Kirsten Carder is the host of the I Have ADHD podcast. She helps adults with ADHD create the life that they’ve always wanted in her coaching program, Focused. She has been living life with ADHD and accomplishing everything she set her mind to, and now she’s dedicating her life to helping other adults with ADHD do the same thing.

Show Notes

Podcast: Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different
Episode: Kristen Carder

Welcome to Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different, a podcast hosted by Dr. Ned Hallowell! By interviewing a wide range of guests from various backgrounds, we will uncover and celebrate the different ways people have approached life, solving problems and having fun. Together, we will break down the notion of normal and abnormal, and instead tap into the talents everyone has.

Today’s guest is the spectacular and remarkable Kristen Carder, podcaster and creator of I Have ADHD. She credits Dr. Hallowell with her and her family members getting diagnosed with ADHD. She wasn’t diagnosed until college, but has been living with ADHD her entire life, now she makes her living helping adults with similar diagnoses learn about managing their symptoms and achieving the things they want to accomplish.

Kristen learned how to manage her ADHD on her own, and she continues to look at her symptoms as answers and explanations, rather than excuses. She accepts that she will procrastinate, have time blindness, and struggle with maintaining a house. She wants to overcome those hardships and be an example of someone thriving with ADHD. Something that has helped her excel is being willing to fail, reminding herself often that she does not have to be consistent, she just has to be persistent.

Kristen and Dr. Hallowell also discusses the importance of finding the right person. Kristen met her husband when she was young, and says they are definitely opposites. Learning to communicate and work together has been one of her largest successes. He helps keep order and control in their lives and is in charge of sticking the refrigerator. Krsiten says that they had to be willing to examine their roles in the household differently than tradition or society dictates.

As the episode ends, Kristen confides that she still struggles to see ADHD as a superpower because of the impact it has on her daily function. Dr. Hallowell describes his view on the duality of the diagnosis, giving creativity as an example of impulsivity gone right.

Links:

Learn more about Kristen Carder and her site I Have ADHD

If you have a comment about this episode or a suggestion for a future episode, send it to different@hallowellcenter.org!

The week’s guest is Jennifer Knopf, President of the REED Charitable Foundation based in Florida. The REED Foundation trains public school teachers to support children with dyslexia and other reading challenges. Jennifer was motivated to start her work through the experience of supporting her own son in his struggles with reading and spelling. Her first venture was a free community education event which was a huge unexpected success. Listen in to hear how her work grew from there.

Show Notes

Podcast: Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different
Episode: Jennifer Knopf

Welcome to Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different, a podcast hosted by Dr. Ned Hallowell! By interviewing a wide range of guests from various backgrounds, we will uncover and celebrate the different ways people have of approaching life, solving problems and having fun. Together, we will break down the notion of normal and abnormal, and instead tap into the talents everyone has.

Today’s guest is the spectacular and remarkable Jennifer Knopf, President of the REED Charitable Foundation based in Florida. To begin, Jennifer shares how she got into the world of dyslexia and ADHD, as many people do, by its impact on a loved one. Her son Reed, who is now 11, is equally as intelligent as his neurotypical older sister. Despite the common belief that all children can pick up reading and writing the same if given early access to it, Karen now knows that isn’t always the case. Most people assume dyslexia is letter confusion, but that isn’t the only symptom.

By the first grade, most of Reed’s classmates were reading well when he couldn’t at all. He began not wanting to attend school any more. Finally, Reed opened up to his mom about his struggles in school and reading. Jennifer went to the school to speak with the administration who revealed they believed Reed was simply lazy. Older people who experienced something similar in their youth think the school systems are much more accommodating today, but unfortunately the discrimination still fully occurs today.

Jennifer began to question what happens to families without the resources she had. She realized in her research that reading issues impact 20% of the population. Thus began her passion for ensuring all teachers are equipped to help all children learn to read and spell. They began in 2019 with a free community education event which was a huge unexpected success. From that, many parents began to reach out to Jennifer and ask how they could help. Right now, the REED Foundation trains public school teachers for free and everybody else for a small price of $200. As the episode wraps up, Jennifer shares her discovery at the age of 44 that she herself has ADHD, and how the realization has changed her own outlook on life!

