Dear Neurotypical Adults, A caregivers guide to ADHD.

   Stop Punishing the Truth: Replacing Masking with Self-Acceptance By Lindsay Rice Parents ask me a question all the time, usually with a whisper, like they’re afraid someone will judge them: “Does ADHD medication make kids lie less?” Honestly? Yes. But not for the reason people think. Kids with ADHD don’t lie because they’re sneaky. They lie because they’re scared. They lie because their nervous system is in full caveman mode and the goal is survival, not honesty. When that fight/flight/freeze system flips on, the brain is not thinking about “right and wrong.” It’s thinking: “What answer keeps me safe right now?” And unfortunately, neurodivergent kids live in that stress-response place way more than the adults around them realize. Some of it is brain wiring. A lot of it is the constant stream of corrections, disappointment, misunderstandings, sensory overwhelm, and being punished for things they didn’t mean. Growing up, I was constantly told: “You know better than that.”...

Deck the Halls with Emotional Overload: A Neurodivergent Perspective Understanding how my brain works—and how fundamentally different it is from others—has been a long and challenging journey. Living as a neurodivergent person in a neurotypical world often feels like being taught to navigate a Microsoft system when all you have access to is a Mac computer. A World Built for Others Imagine this scenario: You’ve been meticulously trained on how to use a Microsoft system—learning every click, every process. But when you sit down at a Mac, the tools you’ve been given sometimes work, but often they don’t. Despite your best efforts, you’re told, “You’re not doing it right,” and are scolded for not following the instructions. The frustration, confusion, and unfairness are constant. This is what it feels like to navigate a world built for neurotypical people as a neurodivergent individual. During the holidays and other high-excitement times, the differences in how my brain functions become eve...

  When the Mask Comes Off: The Emotional Journey of Living as Neurodivergent I recently responded to a discussion in a Facebook group where a mother anonymously shared her struggles with her daughter’s behavior. Parenting, in general, can feel isolating and lonely, but these feelings are often magnified when raising a Neurodivergent child. It's not because our children are "bad" or "disabled," but because they don’t fit into society's narrow idea of how children should behave. The shame we experience can intensify the pain of living as a Neurodivergent. Society has deeply ingrained expectations about how children should act, and when those expectations aren’t met, it can feel as if the child is doing something “wrong.” This often invites judgment—not just from strangers but sometimes even from family members. It’s this societal gap that makes raising a Neurodivergent child not only difficult but profoundly isolating. On top of that, children with ADHD often ...

  It’s been a while since I was a preteen, but the pain of that time resurfaced yesterday when my daughter’s words echoed the experiences of my 11-year-old self. Being a preteen is challenging for anyone, but for a neurodivergent girl, it adds a unique layer of difficulty. Her heartfelt expression broke my adult heart and awakened the little girl I used to be. She said, "When I try to be myself, everyone tells me I’m being extra. They say I’m doing too much; they tell me to calm down. When I’m calm and focused, they ask me what’s wrong. I’m never who they want me to be." How do you explain to an 11-year-old that the world may not be ready for her vibrant light? I’m amazed she can articulate this, as those feelings were once mine, but I couldn’t communicate them. The struggle to manage our identities to fit societal norms can make us forget who we truly are. We may feel like a collection of masks, wearing different versions of ourselves based on what’s needed daily. How do you...