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
87 episodes
85. Anxiety in Kids: When Is Therapy Enough—and When Should You Add an SSRI? (And why Remission Matters)
Episode 85 of ADHD, Anxiety & More is for pediatric clinicians who want to know when to prescrib...
84. Anxiety: When is it normal? When does it need treatment?
Anxiety is a normal human emotion. So, how do you know when it’s developmentally typical and when it has crossed the line into something that needs treatment? In this episode, Dr. Fallucco walks through a practical approach pe...
83. ADHD and Epilepsy: Can You Safely Prescribe Stimulants?
Join us for the latest Mystery Case: A teen with ADHD + EpilepsyWould you prescribe a stimulant?How do you treat ADHD in people who have epilepsy?In this episode, we unpack:• The surprising relation...
82. ADHD Treatment beyond Meds: Exercise and Nutrition
What ELSE helps ADHD symptoms (in addition to meds?) What does the evidence say about non-medication treatment options for ADHD? We talk about...behavioral therapy exercise - which is an under-prescribed interven...
81. Chronic Abdominal Pain in Kids: The Gut-Brain Connection and How to Help
How can we support children and families who struggle with chronic abdominal pain? Dr. Fallucco shares an episode from The Pediatrician Next Door, an excellent podcast hosted by pediatrician Dr. Wendy Hunter. Dr. Hunte...
80. Viloxazine (Qelbree) or Atomoxetine (Strattera) for ADHD: Which should you choose?
Dr. Elise Fallucco continues this series on non-stimulant medication for ADHD and shares practical tips about using Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (NRIs): viloxazine ER (Qelbree) and atomoxetine (Strattera) for pediatric clinicians.
79. When stimulants don't work: Guanfacine and Clonidine explained
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 l...
78. ADHD Meds: Which Stimulant Should you start first?
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 Fallu...
Helping Kids Thrive Through Sports with Coach Peter Verhoef (Summer Replay)
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...
Are Youth Athletes Burning Out? 2 Questions To Ask at Every Sports Physical with Dr. Joel Brenner (Summer Replay)
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, ped...
77. ADHD Treatment Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians: Earn CME Credit
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 ...
76. 5 ADHD & Pediatric Mental Health Clinical Pearls Every Clinician Should Know
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, ...
75. Energy Drinks and Teens: What Pediatric Clinicians Need to Know with Roshni Patel
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 thi...
74. Burnout in Healthcare: "The Pitt", Stats, and Solutions!
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 boundar...
73. ADHD Assessment + Treatment: 3 Clinical Pearls from Dr. James Waxmonsky
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....
72. Can we develop Tolerance to stimulants? with Dr. James Waxmonsky
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 ...
71. ADHD stimulants do NOT impact the brain's attention networks?!?! with Dr. Nico Dosenbach
Bench to Bedside: How ADHD Stimulants Really Work—Arousal and Reward, Not Attention NetworksDr. Elise Fallucco launches a new “Bench to Bedside” series and interviews Dr. Nico Dosenbach, senior author of a ground-breaking fMRI study publ...
70. Anxiety that has failed 2 SSRIs: How to switch and which med to choose next with Dr. Strawn
SSRI Switching in Pediatrics: When to Try a Third SSRI, When to Use Luvox, and Key Metabolism PearlsDr. Elise Fallucco continues her discussion with child psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Strawn (University of Cincinnati; co-author of Stahl’s De...
69. How to Switch SSRIs with Dr. Jeffrey Strawn
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 pediat...
68. Deprescribing - The Science and Art of Stopping Medication with Dr. Jeffrey Strawn
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. ...
67. From Screen Addiction to Sextortion: Your Guide to Digital Safety with Tech Insider Ashley
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 t...
66. Keeping Kids Safer Online with Tech-Insider Ashley: Parental Controls, Hidden App Risks, and Tech Alternatives to Smartphones
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 ins...
65. Digital Dangers: Tips from a Tech Insider
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 t...
64. Mystery Case: 12yo ADHD "acts like she is on speed"
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 'sup...
63. Top 3 Things I Learned in 2025
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...