HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE SOUTH BAY/SO CAL CHAPTER OF CHADD 10G

 

There is a profound sense of relief that washes over you when you finally connect with people who just get it. When you are navigating a major life hurdle—whether that is the daily complexities of ADHD, a daunting medical diagnosis, or the heavy weight of grief—it is incredibly easy to feel like you are the only one struggling. Finding a support group shifts that entire narrative. It offers a welcoming, safe space where you can finally stop explaining or justifying how you feel, and instead be met with immediate, genuine empathy from peers who have actually walked in your shoes.

 

Beyond the emotional comfort, these communities become a trusted circle for sharing real-life wisdom. It is one thing to read clinical advice in a pamphlet, but it is entirely different to hear someone look at you and say, "I completely understand, and here is a trick that actually worked for me today." That exchange of lived experience, coping strategies, and tiny victories brings a unique spark of hope that formal settings often miss. Ultimately, a support group is a living, breathing reminder that your feelings are completely valid, your resilience is shared, and you never have to walk through your toughest days alone.

 

1. CHADD ADHD SUPPORT GROUP:  Zoom meetings are held bi-monthly on Saturdays, from 1-2:30 pm (PST). Justine Ruotolo, LMFT and an ADHD/Executive Function Coach for over 31 years, is the Group Facilitator. Justine's passion is helping adolescents, parents, couples and adults embrace their ADHD gifts. Email Carolyn @ ckellychadd10g@gmail.com and Justine @ justine.ruotolo@narrativeshiftcoaching.com to request the Zoom link. 

MEETING DATES:

1.  September 19,2026 (Sat., 1-2:30 pm (PST))

2.  October 3, 2026 (Sat., 1-2:30 pm (PST))

3.  October 17, 2026 (Sat., 1-2:30 pm (PST))

4.  October 31, 2026 (Sat., 1-2:30 pm (PST))

 

2. CHADD WOW FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP:  Professionals are invited to speak on ADHD related topics of interest. These zoom meetings are held monthly, beginning in September and ending in May, on Thursday evenings from 7-8:30 pm. Email Carolyn @ ckellychadd10g@gmail.com to request the Zoom link. 

 

DATE:  SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 (THURSDAY, 6:30-7:30 PM (PST))

SPECIAL GUEST:  JUSTINE RUOTOLO, LMFT & ADHD/EXECUTIVE FUNCTION COACH

TOPIC:  THE STORY YOU WERE TOLD: WHAT IT MEANS TO BE NEURODIVERGENT IN A NEUROTYPICAL WORLD 

TOPIC DESCRIPTION: Have you been sitting in the wrong chair your whole life...not because you chose the wrong chair...but because every chair was built for a different body and nobody told you that was the problem. You were just told to sit still, to stop fidgeting, to try harder and if you really cared, you would remember. Stop being sensitive. So you twisted yourself, tried to make yourself fit, until you fell out of the chair. And everyone looked at  you wondering why you could not sit like everyone else. This is what it means to be neurodivergent in a neurotypical world...and the blame alway lands on you. You know this narrative by heart. Join Justine to learn tools that can help you finally understand you and how your brain works. The Narrative is the story you have been told about yourself and continue to tell yourself. That voice says you are lazy, careless, oversensitive, incapable. The shift is the reframe. Come learn how to stop the shame and blame spiral and start your recovery process. 

WEBSITE: www.narrativeshiftcoaching.com

 

DATE:  OCTOBER 15, 2026 (THURSDAY, 7-8:30 PM (PST))

SPECIAL GUEST:  STEFANIE RUSHATAKANKOVIT, LICENSED ED PSYCHOLOGIST & BOARD CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR ANALYST

TOPIC:   NAVIGATING SCHOOL AND COLLEGE TRANSITIONS: SCAFFOLDING EXECUTIVE SKILLS BETWEEN GRADE LEVELS AND BEYOND HIGH 'SCHOOL

TOPIC DESCRIPTION:  As students move between grade levels or step our of high school into college, external structure drops while independent expectations skyrocket. For families and individuals nvigating ADHD, these educational shifts can expose unexpected executive function hurdles--from task initiation and time management to planning and emotional regulation. In some cases, rising academic volume can also bring early, previously hidden learning differences to light. Join us for an empowering, practical presentation focused on buiding concrete executive skill supports. We will explore how rising independent demands impact the ADHD brain, briefly touch on possible signs of emerging learning differences, and walk away with practical, evidence-based strategies to scafold success through school, college, and beyond. 

WEBSITE: www.novi-minds.com

 

DATE:  NOVEMBER 12, 2026 (THURSDAY, 7-8;39 pm (PST))

SPECIAL GUEST:  STEVEN LAWRENCE, MD, IS A DOUBLE BOARD CERTIFIED PHYSICIAN IN CHILD, ADOLESCENT AND ADULT PSYCHIATRY.

TOPIC:  BEYOND THE PRESCRIPTION PAD: MODERN, EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS THAT WORK

 

DATE:  DECEMBER 3, 2026 (THURSDAY, 7-8:30 PM (PST))

SPECIAL GUEST:  MIWA EMI, LCSW, WITH 21 YEARS OF PRACTICE ACROSS PSYCHOTHERAPY, MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK, AND CARE MANAGEMENT. HER BILINGUAL PRIVATE PRACTICE IS WITH HIGH ACHIEVING WOMEN WHO ARE MANAGING ANXIETY, PANIC AND CHRONIC WORRY.

