Articles About LD & ADHD
Burnout is a term used to describe being in a state of shutdown. Symptoms of burnout vary from person to person; however, they often include fatigue, emotional numbness, body pains, increased or decreased sleep, and apathy.
Burnout can be understood through the Spoon Theory, an analogy created by Christine Miserandino to explain variations in physical, emotional, and mental energy. Everyone has a set amount of spoons per day. Everything you do takes a spoon. Burnout occurs when you have no spoons left and you are trying to continue. The good news is that learning how to recover from burnout is possible. The same skills that help with recovery can also be used as preventive care practices.
How Do You Rethink Burnout?
For both recovery and prevention, the first step is rethinking mental wellbeing as separate from physical wellbeing. Instead of being separate, mental and physical wellbeing are intertwined. Therefore, it is important to explore both your feelings (physical bodily reactions) and your emotions (labeling or categorizing these feelings). As a neurodivergent individual, your experiences may have been invalidated in the past. Therefore, reflecting on your feelings and emotions as an adult may be a new experience.
Getting To Know Your Feelings
Understanding your feelings as physical reactions is tied to your perception of your body. Depending on your neurological wiring, you may be more, or less, aware of your own body. This awareness of your body is called interoception. Interoception includes awareness of the variety of internal sensations in the body, such as heart rates, hunger, temperature and pain. Interoceptive feelings include:
- I recognize that I’m hot before sweating or cold before shivering.
- I regularly can feel my heartbeat.
- I notice discomfort before I become stiff or sore.
A person with high interoception would be hypersensitive of their physical sensations and could be easily overstimulated by them. For example, wearing clothing with tags feels painful. In contrast, a person with low interoception would not be aware of physical sensations until they become more extreme such as not noticing thirst until becoming dehydrated or not using the bathroom until it is urgent.
How Are Emotions Different From Feelings?
Emotions are tied to labeling and thinking. Emotions involve interpretations and meaning making; therefore, emotions are a cognitive activity. Cognitive emotions are often constructed by past experiences as well as current values and beliefs. Cognitive emotion awareness includes:
- I can identify the emotion I am feeling at any given time.
- I differentiate between similar emotions, such as frustration and disappointment.
- I can explain why I have a particular emotion.
A person with high cognitive emotional awareness might have intense emotional states, and may have multiple, complex and conflicting emotions at the same time. They may spend a lot of time thinking about their emotions, which can be overwhelming.
A person with low cognitive emotional awareness might struggle to explain or label their emotional state. They may have difficulty understanding causes of their emotions or impacts emotions have on them. For example, someone believing that nothing ever seems to bother them.
Mapping how you experience Interoceptive Feelings (IF) and Cognitive Emotions (CE) allows you to better identify the circumstances that impact your wellbeing.
A neuroinclusive, embodied approach to wellbeing means learning how to recognize your individual signs of distress and learning the skills to recover. In other words, you need an approach that helps you to identify when you are running low on spoons.
Helpful Tips
Here are few helpful tips to start you on this journey:
If you have Low Interoceptive Feelings: Body sensations may not be felt until they are overwhelming. As a result, you may not get physical warning signs of running out of spoons. In particular, individuals in hyperfocus or flow state are particularly prone to this challenge. External reminders for breaks or check-in can be a helpful tool. You may also have to proactively check-in with your body to help maintain your wellness during your flow states.
If you have High Interoceptive Feelings: With constant bodily feedback, high interoception individuals are likely to experience overstimulation that can result in burnout. You may find that reducing sensory input can help protect your spoons. For example, reducing stimulus in your environment or adjusting lighting may help save spoons for more critical tasks. Moreover, you may experience burnout first as physical feedback. You will likely find embodied activities, such as mindfulness, helpful when dealing with stress.
If you have Low Cognitive Emotions: You may have difficulty thinking about or labeling your emotions. Consider looking for physical cues that are commonly associated with emotions. For example, rapid heartbeat is often experienced with anxiety. You may want to try non-cognitive or non-verbal approaches to exploring feelings. For example, you might find art, music, and other ways of expression better reflect your understanding.
If you have High Cognitive Emotions: Since you can easily label and verbalize emotion, you might find you get overwhelmed in thoughts or talking about feelings. There are a multitude of ideas and meanings going on at once. You may find using structures for organizing and categorizing help make sense of your experiences. An example of this is using bullet journals. Similarly, verbal or cognitive strategies like reframing may help support your wellness.
