Advertise on podcast: ADHD, Anxiety & More: Child Mental Health for Pediatrics

Send us Fan Mail What is it really like to parent an autistic child? And what do pediatricians need to understand about the experience that families may not share during a brief office visit? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, I’m joined by Greer Jones, a UK-based neuro-affirming parent coach, speaker, host of the Neurodivergent Podcast, and "mum" to two neurodivergent children. Greer brings a valuable perspective to this conversation, helping us better understand the day-to-day realities of raising a neurodivergent child. In this episode, we discuss: The strengths, joys, and unique experiences of parenting autistic childrenWhat meltdowns and big emotions may communicate about a child's experienceWhy we need to look beyond behavior to understand what's happening beneath the surfaceThe challenges of recognizing and supporting children whose disabilities may not be immediately visibleHow pediatricians can better understand parents' experiences and help families feel heard, validated, and less aloneMost importantly, we discuss how pediatricians can shift their perspective to see the whole child—not just the diagnosis or the behavior—and better support the entire family. Whether you're a pediatrician, a primary care clinician, or someone who works with neurodivergent children and their families, this conversation is an invitation to listen, learn, and approach autism with greater curiosity, compassion, and understanding. About our Guest:Greer Jones, host of Neurodivergent Conversations, neuro-affirming parent coach, and mother of two neurodivergent children. The Unfinished Idea — her website, blog, and parent support resources.Neurodivergent Conversations — episodes on autistic burnout, emotional regulation, school support, and the realities of neurodivergent parenting. Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Elise Fallucco, child psychiatrist and host of the ADHD Anxiety and More podcast, shares parent-focused tips for raising resilient, capable children. She talks about 3 contrasting parenting styles—rescuer, laid-back, and coach— and talks about when each style makes sense.  The Rescuer Parent - wants to FIX problems FOR their child The Laid-back Parent - lets their child sort things out on their own The Coach Parent - Workings WITH the child to help them solve problems She explains common age-based struggles (emotional regulation in preschool, frustration with academics and skills in early grades, and social dynamics in grades 3–5) and reframes disappointment and failure as normal developmental opportunities.  Using the “fail, try, succeed” cycle, she shows how rescuing can stunt growth, then offers coaching steps—validate feelings and ask how to support or guide with questions—through examples like not getting a desired role in a play, homework meltdowns, and forgetting water bottles. 00:00 Welcome and Goals 01:02 Parenting Styles Quiz 02:17 Why Kids Struggle 04:30 Fail Try Succeed Cycle 05:41 Stop Rescuing Start Coaching 07:26 Case Study School Play 10:08 Case Study Homework Meltdown 11:36 Case Study Forgotten Water Bottle 12:41 Final Takeaways and Wrap Up Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail Depression screening and suicide screening are not the same thing—and relying on the PHQ-9 alone can miss youth who are at risk for suicide. In this episode, I break down a quick, practical approach to suicide screening and risk assessment in primary care —including what to do when a screening tool comes back positive. In this episode, you’ll learn: 🚨 Why the PHQ-9 isn’t enough — and how many at-risk youth can slip through the cracks when you rely on depression screening alone.🔎 Who deserves extra attention — including youth with ADHD, anxiety, depression, substance use, trauma, self-harm, or a family history of suicide.📝 The quick, free screening tool I recommend — the ASQ (Ask Suicide-Screening Questions), which can be used alongside your usual depression screener.🧭 What to do when the suicide screen is positive — without automatically sending every child to the ER.🚦 The 4-step framework for deciding: ER or outpatient?Ask about current suicidal thoughtsAssess plan, intent, and previous attemptsCheck whether the child can be safe at homeDecide whether they need emergency evaluation or outpatient management🏠 The two home-safety questions you should always ask before sending a higher-risk child home.💡 How to make suicide screening actually work in a busy pediatric practice without adding another impossible-to-manage task to your day.The big takeaway: Depression screening ≠ suicide screening. Adding a brief, validated suicide screening tool can help you identify kids who might otherwise be missed—and give you a structured way to decide what to do next. Resources mentioned ASQ (Ask Suicide-Screening Questions) Toolkit, including the PHQ-9 + ASQ screening tool available at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/asq-toolkit-materialsBrief Suicide Safety Assessment Worksheet https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/asq-toolkit-materials/youth-asq-toolkit#outpatient24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline   1-800-273-TALK (8255) En Español: 1-888-628-9454 24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741-741 References Horowitz LM et al. Screening Pediatric Medical Patients for Suicide Risk: Is Depression Screening Enough? J Adolesc Health. 