ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___My son Markus has always been incredibly introspective and self-aware, so when he took an especially difficult calculus class and announced that there was something else going on beyond ADHD, I believed him. For years Markus and I had suspected that dyslexia was the underlying cause of his inconsistent gaps in learning, yet whenever he was evaluated these gaps were overlooked or attributed to his ADHD. Learning challenges such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia are very common comorbidities with ADHD, so why weren't these evaluators ever digging deeper?Enter: the incredible Laurie Peterson, a brilliant Educational Diagnostician who you may recognize from Episode 61 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, and my guest this episode. Laurie evaluated Markus a third time, and to his relief, his suspicions were confirmed--it was dyslexia all along. Having the complete picture of his brain finally allowed Markus to advocate for his needs, which is exactly why Laurie does the work she does.Join me for another wonderful conversation with Laurie as she provides an overview of the different learning disabilities that can co-occur with ADHD, explains why whole-picture interventions are so important, and dispels some common myths surrounding learning disabilities. Hint: It has nothing to do with intelligence.🐿⭐️______________Resources:Website: Ediagnosticlearning.comDiagnostic-learning.comEmail: laurie@diagnostic-learning.comApps mentioned: Snap Type; Mod MathSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shiftInstead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academyLearn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website:  https://tracyotsuka.com  

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Becca King discusses intuitive eating and its benefits for healing the relationship with food and the body. They explore the link between ADHD and nutrition, providing strategies for improving interceptive awareness and prioritizing eating. The speakers delve into societal influences on body image and self-esteem, challenging diet rules and embracing flexibility in meal times. Becca also shares their current projects, including website development and coaching program growth.

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___When licensed professional therapist, author, and speaker KC Davis first began a self and home-care TikTok account, she didn't intend to make ADHD content. In fact, she didn't even know she had ADHD at the time, she just knew her unique brain required equally unique systems in order for her to stay on top of home care tasks. When KC's content inevitably ended up on the ADHD side of TikTok, her number of followers exploded. So many people with ADHD related to her content and found success with her systems that KC decided to get an evaluation and confirmed that she does indeed have ADHD.Since receiving her diagnosis KC's content has expanded to include creative ADHD-specific systems and solutions for care tasks, but the underlying message in her work has always remained the same: "Care tasks are morally neutral. They have nothing to do with being a good or bad person, with failing or succeeding in life."Join me this week as KC Davis explains why thinking of care tasks as 'morally neutral' is so important for our mental health, teaches us her 'condiments in the produce drawer' ADHD fridge hack, and gives us the tools to implement a no-fold laundry system that saved her sanity.______________Resources:Instagram: @strugglecareTikTok: @domesticblistersWebsite: Strugglecare.comBook: How to Keep House While DrowningSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shiftInstead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academyLearn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website:  https://tracyotsuka.com  

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___This week I break my cardinal rule of only interviewing women with ADHD on the podcast, which should tell you just how strongly I believe in author and marriage consultant Melissa Orlov's work. Melissa may not have ADHD herself, but her daughter does, which is exactly what prompts Melissa to learn as much about ADHD as she possibly can. She dove deep into the research, even working alongside renowned ADHD expert, Dr. Edward Hallowell, one of my only other guest to break the podcast rule (go back to Episode 106 to listen to his insightful interview).All of Melissa's research led her to the surprising realization that her own husband had ADHD as well. Hello, rabbit ---> bunny! Suddenly, all of the disagreements that they'd been having for years around their relationship suddenly made sense. With this realization came a new level of compassion and understanding for each other. Together Melissa and her husband were finally able to find solutions and create systems that worked for both of them.Since this marriage-saving discovery, Melissa has been researching and writing about how ADHD impacts relationships and marriage with the goal of providing others with the roadmap she and her husband wish they'd had sooner. Whether you're in a relationship with a neurotypical or another ADHDer, Melissa has some helpful tips and insights that may just end that argument about emptying the dishwasher for good.______________Resources:Melissa's website: adhdmarriage.comHer couples' seminar: The ADHD Effect In-DepthHer book: The ADHD Effect on Marriage: Understand and Rebuild Your Relationship in Six StepsSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shiftInstead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academyLearn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website:  https://tracyotsuka.com  

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___When Covid hit the U.S. in 2020 and hair salons all across the country shut down, more and more people started taking the scissors into their own hands, often with disastrous results. While the rest of us were laughing at quarantine haircut memes (or creating our own), Jayne Matthews was brainstorming a solution: What if she could teach people how to cut their own hair using the same technique she used on clients at her salon?Now less than two years later Jayne teaches people all around the world how to give themselves stylish haircuts in a way that's intuitive and easy to follow. This ability to problem-solve in the face of seemingly unsolvable problems is a skill Jayne attributes to her ADHD and is one she believes is the key to her success.Join me this week as educator and trendsetting hairstylist Jayne Matthews and I discuss the importance of blazing new paths rather than trying to fit in, how to be okay with not being great at everything, and some favorite ADHD workarounds.______________Resources:Website: Jaynematthews.comInstagram: @jayne_edosalonSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shiftInstead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academyLearn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website:  https://tracyotsuka.com  

