ADHD Misconceptions: What Your Students Need You to Know

ADHD misconceptions are sabotaging your students' confidence and success. In this episode, Jheri South—a certified ADHD specialist and mom of seven neurodivergent kids—reveals the five things that actually engage an ADHD brain, the hidden emotional struggle affecting 95% of people with ADHD (rejection sensitivity dysphoria), and why "just try harder" is the worst advice you can give. Learn practical strategies for classroom engagement, how to recognize hyper-focus, and why consistency matters more than you think. In this episode: The difference between ADHD behaviors and ADHD neurology The five things that engage an ADHD brain: novelty, interest, challenge/competition, urgency, and passion Why urgency triggers hyper-focus (and why it's not laziness) Rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) and why it's often more disabling than distractibility How classroom placement and private conversations rebuild self-confidence Why inconsistency erodes ADHD students' self-worth The role of project-based learning in ADHD engagement Being a difference maker instead of a "put-downer" Show Notes: This episode is sponsored by the VAI Educators Studio from Van Andel Institute for Education. Get 50 % off with promo code COOLCAT at coolcatteacher.com/vai .

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ADHD Misconceptions: What Your Students Need You to Know is an episode from 10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher by Vicki Davis.

This episode is 09:53 long.

This episode was published on Apr 20, 2026.

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