On April 29, the Trump administration announced it was cutting $1 billion in funding for federal grants used to hire and train 14,000 mental health professionals in 260 public school districts across 49 states.

The grants originated in 2022’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a bill that passed the Senate with unanimous consent following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 22 people died, including 19 elementary school children. The bill was largely seen as important recognition of and support for an escalating mental health crisis among American youth.

In April, the Trump administration eliminated all funding for these grants, blaming Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives associated with them. Specifically, the administration objected to grant money being used to train and recruit diverse mental health counselors who reflect the demographic make-up of the students they serve.

Meanwhile, research shows that BIPOC students benefit from access to a diverse cohort of mental health professionals¹, and the inverse is true as well.

“We see studies that show a bias in the way that Black children, in particular, are treated in the health care system compared to white children,” said Tumaini Rucker Coker, M.D., during the ADDitude webinar “Equity in ADHD Care.” “It is directly related to racial bias. Black families are less likely than white families to have concordance or a shared lived experience with their healthcare providers, and studies have shown that Black adults are more likely than white adults to report lower levels of trust in their providers as well.”

[Read: “As Inclusion Disappears, My Mask Reappears”]

Furthermore, “studies show that Black families tend to have worse outcomes with white doctors,” said Napoleon B. Higgins, Jr., M.D., during his ADDitude webinar “Health Equity in ADHD.” “That is that is a sad thing to hear, but if we can educate more providers, maybe we could change that.”

Recently, ADDitude invited its readers’ reflections on news of the $1 billion in cuts to youth mental health services. Nearly 200 people responded, and many of them expressed concern that all students’ mental health may suffer because of the cuts, but especially those with autism, ADHD, and learning differences, who may benefit from seeing school counselors with similar lived experiences.

[Read: “DEI – and Neurodivergence – Are Under Attack”]

ADDitude Readers React to Mental Health Funding Cuts

“As a school social worker and the parent of a child who has an IEP, I consider Trump’s cuts to funding for public school mental health to be gross negligence. I think that it highlights his ignorance on the issues plaguing our youth. I also find it irresponsible. Our kids still are not okay ever since COVID. I believe that it will impact the services that my son receives.”

“Students need to feel safe and be OK within themselves before they can take in the knowledge to learn anything. Cutting access to mental health services means that students who are at-risk learners due to factors outside a school’s or educator’s control may become disengaged learners. This leads to more problematic and potentially anti-social behavior.”

“As a former teacher of students with disabilities, I am concerned. Students need safe places to go and get mental health support. Parents are doing their best but don’t always have the resources to support their children.”

“All three of my children are neurodiverse, and this can take a toll on their mental health. Having supports like counselors, DEI programs, and other accessibility programs is vital. I now have two children in college and one entering high school.”

“I am a school counselor and my son has ADHD. We’re already incredibly behind on providing mental health services to students. These cuts are only going to significantly increase the percentage of students whose health needs are hardly or never addressed.”

“Every child should have the support they need to excel in school. School mental health services are critical for this.”

“I don’t understand why we are defunding mental health awareness, advocacy, and resources. It really doesn’t make any sense to me. It seems like we had made such strides forward in mental health, but now we’re going backward for some reason. I understand cutting expenses to cut spending and improve the national deficit, but it seems like we are cutting very vital and necessary things. It’s like trying to cut back on your own budget by deciding to not buy groceries anymore.”

Understanding Trump’s Funding Freeze: Next Steps

• Read: Generation AnXiety — Findings on ADHD & the Mental Health Crisis
• Learn:Youth Mental Health Care Is Vital. And Hard to Access.
• Watch: Mental Health Out Loud Webinar

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude . To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Sources

¹
McGuire, TG., Miranda, J. (March-April 2008). New evidence regarding racial and ethnic disparities in mental health: policy implications. Health Affairs.https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.27.2.393

Lift your child’s spirits (and your own!) with these feel-good, strengths-focused tips informed by the principles of positive psychology.

1. At the dinner table, emphasize the good they did that day.

Use dinnertime as an opportunity to focus on everything that went well that day and how your child’s efforts contributed to positivity. Ask questions or prompts like the following:

• “Tell us what you got right today.”
• “Tell me when you stayed on task and got your work done.”
• “Did you stay calm when something upsetting happened today? What was it?”
• “Did you almost do something bad today, but decided not to do it? What was it? How did you stop yourself?”
• “Tell us something you remembered to do today, that you used to forget.”
• “Did you get along well with other kids today in a group? You welcomed ideas and listened? Tell us about it.”

2. Point out their strengths every chance you get.

Children with ADHD have their challenges pointed out to them every day by everyone in authority. What often gets forgotten or overlooked, though, is building awareness of their strengths.

Children with ADHD will grow into successful, happy adults not because their deficits were erased, but because their strengths were identified, nurtured, and developed through adolescence and into young adulthood. Good teachers, coaches, and other leaders understand this. You’ll observe it in how they talk about children.

[Get This Free Download: Conversation Starters for Parents & Kids to Foster Bonds]

“Your daughter is dynamic in class. When she expresses a strong opinion, she expresses herself well, and the other students listen.”

“Your son took a leadership role and organized the whole project, delegating duties to the others. He really has leadership skills.”

Make it a rule to point out the positives, even as you’re navigating challenges.

“You push my buttons sometimes, but I noticed that you were so kind to your grandmother today at the assisted living home, and to the others as well. The way you show kindness to others is amazing.”

3. Focus on the progress, not the gaps.

Children and adolescents with ADHD often lag behind their peers in some key skills, such as staying on task, remembering important information, and controlling their impulsive behavior.

Awareness of gaps is important, but it shouldn’t be the whole picture. As I learned from a wise parent many years ago, focusing too much on where your child ought to be leads to discouragement and despair. “My child will never grow up! They’ll never make it!”

[Read: Shake Loose of Your Limiting Beliefs — A Guide for Teens with ADHD]

Instead, it is much better to look backward in time and focus on the progress your child has made. In my own practice, I work with families to create a list of small, reachable goals for their child for the next six months, not unlike a school IEP. At the end of this period, we do a review, that might go something like this:

• My child struggled to flush the toilet in the past, but now they are doing it more than half the time.
• My child would argue with me about starting homework, but now they get started on their own about half the time.
• We’ve worked on cleaning up messes, and now they’re doing it almost all the time.  I have to remind them a few times here and there.
• My child has made it through a whole semester without getting suspended, not even once.

4. Close out the day with affection and empathy.

Raising a child with unique needs can put a great deal of undue stress on the parent-child bond. At the end of the day, repair the bond. Understand that your child is not purposefully trying to give you a hard time. No one wants to live a life with challenges.

Give your child a hug. Offer empathy. “It’s not easy, is it? I forgive you. Forgive me for yelling at you. I need a hug, too. Tomorrow is a new day, and we’ll start over, trying to get things right.”

5. Send positive messages of hope and optimism for the future.

Be a beacon of light for your child, especially as they pass through the adolescent and young adult years. Even a kind text message here and there can be well received.

• “You have many strengths (name them). Use those today to be successful.”
• “Today is a new day. Make a fresh start. Get things right. I know you can do it.”
• “You have family and friends all around you who love you and are rooting for you. They are ready to help you, anytime.”
• “You are growing, changing, and learning from your mistakes. You have a way to go, but you’re making progress. Keep at it.”

Positive Attitude in ADHD Kids: Next Steps

• Read: “I Believe In You!” How to Vanquish a Child’s Low Self-Esteem
• Read: How to Invest In Your Child’s “Emotional Bank Account”
• Read: How to Explain ADHD in Positive, Empowering Terms
• Get This eBook: The ADHD Positive Parenting Guide

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

References

Seligman, M.  2006.  Learned Optimism. Vintage.

Seligman, M.  2004.  Authentic Happiness. Simon Element / Simon Acumen

If these tired (but undying) parenting tropes trigger a hidden rage or sadness, you might have a child with ADHD. Because, no, every day should not be held dear. And some moments can’t pass by quickly enough. And accelerated maturation is typically not the problem.

The truth is that most parenting advice is bad advice for the parents of children with ADHD. Our circumstances are complicated and the solutions that work for everyone else typically just make us feel bad about ourselves. So, what does help?

[Free Download: Cheat Sheet of ADHD Discipline Strategies]

In a recent ADDitude survey, 177 parents recommended the resources that work for them — from helpful books to online tools produced by experts in the field. The tools are varied, but one benefit was universal: feeling heard, validated, and supported regarding the real, pervasive challenges associated with parenting a child with ADHD.

Readers’ most recommended books for parents included the following:

• Understanding Girls with ADHD by Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D.; Patricia Quinn, M.D.; and Ellen Littman, Ph.D.
• The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Damour, Ph.D.
• The ADHD Empowerment Guide by James Forgan, Ph.D. and Mary Anne
• Mindful Parenting for ADHD by Mark Bertin, M.D.
• Raising Girls Who Like Themselves by Kasey Edwards and Christopher Scanlon, Ph.D.
• Gifted and Distractible by Julie F. Skolnick, MA, JD.
• What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew by Sharon Saline, Psy.D., and Laura Markham, Ph.D.
• 14 Talks Before Age 14 by Michelle Icard
• The Price of Privilege by Madeline Levine Ph.D.
• How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
• How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis, LPC

[Free Parenting Guide for Moms and Dads with ADHD]

Still other parents recommended Jessica McCabe’s YouTube channel “How to ADHD,” and Ryan Wexelblatt’s “ADHD Dude” website.

