# data[].attributes.headline
Racial Equity in Learning Services Resources Padlet

# data[].attributes.subject
Racial Equity in Learning Services Resources Padlet

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Double-board certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist

# data[].attributes.body
Dr. Brown was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) while in the final year of her child psychiatry fellowship program. Because of this, she personally understands the potential impact of this chronic, debilitating disorder not only on affected individuals but their families as well.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Known as the MD with ADHD, Dr. Dawn was diagnosed with ADHD herself while completing her child fellowship program, during her early 30's. As a result, she possesses a unique understanding of the frustrations surrounding treatment and the need for compassionate, ongoing support. Her advocacy for getting properly diagnosed with ADHD has garnered acclaim from across the nation. She is highly sought-after for her expertise and appears frequently in television interviews, podcasts, and online publications.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Also known as the MD with ADHD, Dr. Dawn possesses a unique understanding of the struggles surrounding treatment and the need for compassion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Creator of the Panda Cub Stories, a web comic series about Chinese culture,  Sichuan food, and living with ADHD.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Linda Yi is the creator of the Panda Cub Stories, a web comic series about Chinese culture, Sichuan food, and living with ADHD. She also is the founder of Panda Cub Diner - an online cooking school where she teaches students the joys of cooking healthy and authentic Sichuan-style Chinese food, with a generous helping of art, storytelling, and giggles.
What inspired you to create your web comic Panda Cub Stories?

Panda Cub Stories is based on my story! I was born in Chengdu, Sichuan and my mama worked with the Chengdu zoo to research giant panda fertility...and I thus spent my toddler years peering into cribs full of black and white fuzzballs.

When I was a panda cub myself, at 4 years old I immigrated with my family to America. From the time I could grasp a stubby crayon in my chubby fist, I began to scribble down the pictures that danced in and out of my head.

Panda Cub Stories started as little doodles, pictures scribbled on the edges of my childhood notebooks, my attempt of making sense of my new life the best way I knew how. For many years, drawing and writing was as much a source of joy for me, as it was a coping mechanism.

Cub Linda just immigrated to the United States

In high school, I'd put off the creeping anxiety of an English paper deadline in favor of making watercolors for my Art class: spending hours and hours adding delicate brush strokes to create the illusion of a Panda's soft fur.

My first love was working in traditional watercolor, and this fluffy cutie how I originally pictured my main character.

Linda's original art for her main character Panda Cub

In 2019, I moved to New York City to finally pursue my dream of being a working artist. My intention was to become a children's book author, creating a series of picture books around a story-loving panda cub, the Winnie-the-Pooh to my Christopher Robin, who would lead her human on a fantasy-laden romp through classic Chinese myths and folktales.

But because I can never stick to one thing at once, I was ALSO teaching myself how to draw digitally. My first attempts are hilarious(ly bad) 🙈, but I decided to start sharing this much simpler style on my instagram.

And what started as a side project - a comic strip vlog (...clog?) documenting my own exploration into Chinese language & stories has now developed wings! And now, three years on, panda is still living her best digital life - helping me explore and share what I love about Chinese language, culture, and food with all of you!

You lived with undiagnosed ADHD until age 25. Can you tell us about that experience and what led you to seek a diagnosis?

Growing up, I struggled with racing thoughts and a "too fast" mind. I'd often forget what I was doing in the middle of doing it. As a child, I was often chided for being too Cūxīn, making the same careless mistakes in home (and school). In Chinese school, I'd sit and copy the characters for hours and hours, only to have them slip away like ants in a stream. In the end, I gave up and convinced my parents I was too busy with regular school to keep attending weekend classes.

In reality, I'd begun to see my brain as an enemy: Why couldn't my brain hold onto ideas? Why did it seem like a sieve when I wanted it to be a vault? In my darker spells, I felt my brain was simply a magnet for anxiety and depression.

I learned to "compensate" for my shortcomings: double, triple checking work reports; white knuckling through bad spells. Not asking for things I felt like were beyond my reach. Beating myself up over my incurably "leaky" mind.

Even when I "did well": graduating with honors, receiving positive evaluations at work, I was convinced that I'd fooled everybody into thinking I was competent, whereas inside everything felt like a house of cards ready to collapse.

