Episode 27: When Emotions Get Big: Meltdowns, Outbursts, and Our Response

Episode 27: When Emotions Get Big: Meltdowns, Outbursts, and Our Response

Big emotions can feel overwhelming for children with ADHD and for the adults supporting them. In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor explores the deeper reasons behind meltdowns, classroom disruptions, impulsive behaviors, and emotional outbursts.  Rather than viewing these moments as simply “bad behavior,” Dr. Taylor encourages parents and educators to look at the whole child and ask an important question: What’s driving the behavior?  She discusses how emotional dysregulation, attention-seeking, academic frustration, peer dynamics, impulsivity, and sensory or movement needs can all contribute to disruptive behavior. More importantly, she shares practical strategies for responding with calm, structure, and understanding while still maintaining healthy expectations and boundaries. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why emotional regulation is such a challenge for many children with ADHD * How to identify triggers and patterns behind meltdowns and outbursts * The difference between attention-seeking and regulation struggles * Practical classroom and parenting strategies that actually help * How movement, sensory supports, and academic adjustments can reduce behavioral challenges * Why staying calm and curious matters more than reacting emotionally This conversation is filled with compassionate insight and realistic tools for parents, teachers, and caregivers navigating big emotions and challenging moments. 📄 Download the companion worksheet + episode guide here. [https://tishtaylor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ADHD-Connect-Podcast_-Ep.-27-Worksheet-Big-Emotions.pdf] 🎙️ Hosted by Dr. Tish Taylor | ADHD Connect Podcast

Episode 26: When The Class Clown Get Center Stage

When the class clown takes center stage, it’s easy to focus on stopping the behavior, but what if the behavior is telling us something important? In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor explores why some students with ADHD become disruptive in the classroom and how parents, teachers, and school professionals can better understand the behavior’s underlying causes. Is it attention-seeking? Impulsivity? Academic frustration? Peer dynamics? Boredom?  Dr. Tish walks through the underlying causes and explains why identifying the “why” behind the behavior completely changes the intervention.  You’ll hear practical strategies for: * Understanding classroom disruption through a functional lens * Recognizing patterns related to time, peers, and academic tasks * Supporting hyperactive and impulsive students more effectively * Using movement, structure, and reinforcement intentionally * Responding without escalating the behavior * Building collaboration between home and school This episode is part of the ADHD: The Social and Emotional Self series, where Dr. Tish takes a deeper look at the often-overlooked emotional, interpersonal, and behavioral experiences connected to ADHD. 📄 Download the companion worksheet + episode guide here. [https://tishtaylor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ADHD-Connect-Podcast_-Ep.-26-Worksheet-Class-Clown.pdf] 🎙️ Hosted by Dr. Tish Taylor | ADHD Connect Podcast

Episode 25: A New Focus - Understanding the Emotional World of ADHD

In this episode, Dr. Tish Taylor introduces season 2 and the deeper focus on the social, emotional, and relational aspects of ADHD. These are areas that are often talked about, but rarely explored in a comprehensive, practical way. From emotional regulation to peer relationships to a child’s internal experience of themselves, this season is about understanding what’s happening beneath the surface. You’ll hear real-life patterns that many families recognize: * The child who holds it together all day at school… then melts down at home * The growing distance in friendships and social struggles that are hard to explain * The frequent “I’m so bored” leaves parents and teachers unsure how to respond Dr. Taylor also shares key research insights, including large-scale meta-analyses that highlight challenges with emotional reactivity, peer functioning, and social processing in children with ADHD - reminding us that these struggles are not random, and they’re not a reflection of a child’s character. This episode sets the stage for a season focused on clarity, compassion, and practical strategies, so you can better understand your child and respond in ways that truly help.  Have a question or topic you’d like covered this season? Reach out and be part of the conversation at www.TishTaylor.com [https://tishtaylor.com/]!

Episode 24: Helping Kids with ADHD Manage Impulsivity

In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor explores one of the most common challenges for children and teens with ADHD: impulsivity. Impulsive behaviors can show up in many ways, including: * Blurting out or interrupting * Struggling with personal space * Attention-seeking behaviors * Acting without thinking through consequences While these moments can be frustrating, they’re also opportunities to teach important skills. In this episode, you’ll learn practical tools to help kids pause, think, and make more thoughtful choices: * “Stop, Think, Go” to support better decision-making * How to teach a social filter (thinking vs. saying) * Ways to reinforce positive behaviors * Simple strategies to help kids understand consequences * Tools to build perspective-taking and empathy Dr. Taylor also explores what may be driving impulsive behavior, including sensory needs, attention-seeking, and the desire to fit in with peers, so you can respond with more clarity and confidence. If you’re a parent, teacher, or caregiver, this episode will give you realistic, practical strategies you can start using right away.

Episode 23: Changing the ADHD Conversation at Home and School

How we talk about ADHD shapes how children understand themselves. In this episode of ADHD Connect, Dr. Tish Taylor [https://tishtaylor.com/] explores a question many parents and educators don’t often stop to ask: How are we thinking about ADHD, and is that way of thinking actually helping our kids? Some children hear messages like “I can’t help it, it’s my ADHD.” Others hear “You’re just making excuses.” Neither approach gives kids what they truly need to grow. Dr. Taylor explains a more helpful way to understand ADHD as a neurodevelopmental lag in executive functioning and attention, and why the goal isn’t lowering expectations, or pushing through with shame, but building capacity over time.  You’ll learn: * Why the language we use about ADHD matters * How a “not yet” mindset can shift motivation and confidence * What scaffolding means and how it helps children succeed * Practical examples of adjusting environments to support kids with ADHD * Why progress often happens when adults and children work together to find what works Dr. Tish Taylor [https://tishtaylor.com/] also discusses how other challenges, like anxiety, sleep issues, learning differences, or mood concerns, can sometimes be part of the picture and affect how ADHD shows up. This episode offers a calmer, more constructive framework: ADHD may make some things harder, but it doesn’t have to make them impossible. If you're a parent, educator, or caregiver trying to support a child with ADHD, this conversation will help you shift from frustration to strategy, and from limitation to possibility.