Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children TPP 492: Laura Key on ADHD Aha Moments, Parenting, and Burnout
Mar 3, 2026
Laura Key, VP of Content Strategy at Understood.org and host of ADHD Aha!, speaks from professional expertise and lived ADHD experience as a mom of neurodivergent kids. She discusses late diagnosis aha moments, the emotional labor and invisible executive function demands parents carry, the difference between crisis-focused strengths and daily overwhelm, and burnout’s micro and macro forms.
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Shame Often Masks ADHD Challenges
- Laura frames much of adult ADHD struggle as shame, especially when overwhelmed moments lead to self-judgment like "I'm a bad mom."
- She uses therapy prompts to separate bad moments from identity, asking "What am I overwhelmed about?" to challenge assumptions.
Mom Juggles Executive Function Labor Despite ADHD
- Laura describes being the family's executive function center while also having ADHD, which makes daily planning and emotional labor extra hard.
- She and her husband openly share and negotiate that planning load to manage realistic expectations.
ADHD Strength Shows In Crisis Hyperfocus
- Laura and Debbie note a common ADHD pattern: poor tolerance for daily details but strong crisis performance through hyperfocus.
- They reframe crisis competence as valuable, saying being calm and decisive in emergencies can matter more than perfect daily prep.