TOPIC:  BEFORE YOU SNAP: MANAGING YOUR ANXIETY THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS IN AN ADHD HOUSEHOLD

WEBSITE:  MIWAEMITHERAPY.COM

 

DATE:  JANUARY 14, 2027 (THURSDAY, 7-8:30 PM (PST))

SPECIAL GUEST:  FAISAL AHMED, M.D., IS A BOARD CERTIFIED CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIST AND RECENT AUTHOR OF: "THE HEART OF THE MATTER: NAVIGATING CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH WITH CLARITY AND COMPASSION." DR AHMED IS ALSO VICE CHIEF OF STAFF AT SUTTER CENTER FOR PSYCHIATRY AND VOLUNTEER CLINICAL PROFESSOR UC DAVIS MEDICAL SCHOOL AND THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF IPSYCHIATRY SACRAMENTO

TOPIC:  THE HEART OF THE MATTER: NAVIGATING CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH WITH CLARITY AND COMPASSION

 

DATE:  FEBRUARY 4, 2027 (THURSDAY, 7-8:30 PM (PST))

SPECIAL GUEST:  RUSS JONES IS FOUNDER OF ADHD BIG BROTHER, A COACHING AND COMMUNITY PLATFORM THAT HELPS ADULTS WITH ADHD, DIAGNOSED LATER IN LIFE, RUSS HAS BEEN SUPPORTING ADULTS WITH ADHD SINCE 2020. RUSS IS TRAINED AS AN INTEGRATIVE WELLNESS COACH AND HOSTS THE ADHD BIG BROTHER PODCAST, RANKED IN THE TOP 1.5% OF PODCASTS GLOBALLY WITH 250+ EPISODES.

TOPIC:  "AN ADHD PRODUCTIVITY TALK:  FROM THINKING TO ACCOMPLISHING"

 TOPIC DESCRIPTION:  The Life Cycle of a Task, and How to Manage Our Productivity Leaks. We'll cover the 4 main places where an adult with ADHD struggles when it comes to their overwhelming to do list. And we'll talk about a solution that may work for each of those areas. 

Ready SET Go Framework for getting started on anything. We can have the best of intentions, we can know what we want to do and how to do it, but somehow the moment arrives and we can't get started. We will talk through this simple framework that can be practiced immediately. 

A Fresh Perspective on Achieving Goals with ADHD - most normies view goals as a climb up a mountain. I flip that, because it's just a metaphor so who cares....I teach people to imagine they start their journey at the top of the mountain and the goal is somewhere at the bottom, below the cloud line. All it takes to get rolling down the mountain is a nudge. 

WEBSITE:  WWW.ADHDBIGBROTHER.COM

 

DATE:  MARCH, 2027 (6:30 PM-8 PM (PST))

SPECIAL GUEST:  HAIM OMER, PhD, PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF PSYCHOLOGY, TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY. PROFESSOR OMER IS THE DEVELOPER OF THE NEW AUTHORITY APPROACH FOR PARENTS (ALSO KNOWN AS NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE (NVR) APPROACH, TESTED IN CLINICAL TRIALS INCLUDING WITH FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH ADHD. DR OMER IS THE AUTHOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS FOR PARENTS TRANSLATED INTO MANY LANGUAGES.

TOPIC:  THE NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE APPROACH TO PARENTING: HOW TO STAY PRESENT

TOPIC DESCRIPTION:  LEARN PRACTICAL TOOLS TO STEP OUT OF DAILY ESCALATION AND REMAIN A CALM, ANCHORING PRESENCE IN YOUR CHILD'S LIFE.

 

DATE:   APRIL, 2027 (THURSDAY, 7-8:30 PM (PST))

SPECIAL GUEST:  ITAY RICON-BECKER, PhD., CO-FOUNDER OF ANNIE, AN AI PARENTING COMPANION BUILT ON THE NVR APPROACH IN DIRECT COLLABORATION WITH PROFESSOR HAIM OMER.

TOPIC:  ANNIE - AN AI HELPER FOR DAILY CHALLENGES OF PARENTING

TOPIC DESCRIPTION:  A LIVE DEMO OF AI SUPPORT FOR EVERYDAY PARENTING MOMENTS, AND A DISCUSSION OF WHAT AI CAN AND CANNOT DO FOR FAMILIES.

 

DATE:  MAY 20, 2027  (THURSDAY, 7-8:30 PM (PST))

SPECIAL GUEST:  TJ VANMARTER, MA, BCBA, LMFT, IS A MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST. TJ WORKS WITH CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS AND FAMILIES, SPECIALIZING IN NEURODIVERGENCY (ADHD/AUTISM), MOOD DISORDERS & LIFE TRANSITIONS. TJ BEGAN HIS CAREER WORKING WITH ATHLETES IN MANAGING PRE-PERFORMANCE ANXIETY, ENHANCING SELF-CONFIDENCE, SETTING GOALS AND WORKING THROUGH LIFE STRESSORS. HIS PRACTICE EVOLVED INTO WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH AUTISM AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS THROUGH BEHAVIOR THERAPY. 

TOPIC:  BEYOND "TOUGH LOVE:  EMPOWERING NEUODIVERGENT INDEPENDENCE THROUGH SCAFFOLDING

WEBSITE:  TJVANMARTER.COM