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Description
Raising a child with ADHD can feel overwhelming—meltdowns, school struggles, medication decisions, and the constant fear you’re doing it wrong. Raising ADHD is the podcast for parents and teachers who want clarity, strategies, and real-life support.
Hosted by Apryl Bradford, M.Ed. (former teacher and ADHD mom) and Dr. Brian Bradford, D.O. (Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist), this show cuts through the myths and misinformation about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Together, Apryl and Dr. Bradford bring both lived experience and clinical expertise to help you:
- Understand what ADHD really is (and isn’t)
- Navigate school challenges and partner with teachers
- Make sense of medication options without the jargon
- Support your child’s strengths while tackling everyday struggles
- Feel less alone and more empowered on this journey
Each week, you’ll hear practical tips, the latest insights from the field, and conversations that validate what you’re living through. Whether you’re dealing with emotional outbursts, executive function challenges, or the stigma that still surrounds ADHD, you’ll find real talk and real help here.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I doing this right?”—this podcast is your answer.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical or psychiatric advice and should not replace professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other licensed professional with any questions you may have regarding your child’s health or behavior.
30 Episodes
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Send us Fan Mail ADHD hyperactivity isn't a behavior problem to suppress. Learn 5 neuroscience-backed strategies to channel your child's movement, including the PINCH framework. ______________________________________________ Your child can sit completely still for an hour playing a video game. They cannot sit for five minutes doing math. And you're wondering... is this a choice? It's not. Their nervous system is running on empty and their body is trying to tell you. In this episode, Apryl bre...
Send us Fan Mail Traditional discipline fails ADHD kids. Learn what research from Harvard, Yale, and the AAP says actually works, plus the strategies that changed our home. ________________________________________________________________ If you've ever taken away the iPad, watched your kid escalate, so you took it away for the rest of the week, watched them escalate MORE, and thought... nothing works with this child. This episode is going to change everything. Here's what nobody told you: tr...
Send us Fan Mail ADHD kids are 30-40% behind peers in executive function skills. Learn what that means, which skills matter most, and how to build them at home. _______________________________________________________________ You've said "stop bugging your brother" 47 times. It's not even 7 a.m. and you're already yelling. Your child KNOWS how to put on their shoes. So why does it feel like nothing is happening? Here's the thing: the skill that's missing isn't shoe-tying. It's the invisible sk...
Send us Fan Mail Your ADHD child is on multiple meds and you're not sure why. Two psychiatrists explain how to prevent the drug cascade and advocate at every appointment. _________________________________________________ You took your child to the doctor for ADHD. One medication turned into two, then three—and now you're staring at a pill organizer wondering how did we get here? You're not a bad parent for feeling uneasy about that. A recent Wall Street Journal article confirmed what many fam...
Send us Fan Mail When ADHD kids lie, it's not a character flaw, it's a coping strategy. Learn what the research says and what actually helps instead of shame spirals. ______________________________________________________ If you've ever looked at your child and thought, "Why are you lying to me right now?"—this episode will change how you see that moment. Here's something most parents don't hear: when ADHD kids lie, it's not a moral failing. It's not manipulation. It's a brain that moved too ...
Send us Fan Mail Your child's behavior card comes home negative every day. It's not a character issue—it's a design issue. Learn the REACT framework that actually works. ____________________________________________________ It's 3:07 pm. The dismissal bell rings. And somewhere across town, your phone lights up with the same behavior report you got yesterday. Had difficulty staying in seat. Called out repeatedly. Before you even open it, your stomach drops—because nothing is changing. Here's wh...
Send us Fan Mail Overwhelmed by conflicting ADHD advice? Discover what actually works (and doesn't) for managing ADHD without medication, backed by top-tier research. ______________________________________ If you've ever found yourself Googling "ADHD help without medication" at midnight, wondering if anything actually works, or if you're just failing your kid, this episode is for you. Here's the truth most people won't tell you: the research is clear about what helps and what's just wishful...
Send us Fan Mail ADHD mornings don't have to be chaos. Learn how to identify your household's biggest battle zone and make one environmental shift that changes everything. _______________________________________ Someone's crying. You're already running late. The shoes are right there but somehow invisible—and suddenly you're not just tired, you're angry. Before you've even had your coffee, you're yelling. Sound familiar? Here's the thing: the problem isn't your child. It's not that they're n...
Send us Fan Mail Your phone buzzes: another behavior report. Learn why punishment fails ADHD kids and get scripts to build a real school-home team. ____________________________________ It's 2:47 PM. Your phone buzzes. You already know what it is before you look. Behavior update. Today was difficult. Please discuss consequences at home. Your stomach drops—because this isn't information. It's a verdict. Here's what no one tells you: There are three people drowning in that moment. Your child, ...