2021 Jun;68(6):1183-1188. Kemper AR et al. Depression and Suicide-Risk Screening Results in Pediatric Primary Care. Pediatrics. 2021 Jul;148(1):e2021049999. Kim Y, Krause TM, Lane SD. Trends and Seasonality of Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations for Suicidality Among Children and Adolescents in the US from 2016 to 2021. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Jul 3;6(7):e2324183. Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail Where are YOU on your pediatric mental health journey? If you’ve ever felt nervous when a child’s mental health screen comes back positive, frustrated when straightforward ADHD treatment suddenly becomes complicated, or overwhelmed because you’ve become the “mental health person” in your practice—this episode is for you. In this episode, Dr. Elise Fallucco introduces the 4 phases of the Pediatric Mental Health Champion Journey:  Phase 1: Running Scared →  Phase 2: Basic Treatment Frustration →  Phase 3: Mental Health Overload →  Phase 4: Champion Mode.  She walks through the signs and challenges of each phase and, most importantly, the practical steps you can take to move forward—from building confidence with ADHD evaluation and treatment, to managing anxiety and more complex comorbidities, to creating systems, boundaries, and workflows that prevent burnout. The goal isn’t to become a child psychiatrist. It’s to become a confident, competent pediatric clinician who can recognize, evaluate, and treat the mental health problems you’re equipped to manage—and know where your boundaries are. Listen to discover which phase you’re in and your next step toward becoming a pediatric mental health champion. 00:00 Pediatric Champion Journey 01:34 Phase One Running Scared 04:25 Phase One Action Steps 07:13 Phase Two Frustration 08:46 Phase Two Level Up 12:20 Systems Templates Boundaries 16:19 Phase Four Champion Mode 17:18 Recap and Next Steps Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail Episode 85 of ADHD, Anxiety & More is for pediatric clinicians who want to know when to prescribe medication for children and teens with anxiety.  In this episode, you will learn about: Which treatment (therapy, medication, or combination of both) offers the highest response for child and teen anxiety Why it is important to treat anxiety to remission The 3 things to do when referring to CBTShe explains why remission matters, citing follow-up findings that remission is associated with better long-term outcomes including lower suicidal behavior and substance use problems.  She also advises clinicians to ensure therapy is true CBT, track symptoms over time with tools like the SCARED, and revisit treatment within 4–6 week intervals if improvement is not robust. 00:00 Anxiety Treatment Choices 03:01 CBT vs SSRI vs Both 03:35 Evidence From CAMS 04:26 Why Remission Matters 07:43 Option One CBT Done Right 12:20 Option Two SSRI When Therapy Is Hard 14:07 Option Three Combination Gold Standard 15:49 Take Home Points and Wrap Up Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail Anxiety is a normal human emotion.  So, how do you know when it’s developmentally typical and when it has crossed the line into something that needs treatment?  In this episode, Dr. Fallucco walks through a practical approach pediatric clinicians can use to recognize clinically significant anxiety that requires treatment.   We talk about Screening, Taking a focused history of Anxiety, and determining whether the anxiety needs treatment. In this episode, you’ll learn: Who to screen for anxiety—and when to keep anxiety on your radar during ADHD, depression, or unexplained physical/behavioral evaluationsWhy the SCARED-5 is a practical anxiety screening tool for pediatric primary careSimple questions you can ask after a positive screen to better understand what a child is worried aboutThe four questions that can help you distinguish developmentally typical anxiety from clinically significant anxiety: Is it proportional? Is it developmentally expected? Is it causing distress? Is it impairing the child or family?How anxiety may look different in younger versus older children, including behavioral symptoms, physical complaints, irritability, and avoidanceWhen to consider treatment—and why CBT is an important first-line intervention for many children with anxiety Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail Join us for the latest Mystery Case: A teen with ADHD + Epilepsy Would you prescribe a stimulant? How do you treat ADHD in people who have epilepsy? In this episode, we unpack: • The surprising relationship between ADHD and epilepsy • Why ADHD is easy to miss in kids with epilepsy • Where the concern about stimulants and seizures came from • What newer research tells us about stimulant treatment in kids with epilepsy • How I would approach treatment—and monitoring—in people with epilepsy 00:00 Welcome and Mystery Case 00:30 ADHD and Epilepsy Link 01:30 Bidirectional Risk Explained 02:58 Seizure History Details 04:00 Treatment Options Debate 06:03 Stimulants and Seizure Evidence 09:14 Best Answer and Monitoring Plan 10:28 Wrap Up and Thanks Studies referenced in the episode: Auvin S et al. Systematic review of the screening, diagnosis, and management of ADHD in children with epilepsy. Consensus paper of the Task Force on Comorbidities of the ILAE Pediatric Commission. Epilepsia. 