ADHD: Supporting, Not Managing Behaviour

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect how people behave. As with other neurodivergence, such as autism, concerns have been raised about only looking at ADHD through a clinical lens, which can lead to a deficit-based approach.

While individuals with ADHD may need support, diverse ways of thinking should be celebrated. Neurodivergent people can experience barriers due to a lack of understanding about the natural differences in how we experience the world. Therefore, it’s important to carefully consider the aims of the support we put in place. One-size-fits-all approaches for supporting behaviour can have little impact as they often discriminate against at least one neurodivergence.

ADHD does not exist in a vacuum. Many individuals will have ADHD and another diagnoses, experience, or neurodivergence.  These can include anxiety or depression, demand-avoidance (sometimes referred to as PDA), dyslexia, dyspraxia or dyscalculia, autism, Tourette’s Syndrome, and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). If unsupported or unnoticed, this may affect their quality of life. This means that, when we consider support for ADHD, we need to consider that the spectrum of need can be comparatively broad.

Common behaviours associated with ADHD

Individuals with ADHD can show a number of different behaviours, ranging from inattentive to hyperactive and impulsive. Some individuals engage in one type of behaviour more than another, but there is also often overlap.

Given that there can be such diverse presentations of ADHD, individuals are sometimes not referred promptly for assessment or diagnosis, despite potentially needing additional help and support to successfully navigate day-to-day life.

We can also have an unconscious negative perception of ADHD, often caused by generalised assumptions of typical behaviours. It can be helpful to consciously reframe this. For example, what appears to be ‘inattentive’ behaviour to us, could also be seen as hyperfocus, but the individual may be unable to control what they pay attention to.

The question for us as professionals is: how can we best support the behaviour of individuals either with ADHD, or on a waiting list for assessment, to ensure the best outcomes for all?

Why we need to understand and recognise signs of ADHD

While there is substantial variation by country, given the prevalence of ADHD is thought to be around 5% of children, and slightly less for adults, one thing is certain: if we work in education or health and social care, we need to understand the various characteristics of ADHD, so that we can always offer the best support to individuals.

We also need to bear in mind that, even without a formal assessment, we can still provide support, regardless of diagnosis. After all, good support for neurodivergent people is good support for everyone.

And when it comes specifically to behaviour, an understanding, compassionate and curious approach is particularly important. Some individuals may feel misunderstood, judged or blamed for their actions, because they are experiencing barriers due to a lack of understanding of neuro-difference. Appropriate support can challenge this and enable individuals to succeed.