Links:

Learn more about Jennifer Knopf and the REED Foundation.

If you have a comment about this episode or a suggestion for a future episode, send it to different@hallowellcenter.org!

Dr. Hallowell chats with Bob Broudo, retiring headteacher of Landmark School which specializes in supporting students whose brains work a little differently. Bob has spent a lifetime helping young people learn, and showing that there is much more there is to intelligence and creativity than smart and stupid. Listen in to hear them discuss how attitudes to neurodiversity have changed over the last 50 years and how much more needs to be done for everyone to understand the strengths of different.

Show Notes

Podcast: Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different
Episode: Ep 18 Bob Broudo

Join us for this episode of Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different, a podcast hosted by Dr. Ned Hallowell! In this podcast, we are joined by a wide range of guests from various backgrounds to help uncover and celebrate the differences amongst people. From approaching life to problem solving and to having fun, we discuss it all! Together, we will break down the notion of normal and abnormal, and instead tap into the talents everyone has.

On today’s episode, our guest is an old friend and true legend in the field of learning differences, Bob Broudo. As a founding father of the Landmark School, Bob has helped thousands of children and their families through teaching them to learn differently. Bob is a learning specialist and the head of this trailblazing group. While he has been a part of Landmark for over 50 years now, his exit is on the horizon and a successor has been chose. Despite his upcoming departure, you’ll hear why the impact Landmark has had on Bob will continue to influence the rest of his life. Find out what Landmark’s mission is in enabling and empowering people. Bob’s own passions fit right alongside this in helping young people on a mission.

Dr. Hallowell shifts the conversation to ask Bob about those who would qualify for Landmark and what their approach is. Learn the tell-tale signs of those who may have dyslexia.What are the disproportionate challenges with processing some tasks that people have, despite advanced cognitive abilities? They touch on other challenges that their young people face too, such as ADD. What is Landmark’s approach to help individuals in learning how to do well? Listen as Bob explains how their medical model dives deeply into diagnostics to ensure proper fit. Landmark focuses on language based issues and seeks to match those with the coordinating profiles. Bob shares that the younger the individual, the better they can help develop pride in who they are!

What progress has been made over the 50 years that they’ve been around? Bob’s passion for growth comes out as he shares his view of a lack of enough progress. With neuro-diversity and so many other helpful resources have been known, Bob argues they should have been used all this time to be helping people. While the knowledge is there, it is not always being accessed in the best of ways. Listen to why teachers need to be taught more about a wide range of learners, so that the knowledge and techniques available can be used to change people’s lives! Bob shares how so many troubling life decisions, that may end people up in jail or other difficulties may simply be due to the need for literacy skills to open up other options! These are not disabilities, they gifts that need unwrapped! At best, many people are underachieving, but at worst neglecting these gifts can be really devastating to someone’s life. Don’t let people continue on going un-helped!

Links:

Check out more about Landmark School

If you have a comment about this episode or a suggestion for a future episode, send it to different@hallowellcenter.org!

Bryan Rigg is a military historian with a Phd from Yale and the author of 4 books. But at the start of life Bryan struggled, his then undiagnosed ADHD causing him lots of difficulties. After diagnosis, a teacher who took time to understand and support him made all the difference and helped him on the path to a successful and rewarding life.

Show Notes

Podcast: Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different
Episode: Ep. 17 – Bryan Rigg

Welcome to Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different, a podcast hosted by Dr. Ned Hallowell that features a wide range of guests from various backgrounds to help uncover and celebrate the differences among people. From approaching life to problem-solving and to having fun, we discuss it all! Together, we will break down the notions of normal and abnormal, and trade them for an exploration of the talents everyone has.

On today’s episode, Dr. Hallowell welcomes guest Bryan Rigg, a friend from Texas who has an impressive, fascinating, and even surprising story to share!  Bryan jumps right into recounting his journey, beginning with his mother’s early realization that there was something unique about him.  Bryan’s childhood prior to his school years is aptly summed up by an image he shared – the image of a diaper-clad little Bryan found by a neighbor while exploring the street in the middle of the night.  Bryan’s energy levels were remarkable, and he struggled with speech and management of emotions.  Eventually, his mother brought him to the Child Study Center for testing, and he was diagnosed with what later came to be called ADHD.  Mainstream school did not suit him, as he failed first grade twice, and the jeers of his peers left him with lasting trauma.