Popular podcasts included the following:

• “Beautifully Complex” by Penny Williams
• “Calm Parenting” by Kirk Martin
• “ADHD Experts” by ADDitude

More Parenting Books and Resources Recommended by ADDitude Readers

“I think what I’ve appreciated the most is stories from experts and parents who are neurodivergent and have a child that is neurodivergent. It gives me a sense of being seen and heard.”

“ADDitude podcasts have really helped, as did CHADD’s Baltimore conference a few years ago. The ‘ADHD Rewired’ podcast has helped. On Instagram, @adhd_love has really helped me to laugh and to feel compassion for myself and neurodivergent family members. All of these resources have helped me to have a better understanding of myself and my children — and to feel greater acceptance, patience, and compassion toward us all.”

“I started listening to the ‘ADHD Chatter’ podcast soon after I was diagnosed, and I found that listening to the experiences of others helped me find my new identity. Taking Charge of ADHD by Russell Barkley, Ph.D., was written specifically for parents of ADHD children and has served as a blueprint for how we parent. ADDA, CHADD, and ADDitude publish resources that have been extremely helpful in how we organize our lives, how we practice self-care, how we work to regulate our emotions for a more stable home, and so on.”

“I love the book ADHD for Smart Ass Women by Tracy Otsuka. Knowing about myself helps me to know how I can help my daughter.”

“The ‘Weirds of a Feather’ podcast makes me feel like I’m talking to people that really know me and what I’m going through.”

“Unique by Jodi Rodgers has been amazing for helping me to learn to accept my kid’s ADHD and autistic behavior. It helped me see that many of these behaviors are more normal than I thought. It also made me think more about what drives the behavior…. The Glass House by Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion was also great. We have a lot of food aversions, and this book was the first one that made me realize that my child’s mental health is just as important, if not more so, than eating healthy food…. This book made me realize that my anger and frustration are causing more damage to my son’s mental stress than the physical damage of eating whatever he wants.”

“When we first started this part of our journey, I really enjoyed TiLT Parenting because it helped to normalize our experiences and also gave us (and our kids) language to describe the experience. We also got a lot of ideas to try together, and it was normalized that things that might work today, might not work tomorrow. At the height of my eldest son’s symptoms at the start of middle school as we were working toward getting him set up with help to succeed, we used a lot of tips and tools from Seth Perler’s vlog/website. I also have used information I’ve learned in the Executive Function Online Summit that he presents to support my children, myself, and youth I work with in the community.”

“Dr. Russell Barkley’s podcasts and videos prompted me to ask: Is the child’s behavior deliberate or beyond their control? When I asked this question to myself, it helped to step back and observe first.”

“As a parent of a child with ADHD and a psychologist who diagnoses ADHD and other differences, I get a lot of use out of All Dogs Have ADHD by Kathy Hoopmann. The photographs of the dogs are fun and engaging for readers of all ages, and the message of the book is empathetic and strengths based. It opens the door to good conversations about what features of ADHD show up for the unique child, and which don’t. In this way, sharing the book with the child helps foster self-awareness and solidarity with the many others who are neurodivergent in this way. I love it!”

“Dr. Russ Barkley’s 12 Principles for Raising a Child with ADHD is a short, no-nonsense, realistic guide. For me, hearing ‘It’s not a knowledge problem; it’s a production problem’ was very insightful.”

“I enjoy The Calm Parenting podcast. I have a strong-willed neurodivergent daughter who challenges med on a daily basis — and drains my energy. This podcast really helps me understand her and work with her. I also like the perspective that my neurodivergent kid needs to be treated like junior employees. This helps fights the inclination to yell, shame, and tell of. But instead to help them succeed, guide them, support them and decision to trust their judgement sometimes :-)”

“Mona Delahooke’s books on brain-body parenting have been a real eye-opener for us regarding how our and our kids’ bodies react in different situations and how to work with that. I really appreciate her down-to-earth approach, plain language, and compassion.”

“The book What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew by Dr. Sharon Saline and Dr. Laura Markham emphasizes how kids with ADHD basically spend their entire school day facing negative feedback and encourages parents to keep that in mind when you want to provide even more negative feedback to your child.”

“Discipline without Damage by Dr Vanessa Lapointe is great book for parenting in general same principles should be applied to ADHD but giving some room for where the child is at and particular areas they struggle in. It even has a section on exceptional (neurodivergent) kids.”

“Your Child is Not Broken by Heidi Mavir. I found it refreshing to get a perspective of a real mom advocating for her child and the teen’s perspective.”

Parenting Books and Resources for ADHD Families: Next Steps

• Listen: The Power of Behavioral Parent Training for ADHD
• Read: How to Deal with Anger From Your Child
• Access: Free Parenting Guide for Caregivers with ADHD

SUPPORT ADDITUDE

Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

In my clinical experience as a music therapist, I’ve seen how music and other sensory experiences help individuals improve their focus, impulse control, and emotional regulation. Try these fun (and whimsical!) activities, designed to stimulate the sensory pathways (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell) to relax the body and mind.

The Scarf’s Serenade

Grab a light scarf. Put on some instrumental, relaxing music of your choice. Glide the scarf over your body. The calming and repetitive action works well to regulate hyperactivity, racing thoughts, and impulses, as your attention will be drawn to the sensory experience of the scarf over your skin to the tune of soothing music.

A Symphony of Mist

Put on a relaxing, instrumental music track. (Not sure what to select? Try “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” by B.J. Thomas. You’ll see why.) Grab a spray bottle and fill it with water. Spray it over your head and let the mist fall onto your face. The light touch of the mist paired with familiar, rhythmic music activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s calming response. This helps shift the brain and body from a hyper-aroused to a more regulated and calm state.

The Balloon’s Dance

Put on some music and bounce a balloon to the beat. Music adds a predictable auditory rhythm, to which you can naturally sync your movements. Meanwhile, repetitive bouncing will provide a target for your focus and give your body an outlet for restless movement, without being overly stimulating.

Sticks and Sounds

Turn on your favorite music and grab two pencils or chopsticks. Then, tap along to the beat on any surface you can find! If you’re already in the habit of drumming along, keep at it. Tapping is a controlled, safe outlet for movement — you may not realize how it has probably helped you manage restlessness and reduce impulsive behaviors! Moving and grooving to a beat supports body regulation and coordination, promoting a sense of internal calm.

Music Therapy and ADHD: Next Steps

• Read: Music Therapy — Sound Medicine for ADHD
• Read: Rhythm Notion — 10 Benefits of Music for ADHD Brains
• Read: Music Is Magic — 9 Hacks to “Beat” ADHD Symptoms

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Six weeks ago, the autistic community sounded the alarm when U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., called autism a “preventable disease” caused by unknown “environmental toxins,” and vowed to root out its causes within six months. Shortly thereafter, the head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it would begin amassing private medical records from commercial and federal databases, including those operated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), to provide health data for Kennedy’s proposed autism study, according to NPR.

This proposed NIH-CMS database would reportedly include information from wearable health devices, insurance claims, and online medical records. An NIH official said, “The real-world data platform will link existing datasets to support research into causes of autism and insights into improved treatment strategies.”

Kennedy initially said the NIH-CMS database would fuel a series of research studies to “identify precisely what the environmental toxins are that are causing” autism by September; he recently pushed back that date by six months or more. Meanwhile, autism scientists, medical practitioners, and advocates have expressed concern and even outrage over Kennedy’s apparent dismissal of existing autism research and the recent resignation of a top NIH scientist who accused the Kennedy-run organization of research censorship.

Though Kennedy insists the database is not an “autism registry,” privacy concerns remain high. Currently, autism databases do exist in seven U.S. states, including Delaware, Indiana, North Dakota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Utah, and West Virginia. However, rules of consent for these state databases set them apart from the NIH-CMS database, which reportedly pulls in medical information from insurance claims and medical records without first securing patient consent.

In its May 22 MAHA Report, Kennedy’s MAHA Commission confirmed its plans to “expand the NIH-CMS autism data initiative into a broader, secure system linking claims, EHRs, and environmental inputs to study childhood chronic diseases.” Details remain unclear, however ADDitude recently asked readers to share their thoughts and reactions to this news.

Overall, a majority of the 194 respondents expressed privacy concerns, citing possible violations of HIPAA laws in relation to the NIH-CMS database. They also remained largely unconvinced that this database could unlock answers about the causes of autism within 6 to 12 months, considering that global researchers have been working to solve that puzzle for decades.

Some respondents reported experience with state-level databases and expressed a desire for the NIH to institute a nationwide support network for autistic people and their families, but most expressed skepticism that this database would achieve that goal. Following are more than a dozen comments shared by ADDitude readers.

“Nothing About Us Without Us!”

“I believe that collecting and studying medical records related to autism can be valuable — but only if it is done ethically, with full transparency, and with the informed consent of individuals and families. Trust, privacy, and the protection of autistic people’s rights should be at the center of any such effort.”

“I have not knowingly participated. But being AuDHD and on Medicaid for ADHD makes me very much a part of this. This makes me very nervous. I feel more anxiety about discrimination than I do hope about research breakthroughs.”

