Ep. 6 Understanding the Superpowers of Children with ADHD, Autism, Learning Disabilities and Mood Disorders w/ Dr. Joni Johnson

Children with ADHD, autism and learning differences are not “less than” and do not need to be fixed. They have superpowers. It’s up to us to find those superpowers and teach them how to harness them.

Dr. Joni Johnson is a Pediatrician and certified Health and Wellness Coach with over 12 years of clinical experience exclusively supporting individuals with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, mood disorders and behavior problems. In addition to being a physician, Dr. Joni is a retired Army Colonel, disabled veteran, author, public speaker, entrepreneur and an individual with Dyslexia and a Visual Convergence Insufficiency.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Joni to hear her story -- from her time in the Army and the difficult days in her early career when she had to leave her one-year-old daughter behind as she deployed overseas to the program she created and implemented at Walter Reed Medical Center to better serve military families with diagnoses of ADHD, autism, and learning disabilities. Dr. Joni shares how parents can navigate the healthcare and school systems to best advocate for the needs of their children, all while continuing to care for their own needs.

Listen in as we discuss how girls and boys present with autism differently, some of the common misconceptions of ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, mood disorders and other behavior problems, and how to know who to seek out when building the team of providers that will care for your child. This conversation is packed with so many crucial pieces of advice, you may want to take notes!  We hope you get as much out of our time with Dr. Joni as we did.

Dr. Joni’s story and how she came to work in the space of autism, ADHD, and different learning abilities.

A dive into Dr. Joni’s book, an Amazon best-seller, “My Blue Eyes” and why she decided to write it.

Common misconceptions of ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, mood disorders, and other behavior problems and how Dr. Joni personally is on a mission to help as many parents, educators, and fellow physicians as possible.

Signs and Symptoms parents should be on the lookout for

Handling next steps once a diagnosis is received

How to get help from doctors, the school system, etc.

Navigating parents own self-care amidst a diagnosis

How autism present differently in girls

Behind the Behaviors Course Information:

https://uncharted-territory-academy.thinkific.com/courses/behind-the-behaviors?ref=0b067f

Dr. Joni Johnson - Website, Facebook, Instagram

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