2018 Brikell I et al. Medication treatment for ADHD and the risk of acute seizures in individuals with epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2019 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Stimulant and non-stimulant drug-therapy for people with ADHD and Epilepsy 2022. Kwon CS et al. Psychiatric comorbidities in persons with epilepsy compared with persons without epilepsy. JAMA Neurology. 2025 Liu X et al. Stimulant do not increase the risk of seizure-related hospitalization in children with epilepsy. J Child Adol Psychopharm. 2018. Wang S et al. Comorbidity of epilepsy and ADHD: a Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Neurology. 2023  Wiggs KK, Chang Z, Quinn PD, Hur K, Gibbons R, Dunn D, Brikell I, Larsson H, D'Onofrio BM. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication and seizures. Neurology. 2018  Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail What ELSE helps ADHD symptoms (in addition to meds?) What does the evidence say about non-medication treatment options for ADHD? We talk about... behavioral therapy  exercise - which is an under-prescribed intervention,  Think 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity 3 times weekly for 8–12 weeksWhat about Nutrition?omega-3 fatty acids may help with emotional lability in ADHD  broad-spectrum micronutrients??00:00  ADHD Treatmetn BEYOND MEDS Overview 02:16 Therapy Evidence Basics 03:47 Medication Hesitancy Case 04:53 Exercise As Treatment 06:34 How Exercise Works 08:14 Exercise Prescription Tips 08:59 Omega 3 For Mood 11:08 Micronutrients Caution 13:22 Recap And Next Steps 14:09 Wrap Up And Subscribe   Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail How can we support children and families who struggle with chronic abdominal pain?  Dr. Fallucco shares an episode from The Pediatrician Next Door, an excellent podcast hosted by pediatrician Dr. Wendy Hunter.  Dr. Hunter talks with Dr. Ali Navidi, a psychologist who specializes in disorders of gut-brain interaction.  Dr. Navidi explains why some kids experience abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea in a way that makes sense to families Dr. Navidi talks about the role of psychological treatments—including clinical hypnosis—in helping kids retrain these brain-gut pathways. For more helpful episodes for parents and families about  The Pediatrician Next Door with Dr. Wendy Hunter:  "I answer the questions you forgot or were too embarrassed to ask your doctor. I mix the science of medicine with the reality of parenting to give you satisfying answers to your parenting questions!" Website: https://www.pediatriciannextdoorpodcast.com/ Dr. Ali Navidi, PsyD from GI Psychology https://www.gipsychology.com/ Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail  Dr. Elise Fallucco continues this series on non-stimulant medication for ADHD and shares practical tips about using Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (NRIs): viloxazine ER (Qelbree) and atomoxetine (Strattera) for pediatric clinicians. Who can benefit from NRIs? What are the potential benefits, drawbacks, and side effects?  Working through the case of a 12-year-old girl with inattentive ADHD and anxiety  who cannot tolerate methylphenidate or amphetamine , she explains why she generally prefers Viloxazine ER (Qelbree) FDA approval for ADHD in children ages 6+Quicker onset (often within 1–2 weeks vs 4–6 weeks for atomoxetine)Better tolerabilityMore straightforward dosing Unlike Atomoxetine (Strattera), you can dose this medication without worrying about significant genetic variability in drug metabolism00:00 NRIs for ADHD 00:38 When to Use 01:07 Case Introduction 02:51 Stimulant Trials Fail 04:09 Considering NRIs 04:30 Why Qelbree First 05:51 Atomoxetine Caveats 07:23 Treating Sophie 08:45 Clinical Pearls Recap 09:50 Wrap Up and CME Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail While stimulant meds are first-line treatment for ADHD, they do NOT work for everyone... or sometimes they only PARTIALLY help.  So, what can you do in these situations? When is the right time to try a non-stimulant medication like Guanfacine and Clonidine (a.k.a - alpha-agonists?)? In which clinical situations can these alpha-agonists be helpful?  How do you know when to switch from one stimulant to another stimulantWhen should you try adding on or switching to an alpha-agonist?In this episode, Dr. Elise Fallucco talks about guanfacine XR (Intuniv) and clonidine (Kapvay/Onyda XR)—and how to decide whether to switch stimulants or augment them. Using an 11-year-old with improved attention on a stimulant but persistent impulsivity/oppositionality and dose-limiting side effects, she explains that switching is best when there’s little benefit or unacceptable side effects, while augmentation makes sense with partial response. She reviews key scenarios for alpha agonists: residual impulsivity/hyperactivity/behavior dysregulation, ADHD with tics, possible adjunct use in ADHD with anxiety (not primary anxiety treatment), and late-day rebound near bedtime. She describes “peanut butter and jelly” synergy with stimulants, monitoring vitals, dosing/titration, sedation differences (more with clonidine), and the need to taper to avoid rebound hypertension. Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail It’s back-to-school season—and that often means a surge of ADHD concerns as academic demands ramp up, especially around key school transitions like 3rd, 6th, and 9th grade.  