If you’re raising a neurodivergent adhd learner (or any neurodivergent learner) who struggles with reading, math, or school stress, you don’t have to carry the load alone. Discover how to trade overwhelming burnout for a calm, structured plan by building your child’s ultimate support team.
On a recent episode of the podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with a very special guest: Lisa Richer. Lisa describes herself as a Neurodivergent Success Partner and is the founder of Journey to Bloom. Our conversation went deep into the topic of being neurodivergent, recognizing neurodivergent ADHD learners and how to maintain sanity.
Lisa’s personal journey is one that so many parents in our community will recognize. Growing up as an elite athlete, she went through school, college, and most of her career completely undiagnosed as a neurodivergent ADHD learner. She spent decades masking, camouflaging, and squishing herself into a mold that wasn’t built for her brain.
Eventually, that constant internal pressure to fit in took its toll. Like a fraying rubber band, she hit a wall of severe burnout where she found herself literally “burnt to ashes” on her couch. She was unable to get up or even walk down the stairs. It was only when her husband gently asked why she always needed to be the strong one, that she was able to release the emotional weight of being a neurodivergent ADHD person.
So many parents of struggling readers or neurodivergent children live in survival mode. We try to fix every problem, act as a constant safe haven, and people-please until we snap. But burnout often forces us to slow down, let go of expectations that were never ours to carry, and rebuild our foundation on self-awareness and honesty.
She shared her personal understanding that it’s impossible to support anyone if you are running on empty. Recognizing that you are overwhelmed isn’t a failure; it is the first step toward getting the right support for your entire family.
In my day-to-day work with structured literacy using an Orton Gillingham approach, I frequently see reading challenges like dyslexia overlapping with other neuro-differences. Neurodivergent ADHD learners are often the tip of the iceberg. During our interview, Lisa opened up about her own experience with undiagnosed dyscalculia (a math-based learning difference) that she only fully understood after watching her younger son face the exact same struggles.
Too often, we laugh off math difficulty with a casual, “Oh, I’m just bad at math!” But dyscalculia is something more. It isn’t a lack of effort; it is a neurological processing difference in how the brain visualizes and translates numbers, quantities, and spatial concepts onto paper.
Lisa shared concrete warning signs that every parent should watch for that might be indicative of dyscalculia:
Lisa’s son also experienced what we call co-existing differences with the other Ds. Alongside dyscalculia, he managed dysgraphia (writing differences), dyspraxia (motor coordination challenges), processing delays, and absence seizures. When multiple differences intersect, traditional classroom instruction can quickly feel impossible. Many neurodivergent ADHD learners overwhelm teachers.
When Lisa’s oldest son was just a week and a half old, his pediatrician offered her four simple words of wisdom: “Trust your gut.” She has lived by those words every day
As parents, we have an intuitive radar. Yet, so many of us second-guess ourselves. We don’t want to rock the boat, and follow along blindly when well-meaning relatives or school staff tell us not to worry because they will grow out of it.
On top of that, too often we live by the “pioneer spirit”. That old idea whereby we should pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and figure everything out on our own.
Let’s be honest, there’s no instruction manual for raising a child, and there is definitely no manual for raising a neurodiverse ADHD child with co-existing learning differences!
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is actually a sign of profound strength. Vulnerability is power. Giving yourself permission to determine who you can bring to help figure something out. It completely changes your family’s trajectory.
You do not have to be your child’s therapist, tutor, advocate, and doctor all at once. Instead, think of yourself as the nucleus. You are the center of a wheel, pulling together the right specialists for your child’s unique needs. whether they are neurodiverse ADHD learner of anything else.
Lisa shared how her dream team evolved for each of her sons, demonstrating that no two support teams are identical. She detailed the team for each of her sons.
Why all the specialists? When you enter an IEP or 504 meeting with a support team behind you, the entire atmosphere shifts. Lisa pointed out a major flag to watch out for during school meetings was a division of the room into “the home team” and “the school team.”
The correct mindset is ONE IEP team. Every professional at that table needs to be working in a collaborative partnership for the sole benefit of the child. Bringing an expert advocate or mentor into those meetings helps the school understand your child’s legal rights and learning profile while keeping communication constructive and calm.
And there is one silver lining from 2020: virtual IEP meetings have broken down geographical barriers! Whether you live in a rural area or a major city, you can now connect with top-tier specialists across the country, right from your computer screen.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed, especially if your child is older. Too many parents feel that if they didn’t catch a reading or math gap in 1st or 2nd grade, there’s little that can be done.
That is simply not true. The teenage brain is capable of incredible growth and neuroplasticity when given the right structured tools, explicit instruction, and accommodations. There are things that you can do today.
A diagnosis does not define who your child is, nor who you are. A diagnosis is simply information. Think of it as a a roadmap that helps us understand how their mind works so we can guide them with confidence.
Learn more about advocacy, parent advisory, and download Lisa’s free book chapter at Journey to Bloom.
Explore individualized 1:1 educational therapy and structured literacy support at The Literacy Keys
Dyscalculia is a learning difference affecting numeracy, math processing, place value, and visual-spatial mapping. It frequently co-occurs alongside dyslexia and ADHD in neurodivergent kids.
The team evolves based on your child’s specific needs. It often includes speech-language pathologists, Orton-Gillingham tutors, occupational therapists, and neuropsychologists coordinated by a trusted advisor.
You are an integral, equal partner on the IEP team. Bringing an expert advocate or mentor into meetings helps reframe tense discussions into a unified, collaborative effort focused on your child’s growth.
The reason you received the letter has been decades in the making. Something quietly has been happening in state legislatures across the country. Parents, (mostly of dyslexic children) have been lobbying for changes to the law, one state at a time. And it’s finally showing results. Listen to the Podcast
Somewhere this fall, a parent and a four-year-old is standing on a front porch with a backpack that comes down past their knees. Not one person on that porch is aware that at least 10% of children are at risk for reading issues. Those risks show up long before the
