This episode contains the second part of my discussion with Laurie Peterson.  Laurie is the owner and director of Diagnostic Learning Services in Plano, Texas.  Laurie and her group assess and diagnose students and adults with ADHD, Dyslexia, and other learning disabilities.  Laurie was diagnosed with ADHD in her late 20s. 

In this conversation, Laurie and I discuss the steps following the diagnostic assessments she administers.  Medication plays a considerable role, but Laurie also shares how to work to improve skills in areas with lower scores. 

Connect with Laurie Peterson:

Website - http://Diagnostic-Learning.com

You’ll Learn:

• [05:08] - Once we have the information from the testing, what do we do with the information? The first step is medication, but it is not the entire solution.
• [06:20] - Laurie explains how to improve vocabulary skills by reading.
• [07:57] - Laurie shares how to build your perceptual reasoning skills, problem-solving skills, and visual processing skills.
• [11:53] - I share how an instructor used color overlays to help a student read.
• [14:33] - Improving your problem-solving skills can be done by playing games.
• [18:08] - Working memory can be improved, but there is a lot of technology to help.
• [20:22] - Laurie explains how she uses Alexa to put together her shopping list.
• [24:20] - I talk about a few of the benefits of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group, including shame-free accountability.
• [26:18] - Environmental modification is a large piece of ADHD management.
• [28:34] - We discuss interactive metronome therapy, diet, and exercise.
• [30:48] - Laurie shares information for those that believe they may have ADHD, but have not yet been diagnosed.
• [33:19] - Laurie talks about the cost of this type of testing.

Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles:

http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired

ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group

Registration for the winter session of our ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group is now in full swing. The next registration event is Thursday, November 29th at 3pm Central.  To learn more or RSVP for the group registration, go to http://CoachingreWired.com. 

Support the podcast on Patreon

Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me.  With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks.  One perk example is our Patreon-only Adult Study Hall.  Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired

ADHD reWired Facebook Group:

If you would like to join the ADHD reWired secret Facebook group, go to EricTivers.com/community and fill out an application. 

Productivity Q&A

Get your ADHD questions answered live!  These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 pm.  Go to http://erictivers.com/events.

Want to be a guest?

Hey, What about you?  Do you have a story?  Are you a Coach?  Are you an ADHD Clinician?  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions and you’d like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

On this episode, I am joined by Laurie Peterson.  Laurie is the owner and director of Diagnostic Learning Services in Plano, Texas.  Laurie and her group assess and diagnose students and adults with ADHD, Dyslexia, and other learning disabilities.  Laurie was diagnosed with ADHD in her late 20s.

In this conversation, you will hear Laurie and I discuss the battery of diagnostic assessments she administered to me.  You will hear us discuss the verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, processing speed, and memory assessments I took.  We describe what these tests are, and what my results tell Laurie.

Connect with Laurie Peterson:

Website - http://Diagnostic-Learning.com

You’ll Learn:

• [04:08] - Laurie shares her ADHD story.  
• [06:37] - Laurie talks about how she views and approaches the diagnosis when she meets with people.  
• [09:02] - I describe the battery of tests that Laurie did with me.
• [09:56] - Laurie explains why she looks at verbal comprehension when assessing for ADHD.  This leads to a discussion on how I am more of an “audio reader.”
• [14:23] - Laurie puts the scoring of these texts into context, and how scores can improve.
• [17:14] - We discuss how “verbal regulation” is where impulsivity and the organizing of ideas meet.
• [18:08] - Laurie talks about some vocational options for people who score higher in verbal comprehension testing.
• [19:20] - I scored in the “very average” range of perceptual reasoning. I explain why this surprised me.  Laurie explains this realm of the testing.
• [24:52] - Laurie talks about vision therapy, which retrains the muscles in your eyes.
• [32:01] - The next domain we cover is “working memory.”
• [37:43] - Processing speed is a domain in which I scored “below average.”  Laurie explains that score is common for people with ADHD.
• [43:18] - Coding and symbol search were two subsets that I didn’t enjoy.  I explain why I struggled with these.
• [46:42] - Laurie explains the adult memory test.
• [51:00] - Laurie describes the kind of background information she gathers.
• [53:00] - Laurie shares a few areas where my wife and I have different perceptions of my skills.
• [57:07] - I confess I thought, “What if I don’t have ADHD?”  Laurie confirms that I do have ADHD.

Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles:

http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired

ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group

Registration for the winter session of our ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group is now in full swing. The next registration event is Thursday, November 29th at 3pm Central.  To learn more or RSVP for the group registration, go to http://CoachingreWired.com.  

Support the podcast on Patreon

Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me.  With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks.  One perk example is our Patreon-only Adult Study Hall. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired

ADHD reWired Facebook Group:

If you would like to join the ADHD reWired secret Facebook group, go to EricTivers.com/community and fill out an application.

