Podcast Summary: EP. 351 – Regulation Before Education: Why Calm Brains Learn Best with Meg Schofield
Podcast: ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka
Host: Tracy Otsuka
Guest: Meg Hennessy Schofield
Release Date: September 24, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode focuses on the essential connection between nervous system regulation and learning, especially for ADHD and neurodivergent individuals. Tracy is joined by Meg Schofield—a special educator, mindfulness teacher, and co-creator of the Smile program—who shares her journey with ADHD, her career in special education, and a deep dive into why “regulation before education” is game-changing for students and adults alike. The episode is filled with actionable insights for creating safer, more supportive environments where all brains—especially ADHD ones—can thrive.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Meg’s ADHD Journey and Diagnosis
- Early Misunderstanding:
- Meg was diagnosed in her early 20s with anxiety, depression, and ADHD. However, ADHD was dismissed as the "third wheel," with most treatment focused on anxiety and depression.
- Quote:
“I didn't really pay attention to the ADHD diagnosis cause I was like, ugh, everyone has a little adhd.” – Meg (04:59)
- Revelation After Motherhood:
- Postpartum struggles and a supportive provider led Meg to re-explore ADHD and try medication.
- Experiencing clarity for the first time in years after starting medication was life-changing.
- Quote:
“It was like two hours after taking it. I walked by a mirror ... it was like, hello, Like, I hadn't seen me in so long.” – Meg (06:26)
- Medication Journey:
- Started with Adderall—initially helped, then increased anxiety and negative side effects. Switched to a pediatric dose of Vyvanse, which worked far better.
- Quote:
“It has been a game changer, the noise.” – Meg (08:56)
2. ADHD Through a Life Lens
- School Years and Masking:
- Meg appeared calm and successful, but internally she masked and struggled to focus due to sensory and emotional distractions.
- Used intense athletic routines (swimming) to self-regulate.
- Quote:
“On the surface, the duck looks super calm, but underwater ... that is me without my medicine and just constantly jumping from one thing to the other.” – Meg (12:42)
- After Swimming Ended:
- Loss of structure from quitting swimming caused unravelling, leading to diagnosis and deeper struggles with regulation.
3. Regulation vs. Education: The Smile Program
- Genesis of Smile:
- Meg developed the approach after personal struggles. Small environmental and routine changes created noticeable improvements for her and her students.
- Quote:
“We’re able to get so much more day in and day out because we’re starting with regulation ... That's the big key.” – Meg (21:09)
- Classroom Approach:
- No high-demand tasks for first 30 minutes; start instead with calm routines, acknowledging individual student moods (“coffee cup” analogy).
- Includes group mindfulness, movement (yoga/treadmill/bike/choice), and guided meditation tailored to student energy.
- Quote:
“All demands are put on hold ... They relax until it’s time for group mindfulness.” – Meg (22:17)
- Environment:
- Lighting dimmed, calming music, and ample sensory tools (weighted blankets, fidgets, beanbags). Consistency and options allow for self-regulation.
- Inclusivity and Compassion:
- Students aren’t forced to participate in group activities if dysregulated; multiple adults maintain a safe space.
- Dysregulation is met with support, not punishment.
- Quote:
“Every behavior is a form of communication. … Their nervous system is yelling, I feel unsafe. I need help.” – Meg (33:19)
4. Science of Stress & Learning
- Chronic Stress and Learning:
- Chronic stress keeps the brain in fight/flight/freeze, impeding access to executive functioning and emotional regulation—the foundations for learning.
- Quote:
“It's almost like a smoke alarm is just constantly going off in their brains, and it won't turn off.” – Meg (26:23)
- Types of Stress:
- Distinguished between beneficial “butterflies,” tolerable stress (buffered by support), and toxic, unrelenting stress.
- ADHD and other neurodevelopmental challenges heighten sensitivity, making regulation harder and learning less accessible.
5. Practical Regulation Tools and the Smile Methodology
- Foundational Tools:
- Deep breathing and movement to connect body and mind.
- Sensory and mindfulness-based activities throughout the day (“peppered”), not just at the beginning or end.
- Adaptability: Options for students to choose sensory input that suits them.
- How Smile Trains Others:
- The program is research-informed, practical, and now made especially ADHD-friendly, with on-demand training modules for educators and professionals.
- Quote:
“Let it all settle in. Because that’s also the other thing is we have to be at our own speed when we’re learning.” – Meg (43:28)
6. Self-Worth, Strengths, and Advocacy
- Reframing Sensitivity and “Too Muchness”:
- Meg shares advice to her younger self:
“You’re not broken and you’re not too much ... those are actually your greatest strengths and use them as your compass.” – Meg (44:07)
- Meg shares advice to her younger self:
- Workarounds:
- Uses auditory input (binaural beats, non-lyrical music) and podcasts to cue focus and make tasks enjoyable.
- Combines behavioral techniques with medication for best results.
- Medication as Access, not a Solution:
- Example: Tracy’s son used medication to unlock strategies, but once he learned them, he was able to manage without it.
- Quote:
“Maybe that’s what the medication does first and foremost for people ... it regulates you, shuts off all the noise and the anxiety.” – Tracy (48:11)
Notable Quotes with Timestamps
-
On Self-Discovery and Medication:
“It was like two hours after taking it. I walked by a mirror and I saw myself and it was like, hello, Like, I hadn't seen me in so long.”
(Meg, 06:26) -
On Chronic Stress and Learning:
“You can't ask a kid with a dysregulated brain to learn. It's not going to work.”
(Meg, 28:11) -
On Behavioral Responses:
“Every behavior is a form of communication. What is the function behind that behavior?... Their nervous system is yelling, I feel unsafe. I need help.”
(Meg, 33:19) -
On the Importance of Emotional Regulation:
“Oh my gosh, if we all knew how to emotionally regulate.”
(Tracy, 36:59) -
Words to Her Younger Self:
“You’re not broken and you’re not too much … those are actually your greatest strengths and use them as your compass.”
(Meg, 44:07)
Key Timestamps for Segments
- Intro & Meg’s Diagnosis Story: 00:05–09:43
- Life Before/After Medication: 10:05–14:23
- Swimming as Self-Regulation: 14:23–17:16
- Discovering and Building Smile: 18:00–22:06
- Smile Classroom Routine: 22:06–26:09
- Science of Stress/Regulation in Learning: 26:09–31:10
- Handling Dysregulation in Classroom: 31:10–36:12
- Smile Program Details & Practical Tips: 39:26–43:43
- Advice to Young Meg & Workarounds: 44:07–47:58
- Impact of Regulation & Where to Find Meg: 48:11–50:12
Flow and Tone
The conversation is open, genuine, practical, and encouraging. Both Tracy and Meg embrace humor and vulnerability, aiming to empower ADHD women by flipping the script on supposed “deficits”—championing strengths, self-acceptance, and connection.
Further Resources
-
Contact Meg Schofield:
- Email: meghensco@gmail.com
- Learn more about Sensory Enhanced Yoga: Sensory Enhanced Yoga Institute
-
About the Host:
Tracy Otsuka’s resources, podcast archives, and her “Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy”—see the episode description for the link.
Summary
This episode underscores the central truth that for ADHD (and all) brains, regulation is a precondition for learning and growth. Meg Schofield’s lived experience plus special education expertise sets out a blueprint: create sensory-friendly environments, give everyone time to regulate, and watch the transformation in confidence, capability, and community. The Smile program offers strategies for the classroom—and beyond—that any listener can adapt to their life, family, or work. The final message? You’re not broken—your supposedly “too much” qualities may be your superpowers.