TPP 492: Laura Key on ADHD Aha Moments, Parenting, and Burnout

TPP 492: Laura Key on ADHD Aha Moments, Parenting, and Burnout

Author: Debbie Reber March 3, 2026 Duration: 34:12
Today’s conversation is a candid, honest look at what it’s really like to parent while navigating ADHD yourself. My guest is Laura Key, Vice President of Content Strategy at Understood.org and the host of the award-winning ADHD Aha! podcast. Laura was diagnosed with ADHD at 30, and she brings both professional insight and lived experience to this conversation as a mom raising two neurodivergent kids. Laura and I talk about the emotional labor so many mothers carry, the unique challenges parents with ADHD face, and why self-compassion is not optional—it’s essential. We dig into shame, burnout (both the quiet, everyday kind and the big, overwhelming kind), communication with partners, and the pressure that can come with framing ADHD as a “superpower.” This episode is an honest exploration of the joys and struggles of parenting with ADHD, and a reminder that you’re not alone in any of it. About Laura Key  Laura Key is Vice President of Content Strategy at Understood.org, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the 70 million people with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning and thinking differences in the United States. She's also the host of the award-winning ADHD Aha! podcast. Things you'll learn from this episode   How adult ADHD is often misread as anxiety at first, and why addressing one can illuminate the other Why late identification can bring both grief and relief after years of self-blame for brain-based differences How shame and invisible executive function demands can quietly dominate family life, especially for moms Why being great in a crisis but overwhelmed by daily details is a common—and misunderstood—ADHD pattern How burnout can show up as both “micro” and “macro” exhaustion, including frenetic busyness that masks collapse Why recovery often starts with basic regulation and more realistic self-expectations, not grand productivity plans Resources mentioned Understood.org Understood on Instagram Understood on LinkedIn ADHD Aha (podcast) Imposter Syndrome After a Lifetime of Hacking Her ADHD (Debbie with Laura on ADHD Aha) Understood’s podcast study on women, podcasts, and ADHD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children is a space for parents who are moving at the speed their kids require. Hosted by Debbie Reber, an author and activist who understands the terrain, this podcast offers more than just advice-it offers a sense of shared experience. Each episode delves into the real-world challenges and joys of raising children with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), giftedness, or twice-exceptional (2e) profiles. You’ll hear from specialists, educators, and therapists who provide actionable strategies, but the core of the conversation is always connection. Debbie guides discussions that move beyond theory to address the daily realities: managing meltdowns, advocating within school systems, nurturing a child’s unique strengths, and preserving your own well-being in the process. It’s a resource for those moments when standard parenting approaches fall short, offering insights that are both practical and deeply empathetic. Listening to this podcast feels like a conversation with a knowledgeable friend who gets it, one that leaves you with tangible ideas and the reassurance that you’re not navigating this path alone. The focus is on building a supportive framework for your family, one episode at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
Podcast Episodes
TPP 307a: Eliza Fricker Talks Parenting a Child with PDA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:55
Eliza Fricker joins me to talk about PDA or pathological demand avoidance – and in fact I know many people interpret PDA as persistent desire for autonomy. I’ve done a few episodes on PDA before but never from a parent’s…
TPP 504: Celia Bray on Staying Anchored in an Intense World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:13
Today we’re exploring what it means to reconnect with our bodies and how that can transform not just our emotional health, but our parenting and relationships as well, with Celia Bray, a psychologist, somatic therapist,…