By the time I was 25, I'd already gone through four jobs: community based research fellow at an arts-based nonprofit in Beijing, cofounder of a short lived internet startup, assistant Mandarin immersion preschool teacher, and a summer program coordinator for my alma mater. I felt like I was floundering, while my peers (seemingly) sailed toward their professional futures with purpose and clarity.

Right around then, I discovered a book called FAST MINDS: How to Thrive if You Have ADHD (Or Think You Might Have It). Honestly, I picked it up on a whim, from the bottom of a clearance bin, because its jacket design sported my favorite colors: purple and green.

But when I started reading...it was like BOOM. "Oh my god". This is me.

A few months later, I finally sought treatment for ADHD (and what turned out to be anxiety and depression).

ADHD is still very stigmatized, especially within Asian communities. How did you navigate sharing (or not sharing) your ADHD diagnosis with your family?

Starting medication and cognitive behavioral therapy changed my life. I found a community of people who saw strength in neurodivergence, whereas I'd only seen defects. But it was years before I actually shared my diagnosis with my family.

In Chinese culture, mental illness is still quite stigmatized. To call someone "Shénjīngbìng (神经病)", a medical term for "neuropathy, is a serious insult. And as for ADHD, the Chinese name for the condition is "Duōdòngzhèng(多动症)", which literally translates to "an illness of moving too much".

I didn't know how to broach the subject with my family. But it was actually my Māmā who first reached out to me, after reading my first narrative comic about being diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and depression. She shared that she struggled with what she now realized was depression for years, a vulnerable conversation I never thought would have been possible.

Linda's first narrative comic about being diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and depression

I'm still not the best at discussing mental health, especially in Chinese. But it's incredibly encouraging to know that this mix of words, pictures, and English/Chinese language was a way to bridge the language, generational, and cultural gap that had existed so long between me and my mom.

That's such a powerful story. And now you've expanded your platform to include Sichuan style cooking classes through "Panda Cub Diner." Tell us how that came to be.

For most of my twenties, I had a love/hate with the "making" of food. While I enjoyed helping other's cook, I could never seem to initiate it myself.

It's not that I didn't want to cook: I'd buy gorgeous cookbooks...which never got used.

I loved food network programming: the smiling chefs, beautiful kitchens, and colorful feasts made me feel calm and happy...yet even the thought of cooking conjured up stress and drained me of energy.

When I moved into my first NYC studio apartment, I found myself REALLY missing the Málà and umami flavors of home...some days, all I wanted was the food my Mama made. But I was neck deep in the big and little tasks of launching a new business.

And despite already "knowing how" to make my favorite dishes...I kept spending money on take out. I felt frustrated and ashamed of myself: why couldn't I just "get started"?

Here's what I wish somebody had told me: "hey Linda. The problem isn't you."

Learning to cook as an adult is harder than it seems. The issue isn't "know-how". It's about motivation and consistency.

The tasks surrounding "cooking" drains our motivation. And when there isn't an external motivator (like prepping for a dinner party), or an intrinsic motivator (like the prospect of enjoying a cozy conversation over a family style meal), it can feel impossible to get started.

For me, my external motivator came in the form of the pandemic:

The months-long lock down in a New York sized apartment, along with what felt like a sweeping rise of anti-Asian sentiment across the country, I felt increasingly trapped in a vicious cycle of expensive take out, unhealthy fast food, and cold cereal dinner.

At the same time, I was desperately homesick. And for the first time in my life, I made "learning how to cook my family's food" a priority.

By this time, I'd also started treatment for what turned out to be undiagnosed anxiety, depression and ADHD. I dove into my new project with intrinsic motivation, and - for the first time - structured support.

Thus began a year long journey of (politely) badgering my mama, baba, and 20+ relatives in our family wechat group, gathering and distilling their collective Sichuan cooking knowledge into a growing collection of illustrated recipes that not only celebrated the food that my middle school classmates used to say "smelled funny", but also were easy, healthy, and adaptable enough for my schedule, body, and brain!

5 Minute Chili Oil Illustrated Recipe Card

I had a feeling that others probably had the same challenges that I did (well, okay, I knew this for a fact because my followers DM'd me about it on instagram 😂), so I began systematizing my newfound joy of cooking into an easy, low stress guide for anyone to start making quick and authentic Sichuan food!

This guide eventually became Panda Cub Diner, my online cooking program that not only shows my fellow Sichuan food lovers "how" to make the foods they love, but guides them in creating their own external motivators (like scheduling a group cooking date)...which leads them to actually looking forward to the event.

