ADHD resources for parents and adults from Dr. Shalini Chawla

Shalini Chawla, MD

Board-Certified Adult Psychiatrist and Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Parenting doesn't come with a manual.

When you're worried about your child, it can be hard to know what you're seeing or what to do next. My guides help you understand ADHD, anxiety, and difficult moments, with practical words and tools for home and school.

Read the storm first. Then you'll know what to say.

When your child explodes, resists or shuts down, it can look like the same storm. It usually isn't. Meltdowns, Anxious Refusal, ADHD Overwhelm, and Defiance come from different places underneath, and each one needs a different response from you. The Read-the-Storm Method is how I teach parents to tell the four storms apart in the moment. You name the storm, then you use the response built for it.

From guessing at 2 a.m. to knowing which storm you're in and what to say next.

Get the free guide: Which Storm Is This?

If you're at the end of your rope.

You're exhausted. You've lost your temper and felt terrible about it. Teachers give you looks, and family doesn't understand. Maybe you've wondered if you're failing your child. You aren't. You've been handed advice that doesn't fit what's happening underneath. You can start with one storm at a time.

For tired parents: The Burned-Out Parent →
Dr. Chawla recording the Dr C Podcast

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Three good places to begin

Read the storm first.

Meltdowns, anxious refusal, ADHD overwhelm and defiance each need a different response. These guides show you how to tell them apart.

Know what to say.

Word-for-word scripts for the hardest moments at home and at school.

Written by a psychiatrist.

Board-certified in adult and child & adolescent psychiatry, treating families since 2012.

A guide for every reader.

Parents, teens, adults and clinicians each get their own shelf.

Free resources

Free guides for parents.

Start with the printables I hand families on the way out the door. Enter your email once and every guide unlocks, at no cost.

Free PDF · 8 pages

15 Minute Connection Kit

Repair the day in a quarter of an hour

A one-page routine you can actually keep: short, specific ways to reconnect with your child after school, after a meltdown, or after a hard week — no lectures, no screens, no extra hour you don't have.

You'll also receive Letters from the practice. Occasional notes only, unsubscribe anytime.

Read past letters

15 Minute Connection Kit, first page
Parents listening to their child at the kitchen table

A note from Dr. Chawla

“When you're worried about your child, you deserve clear information and practical guidance. That's what I want these books to offer.”

— Shalini Chawla, MD

Who it's for

Resources for every stage of life.

Written

Parents & Caregivers

Plain-language guides for the questions that keep you up at night.

  • Is this normal, or should I worry?
  • Scripts for meltdowns and hard conversations
  • School accommodations and advocacy
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Written

Teens & Young Adults

Written directly to you — honest, warm, and never talking down.

  • Strengths-based workbooks
  • Social media vs. reality decoders
  • What to do when hard things happen
Browse titles →

Written

Adults

Calm, practical guides for understanding your own mental health.

  • Understanding and managing adult ADHD
  • Recognizing ADHD in women
  • Healing from trauma carried through families
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Written

Clinicians & Providers

Point-of-care frameworks you can use inside a fifteen-minute visit.

  • Screening and stratification tools
  • Disclosure and counseling language
  • Documentation and coding templates
Browse titles →

Good to know

Questions, answered.