Neurospicy and Thriving: ADHD and Neurodiversity
Dr. Amber Nelson and Dr. William T. L. Cox posed in Bridgerton-inspired outfits for this episode.
Diverse Joy Podcast - Season 3, Episode 8
For this late-spring episode, Amber and Will dressed up to express their love of the Netflix series Bridgerton.
A mid-record still of Amber and Will
Will’s shares that his joy is his recent ADHD diagnosis (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). While Amber’s joy is her job as a full-time pediatric clinical psychologist and the lives she can impact through that work, which includes doing ADHD testing and being able to tell people, “yes, that’s what this is,” or, “no, it’s this other thing” and helping folks get the treatment they need.
The main discussion topic of this episode is learning about ADHD and, more broadly, neurodiversity. Amber discusses what ADHD is (including how ADD, attention deficit disorder, which you’ve probably also heard of, is now classified as one of three types of ADHD rather than being its own thing), some of how it is diagnosed, how it shows up in people’s lives, and some coping mechanisms–including another Amber Acronym: BOOST. As people with ADHD diagnoses themselves, Will and Amber both pull on their own life experiences as well as the research and clinical literature to discuss all of the above.
During Story Time, there are stories related to testing for ADHD, and how an early diagnosis can be helpful for avoiding addiction issues later in life (because proper treatment will help with how the brain’s reward system handles an ADHD person’s dopamine requirements).
Amber and Will on a stroll
This episode’s Question is, “What is neurodiversity?” (Hint: It’s an umbrella term for conditions that are neurodevelopmental and neurological in their etiology.)
Will shares two Bias Habit-Breaking Skills this month: Considering Situational Explanations for Behavior and Doing Perspective-Taking. Both of which are handy tools for helping to reduce bias and create inclusion.
Amber and Will close out the episode with the joyful recommendation of the hilarious and musical TV show that touches on many great diversity and mental health topics, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend! (It acknowledges that its title is a bit problematic.) (If you were expecting the recommendation to be Bridgerton, and are confused about why it isn’t - go give season 1, episode 5 a listen.)
The episode can be found below, by following the podcast wherever you get podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, RSSFeed, Amazon/Audible, or by subscribing to @BiasHabit on YouTube.
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