Rebuilding Your Wellness
By recognizing the interconnection of the body and mind, you can better understand how to support your own wellness. Engaging in sensory explorative behaviours as children may have been discouraged or even punished by family, community, or school educators. Because of this, many neurodivergent people were taught to ignore or dismiss these experiences as children, leading to internalized stigma or shame as adults.
As an adult, you can build renewed awareness of your experience of feelings and emotions. Understanding your body/mind connections means learning how to recognize and recover from distress that uses up your spoons. You can help prevent burnout, support your wellbeing, and reach your goals by practicing ways to save your spoons for what is important to you.
About the Authors: Brenda McDermott is the Senior Manager of Student Accessibility Services at the University of Calgary. She completed her PhD in Communication Studies in 2015. As a lifelong learner, she returned to school to complete a Masters of Education in 2021. She has a passion for improving the student experience, exploring Generative AI tools, and discussing Universal Design for Learning.
Jess Lopez (they/them), is proudly neurodivergent and epupillan (Mapuche 2Spirit). Jess runs the Neurodiversity Support Office at Student Accessibility Services, University of Calgary, and pursues MEd graduate studies in Educational Research. Jess provides innovative, neuro-affirming, embodied approaches to wellbeing for students and educational training for staff and faculty to help foster a neuroinclusive campus community that values different ways of knowing and being.
If you look up the title above, you will be directed to resources for individuals with ADHD to advocate for themselves, make themselves better understood or make it easier for others to work with them. There are little to no resources out there for employers or organizations to better communicate with neurodivergent folks in order to make their workplaces more accessible.
I’ve had several conversations with adults who were diagnosed late in life with ADHD, and the common thread in these conversations is a sense that we can do better to make our collective communication more digestible. Two of the adults I consulted, who were diagnosed with Severe ADHD in their forties, gave me some actionable tips for written and verbal communication with neurodivergent individuals.
The ideas they conveyed were very similar, and they align with what research I actually could find. Using some of these tips will help neurodivergent and others digest information more readily.
Written Communication
Written communication should be concise. Long, languid texts are hard to follow, and folks can lose interest or focus on the topic, often because their working memory is overtaxed. Some ways to make text more accessible are:
- Emails or messages can be about just one topic
- Spacing, bolding keywords and colour coding information is helpful
- Bullet points and lists make details easier to consume
- Send just one version of an email or communication so as not to confuse people
- Try not to send blanket messages that may not apply to everyone
- Avoid large blocks of text and opt for smaller chunks
- Be direct in what you are communicating; subtlety may be lost
- Step by step lists or instructions, using numbers and clear instructions will be easier to digest than paragraphs
Verbal Communication
Verbal communication often requires a great deal of nuance. To ensure you are being understood and to make it easier for folks with ADHD, you can add some of the following tips to your toolbox.
- Be patient – make space of potential interruptions and digression
- Be clear in your meaning and what you are requesting
- Make space for follow up questions and clarifications
- List tasks or requests in a sequential order
- Try to understand the person’s communication style and adapt as you can
- Follow up with written communication if making a request or relaying important information so it can be referred back to later
- If someone discloses that they have ADHD, take note so they don’t have to remind you
- Make eye contact and be mindful of your body language
- Be prepared to monitor digressions and prompt people to return to the topic
These are just some ways that people can make communication more readily digestible for folks with ADHD and even other types of neurodivergence. Remember that reducing barriers wherever possible is good for all types of people, and it will make your workplace or organization a better place to work and get things done.
About the Author: Dara MacKay is a Calgary educational professional who has worked extensively in the post-secondary education sector and has been in education for over 20 years in many capacities. Dara is passionate about serving populations who experience barriers, working to reduce them and connect students with strategies and resources that help lead to success. Dara is a member of the Learning Disabilities & ADHD Network’s Supports for Adults Team.
If you are a parent of a child who has been recently diagnosed with ADHD or a learning disability, you have likely asked yourself, “How should I tell my child?”
The first step in talking to your child about their diagnosis is to speak with the professional who provided the assessment and ask them how they would explain it. As a psychologist, I try to keep explanations of learning disabilities and ADHD age-appropriate and strengths-based, and allow families to ask questions.
“We’ve learned that your brain is built differently and that’s ok. It makes some things easier and others more difficult, and now that we know, we can work with that.”
For all ages, it will be important to help the child understand what their strengths and challenges are and how to ask for help when needed. Having a diagnosis is an explanation for why certain things may be easier or more difficult for your child compared to their peers. It will also be important to strike a balance between providing support and supervision to your child when it is required and giving them a manageable level of independence to improve self-esteem and confidence as they mature.
How Do I Explain A Diagnosis?
An important part of explaining a diagnosis to a child (or to anyone for that matter) is to distinguish between the challenges that arise from the diagnosis and the child’s character. For example, ADHD has been well established as a medical condition that involves differences in brain functioning, particularly in the frontal lobe and cerebellum, and with the neurotransmitter dopamine.
It is important to explain to your child that ADHD does not mean that they are lazy or stupid or that they don’t care about doing well in school (or at home or with their friends), but rather, it is an actual difference in how their brain operates, which makes it hard for them to direct their attention to the right task, at the right time, with the right amount of energy.
Using a Simple Example: Wearing Glasses
We understand this difference between condition and character when we talk about other diagnoses. For example, most of us would not tell a person who is nearsighted to simply try harder to improve their vision. There is an actual difference with how their eyes work compared to someone with 20/20 vision and no amount of trying harder to see better is going to improve that. Instead, we recognize the difference and we provide the person with glasses or contact lenses so that they can see just as well as someone who isn’t nearsighted. Similarly for ADHD and learning disabilities, we can explain to children that we know they are trying their best and now that we also know their diagnosis, we can support them with additional targeted instruction, accommodations, and other supports at home, school, and in the community.
How Do I Actually Word This?
How you explain a diagnosis to your child will depend on many factors, such as their age, social-emotional maturity, and how the diagnosis specifically impacts their daily life. For younger children, it will still be important to explain the diagnosis to them but in terms that they can understand and that don’t overwhelm them. For teenagers, parents may also want to focus on having important discussions about relationships, safety (e.g., driving), and self-advocacy.
Explaining Brains by Dr. Liz Angoff offers scripts and other tools that parents can use. This page is specifically about explaining a diagnosis to a child.
Getting Rid of “Try Harder”
When we separate the child’s character from their ADHD or learning disability then we remove the shame and sense of defeat that often comes as a result from frequently being told to “try harder.” When we describe the diagnosis in a clear and fact-based manner, we separate the child from the condition and allow them to accept it and not to over-identify with it. Your child is much more than their ADHD or learning disability but their diagnosis is also a part of their lived experience that needs to be recognized, accepted, and supported.
About the author: Krista Forand, M.Ed., Registered Psychologist, of Compass Psychology, practices in Calgary and is a member of the Learning Disabilities & ADHD Network’s Supports for Adults Action Team. “Krista’s training and experience have primarily focused on working with youth and adults who, due to challenges with learning, attention, and social skills, have had difficulty achieving their potential. As a psychologist, she provides thoughtful and comprehensive psychoeducational assessments including learning assessments. This helps clients understand how they learn, process information and how they can help themselves achieve their goals.”
My ADHD Journey Through Chaos, Diagnosis and Imposter Syndrome
I was 30 when I received my ADHD diagnosis: Combined Type, Severity: High. For most of my life, I’d been battling an unseen adversary – like an elusive cryptid – leaving me perpetually exhausted, scattered, and questioning my worth. Receiving the diagnosis was both a relief and an awakening. It validated my struggles while forcing me to confront not only the challenges but also the deeply rooted imposter syndrome that had quietly shaped much of my identity.
My diagnosis also brought into focus a more painful reality: how ADHD fueled impulsivity, poor decision-making, and unhealthy relationship patterns. Perhaps most difficult to acknowledge was how being the eldest daughter – the default “third parent” to my younger sister – trapped me in a caregiving cycle I was never equipped to manage, especially with a mind constantly whirling in overdrive.
The Toll of “Trying Harder”
Growing up in a lower-income household, mental health conversations were virtually nonexistent. We valued hard work, survival, and resilience. My parents, stretched thin by work and bills, were focused on keeping the heat on rather than on introspection. We didn’t have labels like ADHD; instead, there was “just try harder” or “just pay more attention.” As the eldest daughter, I became a second caregiver by necessity, readily stepping into a role long before I understood its weight.
From an early age, I took care of my sister: cooking meals, helping with homework, and often shielding her from household tensions. At the time, caregiving felt natural, but in retrospect, it set a precedent that followed me into adulthood. Managing these responsibilities with undiagnosed ADHD drained me. I was disorganized, forgetful, and constantly overwhelmed. Every misplaced item or forgotten task reinforced a belief that I was fundamentally unreliable—not just as a sibling or daughter, but as a person. Still, I pushed through blinking back tears of frustration and self-loathing because failure wasn’t an option. My family depended on me to keep things going.
This responsibility became central to my identity. I coped by overcompensating through people-pleasing, masking my struggles, and pretending I had it all together. On the inside I felt like I was held together precariously with strips of duct tape, cartoonishly slapping them onto leaks only for another to burst through the walls.
Same at School
In school, I was the quintessential underachiever. I lived in a constant state of overload, frequently losing homework, missing first periods but managing to panic-write A+ essays the night before they were due. My clothes were always wrinkled from their strategic floor piles, my hair constantly one day past its best-before date. My shifts at my after-school job always started five minutes late for reasons I still can’t account for. No one – not even me – saw anything past laziness.
College magnified my imposter syndrome. As the first in my family to pursue and complete post-secondary education (not to mention only half of us had finished high school), I felt the crushing weight of expectation. I juggled a full-time job, a viciously abusive relationship, demanding classes, and the gnawing fear that I was only moments away from being exposed as a fraud. Every assignment submitted late felt like the one that would expose my acceptance as a mistake.
I compensated with an arsenal of alarms, sticky notes in odd places, and sheer willpower. So much so that I have not one but two anxiety disorders that I box breathe through regularly (a little-known side-effect of untreated ADHD). Through clenched jaws and gritted teeth, I was convinced that everyone else was better than me. They were smarter, more capable. Things just seemed…easier for them. It was as if we all had the same recipe, but my copy was missing a vital ingredient.
Who Could Ever Love Me?
Impulsivity shaped my adult life, especially in relationships. My emotions felt intense and consuming. I often fell hard and fast, craving connection and validation. Without school to provide structure, I threw myself into work, desperate to prove my worth while seeming “normal.”
Looking back, it’s clear how ADHD left me vulnerable to toxic relationships. My rejection sensitivity led me to tolerate mistreatment out of fear of being seen as inherently flawed. Familiar dynamics of emotional chaos mirrored my upbringing and felt strangely comforting, even when they crossed into abuse.
Partners who belittled me or weaponized my disorganization confirmed my deepest insecurities: that I was broken, unlovable, or, as one cruelly put it, “a Kmart Blue Light Special.” I convinced myself that working harder could make me worthy of love. Leaving toxic situations felt like personal failure, reinforcing the belief that I couldn’t manage even the simplest human experience.
A New Direction
My turning point came when a close friend shared her ADHD diagnosis. Her experiences – endless to-do lists, forgotten appointments, impulsive decisions – felt hauntingly familiar. Still, seeking help felt selfish and dramatic. I was supposed to be the responsible one.
By 29, burnout consumed me after years in a high-pressure career. Convinced my searing shame stemmed from laziness or lack of discipline, I finally sought help. The therapist patiently listened as I recounted a lifetime of chaos, perfectionism, and caregiving. Her eyebrows barely raised when I confessed that, after an intense 24-hour research spree, I impulsively dropped $250 on everything needed to own a guinea pig – only to discover, upon holding one for the first time, that I do not like guinea pigs. When she confirmed the diagnosis (suspiciously not long after the guinea pig story), I cried with relief.
Revelation
The diagnosis reframed my entire life. I wasn’t lazy or defective – my brain simply worked differently. Yet, the relief was tempered by grief: for lost opportunities, for years spent drowning under impossible expectations, and for potential I never believed I had.
With support, I began untangling these narratives. I learned that being supportive doesn’t mean sacrificing my well-being. I no longer equate rest with failure, and I push back against imposter syndrome, recognizing it as a voice from my past – not my present – though it still whispers that my ADHD diagnosis is an excuse. Therapy helped me recognize that voice for what it is: a lifetime of feeling inadequate despite managing far more than most people could handle.
Better Today
Today, I’m still learning. Imposter syndrome persists but has quieted. I rely on supportive tools like reminders, medication, and unconventional laundry organization systems. While things still slip through the cracks, I’ve accepted that this doesn’t diminish my worth.
Being diagnosed with ADHD didn’t fix me – but it allowed me to rewrite my story with compassion. I’m no longer defined by perfectionism or shame. Instead, I see myself with the kindness I once reserved only for others. After all, being human isn’t about never falling – it’s about learning to get back up.
About the Author: C Motz is a Calgarian sharing her personal journey of ADHD in support of others like her.
Managing your money can feel overwhelming, especially if you add the challenge of ADHD or a learning disability (LD.) With the right strategies and tools, you can create a budget and build good money habits that work for your brain.
Let’s look at some practical tips and tools to help simplify budgeting and build financial confidence. Building financial confidence can spill over to build confidence in other areas of your life, too.
