192: Screen Time Meltdowns in ADHD Kids with Sondra Bakinde and Mariana Gordon
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
Release Date: 01/22/2026
207: ADHD Picky Eating Solutions with Andrea Daigle
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
Picky eating is not something parents simply have to “deal with.” There are strategies they can use to help expand the diets of their children. In this episode of the Soaring Child podcast, Dana Kay sits down with ADHD Thrive Institute coach Andrea Daigle to unpack what’s really behind picky eating. You’ll learn why some kids rely on “safe foods,” how texture sensitivity and digestion issues can drive food resistance, and why forcing bites may actually make things worse. You’ll also discover that many children with ADHD who struggle at the dinner table are actually responding to...
info_outline
206: IEPs vs. 504 Plans for ADHD with Paula Yost
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
Most parents walk into IEP or 504 meetings hoping to advocate for their child, but unfortunately, many of them walk out feeling unheard, overwhelmed, and unsure of what just happened. In this episode of The Soaring Child podcast, Dana sits down with attorney and licensed clinical mental health clinician Paula Yost to break down exactly why these meetings feel so difficult and what you can do to change that. Paula brings a rare and deeply valuable perspective, combining legal expertise with real-life experience as a mom navigating the system herself. She is the author of Tumbleweeds: How...
info_outline
205: Protecting Families from Hidden EMF Dangers with Beverly Jensen Ph.D
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
What do EMFs and EMRs have to do with ADHD? Find out in this Soaring Child podcast interview. Dana Kay sits down with Beverly Jensen, Ph.D., to unpack the hidden impact of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from everyday devices like phones, Wi-Fi, tablets, and baby monitors. Beverly shares how this constant, invisible exposure may be affecting children’s developing brains, nervous systems, sleep, and behavior, often without parents realizing it. Together, they explore the science behind EMFs (electromagnetic fields), including emerging research showing potential effects on neurodevelopment,...
info_outline
204: Why ADHD Symptoms Are Exploding in the Digital Age (& What Parents Can Do About It) with Logan McIlwain
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
What if it’s not just ADHD getting worse, but the world your child is growing up in? In this week’s episode of The Soaring Child podcast, Dana Kay sits down with licensed therapist Logan McIlwain to unpack what’s really happening to kids’ brains in today’s digital world. From constant notifications to endless scrolling, today’s children are growing up in an environment of nonstop stimulation, and for kids with ADHD, that impact can be intense. You’ll hear why screens don’t create ADHD but can absolutely amplify symptoms like inattention, emotional dysregulation, and...
info_outline
203: Biofeedback for ADHD Kids with Dana Hargus
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
What if your child’s meltdowns, impulsivity, and focus struggles weren’t behavioral problems but signs of a dysregulated nervous system? In this episode, Dana Kay sits down with licensed professional counselor Dana Hargus to explore a powerful and often misunderstood tool: biofeedback. With over 25 years of clinical experience, Dana explains how we can train the brain to regulate itself, helping children feel calmer, more focused, and more in control of their emotions. You’ll learn how biofeedback works in simple, practical terms, what it looks like during a session, and why many...
info_outline
202: Why ADHD Kids Don’t Listen: Executive Function Explained with Cindy Goldrich
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
Many children with ADHD know exactly what they’re supposed to do but still struggle to do it. That frustrating gap between knowing and doing is one of the most misunderstood parts of ADHD, and it can leave parents feeling confused, exhausted, and questioning their child’s behavior. In this episode, Dana Kay sits down with ADHD parenting expert and coach Cindy Goldrich to unpack what’s really happening in the ADHD brain when children don’t follow through on simple requests. Cindy explains why ADHD is not a problem of knowledge, but a challenge with executive function, and how factors...
info_outline
201: 5 Biological Stressors of ADHD
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
Grab your ADHD Thrive Decoder Kit here: You know what I wish someone had told me years ago when my son was diagnosed with ADHD? That ADHD isn't one neat little story. ADHD isn’t one problem. It’s often driven by five biological stressors stacked inside the same child. And depending on the day, a different stressor shouts loudest. In this powerful solo episode, Dana Kay reframes ADHD in a way that instantly relieves shame and confusion for parents. If you’ve ever felt like you’re parenting a different child by 4 p.m. than you were at 8 a.m., this episode explains why. Dana walks...
