159: Hope for Struggling Readers with David Chalk
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
Release Date: 05/22/2025
170: The ADHD Meltdowns Finally Stopped - Karla Shares Her Story
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
In this week’s episode of The Soaring Child, host Dana Kay speaks with Karla, a courageous mother who transformed her family’s life after years of chaos, tantrums, and emotional turmoil. In this episode, Karla shares her raw, emotional journey—from feeling hopeless and questioning her ability as a mother, to finally discovering the underlying stressors that were exacerbating her daughter’s outbursts and meltdowns. Spoiler alert: the answer wasn’t another parenting strategy! Dana Kay, a Board-Certified Holistic Health and Nutrition Practitioner and mom to a child with ADHD, guides...
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169: Creating Your ADHD Family Playbook with Caz Pringle-Bowden
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
In this episode of The Soaring Child, host Dana Kay welcomes back counselor, neurodiversity educator, and yoga facilitator Caz Pringle-Bowden for a deep dive into a transformative concept for ADHD families — the Family Operational Manual. If parenting your child with ADHD often feels like chaos without a game plan, this episode offers a unique and practical tool that could change the way your household operates. Dana and Caz explore how understanding each family member’s brain wiring can shift a household from reactive to regulated. With real-life examples, creative metaphors, and small,...
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168: Lunchbox Solutions for ADHD Kids with Andrea Daigle
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
In this episode of The Soaring Child Podcast, host Dana Kay welcomes back Andrea Daigle, a seasoned ADHD coach at the ADHD Thrive Institute. Together, they delve into the challenges parents face when sending their children with ADHD back to school, especially concerning dietary needs and peer interactions. They discuss strategies to empower children to understand and advocate for their unique dietary requirements, ensuring they feel confident and included during school meals. Dana Kay, a board-certified holistic health and nutrition practitioner, is dedicated to helping families navigate the...
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167: Happiness Tools for ADHD Families with Matt O’Neill
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
In this episode of The Soaring Child Podcast, host Dana Kay sits down with happiness expert Matt O’Neill to explore one of the most transformative—but often overlooked—tools in parenting: cultivating happiness from the inside out. As a father of four, author, and the creator of The Good Mood Revolution podcast, Matt shares actionable insights into how happiness isn't just a fleeting feeling, but a skill that can be built—even in the chaos of daily life with ADHD. From managing meltdowns to reframing negative emotions like fear, overwhelm, and guilt, Matt offers science-backed...
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166: What’s Really Driving ADHD? with Dana Kay
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
Welcome to the debut episode of Crack The Code, a private podcast for parents navigating the often overwhelming world of ADHD. Host Dana Kay, Board-Certified Health and Nutrition Practitioner and founder of the ADHD Thrive Institute, shares her raw, personal journey of raising a child with ADHD, and what she discovered after traditional approaches fell short. This isn’t another list of parenting hacks or behavior charts. It’s a compassionate, science-backed look into what’s really going on inside your child’s body. In this powerful first episode, Dana introduces a groundbreaking new...
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165: Genetics, B Vitamins, & ADHD: What Parents Need to Know with Dana Ka
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
In this eye-opening episode of The Soaring Child Podcast, host Dana Kay explores the connection between B vitamins and ADHD in children. From emotional outbursts and brain fog to poor sleep and focus issues, Dana shares why certain B vitamins—especially B6, B9 (folate), and B12—may be at the root of lingering challenges, even when parents have cleaned up their child’s diet and added supplements. She breaks down how genetics like the MTHFR, SHMT1, and FUT2 mutations can affect how kids process these nutrients and why getting the “wrong” form of a vitamin might be making things worse...
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164: Regulate Yourself to Support Your ADHD Child with Ashley Gobeil
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
In this episode of The Soaring Child, host Dana Kay welcomes back child and parent therapist Ashley Gobeil to dive into a game-changing conversation for families navigating ADHD. Have you ever found yourself snapping at your child and then immediately feeling guilty? You’re not alone, and it may be more about your nervous system than your parenting skills. Dana and Ashley explore what’s really happening inside your body when you’re triggered and how understanding your own regulation is the foundation for becoming the calmest person in the room, even when your child is not. Ashley brings...