Why is Budgeting Challenging?
For LD and ADHD brains, managing money can be a challenge. It often involves extra hurdles. The challenges of LDs or ADHD can affect how you process information, plan, and make decisions. All of these are essential for budgeting.
Challenges
Executive function challenges like planning, organizing, prioritizing, and staying focused can leave you overwhelmed by details. This can make tasks like balancing a chequebook, reviewing bank transactions or tracking expenses seem even more overwhelming.
Impulsivity and Emotional Spending
People with LD and ADHD often find themselves making impulsive decisions or engaging in emotional spending. That must-have purchase can lose its shine very quickly leading to guilt and regret. Emotional spending might also be a coping mechanism for stress, boredom, or because you are frustrated with money-related tasks.
The Overwhelm Factor
Traditional budgeting methods can often rely on detailed calculations and precise tracking. You might find it difficult to keep track of purchases or understanding interest rates. For those who are overwhelmed easily, these complex tasks can quickly lead to avoidance. The result? Missed payments, overdrafts, or too much month at the end of the money.
There is Good News
Despite these challenges, there are ways to create a budgeting system that works for you and your brain.
- Keep tasks simple.
- Use visual tools.
- Build in supports.
If you follow these steps, you can take control of your finances one step at a time.
Foundations of ADHD & LD-Friendly Budgeting
Creating a budget that works for different brains starts with keeping things simple and focusing on small, realistic actions. These simple tips can help to reduce the overwhelm and look at your needs.
Start Small
Begin with small steps to build your confidence:
- Start with one task. Track a single category, like groceries, instead of your entire budget.
- Plan to do a quick, weekly check-in on that one area instead of trying a full monthly review.
- Try using round numbers. Keep it simple. You can round up or down depending on the amount.
- Track you spending on a piece of paper. Tape it to your fridge to keep it visible.
What Tools Do You Need?
Choose tools to keep budgeting easy for you:
- If you are ready to try an app, look at apps like YNAB, Goodbudget and Mint. They can help with the math and give clear visuals.
- You can use spreadsheet templates with pre-set formulas that do the math for you.
- If you prefer a paper-based system, use large-font and color-coded templates to make them easier to work with.
Make It Visual
Both LD & ADHD brains might find that visual systems help keep information simple:
- Use color-coding for different expenses. For example, green for essentials, and red for extras.
- If you are comfortable with Excel, you can turn numbers into visuals using pie charts or bar graphs that show your spending instantly.
- You can try keeping your budget visible by keeping it on a bulletin board or on the fridge. You can also try using sticky notes as reminders.
Start small, use simple tools, and lean into visuals. You can create a budgeting system that feels possible and easy for you to do.
Managing Your Money
Managing money is not about perfection. It is about creating systems that work with your unique way of thinking. Here are some strategies that are simple and flexible. They are designed to make budgeting less overwhelming and more doable.
The “Rule of Three” Method
Instead of tracking every single expense, focus on three main areas:
- The Essentials: These are things like rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, and other must-haves.
- Your Savings: This is about building your emergency funds or saving for a vacation or a big purchase or special gifts.
- Fun Money: Use this for things you enjoy, like a coffee or something you might want.
This method helps you concentrate on the important things without feeling bogged down by details.
Automate When Ever You Can
This will reduce the chance of forgetting:
- Set up automatic bill payments. Start with the bills that are the same amount each month. Think of how great it will be to never miss a due date.
- Set up a direct transfer into your savings account as soon as you are paid.
- You can use apps that track your spending and send alerts when you are near your limit.
Create a Spending Plan for “Fun Money”
Impulse spending happens, and that is okay! Give yourself permission to spend on fun things but set a limit ahead of time.
- Withdraw cash for fun money each week. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Did you know that the experience of physically handling cash makes us more mindful? It can help you develop a stronger sense of what you are spending compared to debit or credit card.
- Try using a prepaid debit card for fun expenses. This can keep you in your budget without relying on willpower.
Set Financial Reminders
Time blindness can make it tricky to stay on top of deadlines. Use reminders!
- Use a reminders app on your phone or a calendar app to set recurring reminders for bill payments, budget check-ins, or adding to your savings.
- Choose a specific day each week for a quick “money moment” to review your accounts and spending.
A Quick Look at Emotional Spending
Emotional spending can sneak up on anyone. For LD & ADHD brains, it is often tied to moments of stress, boredom, or struggles with number-related tasks. Understanding your patterns can help you stay on track.
