Jessica McCabe
“Making ADHD science accessible, one video at a time”
Overview
Jessica McCabe (born November 5, 1982, in Los Angeles, California) is an American content creator, author, and ADHD advocate best known as the creator, writer, and host of "How to ADHD" — the largest ADHD educational platform on YouTube with approximately 1.93 million subscribers.
Diagnosed with ADHD at age 12, McCabe worked as an actor, stand-up comedian, and in various other roles before finding her calling in ADHD education. She launched the How to ADHD channel in 2015 as a personal project to organize the research and strategies she was learning to manage her own condition. It has since grown into a globally respected educational platform.
Her approach — combining peer-reviewed research with personal vulnerability, humor, and animated explainers — has made complex neuroscience accessible to a mainstream audience. Her 2017 TEDx talk "Failing at Normal: An ADHD Success Story" has been viewed millions of times.
In January 2024, she published "How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It)," which became a New York Times bestseller. The book translates her most impactful video content into a comprehensive, research-backed guide. She is not a clinician but a journalist and lived-experience expert who bridges the gap between academic research and the ADHD community.
Notable Quotes
“You are not lazy. You are not stupid. You are not crazy. You just have a brain that works differently.”
“The Wall of Awful is real. Every avoided task adds another brick.”
“We don't need to be fixed. We need to be understood — including by ourselves.”
Connection to Your ADHD Type
McCabe embodies the Spark type: creative, energetic, endlessly curious, and candid about the chaos. Her content style is a living example of what the Spark brain looks like when channeled effectively. Her book's subtitle — "Working with Your Brain, Not Against It" — is the Spark type's core philosophy.
Which ADHD type are you?
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