Profile

snowy November 23, 2021

As a mum of a kid with ADHD I love that this article paints a picture of just how devastating and exhausting this disorder is... it's so much more than not being able to sit still. However, I don't like that you started the discussion on medication by talking about it being a drug of addiction… fueling the false narrative that it’s inherently wrong to medicate children for ADHD. There should be no stigma around this. It’s necessary and should not provoke guilt or shame. It's not addictive when given in small, managed doses under the supervision of a medical professional.

Your paediatrician was correct when he described the deficiencies in the brain that require medication to be rectified. However he was wrong in saying it cannot be treated with counselling. Management of ADHD requires both medication and therapy. Our paediatrician explained by saying that medication won’t cure him, but it will help him focus long enough to learn skills in therapy (psychology, OT, speech, behaviour) to be able to cope in school, relationships and the world.

I disagree with your final conclusion that society needs to change to accommodate this behaviour. How can it accomodate a kid who dives off playground equipment head first or who doesn’t care about consequences or rewards?

What really needs to change is the NDIS. If ADHD was considered severe and life-long, then kids could get funding to access these life changing therapies. The NDIS currently does not fund ADHD because apparently it's not permanent or untreatable. Imagine what us ADHD parents could achieve if we focused our efforts here? I wish you all the best with your son. And I hope things get better for the next generation of kids with ADHD.

User Comments