My Story
How I became an Adhd profressional
Five years ago, I knew nothing about Adhd. In fact, as a Gen-X-er, I grew up associating Adhd with rebellious, sugar-loaded boys who got in trouble for being "bad" at school. It was such a false stereotype.
My real introduction to Adhd happened when my own son turned eight. He struggled so intensely with reading and writing that we were convinced he had dyslexia, so when he was diagnosed with Adhd, we were stunned. He was nothing like the impression of Adhd I had grown up with. He wasn't avoiding classwork because he was "bad" or "lazy." He was profoundly anxious.
We had no idea that his Adhd made him work twice as hard to compensate for his poor working memory, distractibility, and the associated writing and fluency challenges. He was mentally exhausted. And while I knew nothing about “emotional regulation,” at the time, he apparently had very little of it. At the age of eight, he was literally more stressed-out, moody, and depleted than I was--his perimenopausal mother!
So, I got to work. I dove into every book, article, webinar and podcast I could find to better understand my child’s brain. I talked to anyone and everyone I knew who had experience with Adhd so I could better understand what types of support he might need in and outside of school. I researched how to best parent the kind of child I had and how to problem-solve with him more effectively. In time, and with a lot of patience, things got much better. My kid started to flourish!
"In an instant, so many things I had struggled with throughout my lifetime made much more sense."
The most amazing part of this journey was that the more I started to understand my son and his brain, the more I started to see myself in him. When I learned about the strong hereditary component of Adhd, I decided to get evaluated myself. Sure enough, my son and I shared some of that same complicated and beautiful Adhd brain. In an instant, so many things I had struggled with throughout my lifetime made much more sense.
The silver lining was that he and I have could travel this road together, and it would give us many opportunities to bond, grow, and tackle our Adhd as a family. What began as a problem became my passion. I absorbed myself in research and we tested out different tools, systems and treatments.
As my knowledge about Adhd continued to expand through the years, I decided to go the distance and become a credentialed Adhd/Executive Functioning Coach. Now, my reach has extended far beyond my own family and I have been able to help others understand and navigate the world of Adhd. I can help you too. Together we will find your way.
The Attentive Way.
Professional Background
Education and interests
Amy Stewart was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she launched a professional acting career at the age of 13. However, it was when she attended the University of California San Diego that she discovered another passion: The human brain. More specifically, the social and environmental factors that influence our brains and behavior. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in psychology, and faced a difficult choice: moving
on to graduate school or picking up where she left off as an actress. Ultimately, she moved to Los Angeles to continue acting in television and film. Her restlessness between acting jobs led her to start a side business coaching a variety of professional actors. The success of her clients revealed how Amy's supportive and insightful communication style improved their capacity to explore different choices and find more confidence and joy in their work.
"You can have it all, just not all at once"
-Oprah Winfrey
Amy’s psychology interests were reignited after both she and her son were evaluated for Adhd. They received invaluable tools and insights from experts in the field that helped them navigate Adhd and live their lives with more focus and purpose. It was this journey that inspired Amy to pursue the study of Adhd, and to obtain her credential as a certified Adhd/Executive Function Coach in 2023. She is also an active advocate for neurodiversity awareness and appreciation in educational and business settings.