Latest / Quick Wins for ADHD Moms - Short Episodes, Real Solutions for Burnout and Overwhelm / Your ADHD Story Has More Power Than You Think with Jakara and Shanta

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Your ADHD Story Has More Power Than You Think with Jakara and Shanta · Quick Wins for ADHD Moms - Short Episodes, Real Solutions for Burnout and Overwhelm

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: You're listening to Quick Wins for ADHD moms.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, I'm Jessica Lynn Lewis.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_02: Today I'm joined by Jakara Easton, Executive Director of Mindful Choices for ADHD, and also Dr.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_02: Shante Whitaker.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_02: She's the Chief Science Officer at Mindful Choices.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_02: They joined the podcast today to talk about the gaps in ADHD care, what advocacy looks like from the inside, and one concrete step any mom can make this week to have your voice heard.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_02: And if you're listening to this when it first releases, we're talking about it later in the conversation.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_02: But coming up next Wednesday, June 17th, 2026, at 1230 Eastern, Mindful Choices is holding a free virtual summit called Young Adults with ADHD Lost in Transition.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's completely free.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_02: I would absolutely love for you to be able to access this and join this, especially if you have a child entering adulthood.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_02: But the things we're talking about is helpful for all of us with ADHD.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: So I'll make sure to put a link in the show notes so you can access that virtual summit.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_02: And so that you can also check out choices for adhd.org.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I'll link that to the top of our website too, the adhdmom.com.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, let me stop talking.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_02: Let's jump into the conversation with Jakara and Shanta.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we're so excited to have Jakara and Shonta on the show today.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna hear a little bit more about who they are and what they're involved with.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_02: But today, for right now, we're gonna start off with a quick win for an ADHD mom.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: So, Jakara, I know we kind of talked about this before.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_02: I'd love to hear your quick win.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, of course.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: Before we talk about mindful choices, just want to share something listeners can do today.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: The quick win is start a conversation with your elected officials.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_01: I think a lot of people think you have to be a policy expert and you have to wait until there's something that you need.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: You don't.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: Many people assume that policymakers are inaccessible.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: But meaningful advocacy starts with a simple email or a phone call.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: Introduce yourself, share your family's experience, and help policymakers understand what ADHD looks like in the real world.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_02: They're more accessible than you think.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um and is that like a specific policy, like a specific can you go to your like local representative or your state senate?
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_02: You know, who do you start with first?
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the great thing is you have so many elected officials that represent you from um somebody, maybe a city council member to a mayor to your Congress uh person to your senator.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: They all have local offices and they all have people in those offices that are specifically there to hear what their constituents have to say.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: Because at the end of the day, they represent you and your family.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: And in order to do that, they need to learn and hear from you and your family.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, to know what's going on in their own community.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: And I know this is more of a nationwide, worldwide thing talking about ADHD.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I would love to hear a little bit more about each of you, um, whoever would like to go first.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, just who you are and why mindful choices for ADHD?
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: You know, how did this come about?
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, definitely.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'll introduce myself briefly.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: My name is Shakara Eason.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_01: I am the executive director of Mindful Choices for ADHD.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I came into this work because I've spent most of my career helping patients and families and caregivers, clinicians, you know, really engage with policymakers on issues that affect their daily lives.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: And what became clear to me is that ADHD is one of the most misunderstood conditions in public policy, despite affecting millions of individuals and families.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: So as I listened to the ADHD community, I saw a real need for a place where those voices could come together and help shape the conversations happening at a national level.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what drew me to mindful choices.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, personally, I believe that people that are most affected by policy decisions should have a seat at the table.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm really passionate about bringing those people together and making sure that they are heard.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you so much for having me today.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I'm so fascinating with fascinated with how you're doing that as well.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, just a quick follow-up question is how did you get involved with the the policy part of things?