“I understand the exceptional possibilities of researching, connecting, and resourcing families touched by autism. However, (this database) must be paired with mandatory ethical guidelines and government-backed regulations to ensure that families, students, job applicants, etc. are not discriminated against if their status can be ‘looked up.'”

“Voluntary registration to connect with others: Great idea. Government oversite of such a registry? No way. Every administration has its own agenda, and you have no way of knowing how the information will be used. It smacks of lack of privacy, lack of safety, lack of internet security, and especially the possibility for abuse of power over the vulnerable.”

“Both my college-aged and teenage children who are autistic are against the idea of a registry. They feel it could be used to track them and their personal information without their consent. They also feel this is preferred more by parents than actual autistic people, who often do not get to voice their experiences to professionals. Many teenage and adult autistic people are begging for a voice in this conversation!”

“Connecting to supports is important but a nationwide registry is not necessary to facilitate this. It could (and in my opinion, would) be used for purposes that would not benefit and could cause major harms to the families and/or the children who are on the ‘list.’ This is a major moral, ethical, and privacy issue. What kinds of data management would be put in place to ensure that individuals as well as families and communities (especially Indigenous peoples and other vulnerable communities) have control over how, when, where, and why the data is accessed?”

“How about a voluntary registry? Long-term data is good, but there needs to be consistency and confidentiality. This should not be done without full consent of the people being studied. Nothing about us without us!”

“I am fearful that a national registry of those identified on the autism spectrum could be used against them rather than to help link them to supports.”

“I am horrified as I fear for an unjust use of this data. As a clinical therapist, I am almost reluctant to record ADHD and ASD as diagnoses. This is a frightful reversal to our cultural values in which I grew up.”

“I feel like the idea of an ‘autism registry’ is being created for the wrong reasons. While it may be presented as a tool for research or support, it raises serious concerns about privacy and potential misuse. A centralized list of autistic individuals could easily be weaponized — whether intentionally or through systemic bias — and used to deny people opportunities in areas like employment, housing, education, or even healthcare. It could lead to increased surveillance, reinforce harmful stereotypes, and deepen the stigma that already exists around autism.”

“Most of the current communities that provide services to autistic individuals are the de facto registries and are also (in theory) under HIPPA disclosure standards. I do not trust that setting up a brand-new registry would be up to that standard of protecting the rights and privacy for individuals and families.”

“I support the opportunity for connections, but the availability for others to use personal medical data without consent is abominable. I fear this information will be used against people in hiring and in obtaining benefits. I have several autistic co-workers, and I am scared for them.”

“If this was for research only, or to sign up for some valid benefit, it wouldn’t feel so ominous. But the way this is being handled, it feels like a target list, and I don’t trust that those added to these lists won’t suffer in some way or another, like loss of economic opportunities.”

“It feels like an invasion of privacy to force individuals into a registry. It also further perpetuates the narrative that autistic and neurodivergence is a problem or needs to be ‘fixed’. It truly brings me despair. We deserve better, and everyone deserves education on things they don’t personally relate to/are directly related to.”

“The amassing and studying records are steps of good science. But I don’t trust the intentions, the word, or the medical judgement of the people who want to do the amassing and studying in this case. I hope those with legal standing will try to stop these actions.”

Autism Registry Proposed by the MAHA Commission: Next Steps

• Analysis: MAHA Report – 3 Takeaways for the ADHD Community
• Read: RFK Jr., Is Spreading a Dangerous, Ignorant Myth About Autism
• Learn: MAHA Commission Means Fear, Stigma, Health Threats for Two-Thirds of ADDitude Readers
• Background: MAHA Commission Draws Swift Criticism, Condemnation

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Many of us with ADHD, autism, and other forms of neurodivergence only started to “bring our whole selves” to work quite recently. As a result of neurodiversity training and DEI efforts, we began to unmask. We spoke more openly about executive dysfunction and sensory needs. We asked for accommodations, formally and informally.

But today, as DEI programs fade and inclusion efforts stall, many of us feel a familiar pressure returning. Overtly or covertly, we are no longer encouraged to be ourselves at work. Instead, we’re expected to mask and conform to neurotypical standards again. The pressure is back — to people-please, to be extra easy, extra agreeable, extra adaptable, and to act like everything is fine.

And it’s exhausting. We expend energy in ways most people never notice: suppressing our stims, rehearsing conversations, monitoring our behaviors. The extra cognitive load carries consequences: more burnout, more dysregulation, and far less access to our actual strengths.

What do we do when the progress we counted on begins to recede?

1. Avoid Personalizing It

Sometimes it’s easy to recognize what’s happening because the signs are obvious: The DEI team is cut. The language in the handbook changes. Sometimes it’s just a vibe shift — silence replacing celebration. The unspoken expectations to get things done and avoid standing out or speaking up. Either way, the signal is the same: Masking is back on the table.

Recognizing what’s actually happening – that these are structural changes and not a reflection on your abilities – will, I hope, help you avoid internalizing these changes as personal failures. As with all structural changes, the problem is not yours alone to fix.

[Read: “DEI – and Neurodivergence – Are Under Attack”]

2. Redefine Professionalism Before It Defines You

Too often, “professionalism” is code for “hide what makes you different.” But professionalism isn’t about being quiet or predictable. It’s about communication, accountability, and showing up with intention.

From scripts and stim toys to time-blocking apps and task batching, plenty of  tools and supports exist to help you do your job. Just remember: You don’t have to become someone else to meet expectations.

3. Find Safe Micro-Spaces

Even when company culture shifts, individuals inside it often don’t. Think of the co-worker who quietly advocates. The manager who gets it. The group chat where you can be blunt. These safe micro-zones can make a big difference. Tread carefully and look for the places where you can breathe. If you can’t find safe spaces at work, try participating in anonymous online support groups.

4. Don’t Trade Peace for Your Job

If your workplace culture no longer holds space for who you are, protect your energy accordingly. Set boundaries. Scale back. Exit as soon as you can. Do your best to remember that your job does not define you or anyone. You’re not being lazy, dramatic, or “too much” by keeping your peace. You’re responding to an environment that no longer feels safe — and your body knows it before your brain does.

[Q&A: “How Can I Stop People-Pleasing Behaviors at Work?”]

5. Look for the Helpers

In these trying and unprecedented times, it’s important to focus on the people who are doing the work to bring positive change. Whether it’s recognizing the manager or colleague at your job who continues to advocate for inclusive workplace practices or following like-minded, outspoken advocates on social media, make an effort to look for signs that not all is lost.

Perhaps the masking era never really ended. But the promise of inclusion gave many of us hope that we could work — and live — a little more authentically. If that promise is gone, it’s OK to grieve. But it’s also OK to hold your ground. You’ve already learned how to show up. You don’t need to shrink just because the culture did.

Lack of Inclusion in the Workplace: Next Steps

• Read: 4 Steps to Claiming the Career You Deserve
• Read: “Great Leaders Foster a Positive Work Environment for All Employees”
• Read: “Women with ADHD Prefer Silence Over Disclosure. This Needs to Change.”

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

The ramifications of abuse are dire and, in some cases, life-threatening: half of female homicide victims are killed by current or former partners.² The consequences of psychological abuse — the most frequent kind of IPV and often a precursor to physical violence — are no less critical. Research shows that psychological abuse is an even stronger predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression than is physical abuse.³

Though intimate partner violence is startlingly common and harmful, many avenues can lead victims to help and health care providers are instrumental in connecting patients to these paths. Though traditional IPV screening is an effective intervention, it’s not the only one. For some providers, distributing safety cards may be a better fit.

The size of business cards, these safety cards contain information about the red flags and health consequences of IPV. They share contact information for hotlines as well as guidance for safely seeking help, and they let people know they’re not alone.

“It takes 30 to 45 seconds to share the card, and it can change someone’s life,” says Tami Sullivan, Ph.D., director of Family Violence Research and Programs and professor at Yale University’s School of Medicine. “We hear from women with lived experience of violence: ‘Why didn’t anyone ever give me something like this? It could have made all the difference to me.’”

[Read: Why Do Toxic Relationships Swallow People with ADHD?]

Obstacles to IPV Screening

With traditional IPV screening, a provider uses a survey like the HITS (Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream) to detect if a patient is experiencing violence. This can be transformative.

“If you trust your provider, it can be a very empowering experience to connect with someone who can listen, make you feel less alone, talk to you about making decisions,” Sullivan says.

But several significant obstacles stand in the way of effective screening for IPV. Survivors may be hesitant to disclose their experiences of violence, fearful of retaliation by their partners, or of being reported to police and potentially losing custody of their children. They may worry they’ll be judged, blamed, or shamed. These concerns may be particularly salient for women with ADHD who receive near-constant criticism, correction, and judgement.

[Watch: “How to Avoid Toxic Relationships and Find Your Ideal Match”]

These obstacles contribute to relatively low rates of disclosure in IPV screenings; less than a quarter of women who have experienced IPV report disclosing this to a health care provider.⁴

The efficacy of screenings also relies on a meaningful response from the provider. Many providers don’t feel comfortable addressing such a sensitive and personal revelation because they’ve not received training in IPV.

“We shouldn’t expect people to develop expertise in responding,” Sullivan explains. “But we want the provider to feel comfortable enough so that they’re not being judgmental, so they can let the person know they’re heard, and connect them to someone who does have expertise.”

If a survivor reveals abuse on a survey and her disclosure is never addressed, or if it’s met with judgement, Sullivan explains, it can discourage her from revealing the abuse to others in the future.

Safety Cards: A Universal Approach

The part of IPV screening that helps survivors most, research has found, is the engagement with support services that happens after disclosure.⁵ This is where safety cards come in.

IPV safety cards, which are distinct from screening methods, bypass surveys altogether and take a direct path to offering help.

The method is simple: Providers order safety cards like these for free and hand them out to every female patient they see (without their partner present). The cards come in 10 languages and contain information about the red flags and health consequences of IPV. They also connect patients to support and resource hotlines

For providers looking for guidance on how to distribute the cards, Sullivan suggests the following language:

“We’ve started talking with all of our patients about relationship health and abuse in relationships, in case it’s ever an issue for them or for their friends and family. This card talks about healthy and safe relationships, ones that aren’t — and how relationships affect your health.”

Safety cards offer myriad benefits, including:

• Getting help to the people who need it, no questions asked. Offering resources to everyone, a universal education model, ensures that the women who need help will get access to it – regardless of whether they disclose abuse.
• Empowering women to help others. Many of the patients who receive cards may not be experiencing IPV, but they may know people who are. Safety cards enable these individuals to recognize abuse in the lives of loved ones, and empower them to offer helpful resources. Research found that people who received universal education were twice as likely as those who did not to share the number for an IPV hotline to someone in need.⁶
• De-stigmatizing conversations about IPV. Broaching the topic of intimate partner violence to all patients helps to break the taboo which often keeps women silent about their experience.
• Planting a seed for future action. It’s important for providers to distribute safety cards at every visit because it may take more than one interaction for patients to recognize abuse in their own lives, or to prepare themselves to consider next steps.  “Often, the cards plant a seed for future action. You give it to patients every time they come in so that it’s routine and becomes comfortable,” Sullivan says. “They come to understand that their relationships affect their health.”

While disclosures aren’t necessary in this IPV intervention, they may happen. When responding, providers should use non-judgmental, validating language, and avoid directing patients to take specific action. “It should never be a provider, trained or not, telling people what they should do,” Sullivan explains. “Though it’s likely well-intentioned, this prescriptive approach mimics the dynamics of abuse and disempowerment.”

Instead, follow the patient’s lead. “Let people know the supports available to them and listen to them,” suggests Sullivan. “You might ask: ‘Have you thought about what you want to do? Do you want help thinking about what makes sense? Would you like to call a helpline from this office?’”

What survivors of abuse need from providers, Sullivan explains, is autonomy, empathy, and information about their options for getting help.

To Order Free Safety Cards

• Visit Futures Without Violence.

Get Help

If you, or someone you love, is experiencing intimate partner violence, these resources may help

• National Domestic Violence Hotline, Call 800-799-7233 or text START to 8878
• Love Is Respect, for people aged 13-26, Call 866-331-9474 or text LOVEIS to 2252
• National Sexual Assault Helpline, Call 1-800-656-HOPE

Abusive Relationships and IPV Screening: Next Steps

• Read: “What Are the Signs of a Controlling Relationship?”
• Quiz: “Is My Relationship Toxic?” A Quiz for Adults with ADHD
• Read: How to Respond to Gaslighting — In Your Relationship and In Yourself

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Sources

¹Guendelman MD, Ahmad S, Meza JI, Owens EB, Hinshaw SP. Childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Predicts Intimate Partner Victimization in Young Women. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2016 Jan;44(1):155-66. doi: 10.1007/s10802-015-9984-z. PMID: 25663589; PMCID: PMC4531111.

²Jack SP, Petrosky E, Lyons BH, et al. Surveillance for Violent Deaths — National Violent Death Reporting System, 27 States, 2015. MMWR Surveill Summ 2018;67(No. SS-11):1–32.

³Mechanic MB, Weaver TL, Resick PA. Mental health consequences of intimate partner abuse: a multidimensional assessment of four different forms of abuse. Violence Against Women. 2008 Jun;14(6):634-54. doi: 10.1177/1077801208319283. PMID: 18535306; PMCID: PMC2967430.

⁴Black MC, Basile KC, Breiding MJ, et al. The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2010 summary report. Atlanta, GA Natl Cent Inj Prev Control Centers Dis Control Prev. 2011;19:39-40.

⁵US Preventive Services Task Force; Curry SJ, Krist AH, Owens DK, Barry MJ, Caughey AB, Davidson KW, Doubeni CA, Epling JW Jr, Grossman DC, Kemper AR, Kubik M, Kurth A, Landefeld CS, Mangione CM, Silverstein M, Simon MA, Tseng CW, Wong JB. Screening for Intimate Partner Violence, Elder Abuse, and Abuse of Vulnerable Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Final Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2018 Oct 23;320(16):1678-1687. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.14741. PMID: 30357305.

⁶Miller E, Tancredi DJ, Decker MR, et al. A family planning clinic-based intervention to address reproductive coercion: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Contraception. 2016;94(1):58-67. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2016.02.009

Pathological Demand Avoidance: Key Takeaways

• PDA is a behavioral profile characterized by intense, anxiety-driven resistance to everyday demands and expectations.
• Children with PDA have extremely reactive nervous systems that prime them to interpret requests and expectations as threats. Alongside this pressure-sensitivity lies an intense need for equity and autonomy.
• Children who fit the PDA profile need a flexible, low-key, and low-demand parenting approach that prioritizes collaboration over command and connection over compliance.

What Is Pathological Demand Avoidance?

Learning about Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) — a profile characterized by intense, anxiety-driven resistance to everyday demands and expectations — finally helped me understand my son, Max, and how to support him.

During his early years, Max would frequently refuse to do what was asked of him and insist everything be done his way. He would inexplicably melt down or erupt in anger over seemingly minor issues. By the time he was 7, he had collected several diagnoses, including ADHD, autism, and ODD. Commonly suggested behavioral strategies for neurodivergent children — from setting clear rules to using checklists, visual timers, and liberally doling out praise — didn’t help. In fact, all they seemed to do was set up further power struggles where everyone lost.

If this story sounds familiar, learning about PDA may also help you.

Children with PDA have extremely reactive nervous systems that prime them to interpret requests and expectations as threats. Alongside this pressure-sensitivity lies an intense need for equity and autonomy. As such, children who fit the PDA profile need an approach that prioritizes collaboration over command and connection over compliance. They need a flexible, low-key, and low-demand parenting approach — an approach that, admittedly, did not come naturally to me and my husband. Oh, and did I mention that it requires parents to be very skilled at regulating their own emotions?

Ultimately, all parents raising unusually challenging kids want the same things. We all want to bring the best version of ourselves to our parenting. We all want a loving and stable connection with our child. We all want to feel less confused and overwhelmed and more confident, joyful, and hopeful along the way. We all want our kids — our complicated, wonderful kids — to thrive. To that end, here are the approaches that have helped us support our son more effectively and see positive change.

Pathological Demand Avoidance: 8 Essential Shifts for Parents

1. Look Through a Brain-Based Lens

Ross Greene, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and author of The Explosive Child, has a saying that has served us well for navigating PDA: “Kids do well if they can.” 

[Read: 10 Rules for Dealing with the Explosive Child]

If you find yourself using words like disobedient or defiant to describe your child, it’s a sign that you’re viewing them through a behavioral lens. You are assuming that their challenging behaviors are intentional and fully within their ability to control. When it comes to PDA, it’s a lens that evokes frustration and anger.

Switch to a brain-based lens, and you’ll remember that: (1) Children who fit the PDA profile are predisposed to interpret demands as threats to their safety and autonomy; and (2) Demands and pressure trigger strong stress responses that emerge as challenging behavior. It’s a perspective shift that reduces frustration and leads to more productive responses.

2. Reduce Demands

In the context of PDA, the term “demands” refers to any expectation or perceived expectation placed upon an individual. Demands can be direct instructions (e.g., “put your shoes on”), routine tasks (e.g., showering or brushing teeth), implicit or social expectations (e.g., making eye contact in conversation, greeting someone politely), transitions and changes, or even internal demands such as those related to hunger, thirst, or toileting.

Because our pressure-sensitive children have very reactive nervous systems, demands can trigger intense anxiety and lead to resistance, avoidance, or emotional outbursts.

[Read: Defiance, Defused — A Roadmap to Radical Behavior Change]

Navigating a day’s worth of demands can progressively drain our child’s capacity to cope. To help them conserve energy so that they can meet unavoidable or essential demands, it’s important that we drop unessential ones to reduce the load.

3. Prioritize Connection and Collaboration

As parents, when we encounter resistance, avoidance, or refusal, it is frequently tempting to dig in ourselves and insist on compliance. When it comes to PDA, however, taking this approach often leads to power struggles that create additional distress. Prioritizing deep listening, flexibility, and collaborative problem solving will help your child feel safer and more in control.

4. Learn to Self-Regulate

Ultimately, we want our demand avoidant child to learn how to better regulate their own threat-response reactions and cope more effectively with demands. However, we parents are going to need all the self-regulation skills that underpin these abilities long before our demand avoidant children are capable of applying them consistently.

No matter how good you get at connecting and collaborating with your child, you are not going to be able to sidestep or defuse every meltdown or explosion. PDA kids are intense and it is easy to get swept up in their emotional storms. As such, it is essential for us as parents to get good at grounding ourselves—to learn how to better manage our own stress responses, frustration, and anger, so that we can stay calmer under pressure.

5. Plan for Explosive Moments

Intense meltdowns are common with demand-avoidant children. These episodes can be distressing for everyone involved, especially when they involve destructive or violent behavior. It’s important for parents to develop a contingency “rage plan” that identifies clear priorities during an extreme meltdown. “Protect, defuse, de-escalate” is our mantra for navigating explosive moments.

6. Upskill in Relationship Repair

At times your own grounding skills are going to fail you and you will experience parenting moments that you wish you could redo. What then? You practice self-compassion and then you repair. You return to that moment of disconnection, take responsibility for your behavior, and acknowledge its impact on your child. This will build trust and strengthen your connection.

7. Lean Into Your Child’s Fascinations

Many PDA children have strong special interests. They may love fishing, dinosaurs, Minecraft…you name it. You may not love these things with the same focused intensity as your child, but these fascinations are gateways to deep connection.

Spend time with your child as they engage in the things they love. Be with them, learn with them (let them teach you), play with them, and talk with them about their interests. When you genuinely take an interest in what they love, you’re building the sort of relationship that increases their willingness to join you when you ask things of them.

8. Focus on What You Can Control (Spoiler: That’s Yourself)

• Pick your battles. Raising a demand-avoidant child will force you to challenge your own hardwired assumptions about parenting. Most of us were taught to value hierarchy and authority. We often step into parenting expecting that our children “should” comply and obey. These approaches simply don’t work for children who fit a PDA profile. When I catch myself feeling like my child “should” be doing something they’re resisting, I pause and ask myself, “Why does this matter to me?” and “How important is this, really?”
• Remember the ultimate goal: A positive parent-child relationship. We may not be able to get our children to brush their teeth, take showers, attend school, or do any number of things we would like them to do. However, we can control who we are and how we show up in our relationships with them. Real change usually starts with us. When we focus less on “fixing” or “controlling” our child and more on understanding, adapting, and reshaping our expectations, we often see more of the connection and progress we’re longing for.

Pathological Demand Avoidance: Next Steps

• Free Download: How to End Confrontations and Defiance
• Read: The Parents’ Guide to Dismantling Oppositional, Defiant Behavior
• Read: 6 Truths About Child Behavior Problems That Unlock Better Behavior
• Read: 10 Rules for Dealing with the Explosive Child

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Defiant behavior may manifest as a child easily (and frequently) losing their temper, arguing with adults because of rules, or acting out violently. Reports suggest that 40% of children with ADHD experience oppositional and/or defiant behavior. ¹

[Free Download: Why Is My Child So Defiant?]

Behavioral disorders may stem from the deficits in executive functioning so commonly seen in ADHD, which can affect individuals’ abilities to plan, prioritize, and execute. All of this impacts the individual’s life — and the lives of those around them.

Family dynamics may be caught in the crossfire as children get frustrated with their caregivers, and caregivers tire of scaffolding a routine of daily tasks that their kids have difficulty sticking to, leading to nagging, frustration, and defiant behavior.

[Free Resource: Is It More Than Just ADHD?]

Studies suggest that some parenting techniques are more effective than others in addressing defiant behavior among children with ADHD, specifically. Such techniques can be especially useful in helping parents establish routines with their children.

Prescription ADHD medication used in conjunction with behavioral parent training helps many families learn how to best stem and respond to defiant behavior, as outlined in the ADDitude article, “ Why Is My Child So Angry and Defiant? An Overview of Oppositional Defiant Disorder” and in the recent webinar, “The Power of Behavioral Parent Training .”

In a recent survey, ADDitude asked its readers whether their children with ADHD displayed defiant behaviors and, if so, how those behaviors affected family dynamics. Several respondents said have felt a significant impacted and that they are struggling to develop productive and healthy responses.

Life with My Defiant Child

“Everyday, every request is a battle. A simple request such as, ‘Please brush your teeth’ or ‘Let’s finish your homework,’ turns into a fight. We are all on edge and really dread homework time, dinner time, and bedtime.”

“Having a child with ADHD often comes with some oppositional defiance challenges. Things can be going smoothly, and then, out of nowhere, something that seems minor to you can trigger a reaction, setting off a chain of events.”

“It takes a lot of mental energy to get through the days, especially when you also have ADHD and the emotional dysregulation is tough. Your other kids suffer because you are always focused on getting the child with ADHD through the day. My daughter is nearly 18, and I think we are slowly coming out the other side. It isn’t a straight path, and we have tried many different things — different schools, sports, medication, psychiatrists, psychologists. I think you just have to hold on for the ride and get through each day.”

“It is so hard. No matter what we do, our daughter pushes us away and refuses to do simple necessary activities, like brushing her teeth and getting dressed. She’s 8 years old, and I wonder if this behavior is ever going to end. It is very taxing when everyone else is ready, and we still have a defiant child refusing to get ready.”

Parenting Techniques to Address Defiant Behavior

“Both of my ADHD kids appear defiant when they are anxious and trying to control the situation, or when they feel overwhelmed. In those circumstances, they return a reflexive ‘no’ to every question before they have the chance to think about it. This has impacted our lives far less since we learned to slow down and figure out what is happening in their heads rather than let the behavior shake us.”

“Telling them to do something will never result in it getting done. You need to gently ask and convince them to do it.”

“Almost every time I ask my son to do something, even if it is something he likes or a simple request, he instinctively says no. It took a while, but I realized I could wait a few minutes for him to actually process what I said, and then gently repeat my request. He would usually have no problem complying once given the time to mentally process and transition. This break means he can communicate his thoughts, and we can discuss with cool heads.”

“My daughter has a history of oppositional defiance since a young age. It often looks like her needing to do something opposite of what we ask for the sake of being opposite. With the help of a child psychologist, we’ve worked hard as a parenting team to praise/reinforce following rules, and this has worked well to stem this behavior.”

My Defiant Child: Next Steps

• Read: “The Parents’ Guide to Dismantling Oppositional, Defiant Behavior“
• Watch: ““From Battles to Bonding: A Parent’s Guide to Trading Defiance for Cooperation“
• Free Download: “Why Is My Child So Defiant?“

Sources

¹ Riley M, Ahmed S, Locke A. “Common Questions About Oppositional Defiant Disorder.” American Family Physician (Apr. 2016). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27035043

ADHD raises the risk of obesity, but its effect is dampened for people living in large cities, according to two new studies.

Young adults with combined-type ADHD are more likely than their non-ADHD peers to carry excess weight around their midsection and to have an unhealthy waist-to-height ratio (known as the body mass index or BMI), according to a new cross-sectional study published in American Journal of Human Biology. ¹ Obesity-related health conditions, such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, are tied to excess abdominal fat.

“The effect of ADHD on obesity intensified with age,” however, “no significant association was found with blood pressure, but trends suggested hypertension may escalate with age among ADHD individuals,” the study’s authors wrote.

ADHD’s Behavioral and Biological Links to Obesity

The biological link between ADHD and obesity, and the influence of environment on this relationship, was the focus of another new study led by researchers from the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University and the Italian National Institute of Health. ²

The study, published in PLOS Complex Systems, proposed that ADHD influences obesity along two pathways:

1. Behavioral: Difficulties with motivation, planning, and sustained attention may lead people with ADHD to engage in less physical activity, increasing the likelihood of weight gain.
2. Biological: ADHD affects areas of the brain responsible for impulse control, decision making, and reward processing, making people with ADHD more susceptible to impulsive eating behaviors, such as bingeing or choosing high-calorie snacks.

“A lot of people I work with complain about using food for stimulation,” said Nicole DeMasi Malcher, M.S., R.D., CDES, during the ADDitude webinar “Eating with ADHD: Improving Your Relationship with Food.” “They are constantly looking for food to deliver a quick fix rather than thinking about the long-term effects.”

Malcher attributes this behavior, in part, to poor interoception, the ability to sense what’s happening inside the body, including cues such as thirst, hunger, and fullness. “People with ADHD are unable to recognize these cues until they feel really ravenous,” she said. “Then it’s too late, and they make more impulsive eating and food choices.”

ADHD and the City

Living in a city environment may mitigate the risk of obesity for individuals with and without ADHD. The research found that living in a large city offers more opportunities for physical activity, better access to mental health care, and higher overall levels of education, which could buffer the effects of ADHD that lead to obesity.

The NYU/Italian research team analyzed 915 cities in the United States using an urban scaling mathematical model to examine how rates of ADHD and obesity changed as cities grew. Their analysis showed that, in larger urban areas, ADHD and obesity become relatively less common as population grows. At the same time, access to education and mental health services tends to grow faster than the population. In short, bigger cities aren’t just more populated — they’re often better equipped to handle public health issues like ADHD and obesity. In contrast, cities with fewer opportunities for physical activity or more food insecurity demonstrated stronger links between ADHD and obesity.

“Our research reveals a surprising urban advantage: as cities grow, both obesity and ADHD rates decrease proportionally,” says Tian Gan, a co-author of the PLOS study. “Meanwhile, mental health services become more accessible, helping combat physical inactivity — a key link between ADHD and obesity. This pattern suggests larger cities offer protective factors against these interconnected health challenges.”

Similar patterns emerged when the researchers analyzed survey data from 19,428 children across the U.S. as part of the National Survey of Children’s Health. Children with more severe ADHD symptoms were more likely to be obese, especially if they lived in homes with fewer opportunities for physical activity or lower parental education levels.

The researchers also measured the differences between each city’s rates of ADHD and obesity, and those expected for its population, identifying several regional discrepancies. Cities in the Southeastern and Southwestern U.S. displayed greater disparities in ADHD and obesity prevalence, mental health access, and food insecurity than other regions. Neighboring cities often differed significantly, suggesting that local policies and resources could either amplify or reduce these health risks.

“These findings underscore the importance of city-level interventions in mitigating the impact of impulsivity disorders on the obesity epidemic,” says Dr. Maurizio Porfiri, Ph.D., senior author on the PLOS study. “It’s not just about how big a city is — it’s about how it uses its resources. With this kind of insight, policymakers can target investments in mental health care, education, and physical activity to break the link between ADHD and obesity where it’s strongest.”

Intuitive Eating for ADHD

Both studies suggest that effective management of ADHD symptoms can help reduce the risk of obesity and its complications, and that obesity management programs must take into account a patient’s ADHD diagnosis.

The practice of intuitive eating (IE), for example, may help address the underlying neurological traits that influence the eating habits of people with ADHD.

“Intuitive eating, when adapted for the ADHD brain, provides an evidence-based framework that works with rather than against ADHD traits,” Malcher said. “This approach helps reduce overwhelm, prevent binge eating, and create sustainable eating habits without triggering the restriction-binge cycle common in ADHD.”

Sources

¹Mishra, S., Choudhury, O., Chaudhary, V., Saraswathy, K.N., Shekhawat, L.S., and Devi, N.K. (2025). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in obesity and hypertension: A study among young adults in Delhi NCR, India. Am J Hum Biol. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.70022 

²Gan, T., Succar, R., Macrì, S., Porfiri, M. (2025). Investigating the link between impulsivity and obesity through urban scaling laws. PLOS Complex Syst. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcsy.0000046

ADHD symptoms are impacted by changes in sex hormone levels in females across the lifespan, finds a new systematic review published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.¹ The review included 11 studies that investigated puberty, pregnancy, postpartum, and the menstrual cycle and tracked changes in symptomology and in the efficacy of ADHD medication during these times.

“There is an ADHD experience that is unique to females,” the study’s authors concluded. “Recognizing potential influences of sex hormones on ADHD symptoms in females may have key implications to clinical management and treatment of ADHD.”

The study included several key findings.

Sex Hormones and ADHD During Menstrual Cycle

The research reviewed four studies that explored the fluctuation of ADHD symptoms during the menstrual cycle. The following associations were identified:

• Early luteal phase: increased impulsivity and hyperactivity²
• Mid-luteal phase: increased emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, inattention³
• Late luteal phase: increased inattention and executive dysfunction, and mental health symptoms such as depression, irritability and anxiety⁴

Linking these symptom trends to increase and decrease of specific female hormones, the authors wrote: “Inattention symptoms may be related to decreasing estrogen and moderated by progesterone, whereas hyperactive/impulsivity symptoms may similarly be driven by reducing estrogen levels, though without effect of progesterone.” ⁵

These significant shifts in symptom severity were vividly described by Chloe, an ADDitude reader, in an article titled “Menstrual Cycle Phases and ADHD.” “The entire week leading up to my period is where my ADHD symptoms get even more intrusive than usual,” she wrote. “My executive functioning dips even lower, distractibility and difficulty focusing is increased, and my mood/energy level is much lower, causing me to feel badly about all the things I’m not being successful at that week.”

The review found that increasing stimulant dosage premenstrually resulted in improvement of ADHD and mood symptoms, including emotional dysregulation. This point was echoed in the lived experience of many ADDitide readers, who reported that their typical medication dosage seems less effective in the luteal phase of their cycle. Norma, a reader from Wisconsin wrote: “The week leading up to my cycle, I might as well not even take my ADHD meds. It’s like my body overrides them.”

Sex Hormones and ADHD in Pregnancy and Postpartum

The review included one study investigating ADHD in pregnancy.⁶ Three groups of pregnant women were included: those who discontinued ADHD medication, those who continued, and those who took medication as needed.

The study found hyperactivity symptoms were significantly lower and both mood and family functioning were better among the women who continued medication compared to those who discontinued. Other ADHD symptoms did not differ between the groups, leading researchers to theorize that, for some, the high estrogen of pregnancy may ameliorate certain ADHD symptoms. Because just one study was reviewed, and its sample size was small, the authors stressed that more research is required to contextualize the results.

Allison Baker, M.D., lead author for the study included in the review, wrote about her findings in an article for ADDitude, “Treating for Two:” “Women who discontinued stimulant treatment during pregnancy were more likely to experience conflict within their family, rate parenting as more difficult, and report feeling more isolated. Those who discontinued stimulants but did not stop taking their antidepressant medication, experienced a clinically significant increase in depression.”

While the study did not investigate an association between ADHD and postpartum depression, other studies have found that 17% of women with ADHD experience PPD compared to 3.3% of women without ADHD. and 25% experience postpartum anxiety disorders, compared to 4.61% of women without ADHD.⁷

“New mothers with ADHD face distinct postpartum challenges that are as ubiquitous as they are unstudied,” wrote Baker in “Postpartum Care for Mothers with ADHD.” “The months following the birth of a baby are uniquely difficult, and women with ADHD do not usually receive the medical support and treatments they need during this time.

Future Research on Hormones and ADHD

Understanding the role that sex hormones play on ADHD symptoms in women has far-reaching implications for diagnosing the condition and treating it. The review’s authors put forth the following interventions as possible ways to improve ADHD symptoms exacerbated by female hormones:

• premenstrual adjustment of stimulant dose ⁸
• use of hormonal therapies to stabilize estrogen and progesterone levels during menopause⁹ for those who struggle with PMDD ¹⁰

The main limitation of the review, authors acknowledged, is the small number of studies included, many of which include small sample sizes. “To advance our understanding of ADHD in females, research that seeks to understand the mechanisms underlying how sex hormones may influence ADHD symptoms is essential,” they wrote, calling for a multi-disciplinary approach that combines assessments of hormone levels with neurocognitive, brain imaging, genetic, or neurophysiological investigations.

This call for research was echoed in the ADDitude magazine article “Hormonal Changes in Women with ADHD: 4 Gaping Holes in Research,” written by five leading experts on ADHD in women, including Michelle M. Martel, Ph.D., a lead author of several of the studies included in the review. “We know that hormones collide with ADHD to cause heightened mood dysregulation, memory problems, and impulsivity each month,” the authors explained. “But we don’t yet see the big picture of how symptoms manifest during different reproductive stages because research is scant and leaves more questions than answers.”

Sources

¹Osianlis, E., Thomas, E. H. X., Jenkins, L. M., & Gurvich, C. (2025). ADHD and Sex Hormones in Females: A Systematic Review. Journal of Attention Disorders, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251332319

²Roberts B., Eisenlohr-Moul T., Martel M. M. (2018). Reproductive steroids and ADHD symptoms across the menstrual cycle. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 88, 105–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.11.015

³Bürger I., Erlandsson K., Borneskog C. (2024). Perceived associations between the menstrual cycle and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A qualitative interview study exploring lived experiences. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare, 40, Article 100975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srhc.2024.100975

⁴de Jong M., Wynchank D. S. M. R., van Andel E., Beekman A. T. F., Kooij J. J. S. (2023). Female-specific pharmacotherapy in ADHD: Premenstrual adjustment of psychostimulant dosage. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, Article 1306194. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1306194

⁵Eng A. G., Nirjar U., Elkins A. R., Sizemore Y. J., Monticello K. N., Petersen M. K., Miller S. A., Barone J., Eisenlohr-Moul T. A., Martel M. M. (2024). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and the menstrual cycle: Theory and evidence. Hormones and Behavior, 158, Article 105466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105466

⁶Baker, A. S., Wales, R., Noe, O., Gaccione, P., Freeman, M. P., & Cohen, L. S. (2020). The Course of ADHD during Pregnancy. Journal of Attention Disorders, 26(2), 143-148. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054720975864

⁷Andersson, A., Garcia-Argibay, M., Viktorin, A., Ghirardi, A., Butwicka, A., Skoglund, C., Bang Madsen, K., D’onofrio, B.M., Lichtenstein, P., Tuvblad, C., and Larsson, H. (2023). Depression and Anxiety Disorders During the Postpartum Period in Women Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.069

⁸de Jong M., Wynchank D. S. M. R., van Andel E., Beekman A. T. F., Kooij J. J. S. (2023). Female-specific pharmacotherapy in ADHD: Premenstrual adjustment of psychostimulant dosage. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, Article 1306194. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1306194

⁹Herson M., Kulkarni J. (2022). Hormonal agents for the treatment of depression associated with the menopause. Drugs & Aging, 39(8), 607–618. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40266-022-00962-x

¹⁰Appleton S. M. (2018). Premenstrual syndrome: Evidence-based evaluation and treatment. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, 61(1), 52–61. https://doi.org/10.1097/GRF.0000000000000339

Poor impulse control can cause teens with ADHS to make poor choices – and lie about those choices. Lying stems from avoidance, denial, or a desire to skirt punishment.

But lying compounds the problem. There’s the lie, and then there’s the original problem that caused the lie.

There is something called earned trust. Through their actions, children and adolescents build on or destroy what has accumulated in a “trust bank account” with their parents. Kids think their trust bank accounts are flush with cash just because they exist. That’s not the case. Trust is earned. When a parent loses trust because a child lied, the child must earn it back, perhaps by complying with agreements or behaviors you both negotiated, for example.

When younger kids with ADHD lie, it doesn’t typically mean they’re trying to deceive you. Usually, kids lie to increase comfort in the present moment. Kids or teens may lie because they feel uncomfortable or ashamed, or in hopes of reducing stress or minimizing conflict.

[Free Download: Your 10 Toughest Discipline Problems — Solved!]

I suggest that you sit down with your child or adolescent and say, “There’s lying going on. How do we want to handle that? Let’s talk about agreements and logical consequences.”

Here’s a critical point to remember as a parent: You can’t ask for honesty and then punish it. If you say, “I want you to call me at any hour, wherever you are, and I’ll pick you up,” then you must follow through on this promise without judgement.

The ride home is not the time for lectures or to express your frustration. Refrain from telling them all the things that they’re going to lose; otherwise, they’re not going to confide in or call you again when they’re in a pickle. Instead, wait and gather your thoughts carefully. There’s nothing wrong with making your kids sweat a little bit. Then have the conversation later when everybody is calmer – and more clear-headed.

A positive response to dishonesty includes discussion and understanding; don’t shut things down with anger, guilt, blame, and shaming. When you show up with curiosity and compassion, you offer your child the opportunity to come clean and work with you on collaborative solutions to earn back your trust. This process builds connection and reduces conflict.

Parenting a Habitual Liar: Next Steps

• Read: A Survival Guide for Parents with ADHD: Strategies from Preschool to High School
• Free Download: Questions to Get Your Child Talking
• Watch: “A Parent’s Guide to Trading Defiance for Cooperation”

Sharon Saline, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with children, teens, and families living with ADHD and coexisting conditions.

Yes, I could be seeing patients inside a clinical office to discuss suppressing or ignoring old behaviors while allowing a deeper self to arise. Or I could just remind them to bring an umbrella to our session today as we delve into these issues.

Three months into the COVID-19 pandemic, I moved across the country with my three young children to Palo Alto, California, for the University and College Mental Health Fellowship in psychiatry at Stanford University. But instead of joining a vibrant academic community, I worked from my apartment. Alone. A few months later, forest fires made the air quality so bad that we couldn’t even go outside.

[Free Download: How to Choose the Right ADHD Treatment Profesional]

As the pandemic began to lift, we wore masks when we treated patients in person. But in doing this emotional work, revisiting the difficult moments of a patient’s childhood, it is so important to see kindness on a psychiatrist’s face. So I made a decision: Whenever possible, I met with patients outside in nature, where masks weren’t required.

Benefits of Nature Therapy

After the pandemic ended, even as we sat in coats under umbrellas during the rainy season, I repeatedly asked my patients, “Do you want to do this in an office?” The answer was always the same: “Absolutely not.”

When patients are diving deeply into old pain, desperately hoping for connection while also fearing it, I can simply say: “What do you see, right now? What do you hear?” They look around at the grass and the trees, hear the birds, feel the sun on their skin, or hear the rain drumming on their umbrella. They discover that their fear is about the past, not the present. Try as they might, they can’t force their fear away any more than they can stop the rain. But they can notice it. They can choose to ignore the narrative it generates in their inner monologue. They can breathe and let the tears fall so that something new can grow.

The rainy season of change can be hard. But it doesn’t last forever. Eventually, spring comes. And the grass grows. To allow growth to change us for the better, we need to trust this deeply in our bodies. For my patients, I’ve found there is great power in learning from the change of the seasons. So we do the work. Outside. And sometimes it rains.

[Read: Go Take a Hike! (No, Really, It Helps.)]

Nature Therapy for ADHD: Next Steps

• Free Download: Everything You Need to Know About Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
• Read: How Green Time Promotes Better Focus
• Read: Never Underestimate the Healing Power of Mother Nature

Aaron Winkler, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist in California. He founded and directed the Adult ADHD Clinic at Stanford University before deciding to pursue private practice.

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The anticipated MAHA Commission report released yesterday misrepresents ADHD causes and care in the U.S., misinterpreting studies and disregarding compelling new research and patient voices to suggest that ADHD is contributing to a “crisis of overdiagnosis and treatment” in American children.

The MAHA Report, spearheaded by Health and Human Service (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., equates ADHD with obesity, heart disease, and diabetes in calling these harmful contributors to the “childhood chronic disease crisis” in the U.S. It disregards the genetic underpinnings of ADHD to suggest it is solely caused by environmental factors and foods, twists data to stoke fear over rising diagnosis rates, and excludes a wealth of studies that link stimulant medication use to improved health outcomes.

It assumes ADHD is a disease caused and cured by environmental factors. And it suggests that curing ADHD will “make America healthy again.” We disagree, and so does the research.

Should the U.S. government take a long, hard look at the impact of ultra-processed foods, environmental chemicals, and declining physical activity on American children? Absolutely. Should it invest in programs to provide healthy foods, affordable health care, and screen-free activities for all children, regardless of socioeconomic status or means? Yes. Do we support efforts to eliminate toxins from our kids’ food, water, and air? To protect them from unhealthy screen use? To help them live longer, healthier lives? 100%.

Will any of these efforts “cure” ADHD, as the MAHA Report suggests? No, the research does not support that notion. But these efforts, if undertaken by Kennedy, do stand to improve quality of life for many children, and so they should be seriously considered by HHS through investment in the FDA, CDC, and NIH.

Do you know what else improves quality of life for kids? Less stigma and shame, and more investment and solutions. The MAHA Report, sadly, increases ADHD stigma by claiming the condition is overdiagnosed and disparaging its treatment as ineffective without any credible evidence to support these claims. On the flipside, it makes no mention of the proven, life-saving benefits of ADHD treatment or the risks associated with undiagnosed, untreated ADHD. It makes no mention of behavioral parent training, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, or classroom interventions for ADHD, all of which are shown to improve outcomes for individuals with ADHD. Instead, the report’s “solutions” for ADHD suggest more scrutiny of and restricted access to stimulant medication.

Finally, it is notable that the commission included few scientists or experts in pediatric health care. The commission conducted no new research and it apparently did not seek comment or insight from the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), or the World Federation of ADHD regarding the established science on ADHD causes and treatments. No patients were interviewed for or quoted in the report.

The next steps outlined in the report are vague and we expect the commission to propose more detailed strategies in August, but here are three takeaways from the May 22 MAHA Report that may impact the ADHD community.

#1: The Report Misrepresents the Causes of ADHD

ADHD is a highly genetic condition, as confirmed by brand-new research that identified measurable genetic traits that essentially act as biomarkers for ADHD. Lifestyle factors such as nutrition, exercise, and sleep exert epigenetic changes on DNA that influence how strongly or weakly ADHD genes are expressed. However, diet, physical activity, sleep, or screen use alone do not cause — and have not been shown to “cure” — ADHD.

Scientific research has established no causal link between consumption of sugar, food additives, or food dyes and ADHD, though some studies show a heightened sensitivity among children with ADHD to these foods, which may exacerbate existing symptoms. Likewise, scientific research has established no causal link between excessive screen time, video game play, or social media use and ADHD.

Despite clear evidence to the contrary, the MAHA Report claims that ADHD is caused by all of the following, but it never mentions genetic factors:

• Antibiotics: The report cited as evidence a study that “could not disentangle the effects of antibiotics from those of the underlying conditions” and “could not verify adherence to antibiotic prescriptions.” Other recent studies have found gut microbiome alterations in children with ADHD but no causal link between antibiotic use and ADHD in humans.
• Food additives: Research shows that food dyes may worsen symptoms of inattention or hyperactivity in children with ADHD, however there is no evidence of a causal relationship.
• Environmental toxins: This article by Joel Nigg, Ph.D., contains a thorough overview of all existing research on environmental toxins and ADHD, but the bottom line is this: “Genes and environments work together to shape development of the brain and behavior throughout life, but especially — and most dramatically — in very early life. ADHD, like other complex conditions, doesn’t have a single cause. Both nature and nurture influence its development.”

#2: The Report Casts Doubt on the Validity of an ADHD Diagnosis

The MAHA Report claims that “research shows ADHD has the strongest evidence of overdiagnosis,” however no such research is cited in the report. Perhaps that is because there is no definitive evidence that ADHD is overdiagnosed in America today. ADHD diagnosis rates have increased over the last few decades, however this may be a result of any of the following, and other factors:

• The high diagnosis rate cited in the report comes from a problematic and misleading CDC study that is “terribly designed to assess the prevalence of the disorder,” says Russell Barkley, Ph.D., a leading authority on ADHD. “In this survey, there is one question about ADHD: ‘Has a doctor or other healthcare provider ever told you that this child has ADD or ADHD?’ That could be anybody associated with the healthcare profession who has no training in ADHD… and there is no effort in this study to follow up to see if these children were, in fact, diagnosed.” Barkley goes on to say that meta-analyses of better-conducted studies that apply diagnostic criteria to their research populations find that the prevalence of ADHD among children ranges from 5 to 8 percent, not 10 to 11 percent.
• Revised diagnostic criteria published in the DSM-5 changed the age of onset from 7 to 12 and added the first-ever qualifier symptoms for ADHD in adulthood
• With ongoing research and clinician training on ADHD, education and symptom recognition have improved
• Twenty years ago, ADHD was viewed as a disorder that affected young males. As research on females began to take hold, girls and women were able to secure ADHD evaluations for the first time
• Likewise, as mental health stigma dissipates within time, historically underserved populations are seeking care for the first time

The report further suggests that “the harms associated with an ADHD diagnosis may often outweigh the benefits” without naming those supposed harms or acknowledging the many health risks associated with undiagnosed ADHD. Research shows that undiagnosed and untreated individuals face a higher risk for fatal car accidents, unwanted pregnancies, serious injury and hospitalizations, job loss, academic interruptions, self-harm, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and more. The harms associated with undiagnosed ADHD are too severe to ignore, yet the MAHA Commission does just that.

#3: The Report Misrepresents the Efficacy and Risks of ADHD Medication

The MAHA Report draws faulty conclusions from the ​​Multimodal Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (MTA) study to argue that ADHD medication use offers no benefits “in grades, relationships, achievement, behavior, or any other measure” after 14 months of use. This is untrue.

In reality, the MTA study ended after 14 months, so the control group members with ADHD who did not initially receive medication were free to seek it out after 14 months. As many of the controls began treating their ADHD symptoms with medication, the differences between the control and treatment groups faded because the control group members began to improve on medication, not because the treatment group began to do worse. It is wrong and irresponsible to suggest that no patients experienced benefits from ADHD medication use after 14 months.

“The groups became very contaminated after that 14-month follow-up,” Barkley says in a video on his YouTube channel. “Therefore, we can’t make comparisons at years 2, 3, or 4 between or among the treatment groups and draw any conclusions about them because the treatments were mixed up among all the groups.”

The report claims that stimulants, “when stopped, often lead to disabling and prolonged physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms.” This is untrue. The research cited in the report was a study of antidepressants, not stimulants. There is no evidence to support this assertion regarding stimulant medication. In addition, we know that half of teens and adults with ADHD stop taking stimulant medication within one year of starting it, often due to stigma or access problems. This suggests that it is not addictive. In fact, stimulant medication has been used safely and effectively for nearly 100 years — more than enough time for long-term adverse outcomes to come to light, yet none has.

Finally, the report’s claim that stimulant medication use does “not improve outcomes long-term” is also false.

Research dating back more than 40 years has documented the positive impact of ADHD treatment on specific symptoms like inattention and hyperactivity, and on life expectancy overall. Recently, a Swedish study, published in JAMA Network Open, documented these findings:

• ADHD medication use reduced overall risk of death by 19%. Among people with ADHD who did not receive medication, there were 48 deaths for every 10,000 people, contrasted with 39 deaths per 10,000 people within the medicated cohort.
• ADHD medication use reduced the risk of overdose by 50%. Medication use also reduced the risk of death from other unnatural causes, including accidental injuries, accidental poisoning such as drug overdoses, and suicide.
• ADHD medication use reduced the risk of death from natural causes, such as medical conditions, for women.

People with childhood ADHD are nearly twice as likely to develop a substance use disorder as are individuals without childhood ADHD. However, research suggests that patients with ADHD treated with stimulant medications experience a 60% reduction in substance use disorders compared to those who are not treated with stimulant medication. Considerable evidence also suggests that children taking ADHD medication experience improvements in academic and social functioning, which translates to improved self-esteem, lower rates of self-medication with drugs or alcohol, and decreased risk of substance abuse.

Given all of the above, it’s difficult to view the increase in stimulant medication use flagged by the MAHA Report as anything but positive. “Why isn’t that evidence of improvement in good public mental health?” Barkley asks. “The fact that there is a rise in the occurrence of a particular treatment does not provide prima facie evidence that there is something bad, wicked, evil, wrong going on here; it simply means that, over time, we are getting closer and closer to identifying conditions that produce harm in individuals, and that we try to alleviate that harm and suffering.”

The Threat to ADHD Care Access

The MAHA Commission plans to release its recommended strategies in August, but it’s easy to see the writing on the wall now. The arguments presented in Thursday’s MAHA Report, based largely on outdated or poorly interpreted research, suggest that Kennedy may seek to restrict access to ADHD care and that he’s building a foundation of doubt and misinformation now to support that action.

We fear efforts to dissuade physicians from diagnosing and treating ADHD may be forthcoming from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with support from the CDC, which Kennedy oversees. Of course, we hope we are proven wrong. We hope that, instead, HHS chooses to fully restore funding for ADHD research efforts through the National Institutes of Mental Health, for mental healthcare initiatives through the CDC, and for nationwide nutrition assistance programs through the FDA.

ADDitude supports an investment in unbiased research into the root causes of and effective treatments for ADHD to support, not ‘cure,’ individuals living with neurodivergent brains. We welcome the opportunity to engage in transparent dialog with the MAHA Commission and to introduce the voices and viewpoints of individuals and families living with ADHD, which were excluded from this report. And we hope that this administration will fund initiatives to improve food quality and access, eliminate harmful food additives, provide mental health services to all children, and crack down on the industries and companies contributing toxins to our environment.

We also stand ready to defend the legitimacy of the robust library of credible, science-backed research studies that confirm ADHD’s genetic underpinnings, that validate its diagnostic tools, and that confirm the benefits of its uninterrupted treatment.

Reactions from the ADHD Community

Mark Bertin, M.D., PLLC, of Developmental Pediatrics

“Lifestyle changes that promote child health are a wonderful idea. However, the MAHA paper ignores the reality of ADHD, a common medical disorder with genetics nearly as strong as the inherited trait of height. Undertreated ADHD is a public health concern that affects school performance, relationships, and driving; increases the risk of substance abuse; and shortens lifespans. Research and clinical experience show clear benefits to ADHD medication, which has been used for a century without evidence of chronic side effects. Supporting individuals with ADHD requires more understanding, not less, while making medical, educational, psychological, and health-related supports affordable and easily available. The MAHA document completely misrepresents ADHD in ways that are judgmental, demeaning, and will be harmful to individuals, our health care system, and society.”

Russell Barkley, Ph.D.

The ADHD Evidence Project, Founded by Stephen Faraone, Ph.D.

“ADHD is one of the most discussed neurodevelopmental disorders in the MAHA Report, but many of its claims about ADHD are misleading, oversimplified, or inconsistent with decades of scientific evidence, much of which is described in the International Consensus Statement on ADHD, and other references given here.”

Millions of Reddit users seeking reliable, science-backed advice about living with ADHD have been barred access to a valuable resource. The ADHD subreddit has blocked content from ADDitude, a leading source of trusted, evidence-based support for the ADHD community.

Moderators of the ADHD subreddit have blocked any post or comment that mentions ADDitude, preventing people — including newly diagnosed adults, families seeking help for loved ones with the condition, educators, and medical professionals — from obtaining expert guidance to improve ADHD understanding and outcomes. In addition, when a subreddit user attempts to cite information from ADDitude on the platform, the moderators distribute an auto-response message attacking ADDitude with false statements and defamatory language.

The ADDitude team’s request — that the subreddit moderators immediately discontinue distributing its inflammatory automated message — has been denied. No reason was given.

For 27 years, ADDitude has worked to bring the latest evidence-based practices and guidance to support adults and families touched by ADHD, coexisting conditions, and learning differences. Earlier this year, Media Bias / Fact Check rated ADDitude as “pro science” with high marks, citing its commitment to providing evidence-based information on ADHD and related conditions.

Despite this, the subreddit auto-response message continues to propagate these false claims:

• That ADDitude solicits donations from people with ADHD to fund their operation. This is false. ADDitude has never solicited or accepted donations from individuals or organizations of any kind.
• That ADDitude prioritizes advertising dollars over people’s best interests. This is false. ADDitude provides free of charge 8,400 articles, weekly webinars with leading experts, numerous newsletters, and hundreds of downloads to help people with ADHD live better. Our small, dedicated team is guided not by profit but by a passion and dedication for helping people.
• That ADDitudeMag.com is “full of articles promoting the use of homeopathy, reiki, and other unscientific quack practices.” This is false. Six articles out of thousands mention homeopathy, and all of them clearly state that it is not recommended for treating ADHD. In contrast, ADDitudeMag.com houses more than 1,000 articles about treating ADHD with medication and complementary approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, parent behavior training, and mindful meditation.
• That ADDitudeMag.com contains “sketchy advertising.” This is false. All three examples cited by Reddit are invalid URLs; these pages do not exist.
• That ADDitude publishes “junk science.” This is false. The URLs cited by Reddit contain a combined 40 footnotes and links to credible, respected research. ADDitudeMag.com publishes fully footnoted content written by leading experts in the field of ADHD and we take very seriously our responsibility to serve this community with accurate, credible information.

The moderators’ criticisms of ADDitude distributed to untold numbers of Reddit members are not only baseless; they appear to be motivated by an intent to harm our publication and community.

It’s important to note that section 230 of the Communication Decency Act protects social media companies from defamation lawsuits for statements made by their users and moderators. Publishers like ADDitude are left with few legal options for fighting defamation and bias, despite the injury to their reputation and business.

As such, ADDitude encourages its community members to reconsider their membership and participation in the ADHD subreddit. The Reddit Moderator Code of Conduct requires moderators to “moderate with integrity,” and users may report moderators for violations here.

Above all, individuals living with ADHD deserve access to reliable, expert information that supports their wellbeing. Blocking trusted guidance does a disservice to the very communities these platforms claim to serve.

Thank you,
Anni Rodgers
General Manager of ADDitude