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163: Homeschooling ADHD Kids with Linsey Knerl
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
In this episode of The Soaring Child, host Dana Kay talks with homeschooling expert and author Linsey Knerl about how homeschooling can be a game-changer for kids with ADHD. Linsey, a mom of six and author of Homeschool Hacks: How to Give Your Kid a Great Education Without Losing Your Job or Your Mind, shares her two decades of experience and wisdom. Together, they explore the flexibility and power of homeschooling for families who feel stuck in traditional education systems that don't serve neurodivergent learners. Dana and Linsey break down common fears around homeschooling, like not being...
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162: How Concussions Mimic ADHD with Nate Pope
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
In this week’s episode of The Soaring Child Podcast, host Dana Kay uncovers a surprising root cause of ADHD symptoms that most parents and even practitioners overlook—past head injuries. Joined by neurological occupational therapist and co-founder of NCX Brain Recovery, Nate Pope, the conversation explores the profound and often hidden impact concussions can have on a child's focus, emotional regulation, and behavior. From post-concussion syndrome to powerful recovery therapies, Nate shares his expertise on how to identify these injuries and why they are frequently misdiagnosed as ADHD....
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161: Could This Gut Bacteria Be Fueling ADHD Symptoms with Dana Kay
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
In this eye-opening episode of The Soaring Child, host Dana Kay explores a hidden root cause of ADHD symptoms that most parents (and even doctors) overlook—Clostridia overgrowth, specifically C. diff. If your child struggles with meltdowns, mood swings, anxiety, or sleep issues—and nothing has worked—this episode could be a game-changer. Dana breaks down what C. diff is, how it affects neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine, and why many kids are being misdiagnosed when the real problem lies in their gut. Dana Kay is an ADHD health practitioner, author, and mom who has helped...
info_outlineIn this eye-opening episode of The Soaring Child, host Dana Kay is joined by David Chalk, an entrepreneur, speaker, and advocate for literacy who learned to read at the age of 62. Despite battling dyslexia, ADHD, and a rare condition that affects facial recognition, David built a wildly successful life. He now shares his powerful journey and introduces his groundbreaking AI-powered program, ReadingRoad.io, which is set to revolutionize how we teach children and adults to read—by focusing on the science of sounds, connection, and compassion.
Dana and David dive deep into the emotional and cognitive blocks behind reading challenges, especially for neurodivergent kids. This episode offers parents not only hope, but actionable insight. You'll also hear how unconditional love, mindset, and understanding the “why” behind behavior can transform a struggling child’s life. David’s story is a must-hear for any parent navigating reading struggles with their child.
Links Mentioned in the Show:
- Thriving with ADHD Book - https://bit.ly/40MSf4M
Key Takeaways:
[2:28] The Literacy Crisis and Real-world Impact
[3:47] David's Journey with Dyslexia and ADHD
[3:56] How David Learned to Read at 62
[7:32] The Science Behind Reading Challenges
[5:06] Parenting Neurodivergent Kids with Love
[17:07] The Birth of ReadingRoad.io
[17:28] How AI is Revolutionizing Literacy
[26:44] Advice for Parents and Struggling Children
[33:16] David’s New Podcast with His Daughter
Memorable Moments:
“It isn't cast in stone. Your child has every possibility.”
“I learned to read in 11 hours.”
“There's something magic inside of every child.”
“The only reason I’m here today is the love of my mother.”
“You are not the voice talking to you in your head.”
“If there's one technique—hug your kids more than you ever could.”
“There are only 26 symbols and 44 sounds, and that’s all you need to read every word.”
“Reading must be taught from speech to print, not the other way around.”
“No child ever starts out not wanting to learn.”
“When the education system ends, your life begins.”
How to Connect with David Chalk:
- Email David at [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askdavidchalk/?hl=en
Dana Kay Resources:
🔗WEBSITES:
👋SOCIALS:
- 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 MASTERCLASS
- Free Reduce ADHD Symptoms Naturally Masterclass - https://bit.ly/3GAbFQl
⭐COURSES & PROGRAMS
- ADHD Parenting Course – https://info.adhdthriveinstitute.com/parentingadhd
- ADHD Thrive Method 4 Kids Program – https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/packages/
- Dye-Free for ADHD Course - https://bit.ly/4aFj6TY