Are you looking for information, resources, and advice from experts that will help transition-age teens and young adults with ADHD become independent? Then, CHADD's Support Transition-age Teens and Young Adults podcast playlist is for you. It's loaded with strategies, insights, suggestions, and resources to support their journey into adulthood.

Supporting Transitional-Age Teens and Young Adults

Mental Health Matters for Teens and Young Adults with ADHD

ADHD 365

Are you concerned about how your child with ADHD will manage adulthood independently?

Launching successfully is difficult for many young adults with ADHD. Unfortunately, our late bloomers often don’t have the necessary brain maturity and skills required to juggle the demands of transitioning to college or a full-time job at age 18. In this podcast, Dendy and Hughes share their personal experiences and strategies. They also provide information on career opportunities and ways to help your child with ADHD succeed.

Chris Dendy and Ruth Hughes

Bio: Chris A. Zeigler Dendy, MS, is a popular author, educator, school psychologist, and mental health professional with over 40 years of experience. She’s also the mother of three children with ADHD. 

Bio: Ruth Hughes, PhD, has been a national leader in ADHD for many years. During her tenure as the CEO of CHADD, she helped to launch the widely recognized Parent to Parent training program, which has helped thousands of parents learn to manage ADHD in the family.

The Journey from High School to Young Adulthood with ADHD

Many teens and young adults with ADHD struggle about staying compliant with their treatment plans for various reasons. Strategies that work for their lifestyle are the key to treatment compliance. But what is an effective treatment plan for someone with ADHD?  In this episode, Kate Barrett provides strategies for medication compliance, good sleep hygiene, and recognizing the signs when your method is no longer effective. She also gives insight into the effects of self-medicating with caffeine and marijuana to help with ADHD symptoms.

BIO:
Kate Barrett, ACG, ACC, is a writer and ADHD and executive function coach and the founder of Coaching Cville, providing services internationally from Charlottesville, Virginia. Her background includes extensive volunteer and advocacy roles in the public school system and ADHD expert roles in parent, couple, and student education seminars. She presents individual and group programs locally and internationally and speaks regularly to professionals, community, and industry on executive function and ADHD. Barrett’s focus is to overlay executive function theory with ADHD coaching in order to facilitate systemic scaffolding and support for those diagnosed with ADHD. In addition, she finds teaching and coaching non-ADHD caregivers and partners on the intricacies of ADHD further supports all members of the relationship through the development and practice of empathy and appreciation for neurodiversity within the family structure.

Strategies to Help Teens and Young Adults with Treatment Compliance

The death of someone you love is often met with sadness. But the heartache felt by family members and friends can become more confusing and unnerving when the cause of death is suicide. Researchers say adults with ADHD have a high prevalence of attempted suicide. But is there a direct link between ADHD and suicide? What other risk factors are involved? Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman shares insight and understanding of risk factors and other conditions that often coexist with ADHD, increasing suicidal thoughts and attempts. She also discusses warning signals, preventive measures, and the approach to take if faced with someone expressing suicidal ideation.

Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD, is vice president of research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She works with over 200 scientific advisors to evaluate progress in the field and chart the next areas of inquiry to yield impactful insights and strategies for suicide prevention. Dr. Harkavy-Friedman has published over 100 articles. She works closely with AFSP’s education, communication, and public policy and advocacy teams to develop programs and messages to ensure they follow best practices in suicide prevention and reflect the latest findings in research. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and her master’s degree and doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Florida. In 1984, she joined Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine as an assistant professor. She established the Adolescent Depression and Suicide Program. In 1989, Dr. Harkavy-Friedman moved to Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, first as an assistant professor and later as an associate professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry. As a licensed psychologist, she maintains a clinical practice in Manhattan.

Adult ADHD and Suicide Prevention

ADHD impairments are made worse for many individuals by their struggles with excessive anxiety, persistent depression, compulsive behaviors, difficulties with mood regulation, or other coexisting disorders that persistently disrupt their daily lives. Sometimes this could lead a person struggling with their ADHD down a dark road to contemplating suicide. 

