ADHD Awareness Month - Understanding and Embracing ADHD
ADHD Awareness Month takes place from the 1st October – 31st October 2023.
Misconceptions and stigmas around ADHD create barriers to understanding. ADHD Awareness Month serves as a platform to debunk these myths, and to replace ignorance with informed knowledge and empathy. It allows people to share their lived experience of how it impacts them but also their strengths and talents, to show they are more than just a person with ADHD challenges.
The theme this year is ‘Moving Forward with ADHD’.
What is ADHD?
ADHD is more than a diagnosis or label; it is a neurodifference that affects executive functions in the brain. Depending on the individual, it can encompass challenges with attention regulation, impulse control, emotional management, and other cognitive processes.
Living with ADHD brings its set of challenges, yet individuals with ADHD often demonstrate remarkable resilience and creativity, harnessing their unique abilities to showcase innovation and achievement.
Individuals with ADHD can have many strengths, some of which may include:
When support and inclusion are in place and we show individuals they are valued, we give them the opportunity to thrive and showcase their talents more freely.
Being aware of these potential strengths and understanding that ADHD is more than fleeting distractions is the first step towards a more compassionate approach.
The thing I often find that is misunderstood about ADHD though, is that individuals with ADHD are not all the same. There are different types of ADHD:
Predominantly inattentive type, for example challenges with sustaining attention; being organised or completing tasks
Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, for example, challenges with fidgeting, interrupting, reacting in the moment
And the combined type
And within these groupings, individuals will have different combinations of strengths and challenges. It is important to note that ADHD does not only occur in boys and recently we have seen an increase in females receiving a late diagnosis as the challenges often manifest differently so can be overlooked and potentially diagnosed as mental health conditions. Recognising these variations helps us to appreciate the diversity of experiences that individuals with ADHD navigate.
How to support individuals with ADHD
ADHD is not a journey that is navigated alone. It requires a supportive network - families, friends, educators, coaches, and professionals. Some individuals may find it helpful to seek support through:
Behavioural therapies
Medication
Mindfulness practices
Coaching
Support groups
Access to work
Workplaces can also support. Here are a few options to consider:
Consider flexible working
Use of assistive technology such as mind mapping and dictation software
Providing deadlines and clear, concise instructions for tasks
Breaking larger tasks down
While we have ADHD Awareness Month to help raise awareness, it is important we look at creating lasting change. Expanding our knowledge, promoting acceptance, and empowering individuals to thrive and reach their full potential is essential to championing a more inclusive world for everyone, regardless of their neurodivergence.
At Lexxic, we offer a range of workplace services such as one-to-one coaching, Workplace Needs Assessments (WPA) and e-Learning solutions for employees and managers, to help support individuals with ADHD, empower them at work and create environments where neurodiversity can flourish.
This ADHD Awareness Month, join us for a special free panel discussion in partnership with the Business Disability Forum. Click here to learn about “Challenging Misconceptions and Embracing ADHD in the Workplace” on Tuesday 24th October 2023, where we’ll celebrate the unique strengths and talents of individuals with ADHD, whilst discussing and challenging common misconceptions.
Want to see how Lexxic can support you? Click the button below to get in touch.
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