However, Bryan’s doctor suggested he transition to Starpoint School, and spending a year at this school made all the difference for him.  He entered the school demoralized and fragile, but his teacher, Mary Stewart, was the saving angel who changed his life.  She explained to him that there was nothing wrong with him; he was learning-different, not learning-disabled.  She and her colleagues at Starpoint found things that students were passionate about and used those things to foster learning.  For Bryan, an interest in the Titanic opened the door to all kinds of learning, and after only one year away he was able to return to mainstream school.

The seed planted at Starpoint has yielded a great deal of fruit in his life; not only did he graduate from Yale University and earn both a masters degree and PhD, but he is the author of four books relating to World War II.  He is a father of three, is now in the financial advising space, and has even spent time in the Marine Corp; he is a multi-talented individual who has channeled his uniqueness in compelling ways.  And he is a marvelous  example of the sort of results kindness and fostering self-confidence can yield!

Links:

Learn more about Starpoint School

Check out Bryan’s website to learn more about him and check out his books!

If you have a comment about this episode or a suggestion for a future episode, send it to different@hallowaycenter.org

This week Dr. Hallowell talks to Dan Shaughnessy, nationally renowned sports writer for the Boston Globe and friend of Dr. Hallowell. During a fun and casual conversation filled with personal anecdotes, they discuss some of the many characters in the world of sports that Shaughnessy has come across in his career. This episode is, at various points, both humorous and eye-opening while showing the humanity in people that many of us see as larger than life athletes.

Show Notes

Podcast: Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different
Episode: Dan Shaughnessy

Welcome to Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different, a podcast hosted by Dr. Ned Hallowell! By interviewing a wide range of guests from various backgrounds, we will uncover and celebrate the different ways people have of approaching life, solving problems and having fun. Together, we will break down the notion of normal and abnormal, and instead tap into the talents everyone has.

Today’s guest is Dan Shaughnessy, a sports writer for the Boston Globe. Dan has been named Massachusetts Sports Writer of the Year 14 times and has more other honors than shoes! His latest book, Wish It Lasted Forever: Life with the Larry Bird Celtics, was released just in time for Christmas. In the Boston area, where Ned and Dan live, sports rivalry is most intense. Dan has made a career of asking people to tell their stories, which most people love to do.

Dan holds a lot of respect for other writers, namely Ray Fitzgerald. Everything about Ray, Dan says, was admirable, from his craft, attitude, kindness to young people, humor and athletic ability. Nick Cafardo is another sports journalist who died suddenly and much too soon. Dan recalls sitting by Nick’s bedside on the day he passed, where he wrote his obituary.

Dan has been traveling with teams since the late 70’s and attests to the brotherhood and camaraderie built into the industry. A huge part of the relationship is storytelling, both in the papers and in private. This social aspect of Dan’s work has been greatly missing since the pandemic began. Though the sports world is more slow moving than other parts of the world, Dan believes it is much more accepting of differences now than 20 years ago. For example, there isn’t much of a reaction anymore if a player comes out as homosexual. Often, playing on a team teaches one good manners and how to get along with others. Finally, Dan offers advice for young listeners interested in getting into sports writing themselves.

Links:
Learn more about Dan Shaughnessy.

If you have a comment about this episode or a suggestion for a future episode, send it to different@hallowellcenter.org!

In today’s episode, Dr. Hallowell speaks to a student from his own former prep school, Phillips Exeter Academy. 18 year old Justin Rigg was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia himself at a young age and has learned to utilize these diagnoses rather than just cope with them. Giving us an inside look at what his daily life is like, he shares his experiences, both on and off campus, at one of the most rigorous prep schools in the country.

Show Notes

Podcast: Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different
Episode: The Wonderful World of Justin Rigg

Welcome to Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different, a podcast hosted by Dr. Ned Hallowell! By interviewing a wide range of guests from various backgrounds, we will uncover and celebrate the different ways people have of approaching life, solving problems and having fun. Together, we will break down the notion of normal and abnormal, and instead tap into the talents everyone has.