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_01: I will say I will say I fell into it a little bit.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: I think when I grew up, I didn't think that I was going to be in policy.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I really wanted to work in marketing and events, uh, funny enough.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: And what I realized is all of that is about bringing people together and bringing us and having a space for people to do that, whether it's virtually, whether that's in person.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: And I think the change into advocacy didn't sound like such a big leap when I think about what I'm doing now, which is the same thing as convening people, as bringing people together for, in my mind, a greater good.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: So the the leap from doing marketing and events to then just creating different spaces on the hill or in policy for people to talk seemed like a natural fit.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: And as I got more invested in healthcare and the things that affect my family and other families, I realized that there was really a need to convene people through policy reasons.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_02: Love that.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_02: And then Shanta, how how did you become part of the picture?
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_02: You know, what is your background and what are you passionate about?
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so again, thank you for having us.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um my name is Shanta Whitaker.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: I am the chief science officer for Mindfield Choices.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: And for me, it's the same.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's a, you know, ADHD is so misunderstood.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: And for me, as a scientist by training, um being in the policy space has been amazing because it helps me be able to kind of speak the language of folks that have been in the lab, who are in academia, who are at the industry, and help them see how policy can help them translate the work that they're doing within the lab and help them, you know, help policymakers see how important it is.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: So it's been really great for me to be able to convene some of the greatest experts within ADHD, people who have lived experience like you, Jessica, who are on the ground, who are, you know, living with ADHD and, you know, experiencing what it means to have ADHD and just having conversations and figuring out the best way to help message that so we can make sure that people with ADHD have access to all the tools on the toolkit that they need to manage their ADHD.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_02: And you both had mentioned it's something that is it's kind of hidden.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you really don't know much about this.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_02: And I think with with neuroscience, we're we're learning a lot more about the brain and how the brain works.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_02: And there's a lot of late diagnosed women now who have ADHD and they're like, it looks, it presents differently in so many different people.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, putting policy around what this looks like, because it didn't look like hyperactive little boys, you know, 20 years ago, and like, all right, well, we kind of know what we want to do with that.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_02: What does this look like now?
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um for someone who is listening and they've never heard of mindful choices for ADHD, can you explain you've already explained kind of what you do, but um just dive into that a little bit more about you know the future of where you see this going and how how you'd love to um what would you like to see happen?
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that's a great you know, segue for me to introduce mindful choices a little more fully, and it came really out of those conversations and the the what you just said about how there's so much that we don't know.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: So mindful choices was created following a summit last year, um, the National Leadership Summit on the Appropriate Use of ADHD treatments, um, because we realized that a lot of those important conversations about ADHD were happening in separate silos.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: So families, clinicians, researchers, educators, um, advocates, and even policymakers recently were starting to have different conversations.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: And it seemed like everyone was working to a similar goal, but rarely had opportunities to learn from one another.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and after the summit, we realized there was a need for an ongoing space where the ADHD community could come together, share perspectives, discuss challenges, and then explore solutions and policy solutions to be specific.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so Mindful Choices was born out of that need.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we saw an opportunity to create a trusted space where science, lived experience, and policy could come together at a time when I think we all can know that the national conversation around ADHD is growing louder and more visible.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: So, really, our goal at Mindful Choices is to create a place where those conversations can happen and then help translate what we're learning into policies, practices, and resources that improve the lives of people living with ADHD and those who support them.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I think what I want to make clear about our organization, um, there are a lot of amazing organizations out there doing important work to help people living with ADHD and their families, providing resources, education, and even community when people need it most.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: But there are very few organizations that's focused on helping policymakers understand ADHD and the real world impact their decisions can have on individuals and families.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: When we meet with congressional offices and some of those leaders, we often find that there's a significant knowledge gap around ADHD, what it is, what it isn't, how it affects people across the lifespan, and what supports are actually needed.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's important to know that every family is impacted by policy, whether they realize it or not.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: Policy affects access to specialists, insurance coverage, diagnostic tools, medication, school support, research funding, all of that.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: So mindful uh choices is really here to serve as a bridge between the ADHD community and policymakers.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: We're take we take what we're hearing from families, uh clinicians, and and all of the community and bring those perspectives directly into policy conversations.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: Where do you think you see the gap between, you know, you mentioned the silos.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_02: And so, and you there's conversations happening around and they're all kind of having the same idea and different silos.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_02: What are some common threads that you see to be able to bridge that gap?