Talking about suicide, suicidal ideation, and self-harm with a loved one you suspect has these feelings can be challenging. Dr. Roberto Olivardia talks with Susan Buningh about the risk factors in children and adults who have ADHD, warning signs, and preventive measures to help someone you think may be considering self-harm or suicide. 


Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a clinical psychologist and lecturer in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of ADHD, executive functioning issues, and students with learning differences. He also specializes in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders in boys and men. He currently serves on the professional advisory boards for CHADD, ADDA, and the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders.

ADHD and the Struggle with Suicidal Ideation

The national obesity rate continues to climb, and the minority communities in the US are being hit the hardest. Black women and Hispanic men and women all have obesity rates that are higher than the national average. Having ADHD increases the odds of developing dysregulated eating, leading to issues with body weight. Why does having ADHD increase the odds of developing dysregulated eating? Providing insight into the matter is psychologist Roberto Olivardia. He will discuss the challenges and explain why Black Americans are at greater risk of developing the coexisting conditions that result from obesity. Dr. Olivardia stresses the importance of a proper ADHD diagnosis from culturally knowledgeable healthcare providers, while also spotlighting the barriers encountered by Black individuals to receiving good healthcare and management and treatment options.

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Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a clinical psychologist and lecturer in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of ADHD, executive functioning issues, and students with learning differences. He also specializes in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders in boys and men. He currently serves on the professional advisory boards for CHADD, ADDA, and the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders.

African Americans, ADHD, And Dysregulated Eating: What's Going On?

Historically, suicide rates have been higher among whites than any other racial group. Recent studies confirm this but show the growing rate among Black youth, which now surpasses that of their white counterparts. Despite making up 15% of the population, Black youth make up 37% of youth suicides. The highest demographic is young Black males. The assumption would be that depression significantly contributes to the increase in suicides. However, new studies indicate that much of the increase correlates to ADHD and untreated learning disabilities. While recent trends show the growing number of suicides in Black youth and adolescents, even more alarming is the rate of suicide among very young Black children. In this episode, Dr. Napoleon Higgins shares insights about how ADHD may be contributing to the increased number of suicides in Black youth and identifies why this is happening now. He also gives recommendations for educators and healthcare providers about cultural sensitivity and offers expert advice for parents of children with ADHD on diagnosing, treatment, and suicide prevention.

Dr. Napoleon Higgins is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist in Houston, Texas.  He is the owner of Bay Pointe Behavioral Health Services and South East Houston Research Group.

Dr. Higgins received his MD from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He completed his residency in Adult Psychiatry and his fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston. He is the President of the Black Psychiatrists of Greater Houston, Past President of the Caucus of Black Psychiatrists of the American Psychiatric Association, and Past President of the Black Psychiatrists of America, Inc.

Dr. Higgins is co-author of How Amari Learned to Love School Again: A Story about ADHD, Mind Matters: A Resource Guide to Psychiatry for Black Communities and author of Transition 2 Practice: 21 Things Every Doctor Must Know In Contract Negotiations and the Job Search.  He also specializes in nutrition and health to improve patients’ lives mentally and physically.  He emphasizes that good mental and physical health are key in the practice of psychiatry and medicine.

Dr. Higgins has worked with and founded many programs that help direct inner-city young men and women to aspire to go to college and finish their educational goals. He has worked with countless community mentoring programs and has a special interest in trauma, racism, and inner-city issues and how they affect minority and disadvantaged children and communities.

ADHD and the Increasing Suicide Rate Among Black Youth

People report that marijuana use helps improve their ADHD symptoms. But does it really help? Or does it mask a person’s ability to care about their problems rather than work to solve them? What are the benefits and downsides to using marijuana if you have ADHD? CHADD's resident expert Dr. Gene Arnold and guest Dr. Maggie Sibley discuss the research on the therapeutic role of marijuana, the potential downside of using unregulated drugs to help with ADHD symptoms, and why more research is needed.

Will ADHD Symptoms Improve with Marijuana Use?

Have you wondered if your child has depression or anxiety and if these could be connected to their ADHD? What signs should you keep an eye out for and how can you be supportive?

