Dani Donovan on ADHD, Executive Dysfunction & The Anti-Planner: Working With Your Brain Instead of Against it

Dani Donovan is an ADHD advocate, educator, and creator of The Anti-Planner, a revolutionary tool designed to help neurodivergent minds work with their brains instead of against them. Through her art, resources, and lived experience, Dani helps adults better understand executive dysfunction, self-compassion, and how to build systems that actually fit the way they’re wired.

Growing up, Dani always felt out of place—curious, quick to finish tasks, and constantly getting in trouble for asking too many questions or working ahead of the lesson. Instead of praise, she got more work or was told to sit down and be quiet, which left her feeling isolated and misunderstood. It wasn’t until college, when life became overwhelming and adult responsibilities piled up, that she finally heard the word “ADHD” attached to her struggles. Suddenly, the confusing mess of missed laundry, forgotten deadlines, and emotional meltdowns had a name, and that changed everything. Dani realized she wasn’t lazy or broken—she just hadn’t been given the right tools or language to understand herself. Finding that label, and later discovering others like “anticipatory anxiety” and “rejection sensitivity,” felt like a lifeline. It meant she could finally talk about her challenges without shame and start searching for real solutions, not just blame.,Dani’s journey with ADHD started long before she even knew what it was. As a kid, she was always outpacing her classmates, asking questions, and getting in trouble for not fitting the mold. Teachers didn’t know what to do with her, and instead of support, she got more work or was told to stop disrupting. This left Dani feeling like she was always the problem, never quite understanding why everyday things felt so hard. It wasn’t until college, when life threw her into the deep end of “adulting,” that she finally got her ADHD diagnosis. That moment was a revelation—suddenly, all the things that made her feel different started to make sense. For the first time, she could let go of some of the self-blame and see her challenges as part of a bigger picture, not a personal failing. Discovering the right words and connecting with others who shared her experiences helped her turn confusion into clarity and isolation into community.

• Visit Dani Donovan's website with her ADHD comics at adhdd.com (ADHD with DD, her initials, after it).

• Visit AntiPlanner.com to see the Anti Planner book and access digital PDF bundles that are currently on sale.

• Follow Dani Donovan on social media platforms at @DaniDonovan (D A N I D O N O V A N) for more content.

• Watch Jessica McCabe’s YouTube channel, especially her video about why showering is hard, for ADHD-related insights.

• Try the Kanban board method using Post-it notes on your computer monitor as described by Dani Donovan for task management.

Contact Me:

• https://www.facebook.com/TheNeurodivergentConnection

• https://aspergersstudio.com/

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidmiles/

• https://www.youtube.com/@AspergersStudio

• https://www.twitter.com/AspergersStudio

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