When ADHD Symptoms Aren’t Obvious: Racing Thoughts, Scaffolding, and Executive Functioning (with Shontaye Glover Jones)
When we think about ADHD, we often think about the symptoms we can see from the outside. But many of the challenges that come with ADHD are happening internally.
Someone may be dealing with racing thoughts, difficulty filtering information, problems regulating attention, or trouble creating structure for themselves even when those challenges aren’t obvious to the people around them.
That’s why in episode 271 of the De Facto Leaders podcast, I talk with Shontaye Glover Jones, pediatric speech-language pathologist and author, about what ADHD can feel like from the inside and how that impacts executive functioning and daily life.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What internal hyperactivity and racing thoughts can look like when ADHD symptoms aren’t obvious externally.
- Why the effects of stimulant medication are often misunderstood, and how medication can help with filtering and focus rather than simply making someone “calmer.”
- Why medication works best when it’s paired with therapy, skill-building, and other interventions.
- Why transitions from highly structured environments to less structured settings can be especially difficult for people with ADHD and executive functioning challenges.
- The importance of learning how to put scaffolding and structure in place for yourself in unstructured environments.
- Shontaye’s book about an autistic Black boy preparing for a trip to the barbershop, and why everyday community experiences may require significant front-loading and preparation for someone with different sensory needs
Shontaye is a children's book author, pediatric SLP, content creator, conference programmer and professional speaker. In 2016, she founded her private practice Having Our Say, LLC to create a space where families and children would feel seen, valued, and be heard. Shontaye works with organizations and school districts around the country with a focus on literacy and creating equitable spaces for all students. Her debut picture book, "Liam's First Cut" (2020) is a story that centers family and neurodiversity as Liam, an autistic Black boy, prepares for his first trip to the barbershop. Her second book The Season of Yes! (2023) is a love letter to her favorite time of year, summer, and spending quality time with her mom during the season of endless opportunities for fun! As a late diagnosed autistic person with ADHD, Shontaye advocates for early identification and support for neurodivergent girls and women.
Listen to our full conversation here.
You can connect with Shontaye Glover Jones on her Instagram page @havingoursay
On her websites at:
In this episode, I mentioned the Task Execution and Planning Protocol that helps clinicians and educators support students who present with demand avoidance and require constant prompting during functional or academic tasks.
You can learn more about the Task Execution and Planning Protocol at: drkarendudekbrannan.com/taskexecution
You can learn more about the Task Execution and Planning Protocol at: drkarendudekbrannan.com/taskexecution