What are Your Emotional Spending Triggers?
Be aware and notice when and why you are spending. Are you:
- Feeling stressed or overwhelmed about managing your budget?
- Looking for a reward after a tough day?
- Avoiding an unpleasant task or emotion?
When you can name your triggers, you can learn to pause and decide whether that purchase supports your goals.
Simplify the Numbers
If tracking your spending feels like too much, try these ideas:
- Use budgeting tools with visual aids or automated features to avoid the calculations.
- Focus on one number and area at a time, like weekly spending. Don’t try to manage several areas.
- Stick to round numbers, like $100 for groceries, to make the mental math easier.
Pause Before You Purchase
When the urge to spend strikes, try these simple pause techniques:
- Wait 24 hours before making non-essential purchases.
- Ask yourself, “Do I really need this right now?”
- If you find it challenging to remember, set up a digital reminder to revisit the purchase later.
Replace Emotional Spending with Other Options
Find other ways to meet the emotions behind your spending:
- Stressed? Take a short walk, practice deep breathing, or listen to calming music.
- Bored? Dive into a hobby or engage in hands-on activities like cooking or crafting.
- Feeling down? Treat yourself in a non-financial way, like journaling, watching a favourite show, or connecting with someone you trust.
Building Accountability
Having someone to share your financial goals with can make a big difference. You can:
- Work with a coach, financial counselor, or someone experienced in working with LD & ADHD brains.
- Share your goals with a trusted friend or family member who can check in with you.
- Use a budgeting tool that works with your brain.
By combining strategies for emotional regulation and practical tools that make budgeting easier, you can create spending habits that are encouraging and doable. These strategies won’t solve everything overnight, but they can make budgeting feel less overwhelming and more achievable. Start with just one idea and build from there—you’ll be surprised how much progress you can make!
Resources
NerdWallet : Comparisons and reviews of budgeting apps.
Mad About Money App – For Android and iOS. An app built to help neurodiverse brains talk about money.
Attitude Magazine – this website focuses on ADHD brains, and it has many resources on finances.
Understanding the financial challenges faced by neurodivergent people – article by FT Advisor
About the Author: Laura Godfrey has worked with families and individuals as an ADHD coach for over 8 years and is an ICF and PAAC-credentialed ADHD Life Coach, an AudHD Coach (Autism), and an ADHD Parent Coach. She holds a Self-Reg® Foundations Certificate through the Mehrit Centre. Her ADHD Coach training is through the ADD Coach Academy, and she also facilitates ADHD support groups at CanLearn.
October is Learning Disabilities and ADHD Awareness Month! Boost your understanding and personal support toolkit at our one-day conference on October 26, 2024.
Find Your Path: Strategies for Success is all about practical take-aways for those with Learning Disabilities or ADHD on executive functioning, mental health, ADHD medication, math strategies, advocacy, relationships and more!
If you are a parent, educate children or are an adult looking to strengthen your skill set, this conference is for you.
Choose which ticket platform you would like to buy tickets on:
Conference Details
- Saturday, October 26, 2024, 8 am – 5 pm
- Tickets available for purchase until Oct. 21 – TICKET SALES EXTENDED To OCT. 24!
- Sessions are 75 minutes with 15 minute breaks
- Resource Fair from 8 am – 5 pm
- Nutritious Lunch Included (individually boxed and labeled; V, Veg, GF, Halal available)
- Venue: The Genesis Centre, 7555 Falconridge Blvd NE, Calgary
- Free Parking
- In-person event; sessions are not recorded so see you there!
- Conference Schedule and Conference Topics & Presenters
Tickets are only CDN$30 and include Showpass or EventBrite fees. They are available for purchase until Oct. 21. TICKET SALES EXTENDED To OCT. 24!
Note: This conference has been heavily subsidized to be as financially accessible as possible. However, if you would have been able to pay more, please consider adding a donation when purchasing your ticket. Thank you!
Ticket prices, except for Showpass fees or EventBrite fees, are refundable only up to and including October 15, 2024. No refunds will be issued after this date. Contact findhelp@ldadhdnetwork.ca for refunds.
Best Way to Register
- Explore the session topics below.
- Choose one from each time slot.
- Click on Register Today on Showpass or Register Today on EventBrite which will take you to buy your ticket and where you will be prompted to register for the sessions before check out.
Conference Topics
9:00 am – 10:15 am, presentations 1A or 1B.
