It’s Not A Character Flaw, It’s A Skills Gap — with Sean McCormick

Is ADHD really a superpower, or is that just a story we tell ourselves to feel better? In this episode of Attention Different, Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith sit down with Kyrus Keenan Westcott, creator of The Vibe With Ky. What follows is an honest, funny, and deeply personal conversation about late-diagnosed ADHD, anxiety, creativity, identity, and learning to accept yourself without pretending every part of ADHD is a gift. Diagnosed in his 30s after first seeking help for anxiety and de...

Why does a simple comment, a change in someone’s tone, or an unanswered message send your emotions into a spiral that feels impossible to stop? 𝐃𝐫. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐃𝐨𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐧—board-certified adult psychiatrist—returns to Attention Different for another insightful conversation with Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith. This time, they’re taking a deeper dive into Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), a term that has helped many adults with ADHD put words to the overwhelming emotional pain they experience around ...

What would change if you learned that struggling with ADHD isn't a motivation problem but a knowledge gap? In this episode of Attention Different, Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith sit down with 𝐃𝐫. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐃𝐨𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐧, a psychiatrist who has spent decades working with adults with ADHD. Known for his work around Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) and the interest-based nervous system, Dr. Dodson brings a perspective shaped by years of listening to people with ADHD describe their experiences, strugg...

What happens when you spend years trying to keep up without realizing your brain runs on a different set of rules? In this episode of 𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴, Devin Pitts-Rogers sits down with 𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥 — entrepreneur, father, husband, gamer, D&D enthusiast, and Venture Forth cast member, to talk about late-diagnosed ADHD and the everyday realities that can come with it. Diagnosed in his late 30s, Rodney reflects on how understanding his ADHD helped him make sense of experiences that h...

What if the problem was never that you couldn’t learn, but that no one had figured out how you learn? In this episode of the Attention Different Podcast, Stephen Tonti and Aaron Smith sit down with 𝐃𝐫. 𝐑𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝, founder and managing director of the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education, to rethink what teaching can look like when we stop expecting every brain to learn, process, and demonstrate knowledge in the same way. Rhoda shares how her experiences as a musician, educator, ...