Our ADHD Journey: What We’ve Learned, What We’re Trying, and the Moment I Realized It Wasn’t Just E

E is 7½ now. But this story starts when she was 4, in preschool, when her teachers pulled us aside and mentioned something they’d been noticing.

She was having trouble completing three tasks in a row — something like washing her hands, grabbing her lunch, and sitting down at the table. Simple things that the other kids were doing without a second thought. Her teachers were kind about it, but they said gently that they suspected ADHD.

I remember sitting with that for a while. And then — in one of those unexpected moments of clarity that I think a lot of moms of ADHD kids will relate to — I started reading more about it. I read about hyperfocus. I read about how ADHD presents differently in women and girls. And somewhere in the middle of all that research, I realized I wasn’t just reading about E. I was reading about myself.

Getting E properly evaluated

As E got older, the signs became clearer. We decided to get her formally evaluated and found Dr. Stephen Bozylinski, a psychologist here in Thousand Oaks.

The testing confirmed ADHD. It also revealed something that felt like a gift alongside the challenge — E is highly gifted. Her IQ and other testing scores reflect a really remarkable mind. Dr. Bozylinski was thoughtful in how he walked us through everything, and he gave us some book recommendations that have been helpful in understanding how to support her.

But the thing he pushed us toward most strongly was the NeuroSigma device.

What is the NeuroSigma device?

The NeuroSigma device is an external trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS) device — it’s FDA-authorized for ADHD in children and works by delivering a gentle electrical stimulation through a small patch on the forehead during sleep. No medication. No side effects we’ve noticed.

We use it on E every night. And it does seem to bring some calm into her life — a kind of settling that we notice, even if it’s subtle. It’s hard to quantify these things, but as her mom I can feel a difference.

What we’re doing next

We’re also starting therapy with E. One of the things we’re most focused on right now is her emotional regulation — she can be dysregulated at times, which is really common with ADHD, and we want to give her real tools to work through that.

Our hope is that the combination of the NeuroSigma device and therapy together will support her in a meaningful way. We’re early in that part of the journey and I’ll share more as we go.

For now I just want to say — if you’re a parent navigating an ADHD diagnosis for your child, you’re not alone. And if you’re a woman who found yourself in your child’s diagnosis the way I did — you’re really not alone. It’s a strange and clarifying thing to go through, and it’s okay if it takes some time to sit with.

Note: The information provided in this post is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional for personalized guidance.