Productivity Q&A

Get your ADHD questions answered live!  These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 pm.  Go to http://erictivers.com/events.

Want to be a guest?

Hey, What about you?  Do you have a story? Are you a Coach?  Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions and you’d like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

This episode is part of a four-episode series of mastermind session.  A mastermind group is a concept that comes from the book, Think and Grow Rich.  We have implemented this concept into our ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups. Alumni of our coaching groups have the opportunity to work with me as “addmins,” and those members get an entire hour to sit in the hot seat in our mastermind sessions.

This week, Natalie is sitting in the mastermind hot seat.  Natalie has recently experienced some pretty significant life changes.  This has allowed her to step back and determine what she wants to do with her life.  In this conversation, you will hear us walk through some of these things with Natalie.  

You’ll Learn:

• [04:22] - We check in with Dan’s progress since his time in the hot seat.  
• [05:57] - Dianna shares that she is making progress.  She has set up a sleep study.
• [07:20] - Sandra says that she needs to listen to her hot seat session again because she had so many great things to work on.
• [09:34] - Natalie provides us some backstory.  She has recently moved and is in a bit of a reset stage in life.  
• [11:12] - Natalie finds herself overwhelmed by many tasks, and she lists a few things that aren’t overwhelming her.  She provides us with some examples of things she needs to do.
• [13:05] - Natalie opens her routine app, Fabulous.  I encourage her to screenshot the app and then make that her home screen image to remind her to adjust things.
• [14:52] - I ask Natalie if she could join a professional or networking group.  
• [16:42] - Natalie explains that she’d like to hire a personal trainer and start working out in the mornings.
• [21:21] - Natalie says she feels weird having a masters degree and living at home with her parents.
• [22:43] - Dianna asks Natalie if she’s done a brain dump.
• [25:06] - Natalie discusses one YouTube habit she would like to create.
• [31:42] - We realize that Natalie’s morning routine is more like a morning menu.  I share with her that she needs to create habits, not routines.
• [35:45] - I encourage Natalie to keep things basic, for the purpose of getting started.
• [41:58] - Natalie talks about the first video she will be producing.  
• [46:41] - Earlier in the conversation, Natalie said she would like to travel the country for four months.  She talks about the conflict between this and working a job, and the type of work she is considering.
• [50:46] - Natalie says her lack of routine is what’s holding her back right now.  
• [53:39] - Natalie talks about needing to find online work in order to accomplish her goal of being mobile.
• [59:10] - Natalie shares that she is trying to find herself after the end of her marriage.
• [1:03:48] - I suggest to Natalie that she write a letter.
• [1:07:00] - Dan takes a few seconds to give Natalie some encouragement to get started.

Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles:

http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired

ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group

Registration for the winter session of our ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group is now in full swing. The next registration event is Thursday, November 29th at 3pm Central.  To learn more or RSVP for the group registration, go to http://CoachingreWired.com.  

Support the podcast on Patreon

Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me.  With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks.  One perk example is our Patreon-only Adult Study Hall. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired

ADHD reWired Facebook Group:

If you would like to join the ADHD reWired secret Facebook group, go to EricTivers.com/community and fill out an application.

Productivity Q&A

Get your ADHD questions answered live!  These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 pm.  Go to http://erictivers.com/events.

Want to be a guest?

Hey, What about you?  Do you have a story? Are you a Coach?  Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions and you’d like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

This episode is the recording of October’s live Q&A.  The questions answered in this episode were submitted by listeners of this podcast, both ahead of time and live.  Brendan Mahan once again joins me on this Q&A. On this episode, you will hear Brendan, and I talk with a few listeners and read some questions that had been submitted.  We talk about ADHD and substance abuse, a child with ADHD who becomes emotionally sensitive with redirection, and something we label, “procrastappointment.”

You can listen to our live Q&A sessions on the second Tuesday of every month at 1:30 pm Eastern.  Join Brendan Mahan and me as we answer your questions live. You can register at http://ADHDreWired.com/events.

Connect with Brendan Mahan

ADHD Essentials Podcast

You’ll Learn:

• [11:26] - Erica brings up the topic of ADHD and substance abuse.  Brenden and I share our experiences as smokers.
• [24:04] - Sarah asks if there is a term for her type of procrastination.  We invent one called “procrastappointment.” We share some tips on getting out of this pattern, including not taking appointment cards!
• [33:38] - Marisol recently had parent-teacher conferences.  The teacher asked about her daughter’s emotional sensitivity.  Brendan shares some of his expertise with this situation.
• [40:49] - Marisol wonders how to teach her daughter that redirections are not a failure.
• [47:20] - Rachel asks about self-guided learning and online classes with an ADHD brain.  I share that I consider this to be “registering for good intentions.” Brendan talks about how to create the structure to be successful in this type of endeavor.
• [51:07] - Sarah asks if we have figured out how to slow down our lives.  I believe she has taken the first step by asking that question. I encourage anyone in this situation to decrease overwhelm by saying “no” like we are passing out candy on Halloween.

Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles:

http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired

ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group

Our next registration event for the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group is this Thursday, November 15th at 11am Central.  This session starts January 7th. To learn more or RSVP for the group registration, go to http://CoachingreWired.com.  

Support the podcast on Patreon

Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me.  With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks.  One perk example is our Patreon-only Adult Study Hall. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired

ADHD reWired Facebook Group:

If you would like to join the ADHD reWired secret Facebook group, go to EricTivers.com/community and fill out an application.

Productivity Q&A

Get your ADHD questions answered live!  These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 pm.  Go to http://erictivers.com/events.

Want to be a guest?

Hey, What about you?  Do you have a story? Are you a Coach?  Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions and you’d like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.

This episode is part of a four-episode series of mastermind session.  A mastermind group is a concept that comes from the book, Think and Grow Rich.  We have implemented this concept into our ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability groups. Alumni of our coaching groups have the opportunity to work with me as “addmins,” and those members get an entire hour to sit in the hot seat in our mastermind sessions.

This week, Dan sits in the hot seat.  In this conversation, you will hear Dan talk about over-committing.  He explains why he has a hard time saying “no,” but this results in sometimes not meeting the deadlines.  Dan has a major traveling project coming up, and this situation is the foundation of this discussion.  

You’ll Learn:

• [8:48] - Dan sets up this conversation and shares that he struggles with overcommitment.
• [11:44] - Diana asks if Dan has traveled in the trailer before. Dan also talks about setting expectations at work vs. expectations outside of work.
• [15:14] - I ask Dan how often he ignores the little voice in his head. Dan believes he can be intentional about giving the little voice time to pop up.
• [17:10] - I share that having a Plan B doesn’t take much time, and the reward is great. Dan talks about his Plan B.
• [19:08] - Dan explains that he needs to learn how not to say “yes.”
• [20:18] - Sandra wants to know what Dan has done with this RV project, and how he prioritizes the tasks.
• [24:31] - Sandra asks more about contingency plans when working with the list.
• [25:32] - Dan says that there are not hard-stops in their schedule unless it’s for a meeting.
• [26:39] - Dan says that his list is written in a shared note-taking app that he and his wife can use.
• [29:54] - Natalie asks Dan if he has considered getting an antenna to boost his cell phone signal. She also asks for examples of little things that need to be done in the house that overwhelm him.
• [34:15] - I ask Dan for some time-frame dates. I challenge Dan to consider what he would do if he had no time or less time to prepare.
• [38:58] - Natalie reminds Dan that friends will be coming into his house so that they will be more understanding than a customer.
• [40:38] - After Dan talks about envisioning looking what “done” looks like. I talk about the difference between a due date and a done date.
• [49:45] - I ask Dan what the situation would be if he had to tell someone he can’t do something or hit a deadline he committed to.
• [51:50] - I ask Dan to consider what carries more weight, the current satisfaction of saying “yes,” or the future disappointment of not being able to meet the deadline.
• [52:46] - Dan explains how it’s possible to build a reputation as the go-to guy, but then expectations can hurt your career.
• [54:53] - Dan shares that he would be receptive to a suggestion that he seek assistance with a task. I draw a link between Dan’s perfectionism and self-worth.
• [58:54] - Diana talks about her own personal experience in the area of self-worth. Dan shares what he wants to gain from this journey. 
• [1:02:46] - I used to say “yes” to everything, and this brought me stress from being overwhelmed. I changed my default answer to “no.”
• [1:07:22] - Natalie suggests bringing yourself back to the big picture and asking why you want to do something.
• [1:10:37] - Natalie brings up Dan’s wife and kids. Dan shares an experience from his ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group.
• [1:14:33] - Dan admits that he is scared.
• [1:17:12] - I share how I threatened myself with Workaholics Anonymous.
• [1:18:55] - Dan shares his takeaways from this conversation. 

Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles:

http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired 

ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group

Our next registration event for the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group is November 15th at 11am Central.  This session starts January 7th. To learn more or RSVP for the group registration, go to http://CoachingreWired.com. 

Support the podcast on Patreon

Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me.  With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks.  One perk example is our Patreon-only Adult Study Hall.  Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired

ADHD reWired Facebook Group:

If you would like to join the ADHD reWired secret Facebook group, go to EricTivers.com/community and fill out an application.

Productivity Q&A

Get your ADHD questions answered live!  These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 pm.  Go to http://erictivers.com/events.

Want to be a guest?

Hey, What about you?  Do you have a story?  Are you a Coach?  Are you an ADHD Clinician?  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions and you’d like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.