“I
just want to be me, to be how I am, I’m not naughty.
Grown ups need to take a better look and see the real
me.” Josh, 14
“I don't like being different.
Everyone knows I am. I have a good side and bad side
in my brain and the bad side wins a lot. I can't help
it, I just go bad like The Hulk and start pushing things
over, then my teacher tells mum to come and get me,
she tells me off and says that mum will have to leave
work then we will have no money. I do try to be good
but I can't.” 8 year old boy with ADHD
“People can be nasty
as they don’t understand me at times. I want everyone
to know about ADHD. Some people think kids like me are
irresponsible but it’s the people who think they
know about ADHD and are ignorant who are the irresponsible
ones. Having people who understand me and like me and
play with me really makes a difference to my life. When
I was younger before we joined [ADHD support] groups
I was really sad and lonely as no one wanted to play
with me.” Kieron, 12
“The worst thing about
having ADHD is my temper!” Sally, 8
“Things
are ok now, but hard when I was younger. I think you
get blamed for almost everything even when you haven’t
done anything wrong. Can’t people ever see me
for who I am?” Caroline, 14
“At first I thought it was my fault. After reading
the book [‘Everything A Child Needs To Know About
ADHD’] I understand the way I am is because of
my ADHD, and that made me feel better". Laura
aged 9 years.
NOTES:
- Permission to anonymously publish
quotes from the ADDISS Families Survey, August 2006,
was given in full by all participants who completed
and returned the survey
- Names and identifying data
have been changed to protect the identity of the survey
participants quoted in the media materials
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