ADHD, Anxiety & More: Child Mental Health for Pediatrics
ADHD, Anxiety & More - formerly Child Mental Health for Pediatric Clinicians / PsychEd4Peds - is the podcast for pediatric primary care clinicians who want practical, evidence-based guidance for diagnosing and treating children and adolescents with mental health conditions. Hosted by Elise Fallucco, MD, a nationally recognized child and adolescent psychiatrist and speaker whose educational programs have helped thousands of pediatric clinicians improve their confidence in caring for children with mental health problems. This podcast is for pediatricians, pediatric nurse practitioners, physician assistants, family physicians, and other pediatric clinicians who want to confidently care for kids with ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism spectrum disorder, behavioral concerns, trauma, and other common pediatric mental health conditions. Each episode translates the latest evidence into practical clinical pearls you can use in your office the very next day. Through conversations with leading experts in child psychiatry, psychology, pediatrics, and behavioral health, Dr. Fallucco shares real-world strategies, diagnostic tips, medication guidance, and communication tools designed specifically for busy primary care clinicians. Are you looking for answers to questions like: • Which ADHD medication should I start first? • When should I use a non-stimulant? • How do I treat ADHD and anxiety together? • Could this be ADHD, anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, trauma, or a learning disorder? • Which screening tools should I use? • When should I start an SSRI? • How do I manage common medication side effects? • When should I refer to child psychiatry? • How can I support children, teens, and families with confidence? Whether you're evaluating ADHD, treating anxiety, managing behavioral challenges, prescribing stimulants or SSRIs, collaborating with schools, or navigating complex mental health presentations, ADHD, Anxiety & Beyond delivers practical, evidence-based clinical pearls to help you provide exceptional mental health care for children and adolescents.
Episodes
While stimulant meds are first-line treatment for ADHD, they do NOT work for everyone... or sometimes they only PARTIALLY help. So, what can you do in these situations?
- When is the right time to try a non-stimulant medication like Guanfacine and Clonidine (a.k.a - alpha-agonists?)?
- In which clinical situations can these alpha-agonists be helpful?
- How do you know when to switch from one stimulant ...
It’s back-to-school season—and that often means a surge of ADHD concerns as academic demands ramp up, especially around key school transitions like 3rd, 6th, and 9th grade.
In this episode of ADHD, Anxiety, and More, Dr. Elise Fallucco shares a practical, confidence-building approach to picking stimulant treatment for children and teens, answering questions like:
Which ADHD medication should I ...
What can we learn from an Elite Coach about how to help young athletes THRIVE through sports? Join us as we chat with Coach Peter Verhoef, head coach and aquatics director at the Bolles School Swimming Program and former Olympic Trials finalist (2x).
We discuss:
- Why do so many kids quit organized sports by age 13?
- How can we prevent burnout?
- When are teens MOST vulnerable to burnout?
- How much time off/res...
Summer sports physical season is here! Before you sign that next pre-participation physical, are you asking the questions that could help prevent burnout, overuse injuries, and early sports dropout?
In this timely replay, pediatric sports medicine expert Dr. Joel Brenner shares practical, evidence-based strategies to help young athletes stay healthy—and stay in the game. Learn why early sports specializat...
Would you be surprised to learn that there has been a MAJOR INCREASE in child mental health visits in primary care? A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found clinically significant increases in child mental health visits over a 10-year period. While ADHD remained the most common MH concern, ANXIETY visits rose by 300% from 2014-2023.
We know that it can be challenging and sometimes nearly ...
Dr. Elise Fallucco reviews five practice-changing lessons from the previous season of Child Mental Health for Pediatric Clinicians:
- 1 - Ask better questions
- For example, use Dr. Waxmonsky’s ADHD assessment prompt, “When is the hardest time of day, and what is going on there?” to guide ADHD medication choice
- 2 - Look for the problem behind the problem
- Ask teens about e...
Highly caffeinated energy drinks are taking the teenage world by storm! While the AAP (Peds) says that these beverages are NOT safe, a growing number of kids and teens use them. To help us learn the latest about the health risks, join this conversation with Registered Dietitian, Roshni Patel! We talk about:
- What is really INSIDE these eye-catching, bright, metallic cans?
- Hint: potentially toxic amounts o...
Let's talk about clinician wellbeing and burnout...
In this episode, Dr. Elise Fallucco shares results from the recent AMA national survey about physician and APP burnout, and then shifts to talk about the portrayal of burnout and boundaries in a scene from HBO's "The Pitt".
She shared resources to address SYSTEMIC issues that contribute to burnout -
- The AMA's “Saving Time Playbook” found a...
