[THEME MUSIC] ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-- that's what ADHD stands for. It's an umbrella term under which people might have attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and a variety of symptoms and signs that are described in different diagnostic bibles. My name is Debbie Oliver, and I have ADHD. For some people, you could have a more hyperactive type of ADHD-- a lot of fidgeting, and really restless. You've got lots of energy, and then the inattentive side is you're struggling to stay focused on things. You've got a short attention span. My name is Annalise. And at school, the things that I had problems with is concentrating-- that's a big one, maybe just keeping calm. So I was struggling to read and write, and I felt quite frustrated with myself that every other kid, was able to read, everyone else was able to write. Everyone found maths so easy. But for me, it was just really hard, and I didn't really fully read until I was seven. It was just because of my ADHD and dyslexia. It was holding me back to doing what I could do. ADHD often overlaps with other conditions like autism spectrum condition, dyslexia. So you rarely, if ever, see somebody who has just ADHD. And you rarely see one person who's exactly like another person, but the impact of their challenges day-to-day in education or employment, their impact might be similar. I started to realise maybe I was a bit different from the other children. I just got a bit more overwhelmed than the other kids. We sometimes think about ADHD as a deficit of attention, but actually it's a surfeit of attention. You're interested in everything and you can't focus, or you can focus on the things of high interest-- hyperfocus, really. So basically, the littlest thing, like someone's pen dropping, I'd look, because my brain just goes to that thing. So many people throwing rubbers, shouting. It was just so overwhelming. I couldn't really concentrate on my work because it was just too much. And then because of my ADHD, I'm very impulsive. And I just thought, oh, go on then, all my friends are doing it. I'll just do it. I used to stare at the clock all the time. Just look at it, look at it, look at it. Wait, wait, until lunchtime, when I can play football and have fun. I knew I was pretty smart because even though I didn't concentrate, I still got average marks. So somebody with ADHD can be very creative and think outside the box. They might be able to see different ways of synthesising information that somebody else might not be able to do. We're just wired differently. It doesn't mean you can't do the same task or the same thing as someone else. We'll get there in a different way. [THEME MUSIC] I just really like to fidget, mostly with my hands or maybe, I tap my foot or I shake my legs. It just calms me down a bit. I was thinking that a teacher in school can spot some of the signs-- fidgeting, tapping, swinging on the chair, doodling, talking to the child next door, answering out of turn. When it really hit me, it was that it was like the 20th time my mum got told that I was hitting someone. Then I realised I was not good. Miki, you can't be messing around with other kids. In boys, we might see them more physical movement side of things. They're throwing chairs across the classroom, or they're punching walls, that kind of thing. That list of ADHD traits was much more in male-type list. And lots of girls were being missed completely, or misdiagnosed, or misunderstood. In girls, it's in the thoughts. So the constant looping of thoughts that are going round, and round, and round. Something that basically happens to me, I don't know how many times a day, is I'll think of something that I want to say, but then I'll be like, oh gosh, what was it? What did I want to say? And I've completely lost my train of thought. I lost everything, and it's well known that women with ADHD are really good at hiding things. From that side, it would have been difficult to know. The side effects of internalising might manifest in eating disorders, self-harm, anxiety, depression, isolation as well. I could never understand how people would hear things, they hear it once, and they just get it. Or someone would ask them to do something and they wouldn't have to ask for the instructions again. And for me, it always took longer. The whole term of "Don't work hard, work smart." I don't know what working smart looks like for me. I have to work harder and longer to be able to just be on par with neurotypical people. And until relatively recently, we hadn't recognised how girls particularly may not be so overtly hyperactive, but might be dreamy and inattentive and being seen as nice girl. So if you are helpful, taking books around and doing things and helping to clear up because movement is useful to you, then your needs are not being necessarily identified. So girls are often missed in school because they're being seen as-- she really helpful, chatty, but can't really get it down on paper. You don't see a lot of this behaviour, but what you're seeing is the impact of holding it all in when you go home. The analogy is the Coke bottle effect. You're sitting in a busy classroom with lots of noise. You're not allowed to move, and they're doing everything they can to be able to focus and listen. And then when they get home, where they feel safe, everything comes out. And that's where you see the big explosions. And that parent then doesn't know what to do. A child with ADHD in school is taking in everything. So a lot of cognitive energy is being used to be able to sit still and pay attention, which is exhausting. A bad day at school means a bad night at home. And understanding that, and working together, really can make a big difference to helping with planning and organisation. We've got to think about the 24-hour approach, not just its school or its home. [THEME MUSIC] I think my diagnosis has really helped me understand more about it. It helped me learn a bit more about myself. I'm just so much more kinder to myself. And just like, do you know what? You're literally fighting against your brain. Your brain is going one way, and you're trying to do something else. So, don't worry, it's not that deep. It's all right. This is just how you're wired. By having a diagnosis of ADHD, you can start to understand your child. They can start to understand themselves. And they can also then advocate for what they need in school. [THEME MUSIC] Proactive steps that adults can take to help their child with ADHD. There's a five C's approach. Self-control-- so managing your own emotions to then be able to support your child manage theirs. Compassion-- to have a real understanding for what's happening for your child, and also compassion for yourself as well. Then collaboration to working with your child, to work out a plan of what will help support them, and what's going to help support the family as well. Consistency-- so whilst ADHD individuals don't often like routine, but actually having a routine and a daily schedule is very containing for them. And then celebration-- to really celebrate your young person and their uniqueness. Really important for parents and teachers to work together. A good day at school starts the night before with getting your things out. And so there's a calm start to the day. And your child's gone to sleep at an appropriate hour, because if they're going to bed really late, they're going to arrive at school jet lagged and not be able to work effectively. And that planning and organisation needs to start at home consistently and also then reflected in school as well. You can't do one without the other. This is what I've got. I can't make it go away. And this is how I'm going to work with it. And even though I've got this, I'm still going to be a successful person. I'm still going to do everything I want to be. [THEME MUSIC]