Your child is not lazy. Your child is not unmotivated. And ADHD is not an attention disorder.
Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Michael McLeod, MA, CCC-SLP, ADHD and executive functioning specialist and founder of GrowNOW ADHD, for the conversation most families never get in the IEP meeting.
Michael started out as a speech-language pathologist and watched parents spend thousands of dollars and thousands of hours on services that never made the skills stick. So he went to the research, built the GrowNOW internal skills model, and has spent the years since training students, parents, and school staff in the one thing that actually predicts outcomes: executive function.
Karen brings every piece of it back to the table. What does this look like during the instructional day? What goes in the document? And what are you agreeing to that is quietly working against your child?
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- Why ADHD is a disorder of executive function and emotional regulation, not attention
- "Pills don't teach skills." Why medication is a family decision, and what it can and cannot fix
- The one-to-one Chromebook problem, and how to push back on a district technology directive
- Why extended time backfires for a student who is time blind
- How 23 accommodations became normal, and how to lean the document back out
- Grades are not the gate. Educational impact is.
- What to say when the school implies homework is required (no state requires it)
- Boys, girls, masking, and the three zones of executive function: school, home, and social
- ADHD vs. autism, ADHD and dyslexia, and why characteristics matter more than labels
- The 90 percent rule for parents: use less language, remove the audience
Plus close to an hour of live listener questions, answered on the spot.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Michael McLeod, MA, CCC-SLP, is an ADHD and executive functioning specialist and the founder of GrowNOW ADHD, which has worked with close to 3,000 families worldwide since 2016. He began his career as a speech-language pathologist and now trains school staff across the country and internationally.
Website: https://grownowadhd.com
Instagram: @grownowadhd
Podcast: the ADHD Parenting Podcast, on Spotify
READY TO SIT AT THE TABLE PREPARED?
You don't know what you don't know, but you need to. Join us inside the Academy for the training, the community, and the walkthrough of every page of the IEP: https://specialeducationacademy.com/training
Need an advocate or a consultation? office@specialeducationacademy.com
Follow along:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialeducationboss/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialEducationBoss/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpecialEducationAcademy
This is educational training, not legal advice.
Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464872/support)
✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨
👩⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.
👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Epic IEP™ Academy (https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/) First month free, after that, cancel anytime.
📱 Follow Karen on:
• TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss) & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy (https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialEducationAcademy/videos)
🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.
📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)
Because when...
Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Michael McLeod, MA, CCC-SLP, ADHD and executive functioning specialist and founder of GrowNOW ADHD, for the conversation most families never get in the IEP meeting.
Michael started out as a speech-language pathologist and watched parents spend thousands of dollars and thousands of hours on services that never made the skills stick. So he went to the research, built the GrowNOW internal skills model, and has spent the years since training students, parents, and school staff in the one thing that actually predicts outcomes: executive function.
Karen brings every piece of it back to the table. What does this look like during the instructional day? What goes in the document? And what are you agreeing to that is quietly working against your child?
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- Why ADHD is a disorder of executive function and emotional regulation, not attention
- "Pills don't teach skills." Why medication is a family decision, and what it can and cannot fix
- The one-to-one Chromebook problem, and how to push back on a district technology directive
- Why extended time backfires for a student who is time blind
- How 23 accommodations became normal, and how to lean the document back out
- Grades are not the gate. Educational impact is.
- What to say when the school implies homework is required (no state requires it)
- Boys, girls, masking, and the three zones of executive function: school, home, and social
- ADHD vs. autism, ADHD and dyslexia, and why characteristics matter more than labels
- The 90 percent rule for parents: use less language, remove the audience
Plus close to an hour of live listener questions, answered on the spot.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Michael McLeod, MA, CCC-SLP, is an ADHD and executive functioning specialist and the founder of GrowNOW ADHD, which has worked with close to 3,000 families worldwide since 2016. He began his career as a speech-language pathologist and now trains school staff across the country and internationally.
Website: https://grownowadhd.com
Instagram: @grownowadhd
Podcast: the ADHD Parenting Podcast, on Spotify
READY TO SIT AT THE TABLE PREPARED?
You don't know what you don't know, but you need to. Join us inside the Academy for the training, the community, and the walkthrough of every page of the IEP: https://specialeducationacademy.com/training
Need an advocate or a consultation? office@specialeducationacademy.com
Follow along:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialeducationboss/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialEducationBoss/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpecialEducationAcademy
This is educational training, not legal advice.
Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464872/support)
✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨
👩⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.
👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Epic IEP™ Academy (https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/) First month free, after that, cancel anytime.
📱 Follow Karen on:
• TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss) & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy (https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialEducationAcademy/videos)
🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.
📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)
Because when...