NEWS RELEASE
CENTRE FOR ADHD AWARENESS CANADA
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MARKHAM – Why brave? “Many people with ADHD still find it very scary to talk about their struggles with ADHD, or even share that they have ADHD. Opening yourself up to more judgement and unsolicited advice from the uninformed takes courage. Being an adolescent only makes it that much harder, but that’s exactly what we asked these seven teens to do”, answers Heidi Bernhardt, the President of the Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada (CADDAC).
But Katelyn Weinstein, a 16-year-old with ADHD in the videos, explains it like this, “Being vulnerable about my ADHD story is my way of telling the world it’s okay to be wired differently, and it’s okay to get help. I want other teenagers with ADHD to feel less alone but I also want those who underestimate how serious ADHD can be to see it for what it is so more people like me can get the treatment and support they need.”
The videos were primarily developed as an educational and awareness tool to help adolescents understand their ADHD, however they turned out to also be a great resource for others who want to understand what it’s like to have ADHD.
The videos feature four girls and three boys ranging in age from 13 to 22 talking about what it was like to learn they had ADHD, their daily struggles with a wide variety of symptoms and impairments caused by ADHD, but also the things they like about their ADHD. The teens share strategies and supports for home and school that help them be successful and reach their goals. They also address what it feels like when others continue to question the validity of ADHD or the accommodations they receive and discuss what a difference it makes when parents and educators actually “get” ADHD.
Devin Smith, 13 at the time of the filming, says he sees his ADHD as causing both positive and challenging things in his life, but he also knows how important it is that others understand that ADHD creates impairments that require accommodations, “If people didn’t accept my ADHD as a disability, my life would be very different - and not in a good way!”
CADDAC is hoping that this new series will continue to encourage other adolescents and adults with ADHD and parents of kids with ADHD across the country to join the conversation. They are being asked to submit their experiences and thoughts about ADHD by accessing adhdspeaks.ca or using the hashtag, #ADHDspeaks.
Link to videos:
- Understanding Adolescent ADHD Series Promo https://youtu.be/T_msrSLah1A
- What it’s like to be a teen with ADHD? https://youtu.be/wgAtTS5q_Z8
- The Three Core Symptoms of Adolescent ADHD https://youtu.be/bbFVmPH8DEk
- ADHD and Education https://youtu.be/WVnE7wbfXK8
- What is Executive Functioning? https://youtu.be/pyVZV13xF3M
- Self Regulation, Emotional Regulation and Anxiety https://youtu.be/4KuxD6FCJ-o
Link to the playlist which contains all the videos:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsgM65RwoTSpSouVqwAwicjmFcXzWlGQl
With the launch of this video series CADDAC, the only ADHD national organization for those with ADHD, expanded its already comprehensive list of educational and awareness resources on YouTube. Last fall CADDAC added a three-part animated video series for kids and awareness videos on adult and adolescent ADHD to a wide variety of past filmed educational sessions and celebrity and personally submitted videos for the national ADHD Speaks campaign.
CADDAC is also running a full day workshop on Understanding ADHD in Adults and Adolescents in the Toronto area on March 7 .
For more information visit www.caddac.ca
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