Feb 22
In Episode 90 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy introduces you to Katelyn. Katelyn is a special educator who has her masters in Reading and is the author of the childrens’ book, “Hi It’s Me! I have ADHD!” She just launched a podcast for kids titled Journey With Me Through ADHD which is designed for children with ADHD to listen to and feel understood. Katelyn lives in Wisconsin with her husband and 4 young kids and passion is to speak into the hearts and minds of children and families with ADHD so feel connected and understood!
In this podcast Katelyn shares: The circumstances surrounding her childhood diagnosis The question that she was often asked by adults as a child that rocked her self-esteem Why she decided to get a master’s degree in Reading What made her start her new podcast for kids How to talk to your kids about their ADHD in such a way that instills confidence in how their brain works? How do you tell your child that he/she has ADHD? The best way to talk about your child’s weaknesses? How to teach your child to respond to other kids when they make inaccurate comments about ADHD? How to work with you child on mindset The “red dot” method The importance of breaking things down into bite-sized pieces.
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"I think it's really important that as parents, we highlight their strengths. We recognize help them recognize their struggles, and help them come up with tools and strategies."
- Katelyn Mabry
"I feel as though if we can be aware of the way that they're responding to things, and that it a lot of times is due to a coping mechanism. Because of their challenge. I think our response can help the child move in a more positive direction, too."
- Katelyn Mabry
"I think it's just super important that as parents, we highlight their strengths. We recognize help them recognize their struggles, and help them come up with tools and strategies."
- Katelyn Mabry
- Katelyn shares her personal experience with ADHD, including being diagnosed at a young age and feeling isolated and alone in her diagnosis.
- Katelyn wrote a children's book about her experiences with ADHD and read it in a college class, receiving positive feedback from her professor who also had ADHD.
- Katelyn emphasizes the importance of recognizing both strengths and weaknesses in children with ADHD, and how this can help them fall in love with their brains and embrace their differences.
[23:38 - 33:29] ADHD and Its Impact on Children's Brains
- Katelyn discusses the challenges of introducing the concept of ADHD to her child, including the need to educate herself and her child on how ADHD brains work.
- Katelyn shares tips for parents of children with ADHD, including using visuals and creative language to help them understand and manage their executive function delays.
- Katelyn emphasizes the importance of giving children grace and understanding that they may react differently than neurotypical children due to their developmental stage.
[33:29 - 44:29] Empowering Children with ADHD Through Mindset Shifts
- Katelyn discusses the importance of self-advocacy for children with different brain functions, and how it can help them understand and manage their emotions.
- Katelyn explains that negative thoughts can lead to negative actions, and suggests investigating and reversing these thoughts to cultivate a growth mindset.
- Katelyn provides exercises for children to identify and reverse negative thoughts, such as "I hate myself" becoming "I love myself because."
