
Pushing boundaries, breaking norms, and the ADHD brain (Casey McQuiston’s story)
05/14/24 • 31 min
Casey McQuiston, best-selling author of Red, White and Royal Blue, grew up in a neurodivergent family and was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age. Still, they had trouble coping, and in high school, English teachers gave them an intervention for “not trying hard enough.”
Casey is the author of multiple books in the queer romance genre. Casey chats with Laura about how ADHD influences their writing. They also share a sneak peek of their upcoming book The Pairing, coming out August 2024.
Related resources
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.
Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.
Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
Casey McQuiston, best-selling author of Red, White and Royal Blue, grew up in a neurodivergent family and was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age. Still, they had trouble coping, and in high school, English teachers gave them an intervention for “not trying hard enough.”
Casey is the author of multiple books in the queer romance genre. Casey chats with Laura about how ADHD influences their writing. They also share a sneak peek of their upcoming book The Pairing, coming out August 2024.
Related resources
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.
Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.
Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
Previous Episode

A personal conversation about being a mom (and woman) with ADHD
What makes being a mom with ADHD so hard? Navigating executive functions and emotional labor, for one. And feeling burned out when burnout isn’t an option — because there’s always something else that needs your very limited attention!
Talking about it with someone who just “gets it” is such a relief. In this episode, Laura talks to her friend and colleague Rae Jacobson, also a mom with ADHD. Listen to their conversation and insights on this bonus Mother’s Day episode.
Related resources:
- Rolling with my ADHD Mom Brain
- Building self-compassion skills
- 3 things I’m learning as a new mom with ADHD
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the “ADHD Aha!” podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the 70 million people in the U.S. with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about ADHD Aha! and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.
Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.
Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
Next Episode

An ADHD coach on being a defiant teen, ADHD overwhelm, and self-care (Caren Magill’s story)
ADHD coach and creator Caren Magill was diagnosed with ADHD in 2020, during the pandemic. Caren gets real about her experience as a teen girl with undiagnosed ADHD: dropping out of high school, smoking, having poor self-care, and being a “messy kid.” She also shares how she manages her ADHD through fitness, sleep, and meditation.
Caren is also the host of It’s The ADHD-Friendly Show podcast. Listen as she shares what she’s hearing from women with ADHD about overwhelm, and approaching ADHD challenges with curiosity instead of shame.
Related resources:
ADHD in teens: From friendship to forgetting homework (Miya’s story)
5 ways ADHD teens take risks — and why
Caren’s podcast, It’s The ADHD-Friendly Show
To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.
We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].
Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. Learn more at Understood.org.
And if you like what you hear, help us continue this work by donating at understood.org/donate.
Copyright © 2024 Understood for All, Inc. All rights reserved. Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.
Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
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