My Incredible ADHD Brain:
Big Ideas, Big Energy
What if children learned to understand their differences before they learned to be ashamed of them?
Over the years, I’ve met so many children who already knew they were different long before they had the words to explain why.
They noticed that sitting still seemed easier for everyone else. That they forgot things other kids remembered. That their minds wandered, their feelings got big, or their ideas seemed to come faster than they could keep up with them.
And too often, those observations turned into conclusions about themselves:
“I’m bad at school.”
“I’m always in trouble.”
“Why can everyone else do this?”
“Something must be wrong with me.”
I wanted to help change that conversation.
Why I Wrote This Book
I wrote My Incredible ADHD Brain to give young children a way to understand ADHD that begins not with what's wrong, but with how they think. At ages 5, 6, and 7, children don't need a lecture on executive functioning. They need language and images that make sense to them. They need characters they can recognize. And they need to know that brains can work differently without one kind of brain being the “right” kind.
That's where Ziggy, Lila, and Step came from.
Ziggy's ADHD is easier to see—he's bursting with ideas, curiosity, and energy.
Lila reminds us that ADHD isn't always loud. Her thoughts wander more quietly, and others don't always see how hard she's working.
And Step is a Ladder thinker who likes order and approaches things one step at a time.
None of them has the “best” way of thinking. They simply think differently. And each brings something important to the story.
Big Ideas for Little Minds
There's quite a bit of psychology underneath this little book. Children are subtly introduced to ideas about thinking styles, attention, organization, self-control, and executive functioning without needing to know all of the terminology behind them. The story also begins introducing the ideas behind The Control Tower Model™ in a way young children can understand now—and build upon as they grow.
But I didn't want the psychology to get in the way of the most important message:
Your brain is yours to understand, not something to be ashamed of.
Children can recognize the things that are difficult while also discovering the strengths that come with the way they think. Both can be true.
Why Thinking Styles Matter
One of the ideas I especially wanted children to encounter early is that not everyone thinks the same way. Some minds move quickly from idea to idea and make connections in all directions. Others naturally prefer sequence, order, and one step at a time.
Understanding those differences can help children do more than understand themselves. It can help them understand one another. The classmate who approaches a problem differently isn't necessarily doing it wrong. The friend who needs more time, more movement, more structure, or more help getting organized isn't less capable.
Different thinkers bring different strengths. And learning to recognize those strengths is an important part of becoming a good friend, classmate, and teammate.
More Than a Story
The conversation shouldn't end when the book does.
My Incredible ADHD Brain includes free companion guides created specifically for the adults helping children understand and apply these ideas.
FOR PARENTS: Conversation starters, activities, and practical strategies for continuing the learning at home.
FOR TEACHERS: Ways to bring the concepts into the classroom while helping children appreciate different thinking styles and strengths.
FOR CLINICIANS: Tools for using the characters and concepts to support conversations about ADHD, self-understanding, strengths, and challenges in clinical work.
What I Hope Children Take Away
More than anything, I want a child to close this book thinking: My brain makes more sense to me now.
I want children to understand that having ADHD doesn't define everything about them. That something can be hard without meaning they're bad at it. That asking for help is a strength. That someone else's brain can work differently from theirs and be just as remarkable.
And I want them to be curious about their own minds—about what comes easily, what takes more effort, what helps, and all the things they bring to the world.
Because understanding yourself shouldn't begin with what's wrong.
It should begin with discovering who you are.