53: Building Better Brains for ADHD with Lorraine Driscoll
04/20/23 • 36 min
Think back to when your little one was an infant. Do you remember when he or she first wrapped their little hand around your finger or when that startle reflex was so strong that they would even wake themselves up if they weren't wrapped tight? Both of these things are primitive reflexes.
In this episode of the Soaring Child, Lorraine Driscoll explains how retained primitive reflexes and brain imbalances can affect children with ADHD. Discover the three most common retained reflexes that children with ADHD often have, as well as how parents can integrate brain training technologies and techniques to help build better brains.
Lorraine Driscoll is a brain integration therapist, nutritionist, and the founder of Building Better Brains. As a former teacher, she's passionate about optimally developing the brain so kids can thrive.
Key Takeaways:
[2:48] How Lorraine got into this work
[5:27] Retained primitive reflexes
[7:54] Brain imbalances
[8:14] Potential causes of retained reflexes or brain imbalances
[12:03] 3 common retained reflexes that children with ADHD have
[16:15] The role that brain imbalance plays with ADHD
[20:46] Where to start
[24:03] Brain training technologies that can be helpful for kids with ADHD
[28:48] How this is different than neurofeedback
[29:56] How brain imbalances & retained reflexes affect picky eating
[31:59] What parents can do TODAY to start building better brain connections
Memorable Quotes
"There are a ton of reflexes that infants have, and their purpose is #1 to keep them alive...and then further on in infancy, to assist with gross and fine motor development."
"These reflexes definitely serve a purpose but they should disappear by 3 years of age or sooner, depending on the reflex. And if they don't, basically they create a block."
"With primitive reflexes, they can either be mildly retained or severely retained. And generally, the more reflexes that are retained and the more severely retained, the more severe the condition."
"Most kids who have true ADHD or even autism spectrum typically have an overdeveloped left brain and an underdeveloped right brain."
"The left brain is the gas, and the right brain is the brakes."
Start "with very specific exercises that very much mimic...the movements they would have done when they were an infant in order for that reflex to be integrated."
"The research shows it's best when it's done morning and afternoon or evening."
"If you do nothing else, the best thing you can do is get your child moving."
"Kids who have ADHD where they have poor vestibular function can either sit still or they can pay attention."
How to Connect with Lorraine Driscoll
Website: https://lorrainedriscoll.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/building.better.brains/
Dana Kay Resources:
Website: https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ADHDThriveInstitute/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adhdthriveinstitute/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ADHDThriveInstitute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adhd-thrive-institute/mycompany/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdthriveinstitute/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adhd_thriveinstitute
International Best Selling Book, Thriving with ADHD – https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/book/
Free Reduce ADHD Symptoms Naturally Masterclass – https://bit.ly/3GAbFQl
ADHD Parenting Course – https://info.adhdthriveinstitute.com/parentingadhd
ADHD Thrive Method 4 Kids Program – https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/packages/
Think back to when your little one was an infant. Do you remember when he or she first wrapped their little hand around your finger or when that startle reflex was so strong that they would even wake themselves up if they weren't wrapped tight? Both of these things are primitive reflexes.
In this episode of the Soaring Child, Lorraine Driscoll explains how retained primitive reflexes and brain imbalances can affect children with ADHD. Discover the three most common retained reflexes that children with ADHD often have, as well as how parents can integrate brain training technologies and techniques to help build better brains.
Lorraine Driscoll is a brain integration therapist, nutritionist, and the founder of Building Better Brains. As a former teacher, she's passionate about optimally developing the brain so kids can thrive.
Key Takeaways:
[2:48] How Lorraine got into this work
[5:27] Retained primitive reflexes
[7:54] Brain imbalances
[8:14] Potential causes of retained reflexes or brain imbalances
[12:03] 3 common retained reflexes that children with ADHD have
[16:15] The role that brain imbalance plays with ADHD
[20:46] Where to start
[24:03] Brain training technologies that can be helpful for kids with ADHD
[28:48] How this is different than neurofeedback
[29:56] How brain imbalances & retained reflexes affect picky eating
[31:59] What parents can do TODAY to start building better brain connections
Memorable Quotes
"There are a ton of reflexes that infants have, and their purpose is #1 to keep them alive...and then further on in infancy, to assist with gross and fine motor development."
"These reflexes definitely serve a purpose but they should disappear by 3 years of age or sooner, depending on the reflex. And if they don't, basically they create a block."
"With primitive reflexes, they can either be mildly retained or severely retained. And generally, the more reflexes that are retained and the more severely retained, the more severe the condition."
"Most kids who have true ADHD or even autism spectrum typically have an overdeveloped left brain and an underdeveloped right brain."
"The left brain is the gas, and the right brain is the brakes."
Start "with very specific exercises that very much mimic...the movements they would have done when they were an infant in order for that reflex to be integrated."
"The research shows it's best when it's done morning and afternoon or evening."
"If you do nothing else, the best thing you can do is get your child moving."
"Kids who have ADHD where they have poor vestibular function can either sit still or they can pay attention."
How to Connect with Lorraine Driscoll
Website: https://lorrainedriscoll.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/building.better.brains/
Dana Kay Resources:
Website: https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ADHDThriveInstitute/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adhdthriveinstitute/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ADHDThriveInstitute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adhd-thrive-institute/mycompany/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdthriveinstitute/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adhd_thriveinstitute
International Best Selling Book, Thriving with ADHD – https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/book/
Free Reduce ADHD Symptoms Naturally Masterclass – https://bit.ly/3GAbFQl
ADHD Parenting Course – https://info.adhdthriveinstitute.com/parentingadhd
ADHD Thrive Method 4 Kids Program – https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/packages/
Previous Episode
52: How ADHD Impacts Siblings with Ashley Gobeil
ADHD impacts the entire family. In this episode of the Soaring Child, licensed child and family therapist Ashley Gobeil joins the show to discuss how ADHD impacts siblings in the family.
