The Behaviour Coach Podcast

Erica Neilson Mahoney M.Ed
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

The Behaviour Coach Podcast is for parents raising neurodivergent kids who are tired of strategies that don't work. Hosted by ADHD coach, educator, and doctoral student Erica Neilson Mahoney, each episode looks at what's really happening underneath the meltdowns, the resistance, and the overwhelm through the lens of the nervous system. Erica brings research, professional experience, and real-life experience from her own neurodivergent home. Because sometimes you don't need another article. You just need something thoughtful to listen to.

  1. Jul 7

    Summer Safety for Neurodivergent Kids — Season 1 Finale

    For years, I thought I was just an anxious parent around water and cars. I now know I was not anxious. My neurodivergent kids were baseline less safe. That knowing changes everything. This week's episode was originally going to be about travel. When I sat down to record, I felt compelled to talk about safety instead. In this episode, Erica walks through what the research actually says about safety risk in neurodivergent kids, including the sobering statistics on drowning and wandering. She covers water safety and the layered system her family uses (including the pilot-style verbal handoff for supervision), sun and heat considerations including how ADHD stimulant medications affect hydration and thermoregulation, elopement and wandering protocols, and road and travel safety. If you have ever been told you are too worried, too hyper-vigilant, too much when it comes to your neurodivergent kid, this episode is for you. Your hypervigilance is not neurosis. It is love, translated into vigilance, in a body that has learned it needs to be watching. This is the Season 1 finale. Season 2 returns in late August with a back-to-school arc. In the meantime, the entire back catalog of Episodes 1 through 17 is available wherever you listen. FURTHER READING Columbia University research on wandering and injury in autism: https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/individuals-autism-substantially-heightened-risk-injury-death ADHD stimulant medications and heat regulation, clinical guidance: https://careadhd.frontkb.com/en/articles/9982338 Autism and thermoregulation research overview: https://biologyinsights.com/autism-and-temperature-regulation-key-thermosensory-insights/ Never miss an episode: get on the weekly newsletter If meltdowns are part of the summer picture, Meltdowns Mastery audio course. Pay what you can. And of course, come say hi over on instagram!

  2. Jun 30

    Summer with ADHD: Strategies to Support

    Summer is harder for ADHD families than we are told to expect. The structure just left. Your kid is burnt out from a school year of holding it together. You are too. Now it's two depleted nervous systems trying to navigate 10 weeks together without the scaffolding of school. If summer is hard in your house, you're not failing. This season is genuinely harder for our families. This week's episode walks through the five things that actually help: decoding what "I'm bored" really means, building boredom infrastructure that quietly does the work all summer, a real summer screen plan, how to prep summer camp counsellors so your kid can succeed, and downtime, for your kids and for you. Next week: travel with neurodivergent kids.

  3. Jun 23

    Movement and the ADHD Nervous System: A Conversation with Fayth Caruso

    I'm joined by Fayth Caruso, who has spent 15 years working with rebounding as a tool for the body, with people of all ages and abilities, including a lot of neurodivergent kids and adults. We talk about why movement is so powerfully regulating for the ADHD nervous system, the difference between sensory seekers and avoiders, why so many neurodivergent kids crash and chew and never stop moving, what to do when a movement tool makes overwhelm worse instead of better, and how to introduce movement so it actually gets used. A note on disclosure: this is not a paid or sponsored episode. I have been gifted a bellicon through a past social media collaboration, and I genuinely love and use the product. There is an affiliate link in the show notes, which I disclose to listeners. But the conversation is editorial. The focus is sensory, movement, and supporting neurodivergent kids. FURTHER READING 2025 randomized controlled trial on vestibular and proprioceptive exercises reducing hyperactivity and impulsivity: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S305065652500015X Rebounding for ADHD and autism, in plain language: https://www.boogiebounce.com/rebounding-with-autism-and-adhd/ Never miss an episode: subscribe to the behaviour coach newsletter My bellicon affiliate link Use code BEHAVIOURCOACH for a discount. If meltdowns are part of the daily picture, Meltdowns Mastery audio course. Pay what you can!