Send us Fan Mail ADHD kids hear "I'm the problem" on repeat. Learn why repairing after yelling rewrites that story—and what to do when your child won't engage. ________________________________________ There's a sentence ADHD kids learn really early. They don't usually say it out loud, but they're living it internally: I'm the problem. Not "that was hard." Not "that didn't go well." But something is wrong with me. Here's what the research says: it's not the conflict that damages your relatio...
Send us Fan Mail Yelled at your ADHD child and feel awful? Learn the 5-step repair system that protects your child's self-esteem and actually strengthens your relationship. _______________________ The explosion is over. The house is quiet. Your kid has disappeared into their room, and you're standing there with a pit in your stomach, replaying the look on their face and asking yourself the question no parenting book prepared you for: Am I ruining my kid? Here's what you were never taught: the...
Send us Fan Mail Destructive anger in ADHD kids is one of the most misunderstood, shame-loaded experiences parents face. The advice most families are given — harsher consequences, bigger punishments, “making it stop” — often makes these episodes happen more often, not less. In this episode, Apryl and Dr. Brian walk through what’s actually happening in the ADHD brain during these moments — and the system that helps families stop the cycle without becoming permissive or powerless. Thoughts par...
Send us Fan Mail This is the holiday episode every ADHD parent needs. After five weeks of dismantling holiday myths, decoding meltdowns, and rebuilding your confidence piece-by-piece…we’re finally here. In this episode of Raising ADHD, Apryl (former teacher + ADHD mom) and Dr. Brian Bradford (child & adolescent psychiatrist) reveal the complete, step-by-step ADHD Holiday Survival System — the exact 3-phase plan that helps your child stay regulated, reduces sensory overload, prevents RSD ...
Send us Fan Mail There’s a moment every ADHD parent remembers. Not the big, Instagram-perfect one — the small, quiet one. It’s the moment you realize: “Wait… this actually worked.” The morning didn’t explode. The meltdown didn’t happen. Your kid didn’t spiral at the holiday party. For a few seconds, your home felt calm — and you almost didn’t believe it. This episode of Raising ADHD is about that moment. The wins. The proof that small changes create big transformations, especially during th...
Send us Fan Mail If your holidays feel louder, harder, and more meltdown-heavy than everyone else’s, there’s a reason — and it’s not your parenting. It’s the three myths you were taught to believe about ADHD and the holidays. In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on the well-intentioned advice that’s been making December nearly impossible for ADHD kids (and the adults raising them). These myths feel comforting, logical, even wholesome — but the neuroscience tells a very different st...
Send us Fan Mail If “holiday magic” currently looks more like meltdowns over socks, cold coffee, and pure morning chaos, you’re not doing anything wrong, you’re living inside the ADHD Holiday Paradox. In today’s episode, we're revealing the fastest way to bring calm back into your home, a simple, science-backed 10-Minute Holiday Reset that lowers emotional reactivity, rebuilds structure, and gives your family the breathing room you desperately need right now. And teachers, you’re part of this...
Send us Fan Mail You know how the holidays are supposed to be magical — cozy mornings, matching jammies, and family smiles? Yeah… for ADHD families, it usually looks more like meltdowns, forgotten gifts, and someone crying in the bathroom. In this episode,we unpack why that happens and (spoiler) it’s not because you’re doing anything wrong. The ADHD brain loses its external structure during the holidays, and that missing routine sends everything into chaos. We break down the science behind: &...
Send us Fan Mail You say “It’s time to turn off the iPad.” They feel like their world just ended. If you’ve watched your child melt down over something you thought was minor—tears, anger, “You never let me”—you’re not imagining it. For many kids with ADHD, this kind of reaction comes from something called Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD). In today’s episode of Raising ADHD, Apryl Bradford (former teacher + ADHD mom) and Dr. Brian Bradford (child & adolescent psychiatrist) dive ...
Send us Fan Mail What if the key to helping your ADHD child wasn't just medication—but a combination of unexpected interventions backed by cutting-edge research? In this episode, Dr. Brian Bradford returns from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) national conference in Chicago with game-changing research findings that every parent and teacher needs to hear. From why twice-weekly therapy sessions outperform weekly appointments to the surprising connection between to...
Send us Fan Mail You’re standing at the edge of the playground. Your child’s backpack hangs a little crooked, their eyes full of hope. They wave, the group pauses, and then turns away. Your child pretends not to notice. Your heart shatters. If you’ve ever witnessed that moment, this episode will hit home. In today’s episode, we unpack one of the hardest realities ADHD families face: why friendship can be so tough for neurodivergent kids and what parents and teachers can actually do to help. 💔...
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