What's your secret sauce to helping your students (especially those with ADHD) successfully learn how to make authentic Sichuan food?

Together, we separate the "planning" from the "doing". And soon, the "doing" goes from being a headache to being a joy! It's that simple:)

The not so secret "secret" is "Divide...conquer...and enjoy."

I break the experience down into a four week step-by-step system that takes you through streamlining your kitchen and pantry for Sichuan-Style Chinese Cooking cooking. I help my students prepare by providing curated shopping guides of recommended Sichuan Kitchen tools and Pantry staples, which are delivered via strategically timed emails, to lessen their mental load.

At the end of each month, I host live "Cook-along" classes on zoom (with illustrated recipe cards) for my students, which serve as both a social "meet and greet" amongst new and old students, as well as a social cooking experience - which ends with a delicious meal!

I think the real magic behind Panda Cub Diner is the structure, support, and focus on community that's at the heart of the program. Because so many of us struggle with the tasks that "get in the way" of cooking with joy, we also have weekly and monthly "body doubling" workshops where we support each other in meal prepping, kitchen maintenance and more.

At the end of the day, my students and I don't need more information or recipes. What we're looking for is a structured and gentle "guide" that helps us avoid pitfalls, while providing a warm and inclusive space for us to explore the foods we love!

So my cooking course isn't so much a "DIY" program, as it is a "Done With You" experience.

You are clearly creative and entrepreneurial. What do you consider to be your top strengths that come with ADHD?

I've always seen myself as creative, but it wasn't until after starting medication and cognitive behavioral therapy for my ADHD that I began to see myself as entrepreneurial (in the sense that I could provide a service that was of tangible value to my readers & students).

Linda Yi

After finding a community of people who saw strength in neurodivergence, I began to see opportunities where before I only saw shortcomings:

My "silly" need to draw everything down so that it made sense became some of my most popular comics, allowing me to laugh, cry, and learn (in turn) alongside my readers.

My "help me remember" doodles of the "simple" Sichuanese recipes I could never seem to remember blossomed into a full-fledged online cooking program.

I went from being quietly ashamed of the things I did to help myself "keep up" with everyone else (like making illustrated notes, audio-recordings, and task "cheat sheets"), to realizing the way I'd been teaching (and motivating) myself how to do things was actually a highly effective (and fun!) way to teach other beginners learn - whether it be Chinese characters, or Sichuan recipes.

I think that's my biggest strength as a creative entrepreneur with ADHD-er: my insatiable curiosity and desire to learn, and my (self tested) method of translating those learnings into useful and engaging visual learning guides!

What things are challenging for you? Do you have any go-to strategies or tools that have helped you navigate life with ADHD?

To this day, I struggle with prioritization, procrastination and cognitive distortions. But I'll focus on prioritizing for now (See how I prioritized these three topics? Ha!).

While getting dozens of new ideas for stories, collaborations and business ideas per day is a good problem to have, feeling like I have to START ON ALL OF THEM RIGHT NOW is actually problematic. Over the years, developing a bullet journaling routine has helped me enormously in teasing out what actually needs to be done today...this week...this month...or can afford to wait.

However, I still get stuck in my own head sometimes, so talking things out with my therapist and ADHD coach helps give me the perspective that I lack as well!

If you could go back in time, what message would you want to share with young panda cub Linda?

The reason I do my work today is that I believe stories can make, or break, us. When we don't see ourselves in the stories that are told to us, we feel unseen and alone. When we tell ourselves a story that "we're not enough", we stay small and defeated.

If I could send a message back in time to panda cub Linda, I'd send her a story that helps her re-write the one she'd been telling herself for years: that she was "stupid" for not being able to remember things the way some other people do. That she shouldn't feel ashamed for "taking the easy way out" by referencing her hand-drawn notes to do "simple" tasks others can complete. That far from being a crutch, the things she created would go on to help more people than she could have imagined!

The stories you - we - create are making a difference. And the most powerful way we can help create change in the world is by telling our part of the story the best way we know how: through silly humor, joyful stories, and deliciously educational tales 🙂

Follow Linda on Instagramfor her latest ADHD friendly Chinese recipe cards. Y ou can learn more about her cooking workshops and and sign up for a free class at www.pandacubstories.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Panda webcomics explore Chinese culture and ADHD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Linda Yi is the creator of the Panda Cub Stories, a web comic series about Chinese culture, Sichuan food, and living with ADHD. She also is the founder of Panda Cub Diner - an online cooking school where she teaches students the joys of cooking healthy and authentic Sichuan-style Chinese food, with a generous helping of art, storytelling, and giggles.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I know, because I've been there-and I've come out the other side.

After 20 years in the corporate world, I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD. It was a lightbulb moment.

Driven by an insatiable hunger for the data, research, and science to help me understand what makes ADHD-ers different, I put in over 600 hours of official training with some of the most respected institutions in executive coaching and ADHD: the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and the ADD Coach Academy (ADDCA).

Today, I bridge the gap between traditional executive coaching and the specific needs of adults with ADHD. I bring my clients the best of both worlds so they can achieve powerful, sustainable change.

It is my absolute honor and pleasure to be the thinking partner of some amazing professional ADHDers. You can learn more about my services here:

How I can support you? I like to invite you to consider learning about our newest program - The Great ADHD Reset Program

A program to escape overwhelm, channel your ADHD strengths and revamp your career from the inside out.

This program helps Ambitious ADHDers who are overextended, exhausted, unmotivated, and feeling out of balance, learn compassionate and sustainable solutions to break the vicious cycle of burnout, so they can reclaim their life and live with an even keel one day at a time - successfully on their own terms.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hi, I'm CATHY, Former corporate Rockstar turned ADHD & Executive Coach.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you have been a High Performing Professional or an Entrepreneur who was recently diagnosed with Adult ADHD, this podcast is for you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Identifying an Equity Challenge — National Equity Project

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Identify an equity challenge in your school or organization and learn how to prioritize those challenges. Learn more at the National Equity Project.

# data[].attributes.body
Free and low-cost tools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Education Equity Resources | Equity Literacy Institute

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
View and download free resources and handouts on educational equity related to class, race, gender, and other issues

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Organizations who make a commitment to race equity move through somewhat predictable stages, illustrated in the accompanying diagram. Familiar Dysfunction Many organizations start their equity…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Invisible Disabilities Defined

An "invisible," "non-visible," "hidden," "non-apparent," or "unseen" disability is any physical, mental, or emotional impairment that goes largely unnoticed. An invisible disability can include, but is not limited to: cognitive impairment and brain injury; the autism spectrum; chronic illnesses like multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia; d/Deaf and/or hard of hearing; blindness and/or low vision; anxiety, depression, PTSD, and many more. We understand the body as always changing, so disability and chronic illness may be unstable or periodic throughout one's life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Invisible Disability Project | Disrupting the Silence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Building disability equity in education, employment, and culture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Disability Visibility Project is an online community dedicated to creating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture.

What does the DVP do?

Believes that disabled narratives matter and that they belong to us

Encourages people with disabilities to go to StoryCorps or use the StoryCorps app and record their oral histories with the option of having them archived at the Library of Congress

Publishes original essays, reports, and blog posts about ableism, intersectionality, culture, media, and politics from the perspective of disabled people

Builds online spaces for people to share, organize, and connect

Champions disability culture and history

Organizes and facilitates events, gives presentations, participates on panels

Supports and amplifies the work of other disabled people and organizations in the community using social media

and Partners and collaborates with other activists and organizations in various campaigns such as #CripTheVote, #CripLit, Access Is Love, DisabledWriters.com

Consults and provides professional services through Disability Visibility LLC

does not represent or speak for StoryCorps in any way. The DVP did not create the NOTE: The Disability Visibility Project#CripTheVote campaign but is a co-partner in that movement.

Also: the usage of the word 'visibility' in the project name is metaphorical. It is not meant to privilege one sensory experience over others.

Disability Visibility Project® is a trademark of Alice Wong. All rights reserved. (c) Alice Wong 2016.

ABOUT

Alice Wong (she/her) is a disabled activist, writer, editor, media maker, and consultant. Alice is the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project , an online community dedicated to creating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture.

Alice is a co-partner in four projects: DisabledWriters.com , a resource to help editors connect with disabled writers and journalists, (no longer active),a series of Twitter chats for disabled writers with novelist Nicola Griffith , #CripTheVote , a nonpartisan online movement encouraging the political participation of disabled people with co-partners Andrew Pulrang and Gregg Beratan, and Access Is Love with co-partners Mia Mingus and Sandy Ho , a campaign that aims to help build a world where accessibility is understood as an act of love instead of a burden or an afterthought.

Alice's areas of interest are popular culture, media, politics, disability representation, Medicaid policies and programs, storytelling, social media, and activism.

In 1997 she graduated with degrees in English and sociology from Indiana University at Indianapolis. She has a MS in medical sociology and worked at the University of California, San Francisco as a Staff Research Associate for over 10 years. During that time she worked on various qualitative research projects and co-authored online curricula for the Community Living Policy Center , a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research .

Recognized for her service to the community and activism at the local and national level, Alice received the Beacon Award by the San Francisco Mayor's Disability Council in 2010 and the Disability Service Award by the University of California, San Francisco in 2011. From 2013 to 2015 Alice served as a member of the National Council on Disability , an independent federal agency charged with advising the President, Congress, and other federal agencies regarding policies, programs, practices, and procedures that affect people with disabilities, appointed by President Barack Obama . Alice was the recipient of the 2016 AAPD Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award , an award for emerging leaders with disabilities who exemplify leadership, advocacy, and dedication to the broader cross-disability community.

Alice launched the Disability Visibility podcast in September 2017 as host, co-audio producer, and writer. She edited and self-published Resistance and Hope: Essays by Disabled People in October 2018.

In 2018 Alice was featured in the , a list recognizing the most impactful creators, artists, and activists in pop culture by Bitch Media and Colorline's 20 X 20 , a group of transformative leaders reimagining what it means to advance racial justice.

In 2020 Alice was named by Time magazine as one of 16 people fighting for equality in America. Alice self-published and edited #ADA30InColor , a series of essays by disabled people of color in July. Alice was featured with activists such as Angela Davis and Dr. Bernice A. King on the cover of British Vogue's September issue . For the Pop Culture Collaborative, she guest edited Break The Story Volume IV: Disability Visibility , a snapshot of disability. Along with 19 other disabled artists, Alice was named a Disability Futures fellow , a grant by the Ford Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation administered by United States Artists. Alice also received the Indiana University Bicentennial Medal for her contributions to disability justice and broadening the reach of IU around the world.

In 2021, Alice was named a changemaker by Marie Claire magazine. She co-edited a digital issue that year, The Access Series with Bitch Media that expands the meaning of access in everyday life. Alice's first role as a voice actor was in Someone Dies In This Elevator podcast, season 1, episode 11, "Hot Wheels," as Waverly.

In 2022, Alice was included in Gold House's A100 List, a list honoring 100 Asians and Pacific Islanders who had the most impact on culture and society over the past year. She created the Society of Disabled Oracles with co-partners Aimi Hamraie and Jen White-Johnson.

Alice is the editor of an anthology of essays by disabled people and Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century (Vintage Books, 2020) , Disability Visibility: 17 First-Person Stories for Today, an adapted version for young adults (Delacorte Press 2021).

Her debut memoir, Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life is available now from Vintage Books. Disability Intimacy , her next anthology, will be out in 2024.

In 2023, Alice became a , a series of food writing by disabled people. columnist for Teen Vogue and recipient of the Community Award from the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies . She also was a voice actor portraying Alice, a character loosely based on her, in season two of Human Resources , an animated series on Netflix. In partnership with Eater, Alice co-edited Low and Slow Year of the Tiger received a Northern California Book Award for creative nonfiction.

Alice also works as an independent research consultant as part of her side hustle with clients such as Netflix, Twitter, and other disability rights organizations. Alice is a public speaker and represented by The Steven Barclay Agency .

For more about her work, you can go to her website or check out the latest on Twitter @SFdirewolf and Instagram @Disability_Visibility .

For headshots and shorter bios of Alice, check out her Media Kit.

Instagram: @disability_visibility

Bluesky: @SFdirewolf.bsky.social

Newsletter: https://disability-visibility-newsletter.ghost.io

Email: DisabilityVisibilityProject@gmail.com
Newsletter: https://disabilityvisibility.substack.com/ Access rider for speaking events (updated September 2023)
Speaking requests: please contact Steven Barclay at Steven Barclay Agency, 707-773-0654; steven@barclayagency.com and Alyssa Jones, 707-773-0654; alyssa@barclayagency.com
Freelance Audio Producers for the Disability Visibility podcast (September 2017- April 2021) Learn more and support these amazing audio producers! Geraldine Ah-Sue, Cheryl Green, and Sarika D. Mehta
Team DVP

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Disability Visibility Project is an online community dedicated to creating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture. What does the DVP do? Believes that disabled narratives matter and that they belong to us Encourages people with disabilities to go to StoryCorps or use the StoryCorps app and record their oral histories with the option of...