Today’s guest is 18 year old Justin Rigg who is on track to graduate from Dr. Hallowell’s old high school, Phillips Exeter Academy, in 2023! Justin was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia when he was fairly young. His father also has ADHD, and recognized the signs in Justin as the same ones he experienced as a kid. As far as the term “attention deficit hyperactive disorder” is concerned, Justin only agrees with the hyperactive bit. Where normal people may be content with low stimulation activities, people with ADHD need high stimulation activities to prevent crashing. Sports and athletics have always been present in Justin’s life, from running, soccer, basketball and kung fu.

The idea of online learning for an entire year when the pandemic hit was terrible for Justin, who loves people and the buzz of being in school. He and his father did some digging and found a clause in Exeter highlighting the possibility of a personal leave of absence. The clause was applicable for students who were going through a difficult time, or for those who wanted to pursue academic or athletic opportunities outside of the school. He asked the school for permission to attend school in Europe for a year, where in person and athletics were still in person. Next thing he knew, Justin found himself enrolled in an Icelandic school. The toughest part of the whole experience in Iceland was the language barrier.

Then, Justin gives us a look into his schedule. He finds his discipline, willpower and self control to be at an all time high first thing in the morning. His secrets to efficiency are fitting in homework wherever he can throughout the day, waking up early when he is well rested, minimizing distractions and choosing a non-traditional method of schooling. Finally, he shares his dream to lead a life of purpose. Ideally, he would like to own his own finance company in which he helps people plan for their future and their children and grandchildren’s future. The military is another interesting career path for his hyperactive mind.

Links:

If you have a comment about this episode or a suggestion for a future episode, send it to different@hallowellcenter.org!

Today’s guest is fellow podcaster, Angela Stephens, host of the RE-Focus podcast. She is the CEO of RE-Focus The Creative Office, a woman owned diversified company with WBENC. As a single mother, she worked a commission based job and her son was diagnosed with high level ADHD at the age of ten. He went from a D student to an A student through therapies, a lot of work, and medications.

Show Notes

Podcast: Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different
Episode: Angela Stephens

Welcome to Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different, a podcast hosted by Dr. Ned Hallowell! By interviewing a wide range of guests from various backgrounds, we will uncover and celebrate the different ways people have of approaching life, solving problems and having fun. Together, we will break down the notion of normal and abnormal, and instead tap into the talents everyone has.

Today’s guest is fellow podcaster, Angela Stephens, host of the RE-Focus podcast. She is the CEO of RE-Focus The Creative Office, a woman owned diversified company with WBENC. As a single mother, she worked a commission based job and her son was diagnosed with high level ADHD at the age of ten. He went from a D student to an A student through therapies, a lot of work, and medications.

Her podcast has interviewed many people about how they maintain focus. No one has ever given her the same answer. She’s heard everything from fidget toys to stealing from  the movie Up so they stop chasing squirrels. One of her companies gives resources for people to maintain focus like password books and college applications packets.

Angela was diagnosed with ADHD herself at age forty-five, her son’s journey as the thing that led her to that discovery. He is the co-Founder of Re-Focus and helped create the first suite of products. Angela says the keys to her company’s success are adaptability and  celebrating successes.

Links:

Learn more about Angela Stephens and check out her products here.

If you have a comment about this episode or a suggestion for a future episode, send it to different@hallowellcenter.org!

This week Dr. Hallowell had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Beth Frates. Dr. Frates is a trained physiatrist and health and wellness coach who practices lifestyle medicine, helping individuals and groups to adopt healthy habits for a lifetime. She was recently voted the President Elect of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine which is the largest growing medical specialty society and now has over 7,000 members. Teaching is a passion for Dr. Frates, and she is an award winning teacher at both Harvard Medical School and Harvard Extension school where she teaches lifestyle medicine courses. Writing is another focus of Dr. Frates’s work and she has co-authored three books, Life After Stroke: The Guide to Recovering Your Health and Preventing a Second Stroke, The Lifestyle Medicine Handbook: An Introduction to the Power of Healthy Habits and most recently PAVING the Path to Wellness: A Guide to Thriving with a Healthy Body, Peaceful Mind, and Joyful Heart.