  4. Jun 16

    Executive Functioning: Why Your ADHD Child Can't Start

    If you've watched your ADHD kid stare at something they can absolutely do, unable to start, this episode is for you. Executive functioning is one of the biggest areas of impact in ADHD, and it's almost never what we think it is. Erica walks through what executive functions actually are, why they work as a team, and Dr. Russell Barkley's 30 percent rule, the developmental delay that has nothing to do with intelligence and everything to do with how the brain manages getting things done. Your child isn't lazy. They aren't choosing not to try. They're working with a brain whose project-management system develops on a different timeline. And it can be supported. FURTHER READING The 30 percent rule, in plain language: https://lifeskillsadvocate.com/blog/adhd-executive-age/ Brain-maturity research from NIH: https://impactparents.com/blog/adhd/the-link-between-brain-maturity-academic-success-with-adhd/ Never miss an episode, join the behaviour coach podcast weekly newsletter. If meltdowns are part of the daily picture, Meltdowns Mastery audio course. Pay what you can!

  5. Jun 9

    Justice Sensitivity

    Your ADHD kid isn't a troublemaker. They're a justice keeper. This week: why fairness can feel like survival for an ADHD brain, why these kids get in trouble for defending others, and the support sequence that helps. Research and Resources: ADHD and justice sensitivity (the foundational pilot study) Why ADHD brains can't just ignore unfairness (parent-friendly overview) Never miss an episode: join the newsletter When a sense of injustice floods the nervous system and tips into a meltdown, the Meltdowns Mastery audio course breaks down the whole cycle. Pay what you can, starting at just $5!

  6. Jun 2

    Sleep, Why ADHD Brains Fight It and What Actually Helps

    You can't out-parent a child who can't sleep. This week: why sleep difficulty is biology, not bedtime discipline, why your ADHD kid genuinely isn't tired at bedtime, and the tools that actually move the needle. A note: this episode touches on sleep as a health need and mentions supplements and medical support in general terms. Nothing in this episode is medical advice. Please talk to your own medical team about what's right for your family. Research and Resources: ADHD as a circadian rhythm disorder (2025 research review): Sleep and ADHD, in plain language (clinician overview): Never miss an episode: join the newsletter When exhaustion is unraveling your days, the Meltdowns Mastery audio course can help you understand the whole cycle. Pay what you can (starting at just $5).

  7. May 26

    Sensory: The Invisible Driver Underneath It All

    The sock was never the problem. This week we get into sensory processing in ADHD: the two senses nobody taught you about, why your kid crashes and chews and melts down over a tag, and what to do when you can't remove what's overwhelming them. Research and Resources: Sensory processing in ADHD (2025 systematic review & meta-analysis) The case for including sensory differences in ADHD diagnosis (open access) Never miss an episode: join the newsletter here Follow me on Instagram for more ADHD Parenting tips If sensory overwhelm tips your child into full meltdowns, the Meltdowns Mastery audio course walks through what's happening and what helps, before, during, and after. All of my ADHD courses are pay what you can starting at just $5.

  8. May 19

    Rhythms and Routines for ADHD: Make Life Predictable

    If you have ever heard the word routine and felt a little bit of dread, this episode is for you. So many parents have tried to build a routine, hit resistance on day three, and decided routines just do not work for their family. In this episode, I offer a different way to think about predictability. The difference between a rhythm and a routine. Why structure paired with flexibility is the goal, not rigid schedules. The shift that changes everything when a piece of your routine has become a daily battle. And practical strategies for mornings, evenings, and after school that actually work for the ADHD brain. Plus the question every parent of an ADHD child needs to stop asking themselves, and the permission slip you might not realize you need. If you want to go deeper check out my audio course on hiro.fm Connect with me: Instagram: @behaviourcoach  Newsletter: neilsonmahoneycoaching.com/podcast

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Behaviour Coach Podcast is for parents raising neurodivergent kids who are tired of strategies that don't work. Hosted by ADHD coach, educator, and doctoral student Erica Neilson Mahoney, each episode looks at what's really happening underneath the meltdowns, the resistance, and the overwhelm through the lens of the nervous system. Erica brings research, professional experience, and real-life experience from her own neurodivergent home. Because sometimes you don't need another article. You just need something thoughtful to listen to.

Information

  • Creator
    Erica Neilson Mahoney M.Ed
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Erica Neilson Mahoney M.Ed
  • Show Website
    The Behaviour Coach Podcast

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