Three Clinical Pearls for Evaluating and Treating ADHD
Dr. Elise Fallucco chats with Dr. James Waxmonsky (Chair of Child Psychiatry at Penn State) about practical strategies to evaluate and treat children and teens with ADHD.
Clinical Pearl #1 - Ask Patients about their biggest Challenge and define their Goals, Set Relevant Finish Lines
- Dr. Waxmonsky emphasizes starting with family- and patient-defined ...
Does our brain adapt to stimulant medication over time, develop tolerance, so that we require higher doses to achieve the same effect?
When patients tell us their stimulant doesn't seem as helpful (after working well for a while), could this be tolerance? ... or could it be something else?
To answer these questions, Dr. Elise Fallucco chats with Dr. James Waxmonsky, co-PI for NIMH-funded study: Examining...
Bench to Bedside: How ADHD Stimulants Really Work—Arousal and Reward, Not Attention Networks
Dr. Elise Fallucco launches a new “Bench to Bedside” series and interviews Dr. Nico Dosenbach, senior author of a ground-breaking fMRI study published in CELL that found that stimulants do NOT significantly change the brain’s attention networks!?!?!
Instead, effects are strongest in ar...
SSRI Switching in Pediatrics: When to Try a Third SSRI, When to Use Luvox, and Key Metabolism Pearls
Dr. Elise Fallucco continues her discussion with child psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Strawn (University of Cincinnati; co-author of Stahl’s DePrescribing) on practical tips regarding how to stop/decrease an SSRI and switch to another SSRI (or SNRI) for pediatric anxiety.
Highlights from the Episode:
- After try...
3 Ways to Switch SSRIs in Kids: Direct Switch vs Taper vs Cross-Titration
Dr. Elise Fallucco continues a conversation with child psychiatrist and anxiety GURU Dr. Jeffrey Strawn about evidence-informed ways to switch SSRIs in pediatric patients when an adequate trial hasn’t led to remission.
They review 3 strategies:
1. direct stop/start
a. Stop SSRI#1 then start SSRI#2: best ...
What is the safest, most effective way to taper or stop psychotropic meds in children and teens? Dr. Elise Fallucco kicks off a new Deprescribing series with guest Dr. Jeffrey Strawn, coauthor of Stahl’s Deprescriber’s Guide.
They discuss how clinicians and patients “deprescribe” in real life, and what can happen when tapering off or abruptly stopping medication including:
On Part 3 of our Series on Tech and Child Mental Health, Dr. Elise Fallucco continues her conversation with Ashley (Tech Insider, Senior Manager of Global Risk Assessment at Twitch) about:
- "Screen addiction"
- How to talk with kids and teens about online privacy and potential dangers like groomers and sextortion in an age-appropriate way
- Go-to resources for families navigating the digital world like...
How can parents set real boundaries around kids’ screen use when every app has different settings—and kids can get around them? In part two of this tech safety series, Dr. Elise Fallucco continues her conversation with tech trust-and-safety insider (and mom) Ashley, senior manager of global risk assessment at Twitch. They break down why parents need to set parental controls inside each individual app (no...
Just when you thought it was safe to let kids play online... a Tech Insider shares surprising information about online/digital safety. Dr. Fallucco chats with a seasoned professional in the trust and safety field about...
- How to balance the benefits of technology while minimizing RISKS like exposure to violence, cyberbullying, and grooming.
- How to set up a Child Tech contract - that defines WHEN a chil...
Let's kick off the new year with a NEW Mystery Case! Dr. Elise Fallucco works through the case of a 12-year-old girl with ADHD and a family history of bipolar. After starting a new stimulant medication, the patient exhibits what seems like 'super ADHD.' Could this be a medication side effect, emerging bipolar, or something else? Dr. Fallucco guides you through a detailed differential diagnosis, exploring possible ca...
Dr. Elise Fallucco reviews the highlights from 2025 and the TOP THREE things she learned about Child Mental Health from 2025 podcast episodes. Celebrate surpassing 50 episodes, explore exciting new episode formats like 'mystery cases,' and gain insights from impactful discussions with parents about ADHD and anxiety in children.
Tune in for excerpts from some of the most memorable episodes, including from ...
As a recovering perfectionist, Dr. Elise Fallucco shares insights ad strategies, for combating perfectionism, especially during the holiday season. Do YOU have some unrealistic expectations for yourself? Do you want permission to take some pressure off so that you can enJOY the holiday season? If so, take a listen!
0:00 Letting Go of Perfect
01:02 Defining Perfectionism
02:32 Adaptive vs. Maladaptive Perfe...
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