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: I think what's really interesting is that we always talk about it.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: If you know one person with ADHD, you know one person with ADHD.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: And because it presents in so many different ways, um, and there are so many different um inroads to how someone is uh starting their journey, that makes it a little difficult and creates those silos.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it creates those moments where people feel alone because their journey doesn't look like someone else's, so they can't really find that connectivity.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: But at the end of the day, there is um there is ADHD, you know, and that is the common ground.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: The people are dealing with this journey and going through this journey however they are, where no matter where they started, no matter how they got introduced to it, no matter where they got diagnosed, no matter, you know, the supports they have, the the connection is that ADHD is real and people are being affected by it.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: And then everybody in the community has the right to have access to the appropriate care and treatment that they deserve.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: And that is the common ground, uh, I think with everyone in the community is that no matter whether you're struggling with um ADHD yourself or you have a loved one that you're caring for, everyone deserves that same um care and management, and they deserve to get the best of those.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: And we all deserve to understand the research behind it, what's going on.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_01: We deserve to have our policymakers talking about it to put make sure that everyone has the best life that they can live, possibly with ADHD.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_01: And that is the common ground.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone's working towards making life better for the ADHD community.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's the connected tissue between all of those different pieces.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_02: Very well said and explained.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um, Shanta, can you tell us a little bit about, you know, the the data behind this?
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_02: You know, are there interesting things that you're finding through data and talking to the, you know, different clinicians and psychiatrists, you know, you're kind of bringing in all the information from all these different places.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_02: Have you seen anything that really piques your interest?
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think what really piques my interest is sort of what we're going to be focusing on for our summit series.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so what we've learned from just talking to our steering committee is that there is a huge gap on once a person who, you know, a child with ADHD is then transitioning to leave the home to either enter the workforce or go to college.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: And so we're finding that a lot of people just don't discuss that because, you know, there's still this belief that ADHD ends when you stop being a child.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: And so being able to have an interesting conversation that we're gonna have later this month around young adults with ADHD, um, I think um that is a very interesting topic.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm looking forward to really um delving into it soon.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_02: That's amazing.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_02: So, how do people, you know, moms listening, how can they get involved with mindful choices for ADHD?
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_02: I know that you love collecting stories and you love hearing from families and what's going on.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_02: So, how can they get plugged into what you're doing?
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_01: Of course.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's a lot of different ways that um I think people can get involved.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we invite everyone to join the Mindful Choices community and stay connected through our mailing list.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_01: We often send out a lot of updates, policy updates, uh, things I think people should know as they're navigating their own journey.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um we encourage people to participate in our summit series and future programs, as Shantra was just mentioning.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um we want our community members to help shape future conversations and identify areas where additional education, advocacy, and policy work are needed.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, we at Mindful Choices, we don't know everything.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_01: So we really count on our community members to tell us what's going on.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: And the way that we encourage people to do that is to share their stories with us.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: You know, real world experiences help inform our work and help policymakers better understand the challenges and relate and help them find opportunities that will help the ADHD community.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_01: So as our advocacy efforts grow, there will be additional opportunities for community members to engage directly in those policy conversations.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_01: But we really just encourage people to go to our website, sign up for our mailing list, and just stay connected.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because I think, again, that's what Mindful Choices was brought to do.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: Well, what we were designed to do was to connect people and um connect the community.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: So the many, as many people as we can get in the community, um, that would be great so that we can learn just so more so much more.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_02: You know, when I think sometimes when I think of being connected with policymakers and you think government and you think, you know, you're trying to navigate this, and that government's, you know, big pharmacy is just connected to government and all this money.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_02: And then so if I'm gonna get treated for ADHD and it's only gonna be through like medicine or whatever, how what are how do you navigate that conversation?