She and Dr. Hallowell engage in a lively conversation that includes discussions about her background in lifestyle medicine/wellness, her writing, and how she uses her difference to not only help herself, but help others as well.

Show Notes

Podcast: Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different

Episode: Beth Frates

Welcome to Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different, a podcast hosted by Dr. Ned Hallowell! By interviewing a wide range of guests from various backgrounds, we will uncover and celebrate the different ways people have of approaching life, solving problems and having fun. Together, we will break down the notion of normal and abnormal, and instead tap into the talents everyone has.

Today’s guest is Beth Frates, a pioneer in Lifestyle Medicine education and an award-winning teacher at Harvard Medical School. Her interest has always been educating people on how to keep themselves healthy all the time, not only just when they need medical assistance. She was just elected president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the largest growing medical specialty.

Beth’s most recent book is called PAVING the Path to Wellness: A Guide to Thriving with a Healthy Body, Peaceful Mind and Joyful Heart. To begin the conversation, Beth describes lifestyle medicine as the use of exercise, nutrition, sleep, social connection, stress reduction and avoidance of risky substances. To really be well, she believes all of these six pillars need to be honored. Once we figure out where we find joy and love, we can focus on the rest. For example, finding an exercise you enjoy is important to holding yourself accountable to follow through with it.

More and more doctors are becoming interested in helping their patients practice wellness instead of just getting over sickness. When physicians adopt certain habits themselves, they are much more likely to recommend them to patients. Beth reveals that five servings of vegetables per day will decrease the chance of having a heart attack by 20%. Lifestyle medicine is very individualistic, and not one size fits all. Additionally, lifestyle medicine is free! Beth discusses the ways controlled breathing changed her life. While whole foods provide the best nutrition, she explains that supplements can be beneficial within the context of certain diets. Even having pets can be a positive pillar of lifestyle medicine!

Links:

Learn more about Beth Frates and purchase her book here.

If you have a comment about this episode or a suggestion for a future episode, send it to different@hallowellcenter.org!

This week I had a fantastic chat with Dani Donovan, graphic designer turned ADHD social media influencer and educator. Her witty and informative comics and graphics have helped thousands, especially women, understand more about ADHD and themselves. Dani also has her first book coming out soon – The Anti Planner: How To Get Sh*t Done When You Don’t Feel Like It.  She is upbeat without downplaying the challenges that come with living with ADHD. Listen in to her lively and inspiring story.

Show Notes

Podcast: Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different

Episode: Dani Donovan

Welcome to Dr. Hallowell’s Wonderful World of Different, a podcast hosted by Dr. Ned Hallowell! By interviewing a wide range of guests from various backgrounds, we will uncover and celebrate the different ways people have of approaching life, solving problems and having fun. Together, we will break down the notion of normal and abnormal, and instead tap into the talents everyone has.

Today’s guest is Dani Donovan, a creator whose TikTok videos and illustrations help those with ADHD understand themselves and feel validated. Her first infographic in 2019 about ADHD storytelling went viral with over 100 million views. Since then, her content has become more and more popular. She was chosen as the closing speaker for the 2021 International ADHD Conference, and her work has been published in The New York Times, the BBC, PBS and more.

Dani was in her late 20s when an ADHD infographic she created just for fun went viral. Dani has a history of doing graphic design and illustration, and is now able to do her ADHD infographics full time through Patreon. In addition to Dani, her husband and step son also have ADHD, and are able to offer constructive feedback on her comics.  In addition to posting her comics, Dani is working on finishing up her book, The Anti-Planner: How To Get Sh*t Done When You Don’t Feel Like It. It’s made specifically for people like Dani, who like the idea of being productive but can’t use a planner. It contains 100 activities and exercises for people and is largely emotion-driven in order to help readers overcome whatever mental hurdle they are currently experiencing.

Dani’s comics serve not only as a comfort for people with ADHD, but as a way for people without ADHD to get insight into the lives of those who do. Visual communication is a really powerful way to get these messages across.

Links:

Learn more about ADHD Comics here.

If you have a comment about this episode or a suggestion for a future episode, send it to different@hallowellcenter.org!