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___This week I'm sitting down with ADHD expert, author, and coach René Brooks to talk about Vertical Heterophoria -- a little-known eye condition that, when René stumbled upon the diagnosis by happenstance, changed everything for her. While René is grateful that she was able to find relief from a lifetime of headaches and neck pain, she's frustrated by how close she came to missing such an important diagnosis and believes the medical community still has a long way to go in understanding and treating ADHD comorbidities."It's right there, it's not hidden, people just don't put it together. People are so mired down in the research about ADHD that it's difficult for them to understand how these things apply to real-life scenarios."Vertical Heterophoria and the connection to ADHD is so unknown that I myself had never heard of it, but by the end of the episode, René helps me to realize that this just might be the missing piece in my own son's unresolved vision struggles. This realization is a great reminder of why these conversations are so important to have, and for that reason and many more, I'm so excited to bring you this episode with the brilliant René Brooks.______________Resources:Instagram: @blackgirllostkeysTwitter: @BlkgirllostkeysBlog: Black Girl Lost KeysVertical Heterophoria: The Unknown ADHD Related Eye Condition (scroll to the bottom of the blog post for a link to the online test for Vertical Heterophoria)Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shiftInstead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academyLearn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website:  https://tracyotsuka.com  

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___Is there something that's hanging out there, that you really want to accomplish but you JUST. CAN'T. START? Then this is the podcast for you. Short, simple, and fun. If you keep it light and easy, it'll work every time!😂Tracy shares:Why forcing ourselves to do mundane tasks doesn't workThe real question to ask ourselves that helps us get things doneWhy do our ADHD brains struggle to get through boring, predictable, mundane tasksWhat three things must an ADHD strategy employ for us to successfully get a boring, predictable task doneWhat generates positive emotionWhy deadlines don't work over timeHow light and easy can work every time______________Resources:Youtube: Frank Sinatra - Nice 'n' EasySend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shiftInstead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academyLearn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website:  https://tracyotsuka.com  

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___Join Tracy as she welcomes Miriam Schulman to Ep. 136 of her podcast ADHD for Smart Ass Women.So for all these reasons, I am delighted to introduce you to Miriam Schulman, artist and founder of The Inspiration Place. Through her online classes, business coaching programs, and popular podcasts, she's helped thousands of artists around the world develop their skill sets and sell more art.Miriam is a graduate of Dartmouth College and M.I.T. who has been featured in major publications including Forbes, The New York Times, Art of Man, Professional Artist magazine, and Art Journaling magazine. Her artwork has also been featured on NBC's "Parenthood" and the Amazon series "Hunters" with Al Pacino. Her forthcoming book with HarperCollins Leadership on how to make it as an artist is scheduled to be released in October 2022.Miriam shares her and her family's experience with ADHD, her challenging first year in college, why originality is so important to her, her observations on the link between creativity and ADHD, what it means to be a lifelong learner, why she started The Inspiration Place, the difference between selling art online or in person, the ADHD traits that she regularly sees in artists, what artists tend to struggle with, the importance of practicing your creative, the ADHD traits that she feels are responsible for her success, the key to living successfully with ADHD is, and her number one ADHD workaround.______________Resources:www.schulmanart.comThe Inspiration Place Podcast, Artists and ADD: Creatively Distracted, with Tracy OtsukaSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shiftInstead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academyLearn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website:  https://tracyotsuka.com  

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___This week on Episode #135 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy welcomes Grace L’Orange. Grace is a school psychologist, behavior specialist, and suicide prevention coordinator working in public education. She holds a B.S. in Psychology and an advanced Education Specialist degree in School Psychology. Passionate about equity, inclusion, and advocacy for all students, especially those with disabilities and other differences, Grace works both directly with students and in educating other adults about the impacts of these differences on daily life.Recently, Grace implemented systemic changes in her district by developing updated policies and procedures for special education and suicide prevention/intervention, focusing on equity and best practices. She serves as Director-At-Large on the board for her state school psychologist association and collaborates with the Suicide Prevention Coalition in her county. Initially drawn to school psychology due to her brother’s struggles with ADHD, Grace was diagnosed with ADHD herself at the age of 32. Since then, she has integrated this new facet of her life into her work as an educator with students with disabilities and behavior challenges.In this episode, Grace shares the circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis, the changes she has experienced since then, and how learning about her ADHD shifted her understanding of its presentation in girls. She discusses the alarming number of ADHD women who have attempted suicide and the societal factors contributing to these high rates. Grace provides insights into signs of suicidal ideation and responsible ways to help someone at risk, and she explains how she uses audio journaling to overcome perfectionism, process her thoughts, and speak more kindly to herself. Grace also reveals her key to living successfully with ADHD.______________Resources:National Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 1-800-273-8255988lifeline.orgMental Health Crisis Response Program: 1-888-989-9990 (for pSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shiftInstead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academyLearn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website:  https://tracyotsuka.com  

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup___This week on Episode #134 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, Tracy welcomes Kamden Hainsworth. Kamden lives with her husband and three (almost four) daughters in Springville, Utah. She enjoys spending time in the nearby mountains, traveling, working on home improvement projects, and serving in her community and church. Kamden has worked as an educator in various capacities for over ten years and finds fulfillment in helping others realize their true potential.Years after her daughter was diagnosed with ADHD, Kamden received her own ADHD diagnosis at 36 years old. She quickly began advocating for herself and researching how to build an amazing life as an ADHDer. Kamden now assists solopreneurs with ADHD in finding their voice and translating it into their business, particularly with marketing and social media.In this episode, Kamden shares the circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis, what has changed since then, and the importance of surrounding herself with people who recognize and appreciate her ADHD gifts. She discusses why social media can be challenging for the ADHD brain, how perfectionism and over-thinking can prevent us from posting online, and how asking, “Who makes the rules about what social media needs to look like?” can help overcome perfectionism and get started. Kamden also offers her strategies for building your online presence one puzzle piece at a time, how determination and trusting her own creativity and problem-solving skills have led to her success, and her #1 ADHD workaround: visuals, visuals, visuals.______________Resources:The ADHDirectoryKamden's InstagramKamden's TikTokSend a Message: Your Name | Email | Message If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shiftInstead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academyLearn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 Visit our website:  https://tracyotsuka.com