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_02: Because I know you're so much more than that, and there's so many other treatments involved.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_02: And so how do you um not just be lumped into this, oh, it's it's government?
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_01: That's really hard.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_01: And I think what I have learned um through a lot of different advocacy um efforts and conversations I've had is a lot of people forget that policymakers and their staff are people.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_01: They're human.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I do think we can get swept up in the conversation of what does this mean for dollars and what does this mean for X?
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: But when you're going in and talking to your policymaker, they're not seeing a dollar sign on top of your head.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_01: They're seeing the person that you are and the life that you're bringing and the story that you're telling them.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of policy actually, people think it's um um influenced by a lot of different factors.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: The most important policy decisions and legislation that I've seen, reasons that um policymakers um support things are because they can remember a time where someone came in their office and said, if you pass this bill, this will happen to my family.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: If you don't pass this bill, this is what's going to happen.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_01: The this is the direct um impact of what you're doing in your office to my life, um, your constituent.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that is the most um, that's the moment where people realize that's the light bulb moment of saying this person is, this policymaker is just a person.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_01: They have a wife, they have a husband, they have a partner, they have a family member, they have someone that can relate to what I am discussing right now.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_01: And one of the most striking things when we go into offices and we start talking to people about ADHD, oftentimes the staffer themselves that we're meeting with will say, Oh, I have ADHD, or I um my best friend does, or my mom, you know, works with um children living with ADHD.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: Someone has a connection that makes it real.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because at the end of the day, this is real.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_01: These are real lives, these are real uh people that are telling their stories.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_01: So it is easy to get swept up in the news and the conversation, but at the heart of it all, this is all about actual lives.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_01: And the more you can go into an office and talk to your policymaker to bring them down a little bit and let them know like you are actually talking about people.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: You are talking about my life, you are talking about my child's life.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because I do think sometimes we can forget that, but at the heart of it all, that is what moves policy, that's what shapes um what's happening in the day-to-day life is go and talk to your policymakers and remember make them remember you and your story and make them remember that this is about human lives.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_02: I love that because in an age where there's so much artificial intelligence and people are distracted and they're in their own little silos and they're, you know, just on their phone or they're reading all of this information on ADHD from thousands of other people who we we talk about like misinformation all the time.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_02: You know, what is the misinformation?
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_02: But I love that you're like, look, we're human.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_02: We're all we're all together on this, we're trying to figure it out.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_02: And there's many different ways that we can figure it out.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_02: Um I just I love that support and the very human connection that we can have for this.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um Shanta, I know you've been working on the Virtual Summit.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_02: Can you lean into that just a little bit more and talk about um the Virtual Summit?
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_02: I know um I'm going to be releasing this before that so that the information's out there as well, and people can know about mindful choices for ADHD and the things that you're doing.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_02: But um maybe talk a little bit about this one, and then you have some other things kind of coming up as well.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we sure do.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and we're very excited about it.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: So our summit series for this year is entitled Thriving in Transition, Reimagining ADHD Care for Young Adults.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so our first session will kick off on June 17th at 12:30 um p.m.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_00: Eastern Standard Time.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it will focus on young adults with ADHD lost in transition.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_00: And so we're very excited to kind of explore what happens when a person transitions from being at home to going into the workforce or going to college.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we want to look at some of the impacts of diversion within this, especially for students.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, there is a lot of self-medication occasionally.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, also what happens when a student or a young adult moves into a new peer group and some of the benefits and consequences of that, um, as well as, you know, there's sort of like a we kind of um, you know, what happens to the care?