In this episode, Dr. Carolyn Lentzsch-Parcells, a board certified pediatrician with a special interest in ADHD, learning issues, and mental and behavioral health, talks about the signs and causes of different mental health disorders in teens and the common treatment plans available. She also shares strategies that can be used by friends and family to support teens who are facing mental health challenges.

Mental Health and Wellness for Teens with ADHD

The message is clear. Treatment for ADHD, along with the related health risks it poses, has the possibility of adding an average of nine to 13 years to the lifespan of children and adults diagnosed with ADHD. This is the implication of a cutting-edge research study conducted by Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., who evaluated the connection between ADHD and 14 critical health factors including nutrition, exercise, and tobacco and alcohol use.

Dr. Russell Barkley: Untreated ADHD Reduces Life Expectancy

Most people with ADHD struggle to manage their time. We will take a deeper look at the science of time awareness and time management through an ADHD lens. Uncovered the reasons why the ADHD brain estimates, uses and values time differently. This podcast will teach adults to “see” time by externalizing it and “feel” time by building motivation.

The Science of Time Management

For teens with ADHD, finishing high school and preparing for college can be exciting and daunting at the same time. How do parents and students seek a college in getting the appropriate accommodations to ensure success? Listen to CHADD's ADHD 365 podcast on Students with ADHD Transitioning from High School to College, featuring Certified Educational Planner Judith Bass, for tips and strategies that may help your child succeed in college.

Students with ADHD Transitioning from High School to College

In this podcast, Connor Patros, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow in the department of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and CHADD's 2018 Young Scientist Research Awards post-doc winner, discusses his interest in looking at how neurocognitive factors (or executive functions) are related to symptoms of impulsivity in ADHD, and also the interventions that can strengthen executive function deficits.

Executive Functions and Impulsivity in Children with ADHD

The decision to medicate a child with ADHD is a difficult choice for many parents. The news and social media have accounts of people benefiting from medication, while there also are stories of grave dangers associated with these drugs. What are the benefits and risks of taking ADHD medication? How do you know what’s right for your child?

Understanding the ABCs of ADHD Medications with Max Wiznitzer, MD

In this episode, we're talking with Jodi Sleeper-Triplett about holding teens with ADHD accountable. She gives us insight into how ADHD coaching may help with executive functioning and coping skills and shares advice to help first-year college students succeed.

Holding Teens With ADHD Accountable

Podcast Transcript: https://chadd.org/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-webinar-qa-helping-your-young-adult-become-independent/


Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA and Stephanie Sarkis, PhD

Helping Your Young Adult Become Independent Q&A

Podcast Transcript: https://chadd.org/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-webinar-qa-is-my-high-school-student-ready-for-college/

Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA

Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA, is the author of Understand Your Brain, Get More Done, More Attention, Less Deficit, and Integrative Treatment for Adult ADHD. He is a psychologist in private practice in West Chester, Pennsylvania, a former member of CHADD’s board of directors and co-chair of its conference committee.

Is My High School Student Ready for College? Q&A

CHADD is the nation's leading nonprofit organization serving people affected by ADHD. As home to the CDC-funded National Resource Center on ADHD, CHADD is the most trusted source for reliable, science-based information regarding current medical research and ADHD management. CHADD offers comprehensive programs and services at both the national and local levels.

 ADHD 365 podcast brings listeners into conversations about living with ADHD from every imaginable angle. The ADHD 365 podcast provides expert advice, tips, and strategies for families, adults, educators, and professionals. Each show is sponsored by companies, organizations, or individuals that support and provide a service to the ADHD community. 


 All Things ADHD podcast offers listeners access to educational content from leading experts who promote healthy living with ADHD. The All Things ADHD podcast is a learning resource program produced by CHADD's National Resource Center, funded by the CDC, to disseminate expert advice, guidance, and information to improve the lives of families and adults affected by ADHD. 




CHADD does not endorse products, services, publications, medications, or treatments, including those that sponsor or advertise in any CHADD publications, webinars, or podcasts.

This podcast is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number NU38DD000002-01-00 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.

Mental Health and Wellness for Teens with ADHD

Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD)