ADHD memes

Tldr: Start the diagnosis process now, diagnosis can help your kid access support and understand themselves better and it can take a long time to get diagnosed.

I've added some strategies that have helped me at the bottom of my reply.

(Sorry in advance that this is kind of all over the place, I wanted to respond but I'm not the best at organising thoughts.)

For context, I was diagnosed as Autistic as a child but not diagnosed with ADHD until I was as an adult. I'm not sure what country you're from but I'm going to be talking about UK services here because that's what I'm most familiar with.

I wish I were diagnosed and started on medication earlier because all my life my executive dysfunction was labelled as depression which led to years of being sent round mental health professionals and crisis services who didn't understand why the antidepressants and cbt they were giving me wasn't helping, but when I finally got diagnosed and started on meds after years of fighting for a diagnosis, I realised a lot of the issues I was having were actually related to ADHD, not depression. It would have saved a lot of time and trauma to get that ADHD diagnosis earlier.

Getting a diagnosis can unlock the chance to access more support in education, such as an EHCP or reasonable adjustments in class and exams. (Although, it's often an uphill battle to get these even with a diagnosis)

Also, if your kid does get diagnosed with ADHD, take the time to talk to him about it. Someone I know who got diagnosed well into adulthood told me about how they felt alienated growing up because they were always perceived as weird and naughty but didn't know why; but looking back once they knew they were neurodivergent, they realised it wasn't their fault, and that closure was incredibly helpful and something they wish they knew earlier.

Also, if he does get diagnosed, don't just medicate, also learn strategies for managing the many aspects of ADHD.

I don't have many strategies for getting daily tasks done but a few I can think of off the top of my head which I find helpful are:

• Rewarding myself before I start (it sounds silly but it helps me with getting the dopamine I need to do to start the task)
• Setting timers and scheduling movement breaks when doing work at a desk (also, keeping that space out of the room you sleep in if possible)
• Putting on a playlist of music which is a specific length and using that as a timer
• Keeping food and water next to me when sitting at my desk so it's easier to just grab a drink/eat without breaking hyperfocus and losing motivation
• Incorporating my current hyperfixations into more boring tasks to make them more interesting for my brain
• Keeping tomorrow's clothes right by the bed so it doesn't take much executive function to put them on in the morning. Same with keeping my bag packed with everything I need in advance.