info_outline
200: Picky Eating, Nutrient Deficiencies, and ADHD
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
What if picky eating and impulsive ADHD behavior aren't separate problems at all—but signals coming from the same biological root? In a special milestone for the podcast — our 200th episode of The Soaring Child Podcast — Dana Kay explains how nutrient deficiencies can directly affect the brain systems responsible for focus, emotional regulation, impulse control, and sleep. Iron supports dopamine production. Magnesium and B6 calm the nervous system. Zinc shapes taste perception. Omega-3s carry the brain's messages. And vitamin D helps regulate serotonin and sleep cycles. When these...
info_outline
199: ADHD, Sleep Issues, & Poor Detox
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
Grab your ADHD Thrive Decoder Kit here: If you're raising a child with ADHD and sleep feels like a nightly argument, nobody wins. What if bedtime isn’t a parenting problem at all? What if your child isn’t resisting sleep… but their body is trying to take out the trash? In this powerful solo episode, Dana Kay reveals one of the most overlooked biological stressors impacting children with ADHD: poor detoxification. Sleep is not just rest. It is the brain and body’s nightly cleanup crew. When detox pathways are sluggish, overloaded, or genetically compromised, children can wake between...
info_outline
198: Invisible Food Reactions & ADHD
Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD
Grab your ADHD Thrive Decoder Kit here: Sometimes it’s not your child having a bad day. Sometimes it’s that you are parenting a completely different nervous system, depending on what went into their mouth yesterday. In this eye-opening episode of The Soaring Child Podcast, Dana Kay unpacks one of the most overlooked biological stressors driving ADHD symptoms: delayed, invisible food reactions. If you’ve ever felt like your child’s behavior shifts overnight — same child, same house, same rules — this episode explains what may actually be happening beneath the surface. Dana walks...
info_outlineA child can appear calm on a screen and unravel seconds after it turns off. That reaction isn’t bad behavior or poor discipline — it’s a nervous system crash driven by dopamine, overstimulation, and an abrupt loss of regulation.
In this episode of The Soaring Child Podcast, Dana Kay sits down with Sondra Bakinde and Mariana Gordon, co-founders of Mindful Mantis, to unpack what’s really happening in a child’s brain and body during screen time. They explain why screens activate the sympathetic nervous system, how dopamine crashes trigger fight-flight-freeze responses, and why kids with ADHD feel these shifts even more intensely.
You’ll learn how to spot early signs of dysregulation before meltdowns erupt, why restriction alone often backfires, and how simple transitions can support a child’s nervous system instead of overwhelming it. Sondra and Mariana share practical, realistic tools — including bridging the dopamine gap, predictable transitions, connection before direction, and their Pause & Play Method — all designed for real families, not perfect ones.
If screen time feels like a daily struggle in your home, this episode will help you reframe what’s happening and respond with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
Links Mentioned in the Show
Key Takeaways
[01:21] Why parents immediately blame themselves
[02:13] Why this isn’t a discipline issue
[04:39] How screens pull energy out of the body
[06:04] The dopamine crash explained
[08:27] Fight, flight, or freeze in kids
[11:16] Why ADHD intensifies screen reactions
[14:42] Early warning signs parents often miss
[18:11] Recovery vs restriction after screens
[20:06] Bridging the dopamine gap
[29:56] The Pause & Play Method introduced
[36:53] One grounding step parents can try today
Memorable Moments
“I am literally dealing with a feral raccoon in a human body.”
“Screens pull energy outward into the eyes, the mind, the nervous system.”
“That sudden shift can feel very threatening.”
“The body whispers before it shouts.”
“We focus less on restriction and more on recovery.”
“Urgency feels like danger. Slowness feels like safety.”
“Never end stimulation without grounding.”
Dana Kay Resources:
🔗WEBSITES:
▶ https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/
▶ https://dana-kay.com/
👋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/