We've talked about parenting with her. We've talked about therapy and ADHD. But my favorite episode with Dr. Sharon Saline was all about sinking thinking and self-compassion with ADHD. So, you can imagine that embarking on this series on that very subject would bring her back to the show.

Sharon is the author of the award-winning book, What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew: Working Together to Empower Kids for Success in School and Life and The ADHD solution card deck.  She specializes in working with neurodiverse children, teens, young adults, and families and aims to help outside-the-box thinkers improve executive functioning and social-emotional skills while also building practical communication tools and self-esteem.

Sharon says that she, herself, is a perfectionist in recovery, and she offers key insights into perfectionism and its impact on ADHD. How does perfectionism drive self-compassion down? How can you use "just one thing" to turn what seems to be impossible into a daily practice? How do you avoid compare-and-despair? All that and more this week with our great friend Sharon Saline!

Are you a parent who has ADHD? It can be so challenging to navigate parenting while also navigating ADHD - and Dr. Sharon Saline joins us this week to talk about this very thing. We talk about the common struggles that we hear within the ADHD community and what we can do to ease some of the stress/anxiety around parenting while ADHD-ing.

Archie continues to interview some guests at the recent ADHD Conference which took place in Dallas, USA. On this episode Archie is joined by special guest Dr Sharon Saline. Dr. Saline is a Clinical Psychologist who specialises in an integrative approach to managing ADHD, anxiety, executive functioning skills, learning differences & mental health in neurodivergent children, teens & adults.

Do you know what kind of unique brain your child has? Listen in to learn from Dr. Saline as she explains ADHD and how we can support those struggling with it.

What We Talked About:

• 5 C's of ADHD Parenting

• Strength-based thinking and attentive awareness

• ADHD Awareness

• Motivation outside-the-box thinkers

• Executive functioning skills

• Managing yourself first so you can be there for others effectively.

Things to Remember

"Development is in the child's favor. The brain matures over time."

"Remember that ADHD is a disorder of self-regulation. Children cannot manage themselves the way they want to."

"We wanna help children try to feel good about what they are able to do. It's critical."

-Dr. Sharon Saline

"We all have different brains and we should honor neurodiversity in the same way we honor gender diversity or racial diversity or religious diversity."

Dr. Saline is a clinical psychologist and author of the award-winning book, What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew: Working Together to Empower Kids for Success in School and Life. 

She lectures and facilitates workshops internationally on topics such as understanding ADHD, executive functioning, anxiety, motivation, different kinds of learners, and the teen brain. She is a regular contributor to ADDitude Magazine and Psychology, and currently hosts a live ADHD Support Group + Q&A every Friday over on Facebook with ADDitude Magazine.

Dr. Saline and I talk about how her interest in ADHD as a psychologist was sparked by her own neurodivergent family. We also talk about inattentive type ADHD in childhood and why so many kids — both boys and girls — with inattentive ADHD end up overlooked and ultimately diagnosed with depression and anxiety instead of ADHD. 

We also talk about the adult diagnosis experience and the best ways for you and your doctor to determine whether you have ADHD as opposed to possibly another situational struggle.