In this episode of ADHD, Anxiety, and More, Dr. Elise Fallucco  shares a practical, confidence-building approach to picking stimulant treatment for children and teens, answering questions like: Which ADHD medication should I start first? When should you use methylphenidate medications like Ritalin or Concerta? When should you use amphetamine-salt medications like Adderall or Vyvanse? How does family history help direct treatment choices? When does it make sense to try a d-methylphenidate medication like Focalin?  00:00 Podcast Rebrand Update 00:30 Back to School ADHD Surge 01:09 ADHD Evaluation Basics 02:36 Case Introduction Third Grader 03:04 Rule of Three Transitions 04:09 Parents Nervous About Meds 04:45 Family History Medication Clues 06:06 Step One Start Methylphenidate 06:33 Short Acting First Rationale 08:05 When to Use Long Acting 08:30 Long Acting Coverage Limits 09:27 Step Two Try Amphetamines 10:59 Step Three Consider Focalin 11:52 Wrap Up Simple Stimulant Toolkit 12:43 Bonus Algorithm and Course 14:00 Closing and Next Week Preview Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail What can we learn from an Elite Coach about how to help young athletes THRIVE through sports? Join us as we chat with Coach Peter Verhoef, head coach and aquatics director at the Bolles School Swimming Program and former Olympic Trials finalist (2x). We discuss:  Why do so many kids quit organized sports by age 13?How can we prevent burnout?When are teens MOST vulnerable to burnout? How much time off/rest is reasonable? Does it very by sport?03:36 Benefits of Youth sports 06:04 Preventing Burnout in Youth Sports 06:32 Engagement in Youth Sports and Burnout 06:44 Promoting Individual Achievement 08:35 Managing Physical and emotional exhaustion 09:13 Driver's License BURNOUT 12:00 Tips for Parents to help Preventing Burnout 16:21 TIME OFF 20:58 Multi-Sport Athelte vs. Specialization Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail Summer sports physical season is here! Before you sign that next pre-participation physical, are you asking the questions that could help prevent burnout, overuse injuries, and early sports dropout?  In this timely replay, pediatric sports medicine expert Dr. Joel Brenner shares practical, evidence-based strategies to help young athletes stay healthy—and stay in the game. Learn why early sports specialization may do more harm than good, how much rest young athletes really need, and the two simple questions every pediatric clinician should ask during every sports physical.  Whether you're counseling a recreational athlete or the next aspiring Olympian, this episode will give you practical pearls you can use in clinic today. He shares practical strategies to  reduce burnout and over use injuries in our young athletes. Most importantly, we're going to find out how early is too early for kids to specialize in one sport.  Our Guest:  Dr. Joel Brenner is the co-author of the American Academy of Pediatrics' 2024 Clinical Report on overuse injuries over-training and burnout in young athletes. Dr. Brenner is a pediatric sports medicine physician and Director of the Sports Medicine, Sports Concussion, and Dance Medicine programs at Children's Hospital of the King's daughters in Norfolk, Virginia.  Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.

Send us Fan Mail Would you be surprised to learn that there has been a MAJOR INCREASE in child mental health visits in primary care?  A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found clinically significant increases in child mental health visits over a 10-year period.  While ADHD remained the most common MH concern, ANXIETY visits rose by 300% from 2014-2023.  We know that it can be challenging and sometimes nearly impossible to connect these children and families with specialty child mental health care.  AND we know that families often PREFER to receive care from their trusted pediatric clinician in the comfort of their medical home.   To support YOU and other pediatric clinicians, we are excited to announce the launch of our new Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.  Available online at: https://ce.nemours.org/content/podcast-series-cracking-adhd-code-essential-skills-pediatric-clinicians#group-tabs-node-course-default1 This on-demand, AUDIO-BASED course features 5 mini-modules on: ADHD Evaluation EssentialsADHD Differential Diagnosis: Recognizing Comorbidities and Look-Alikes (Anxiety, Traumatic Stress, mood disorders like BIPOLAR)ADHD TREATMENT: Stepwise approach to treatment with stimulants, managing side effects, addressing common parental concernsADHD with ANXIETY TREATMENT: Which to treat first? Algorithmic approach to choosing medications, including stimulants and non-stimulant medications (alpha-agonists, norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors)Advanced ADHD Treatment: What to do when meds stop workingIn addition, we have downloadable clinical tools, patient handouts, clinical pearls that you can use the next day in your office! We hope you check out the course and share it with a friend! Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.  https://ce.nemours.org/content/podcast-series-cracking-adhd-code-essential-skills-pediatric-clinicians#group-tabs-node-course-default1 Study: Pediatric Primary Care Visits with Mental Health Needs by Dr. Gallagher KM et al available online at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2849123 Sign-up for our NEWSLETTER  Check out PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources! SOCIAL @psyched4peds On-demand CME Course online at:  Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians.