Local Offer - Understanding ADHD

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a condition that affects a person's behaviour, concentration and focus.

What is ADHD?

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is one of the most common childhood disorders and continue through adolescence and into adulthood. 

Some who has ADHD may have lots of energy and find it difficult to concentrate. They may get easily distracted and find it hard to control their speech and actions. Traits of ADHD often become noticeable between the ages of 3-7 years.

The leaflet below has been designed for parents, to help them better understand what ADHD is. 

What is ADHD? - Information for Parents

Download (2.57MB - PDF)

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a related condition which has similar difficulties, however, it doesn’t involve constant movement and fidgeting and the main problem is a difficulty concentrating.

Diagnosing ADHD

If you feel your child or young person is displaying signs of ADHD, you should speak to their early year’s provider, school or college. If your child does not attend an education setting then you can contact their health visitor (for children aged 0-5 years) or the school nurse (for children over compulsory school age). If required, these professionals will start the process for a referral to the Needs Led Pathway (previously known as GDA) which could result in a referral to the ADHD Pathway. You can find out more about the process here.

Adults seeking an ADHD diagnosis can contact their GP to make a referral to the Adult ADHD team.

How can I exercise my Right to Choose?

If your GP needs to refer you for a physical or mental health condition, in most cases you have a legal right to choose which hospital or service you go to. This includes NHS and many private hospitals that provide services to the NHS. You may also choose your clinical team led by a consultant or named healthcare professional.

If you’re referred for consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, you can:

• decide which provider you would like to receive care from as an outpatient
• choose the clinical team who will be in charge of your care within that provider organisation

These choices apply to both physical and mental health, but only apply at the point of referral (from your GP, dentist or optometrist) to providers that have an NHS contract to provide the service you need.

For a service to be available for you to choose, for physical health referrals, the service must be led by a consultant who has overall responsibility and in mental health the service must be led by a consultant or mental health professional. Normally the same provider you have chosen for your first outpatient appointment will also go on to provide the rest of your treatment. You can find more information on NHS services  for physical and mental health on the NHS website. 

How you can support someone with ADHD

There are lots of ways you can support someone with ADHD, both before and after diagnosis. Here are our tops tips:

• Be understanding - ADHD isn't a choice so try not to get frustrated at the person for things they cannot control
• Keep your language simple and clear. Speak slowly and calmly
• Use short instructions (a maximum of two at a time if possible). Say the person's name before you say your instruction. Allow them thinking time and then repeat your instruction to check understanding
• Use simple gestures, pointing or pictures to support your verbal communication
• Use a visual timetable (pictures of the day’s activities) to help them prepare for the day
• Develop methods to help the person stay organised, for example, having a designated area for items or labelling drawers and cupboards to allow them to easily identify where objects belong
• Keep a consistent home and school routine. If you need to deviate from the routine, think about how you can prepare the person beforehand and consider what you can do to support them
• Keep home-school communications open and raise any concerns as soon as possible so they can be resolved quickly
• If your child is taking medication for their ADHD, ensure they are taking it as instructed and take them to their reviews at the CAMHS Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder clinic
• Seek out support from other parent/carers with SEND children. Doncaster Parents Voice is the Parent Carer Forum in Doncaster and their friendly team would love to welcome you

Remember: Everyone with ADHD is different. What works for one person may not work for another. It's important to find out what works for a specific individual rather than assuming what will work, based on your knowledge and interactions with other people who have ADHD.

If you have a child with ADHD, you can also support them by supporting yourself. This may include:

• Giving yourself time for yourself. You can't pour from an empty cup so it's important to look after yourself too
• Speaking with other parent carers - knowing you're not alone helps tremendously and it you may also get ideas on things you're struggling with
• Ask for a Parent Carer Needs Assessment - there's help available for parent carers. Ask for assessment to see what support might be available for your family

What support is available?

Back to Neurodiversity

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