Feb 9
Join Tracy as she welcomes her guest Laurie Harwood Peterson to Episode #61 of her podcast, ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Laurie is the owner and director of Diagnostic Learning Services. She and her husband have five offices across the state of Texas and test for ADHD and learning challenges in children. She spends every day helping kids get identified and teaching parents how to help them. Laurie has a bachelor’s degree in Special Education. She spent 8 years teaching students with learning disabilities in grades K-12. She has a Master’s Degree in Special Education with an emphasis on assessment and a second Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling.
Laurie is also the mother to two boys. Learn about: the circumstances around Laurie Peterson’s ADHD diagnosis. Laurie’s symptoms in childhood, how she got into diagnostic testing, the difference between neuropsychological testing and diagnostic testing where diagnostic testing falls in the ADHD picture. What signs parents should look for in their kids when considering diagnostic testing? the cost of diagnostic testing? How testing for giftedness and ADHD differs from standard ADHD testing? How Laurie’s ADHD makes her better at what she does? What Laurie feels the key to living successfully with ADHD is? Laurie’s number one ADHD workaround.
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"I feel like my ability to make good decisions, ask for help when I need it, and think outside the box and take risks, hopefully. And I do think that all comes from my ADHD."
- Laurie Harwood Peterson
"You have to educate yourself and understand this is a, this actually could be a really good thing. You know, this is this doesn't have to be a bad thing."
- Laurie Harwood Peterson
"I absolutely think I think, and I look at creativity, because when I think of creativity, I think of I don't know why I think like art, which is not my thing. But I'm an outside of the box thinker."
- Laurie Harwood Peterson
- Laurie discusses her own experiences with ADHD, including forgetfulness and a vague diagnosis, and how she has come to understand and manage her condition over time.
- Laurie and Tracy discuss their experiences with ADHD, including impulsivity, forgetfulness, and poor academic performance in school.
- Laurie explains that high-functioning ADHD individuals often have strong working memory skills, but struggle with everyday tasks that require mental flexibility and problem-solving.
[22:54 - 37:13] Cognitive Testing for Children
- Laurie discusses the two main cognitive tests used in Texas for children: the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and the Woodcock Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities.
- Laurie and Tracy discuss the signs of ADHD in children, including difficulty paying attention, forgetting to turn in work, and struggling academically or emotionally.
- Laurie explains to parents that ADHD is a chemical imbalance in the brain, not a lack of motivation or discipline, and that kids with ADHD need more stimulation to focus and complete tasks.
[37:13 - 53:43] Bullet Journaling for ADHD Management
- Laurie explains the importance of considering both cognitive and academic abilities when evaluating giftedness, as attention issues can impact both areas.
- Laurie's impulsivity and creativity enable her to analyze results and give recommendations in unique ways that make sense to parents and other professionals.
- Laurie learned about bullet journaling from a Facebook post and found it to be a simple and effective way to organize her thoughts and tasks.