1A: Strategies to Work With Your Brain
Angie Jones, Tracie Czerkawski & Dani Taylor
This session is designed specifically for adults to provide strategies and tools to enhance executive functioning skills. Understanding and improving these skills can lead to better management of daily tasks, increased productivity, and improved quality of life. The session will focus on practical techniques tailored to address common challenges faced by adults experiencing challenges with executive functioning.
Angie Jones holds a Master of Education in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies and has been working with people with disabilities, across the lifespan, for over 25 years. She has been involved in post-secondary education for approximately 7 years as an instructor and Accessibility Advisor and is currently the Student Support Coordinator in the Lamb Learner Success Centre at SAIT and oversees Accessibility Services and Testing Services. Angie’s personal experience with neurodiversity has driven her passion to support students at SAIT and she is currently a co-chair for the SAIT Neurodiversity Alliance.
Tracie Czerkawski is an Academic Strategist at Mount Royal University. She has a BA in Women and Gender Studies, focusing on critical disability studies, from the University of Manitoba, and has completed coursework towards an MA in Educational Research from the University of Calgary. Tracie is diagnosed with ADHD and brings her lived experience to her work supporting students.
Dani Taylor holds a degree in Psychology and a degree in Education. She was a teacher with the Calgary Board of Education for 7 years before pursuing her dream of working with students with disabilities. She has been an accessibility advisor at SAIT for the past year and co-chairs the Neurodiversity Alliance. Dani is moving into a new role this fall as SAIT’s first Neurodiversity Specialist.
1B: What are EF Skills and How Can We Support Them in children?
Lauren Thompson
Executive functioning skills are life skills that help people manage time, organize themselves and their belongings and navigate social interactions. Often, these skills are impacted in students with learning disabilities and ADHD. These students can be labeled as “bad” because of their inability to self-regulate and plan and organize. This session will present information on what EF skills are and how they look in real life, as well as practical skills and strategies to help teachers and parents support the children in their lives to have success in school and at home.
Lauren Thompson is a Calgary-born educator at Rundle Academy, a school specializing in students with learning disabilities from Grade 4-12. She has been an educator for 12 years, and recently obtained her Masters in Educational Neuroscience and Learning Disabilities from the University of Calgary. She currently teaches Grade 6, and is the Head of Literacy at her school. She is passionate about supporting the needs of diverse students and dedicated to empowering them in helping them reach their full potential.
10:30 am – 11:45 am, presentations 2A or 2B.
2A: Navigating Relationships as an Adult with ADHD/Learning Disorders
Dr. Heather Baker, R.Psych., Director of Clinical Services at CanLearn Society
Each day we are faced with navigating the nuances of different relationships. Our experiences as children can impact the way that we interact with others in our lives as adults. Adults with ADHD and/or Learning Disorders may experience unique strengths and challenges when it comes to building and maintaining relationships. This presentation explores these unique aspects of relationship navigation with a specific focus on self-advocacy, emotion regulation, and diagnosis disclosure. Presented strategies aim to help adults with ADHD and/or Learning Disorders feel more confident in their role as a partner, friend, and co-worker.
Dr. Heather Baker is a Registered Psychologist and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor through Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. She holds a doctorate in School Psychology and a master’s in Clinical Psychology (both through the University of British Columbia). Dr. Baker specializes in assessment and program planning for individuals with anxiety, learning, attention, and behavioural challenges across the lifespan. She enjoys providing supervision to practicum and internship students and participating in research partnerships in the community.
2B: Parent Advocacy as Part of the School Learning Team
Terra Xavier, BA, BEd, MEd
Navigating the IPP process in being an active member of the school learning team can be a daunting undertaking for parents. This session will prepare parents for collaborating with the school to ensure that their child’s needs according to their ADHD and/or Learning Disability diagnosis are being fully addressed and supported. This will include IPP essentials, resources, and look-fors that would assist in promoting productive and reciprocal relationship between home and school with the child at the centre for both.
Terra Xavier has been teaching with the Calgary Board of Education for nearly two decades (K-9) and has taught in various educational environments including community schools, specialized classes, and unique settings. She has taken on various leadership roles to support student reading development as classroom teacher, learning leader, and system Inclusive Education Specialist. Terra has a wealth of experience, knowledge, and passion around research-based literacy instruction and finds joy in supporting teachers and school leaders with transforming their practice.
12:30 pm- 1:45 pm, presentations 3A or 3B.
