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04: How to Parent a Child Newly Diagnosed with ADHD with Ashley Gobeil

27 min • 3 maj 2022

In this week's episode, Dana Kay is accompanied by seasoned child and adolescent therapist Ashley Gobeil in a tranquil discussion around the reduction of ADHD symptoms in children; especially for parents who are new to the diagnosis.

Dana and Ashley cover a wide range of topics that affect the severity of symptoms in our children and how we as parents can help rein in some of these symptoms. Much of this episode highlights ways that we can ultimately create and maintain our own calm so that we can show up lovingly and consistently, giving our children the “over-the-top empathy” that their highly-sensitive bodies need for harmony and healing.

By learning how to hold space for them (while also, holding space for ourselves), slowly but surely, our children will feel safe to unfold fully into their humanness with more ease and comfort than the stigmas may suggest.

Key Takeaways:

(3:15) Caring for a child who's recently been diagnosed with ADHD is to first, consider how to care for yourself and better understand the situation

(4:14) Slow down the process, consider: How does the diagnosis, the reality, etc. feel for you individually and as a family?

(5:57) Looking beyond behaviors, what adds to the symptoms, emotional and family stressors, food, support available or lacking, school environment, behavior, sensitivities

(9:39) Neurobiology – how the brain operates, child development bottom up in-utero-adulthood, how the entire system works and how is it different for kids with ADHD.

(12:08) Fight, flight or freeze response activated when children are overwhelmed can show up as the screaming, yelling, fighting, and “defiant” behaviors that generally receive backlash

(12:58) Food is very integral to the ultimate management of ADHD symptoms

(22:08) It can be exhausting as a parent, breaks are okay; just aim to communicate that need in a way the child can understand so that they still feel safe/secure.

(24:41) -- Every difficult moment can also be spun into a teaching moment; it really helps them develop neural pathways so the next time it happens, we can remind them of the tools we’ve built together

Where to find Ashley Gobeil

For more information about Ashley's parenting program, please go here - https://info.adhdthriveinstitute.com/parentingadhd

Memorable Quotes

“We can be the external regulators for our child when they don’t have the internal regulation they need.”

“Looking beyond behaviors, what actually aggravates ADHD symptoms.”

“Children will learn about the world through our experience of their experience.”

“We need to continue to ride that wave of emotion and every time show up the same way as a parent, with consistency.”

Dana Kay Resources:

Website - https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/adhdthriveinstitute

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/adhdthriveinstitute/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ADHDThriveInstitute