254 35 Years Old And Learning To Read With Oliver James
I Have ADHD Podcast
Kristen Carder
4.8 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 12 March 2024
⏱️ 66 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
I’m beyond excited to share this episode with the one and only Oliver James. At 35 years old, Oliver is learning how to read for the first time.
You might have seen him on TikTok, Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, or NPR, where he’s shedding light on functional illiteracy.
After being diagnosed with ADHD and OCD as a child, Oliver spent most of his life struggling to keep up both in and out of the classroom until a string of bad choices found him in prison.
On the other side, Oliver continued to struggle. His ADHD and OCD left him desperate for answers but not sure where to turn — until he decided to teach himself how to read in 2020. Oliver captured the raw journey on TikTok, where he ended up going viral.
Over the past four years, Oliver’s story has inspired millions. He’s now using his powers for good as a public speaker and advocate for adult literacy. I truly cannot wait for you to hear his story.
You can follow Oliver on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Come hang out with me on Instagram HERE.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the I have ADHD podcast where it's all about education, encouragement and |
| 0:11.2 | coaching for adults with ADHD. |
| 0:13.5 | I'm your host Kristen Carter and I have ADHD. |
| 0:17.5 | Let's chat about the frustrations, humor, and challenges |
| 0:21.1 | of adulting, relationships, working, and achieving with this neurodevelopmental disorder. |
| 0:27.0 | I'll help you understand your unique brain, unlock your potential, and move from point A to point B. |
| 0:34.0 | Hey what's up? This is Kristen Carter and you are listening to the I have |
| 0:41.0 | ADHD podcast. I am medicated, I am |
| 0:44.9 | regulated, and I'm ready to roll. Can't wait to chat with you today. I have |
| 0:50.7 | a really special guest. I've been dying to get him on the podcast. We are finally |
| 0:55.6 | here and ready to chat. Oliver James is here. He is a Tik-Tok sensation, motivational speaker, |
| 1:06.5 | and in his Tik-Toc videos Oliver introduces himself by saying, I'm a 35-year-old man who struggles with reading. However, it wasn't long ago that he would say, |
| 1:13.0 | I can't read. |
| 1:14.5 | He opens up about many deep struggles |
| 1:16.7 | that he's gone through with learning to read |
| 1:18.4 | and his mental health. |
| 1:19.8 | He has ADHD, he has OCD, we're gonna get into all of that his story is inspiring and he |
| 1:25.9 | ended up being interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America the Rachel Ray show |
| 1:30.2 | NPR and other major outlets and we get him today is so fun. |
| 1:35.8 | It was also recently featured in People magazine. |
| 1:38.6 | In October, he was awarded the 2023 National Literacy Honors Award by the Barbara Bush Foundation. the when he's not working on reading or speaking. Oliver is tackling another new frontier, |
| 1:54.4 | which is parenting his son born last January. |
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