3A: Designing to the Edges of Your Math Classroom
Sheryl Walters & Liz Thompson
Instructional design is a powerful tool for crafting lessons that are both accessible and captivating in mathematics classrooms. By applying intentional, universal design principles, educators can integrate high-impact strategies and activities that offer a broad range of entry points and opportunities for advanced exploration. In this session, we’ll explore the significance of purposeful instructional design in mathematics and the impact that accessible tasks can have on student engagement and comprehension. Participants will gain valuable insights into designing for diverse learning needs and will leave equipped with practical resources and strategies to immediately enhance their lessons.
Sheryl Walters is an Assistant Principal at Calgary Academy and a Doctoral Student at the University of Calgary. With 13 years of experience in education, she has excelled as an instructional designer and administrator within special education. Sheryl’s expertise lies in mathematics instruction and inclusive design, and she is dedicated to coaching educators and engaging learners through innovative numeracy strategies and effective discourse.
Liz Thompson is an Assistant Principal and former Foundational Numeracy Lead at Calgary Academy, where she has spent the past twelve years working with exceptional learners. Her expertise is in building teacher capacity to integrate foundational numeracy skills and address the diverse needs of math learners. Liz is also pursuing a Master of Education in Sustainability, Creativity, and Innovation from Cape Breton University, further enriching her approach to educational practice and innovation.
3B: Beyond the Diagnosis: Understanding the Benefits and Challenges of ADHD Medications
Dr. Sterling Sparshu
In this session, Dr. Sparshu will discuss ADHD medications including the options available and how they fit into a broader treatment plan. How to choose and trial medications will also be discussed, along with some strategies for handling side effects and keeping your progress going, plus tips on how to advocate to get the best care possible.
Dr. Sterling Sparshu is a psychiatrist practicing in Calgary, Alberta. He has worked with children, adolescents and young adults in multiple settings including mental health clinics, residential care, and hospital-based programs. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor with the Cumming School of Medicine and enjoys teaching at all levels of medical education. He is passionate about collaboration, education and early intervention, including empowering those impacted by mental health conditions to become partners in their care.
2:00 pm- 3:15 pm, presentations 4A or 4B.
4A: Strategies for Supporting Mental Health in Neurodiverse Students
Dr. Gabrielle Wilcox
In this talk I define mental health including what we know about how students are doing broadly and how students with learning disabilities and ADHD are doing in the area of mental health. I will spend a great deal of time focusing on what we can do to support mental health especially positively and preventatively. Finally, I will cover extra supports for students with learning disabilities and ADHD might need to support their mental health.
In January 2013, Dr. Wilcox moved to Alberta from Pennsylvania, where she spent most of her life. She is married with two teenaged sons. She earned a BSE in English Education and an MS in School Psychology at Millersville University. She practiced as a school psychologist for eight years, primarily serving students with intellectual disabilities or severe emotional/ behavioral problems, before completing her PsyD in School Psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) in 2009. She completed post-doctoral training in clinical neuropsychology and practiced as a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania, primarily working in pediatric neuropsychology, until joining the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. Dr. Wilcox is a Registered Psychologist in Alberta and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist.
4B: ADHD in Girls & Women: Strategies for Success
Navdeep Vining & Uma Pepin-Robbins
This presentation highlights how ADHD often shows up differently in girls and women, leading to delayed diagnoses. We will explore how girls and women tend to mask their symptoms to fit in, which can make their struggles less noticeable. We will address how ADHD in girls is linked to unique mental health challenges such as higher rates of self-harm, eating disorders, and risky behaviours. Hormonal changes, including the menstrual cycle, can also impact symptoms and medication effectiveness. We will also discuss ways to better support girls and women with ADHD, from early identification to addressing their specific needs.
Navdeep Vining is a Registered Provisional Psychologist who completed her Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Calgary and Masters of Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University. She has been a part of the Counselling Psychology team at Foothills Academy under the supervision of Dr. Karen MacMillan. Navdeep has worked with children and their families from ages 3-18 for the past 7 years with various disabilities inearly intervention, respite, residential programs and summer programs. She has extensive experience with a diverse age range and diverse mental health concerns and challenges. Navdeep was born and raised in Calgary, especially in northeast Calgary, and feels passionate about giving back to her own community. She looks forward to being involved in creating accessible mental health and disabilities education and services within the growing South East Asian community in Calgary in the future.
Uma Pepin-Robbins, is a Registered Provisional Psychologist and works with youth with Learning Disabilities and ADHD at Foothills Academy and has a passion for helping youth navigate the complexities of their emotional and mental well-being. Uma also co-facilitated a process group for young girls and adolescents with ADHD to help understanding of their diagnosis(es), while also helping them to gain greater awareness of their individual strengths.
