you.

Executive functioning is one of the biggest areas of impact in ADHD, and it's almost never what we think it is. Erica walks through what executive functions actually are, why they work as a team, and Dr. Russell Barkley's 30 percent rule, the developmental delay that has nothing to do with intelligence and everything to do with how the brain manages getting things done.

Your child isn't lazy. They aren't choosing not to try. They're working with a brain whose project-management system develops on a different timeline. And it can be supported.

FURTHER READING

The 30 percent rule, in plain language: https://lifeskillsadvocate.com/blog/adhd-executive-age/

Brain-maturity research from NIH: https://impactparents.com/blog/adhd/the-link-between-brain-maturity-academic-success-with-adhd/

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If meltdowns are part of the daily picture, Meltdowns Mastery audio course. Pay what you can!

Your ADHD kid isn't a troublemaker. They're a justice keeper. This week: why fairness can feel like survival for an ADHD brain, why these kids get in trouble for defending others, and the support sequence that helps.

Research and Resources:

ADHD and justice sensitivity (the foundational pilot study)

Why ADHD brains can't just ignore unfairness (parent-friendly overview)

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When a sense of injustice floods the nervous system and tips into a meltdown, the Meltdowns Mastery audio course breaks down the whole cycle. Pay what you can, starting at just $5!

You can't out-parent a child who can't sleep.

This week: why sleep difficulty is biology, not bedtime discipline, why your ADHD kid genuinely isn't tired at bedtime, and the tools that actually move the needle.

A note: this episode touches on sleep as a health need and mentions supplements and medical support in general terms. Nothing in this episode is medical advice. Please talk to your own medical team about what's right for your family.

Research and Resources:

ADHD as a circadian rhythm disorder (2025 research review):

Sleep and ADHD, in plain language (clinician overview):

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When exhaustion is unraveling your days, the Meltdowns Mastery audio course can help you understand the whole cycle. Pay what you can (starting at just $5).

The sock was never the problem. This week we get into sensory processing in ADHD: the two senses nobody taught you about, why your kid crashes and chews and melts down over a tag, and what to do when you can't remove what's overwhelming them.

Research and Resources:

Sensory processing in ADHD (2025 systematic review & meta-analysis)

The case for including sensory differences in ADHD diagnosis (open access)

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If sensory overwhelm tips your child into full meltdowns, the Meltdowns Mastery audio course walks through what's happening and what helps, before, during, and after. All of my ADHD courses are pay what you can starting at just $5.

If you have ever heard the word routine and felt a little bit of dread, this episode is for you. So many parents have tried to build a routine, hit resistance on day three, and decided routines just do not work for their family.

In this episode, I offer a different way to think about predictability. The difference between a rhythm and a routine. Why structure paired with flexibility is the goal, not rigid schedules. The shift that changes everything when a piece of your routine has become a daily battle. And practical strategies for mornings, evenings, and after school that actually work for the ADHD brain.

Plus the question every parent of an ADHD child needs to stop asking themselves, and the permission slip you might not realize you need.

If you want to go deeper check out my audio course on hiro.fm

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Instagram: @behaviourcoach 

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There is a symptom of ADHD that is not in the diagnostic manual, not on the official list, and yet adults consistently describe it as the most painful part of living with this brain. It is called rejection sensitivity, or RSD.

In this episode, I explain what RSD actually is, why it is not the same thing as being overly sensitive, and what is happening in the ADHD nervous system that makes rejection land so much harder. You will hear about a child who tore up her homework after gentle feedback, a teen who blocked her closest friend on every platform over a single message, and the most powerful research backed strategy for moving through an RSD episode.

Whether you are a parent watching your child fall apart over something small, or an adult who has spent a lifetime people pleasing and replaying conversations at 2 in the morning, this episode is for you.

If you want to go deeper check out my audio course on Hiro.fm

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Instagram: @behaviourcoach 

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Friendships might be the topic that carries the most emotional weight for ADHD parents. In this episode I talk about why friendships are genuinely harder for ADHD kids, why one-on-one friendships are often easier than groups, and why so many social struggles are not a deficit in your child but a translation challenge between different kinds of brains.

I introduce the double empathy problem, talk about ADHD communication patterns that get misread like interrupting and connecting through shared stories, and explain what happens when the drive for connection intensifies in a dysregulated nervous system.

On the practical side, I share my favourite strategy for kids who feel disconnected, how to bridge from acquaintance to friend with concrete steps, and how to have conversations about unhealthy friendships. If you are lying awake worrying about whether your child has friends, this one is for you.

Mentioned in this episode: Dr. Damian Milton (the double empathy problem)

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Instagram: @behaviourcoach 

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