A mother-son ADHD combo, plus teaching with ADHD (Emilia McGuckin’s story)

Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now.

Emilia McGuckin was surprised when a teacher suggested her son might have ADHD. As a teacher herself, she thought she would have spotted the signs. But after diving into the research, an even bigger surprise hit her: Could she have ADHD too?

Emilia, a high school and college teacher, was hesitant to pursue an ADHD evaluation. She’d felt dismissed by medical providers in the past, an experience all too common for many women. But when she finally got diagnosed, everything started to make sense. What she once saw as “character flaws” or “personal failings” turned out to be overlooked symptoms of ADHD.

Related resources

• Is ADHD hereditary? 
• ADHD iceberg

Timestamps

(01:10) Emilia’s son’s ADHD diagnosis

(04:42) Hyperfocusing on ADHD to help her son, and realizing she has symptoms too

(06:49) Apprehension about seeking an ADHD evaluation, after not being believed by doctors in the past

(09:20) Feelings and coping after diagnosis

(11:56) An “avalanche of ADHD” in the family

(17:02) How Emilia and her son’s diagnoses changed how she teaches

(20:29) Busting ADHD myths

For a transcript and more resources, visit the episode page on Understood.

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As kids head back to school, it's a good time to remember: not every student experiences the classroom the same way. Through My Eyes, a free interactive experience from Understood, lets you step into a day in the life of a kid with ADHD, dyslexia, or dyscalculia. See their strengths and challenges in a whole new way. Try it out here.

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