Ashley is no stranger to being a guest on this podcast and doesn't require a long introduction, but she has so much gold in every episode. She is a highly experienced therapist with over 15 years’ experience and extensive expertise with children who have been given the diagnosis of ADHD, ODD, and learning difficulties.
In this episode, discover strategies parents can use to diffuse sibling rivalry and to support both the child with ADHD and the other children in the home.
Here are the links mentioned in the show:
Episode 4 - https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/podcast/soaring-child-episode-4/
Episode 17 - https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/podcast/soaring-child-episode-17/
Episode 28 - https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/podcast/soaring-child-episode-28/
Love languages quiz - https://5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language
Key Takeaways:
[3:12] How ADHD impacts siblings
[5:23] What parents can do to support the child in the family who doesn't have ADHD
[8:09] Love languages
[9:31] Other ways parents can support siblings
[13:28] How parents can speak to siblings about the other child's ADHD
[16:30] How to manage ADHD behaviors in the moment
[19:18] How the conversation changes as children get older
[22:17] The importance of consistency in this approach
[24:24] How parents can promote a more positive relationship between siblings
Memorable Moments:
"Behaviors really do communicate their emotional experiences."
"We've really got to trust our parenting instincts. If it feels like I'm not giving my child enough attention, they might be feeling that way too."
"If we can get a bit of a picture or an understanding of, 'What's the siblings' experience of what's happening in the home? What's their feeling?' Then we can go, 'What's their underlying need?' And then we can respond and support them in that need."
"I often like to start with that verbal observation of what I am seeing between the siblings. And then you do the Name it to Tame It."
"We do want that sibling to feel heard, seen, soothed...But we also want them to be able to hold compassion and empathy for their sibling as well."
"Rather than...'How do we hit with the discipline or consequential action," going, 'what do I want to teach in this moment?'"
"There's the content of what they're saying, but what's actually underneath?"
"You are building a new picture of how your children experience you."
"A really important focus on how we create that sibling relationship is...that parent-child relationship...When that child who is struggling feels connected to, feels heard and understood by the parent, we're in a much better place to build the foundations of that positive sibling relationship."
How to Connect with Ashley Gobeil:
Website: https://info.adhdthriveinstitute.com/parentingadhd
Dana Kay Resources:
Website: https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ADHDThriveInstitute/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adhdthriveinstitute/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ADHDThriveInstitute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adhd-thrive-institute/mycompany/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdthriveinstitute/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adhd_thriveinstitute
International Best Selling Book, Thriving with ADHD – https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/book/
Free Reduce ADHD Symptoms Naturally Masterclass – https://bit.ly/3GAbFQl
ADHD Parenting Course – https://info.adhdthriveinstitute.com/parentingadhd
ADHD Thrive Method 4 Kids Program –
Next Episode
54: How to Be a Better Husband & Father with Doug Holt
What if there was a place where men could come to learn how to become better husbands, fathers, and leaders in their community, a place where men could openly talk about their successes and their struggles in their marriages and their lives? In this episode of the Soaring Child, Doug Holt provides that place.
Doug is a father of a beautiful son and daughter and a successful serial entrepreneur who is on a mission to help other businessmen lead their families well. Doug now runs The Powerful Man, with a mission of helping these men save their marriages and become the best men, fathers, and husbands they can be.
In this episode, discover Doug’s advice for both men and women about how to better handle conflict, restore love to a stagnant marriage, and bring that spark back.
Key Takeaways:
[2:52] Doug's story & what brought him to this work
[5:54] Common frustrations of dads & the suicide epidemic
[9:43] 2 common responses to conflict
[14:25] Why many couples go from lovers to roommates
[15:41] An explanation of DEER mode & why men sometimes fall into this
[18:32] How couples can restore love to a stagnant marriage
[21:26] How women can bring up this topic with their husbands
[23:32] Quick things men or women can do to bring that spark back
[26:50] The hidden motives technique
Memorable Moments:
"Marriage actually takes a lot of work. It's not just a checkbox thing."
"I felt like I had a roommate with a ring, rather than a wife. And my wife felt the same way. But of course, we didn't know how to communicate that. We lay six inches apart but were six miles away emotionally."
"Men, just as much as women, want that connection."
“Suicide is the #2 cause of death for men.”
"There's a lot of men that are in this lifestyle of quiet desperation, and what they want more than anything is to be an amazing father."
"Often I hear, 'I feel like a stranger in my own home.'"
"The only people I've talked to that have perfect marriages are liars...If you've never had a problem in your marriage, that's a problem."
"You deserve more than average. This is your life...so don't wait for things to happen. Take action."
"Your energy matters when you bring it into the home."
"A wife wants to be seen, heard, and desired."
“Get to know your partner–who they are today. What are their dreams today? What are their fears?...You married this person for a reason.”
How to Connect with Doug Holt
Website: https://www.thepowerfulman.com/
Dana Kay Resources:
Website: https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ADHDThriveInstitute/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adhdthriveinstitute/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ADHDThriveInstitute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adhd-thrive-institute/mycompany/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdthriveinstitute/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adhd_thriveinstitute
International Best Selling Book, Thriving with ADHD – https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/book/
Free Reduce ADHD Symptoms Naturally Masterclass – https://bit.ly/3GAbFQl
ADHD Parenting Course – https://info.adhdthriveinstitute.com/parentingadhd
ADHD Thrive Method 4 Kids Program – https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/packages/
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