Lived experiences of people with ADHD in Aotearoa — sharing the impact of misunderstanding, exclusion, and lack of support.
I’m writing this on behalf of my 5 year old. He tells me his brain is too fast, and why can’t others just keep up? He tells me things move too slowly for him and he needs it to be faster. He is clever, kind and definitely misunderstood. He has been asked to do better…
I was diagnosed with autism first, and ADHD many years later.The contrast in how people respond to those two words has been eye-opening. When I mention autism, people are curious. They ask questions, they want to understand. When I mention ADHD, the reaction shifts — suddenly it’s about effort, parenting, or self-control. The empathy disappears,…
I’m a teacher with ADHD. Nobody wants to say it out loud, but kids like me, kids with ADHD, aren’t “disabled enough” to get real support in school.I’ve seen it time and time again. A child finally gets their diagnosis. Their parent comes in, hopeful that this means some real help, maybe a plan, some…
My son showed me the petition since I’m not on social media. I reckon it’s bloody great, but yeah, also pretty sad that it’s true, true about the lifetime of harm. It’s probably too late for me, but it gives me a bit of hope for my boy. If the people in charge actually listened…
I was diagnosed with ADHD in my late 30s, after one of my children was diagnosed. Since then, I’ve found myself starting to really loathe the school system. I can’t unsee the harm it has caused, not just for my child, but for me too. I feel like I’m stuck doing generational repair. It’s exhausting….
I have ADHD, Bipolar Type 1 combined. The ADHD I have had my whole life, but the Bipolar started when I was 19. School was a living nightmare for me. I couldn’t remember things and I couldn’t write down what was on the board. I was punished for this and told I was lazy and…
I’ve always felt like I was running on a different clock. Teachers called me lazy, but I was trying harder than anyone knew.
Six months since my ADHD diagnosis, I’m still hiding it. My boyfriend doesn’t believe me, and I can’t bring myself to tell my family.