Talking to family and friends about ADHD

You may be thinking about telling any other children you may have, family members or friends about your child’s ADHD. At the same time, they might think about telling their school friends.

There’s nothing wrong with telling other people, but it’s important to exercise caution, not least because once you’ve told someone, you can’t ‘untell’ them. There are still many misconceptions about ADHD, and you may get negative responses from some people.

Others may question the diagnosis, dismiss it or give you their (often unwanted) opinions about ADHD or its treatment. This can lead in turn to feelings of being undermined rather than supported. The reality is that most people are not very well informed about ADHD, and they are quite likely to repeat outdated views and stereotypes.

For this reason, it is recommended that you take as much time as you need to learn about ADHD and understand how it affects your child in everyday life. This will give you more confidence to discuss ADHD when the time is right. And don’t feel you have to say anything to anyone: it’s your choice to tell people as much or as little as you want.

There are many ADHD-specific resources to help you. Check out the Resources section of this website for a few that you may find useful, but there are lots more that you may find great: use the Internet and ask around to find out.