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes, you know, a child has great, you know, access to care to manage their ADHD while they're at home.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_00: But then when they go off, some of that may not get transferred or translated, and maybe they move out the area and then have to establish new care.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, there's also sometimes stigma associated with care.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: So sometimes, you know, those with you know, young adults with ADHD, they get in new peer groups who may not be familiar with.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: With ADHD.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: And so they may feel like they have to hide the fact that they have ADHD and may not seek care.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: So we're hoping to just, you know, really have a great conversation around sort of what falls through the cracks with young adults when they have ADHD.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: And then for our second session, which will occur on July 22nd from 1230 Eastern Standard Time, we're going to really focus on all the tools in the toolkit that those young adults with ADHD have to successfully transition and manage their ADHD.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: And we're very excited to really dive into, you know, how they get the appropriate care.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to talk a little bit about, you know, sleep, nutrition, exercise, executive function, coaching.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to talk about behavioral therapy, all the other, you know, all the interventions that are available to help a young adult manage their ADHD.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: And we're looking forward to having a really robust conversation.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_00: And we're looking forward to having you, Jessica, on our first session to share your experience.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it'll be a really good conversation.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_02: I'm really looking forward to that.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_02: There's so much to learn.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I think because I have had ADHD and my daughter just she's 19 and off into the workforce.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's really fresh.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_02: And I think, gosh, I did it.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_02: But what if, but what if what if I had behavioral therapy or understand that I need sleep instead of staying up all night, or understand that the peer groups are going to change, and how can I be myself with a new group?
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_02: And how, you know, all of those things these kids are are trying to figure out.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I don't I don't know.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know because I that's how I was back then.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_02: So ha as a parent, it's hard to help guide her because I don't know what I don't know.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_02: And so these conversations are are gonna be fabulous.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_02: And I love that it's grounded in science.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_02: Of course, it's grounded science and and uh human conversation.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_02: So thank you guys so much for being on the show today.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_02: I really appreciate it.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_02: I like I love the heart behind it.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I'm so thankful that Shanta, you found me and we connected.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, the first time we zoomed, I was like, she's really cool.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_02: Like I really, really love what she's all about.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_02: And then she introduced me to Jakara and then the whole steering committee.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_02: And it's just like I am surrounded by amazing people.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_02: Like, how did I even get here?
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_02: So I just go ahead.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_01: I'll just say, like, one thing I've learned through this work is that so many people are having similar experiences.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I think it's important for people to know that you're not alone in the challenges that you're facing.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, there's an entire community of families, of uh educators, of advocates working towards better solutions.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I think while there's a lot of conversations happening about ADHD right now, I really want people to understand this is an opportunity.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: People are paying attention now more than ever.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_01: And the challenges to just make sure those conversations are informed by the science, are informed by the lived experience.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: But there's a real opportunity here for people to tell their stories.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, if I could leave one thing uh with listeners is that your experience matters.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, whether you're a parent, a caregiver, an educator, a clinician, someone living with ADHD yourself, or even just someone just trying to figure it all out, uh, your perspective matters and it really helps shape the future of care and support.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I think it's really important that we all stay engaged with each other, we stay connected and be a part of the conversation because if you're not a part of it, it's going to keep happening with or without you.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_01: So why not join the conversation?
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_02: That's wonderful.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_02: So where can people find you?
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, our uh website is choices for adhd.org.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: You can find us there.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_01: And then um, we also have a LinkedIn for those that would like to follow us on there, Mindful Choices for ADHD.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_01: And then as we continue to grow and the community continues to grow with us, there'll be additional opportunities and ways to connect with us through events and other um and other things.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_01: But really just going to our website, signing up for our community list, and just just talking to us.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: We love to talk.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, and and they're very easy to talk to.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you so much again, Jakara and Shanta, for being on this show.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_02: We appreciate you.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for having me.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having us.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for listening to Quick Wins for ADHD moms.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_02: I'm so glad that you're here.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_02: Be sure to sign up for the ADHD mom emails.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_02: You can do that at the ADHD mom.com so you don't miss a resource or a free course.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_02: Or I just actually added 20 free AI prompts to help your ADHD brain.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_02: When you feel stuck, plug those in and figure out how you can redesign your your space or what is stopping you from moving forward.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_02: The emails are just a great way to stay connected.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_02: Again, you can visit theadhd mom.com for more.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_02: All right, I'll see you next time.