# data[].attributes.headline
American Association of People with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.subject
American Association of People with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since 1995, AAPD has worked tirelessly alongside disability advocates, government agencies, and corporate and nonprofit partners to advance the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act – and there’s more work to be done.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Para ayudar a los visitantes a comprender la información de este sitio web en una variedad de idiomas, HSH ofrece Google Translate, que automatiza la traducción del sitio web. La herramienta no es perfecta. La traducción automática puede perder contexto, el significado completo puede perderse o las palabras pueden traducirse incorrectamente. Como resultado, HSH no puede garantizar la exactitud del texto convertido. Cualquier persona que confíe en la información obtenida de Google Translate lo hace bajo su propio riesgo. HSH se exime y no aceptará ninguna responsabilidad por daños y perjuicios de cualquier tipo causados por el uso de la función Google Translate. Cuando hay alguna duda , la versión en inglés es siempre la versión autorizada del sitio web. Es posible que algunos elementos del sitio no se traduzcan, como imágenes que contienen texto, documentos, mapas y elementos de páginas web. Además, es posible que algunas características del sitio no funcionen en las versiones traducidas. Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre la información que aparece en nuestro sitio, contáctenos.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Reframing ADHD: Discovering New Perspectives. Experts answer questions in videos

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Moving Forward with ADHD:
October Is ADHD Awareness Month

October is dedicated to raising awareness about ADHD. With millions of individuals affected by this neurodevelopmental disorder worldwide, ADHD Awareness Month is an annual opportunity to educate, advocate, and support the adults and children who live with ADHD.
Raising ADHD awareness for almost forty years
CHADD plays a pivotal role in ADHD Awareness Month. We offer a wealth of information, resources, and support for individuals with ADHD and their families through the National Resource Center on ADHD, our local chapters, and educational programs.

Throughout these years, CHADD has developed first of its kind training on ADHD for families and for teachers. More recently, a course for adults, and a course for healthcare professionals have been created to meet their specific needs.
ADHD Awareness Month and ADHD Coalition partners
CHADD continues to work closely with the ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) and the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) to provide awareness month programing and resources, along with a vibrant social media campaign. These three organizations also team together to sponsor the Annual International Conference on ADHD following the awareness month each year.

The ADHD Awareness Month Coalition is encouraging members of the ADHD community to express themselves through art, memes, short videos, and their own stories. Submissions can be made on the ADHD Awareness Month website. Selected submissions will be shared through the ADHD Awareness Month social media and on its website.

This year, the coalition partners will randomly draw winners from submissions, and winners will receive either coaching hours through ACO or memberships in CHADD or ADDA for one year. You can learn more about the drawing at ADHD Awareness Month-Express Yourself.
Here's how you can get involved:

Host or attend local campaigns and events: You can find various campaigns and events taking place during October, and have your events, local and online, listed on the ADHD Events Calendar.

Plan an ADHD walk or community event: Get your chapter or community members involved in a day spent together to get the word on how to move forward with ADHD. Can't get everyone together at the same time? Plan a virtual walk.

Share your story: Share your personal experiences with ADHD, helping to reduce stigma and raise awareness. Talk with other people, offer a presentation in your community, or express yourself by submitting your art, memes, or stories at ADHDAwarenessMonth.org [https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org/express-yourself/].

Share educational materials: CHADD's National Resource Center on ADHD provides educational resources, infographics, and fact sheets that you can share with your friends and family and within your community.

ADHD Awareness matters
When you help to raise awareness about ADHD, you help to:

Reduce stigma: People with ADHD often face unfair judgments and stereotypes. By increasing awareness, you can help reduce stigma and foster empathy and understanding.

Encourage early intervention: Timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment plans [https://chadd.org/about-adhd/treatment-of-adhd/] are essential for individuals who have ADHD. Awareness efforts can lead to earlier identification and support for children, helping them to become successful in their lives.

Supporting families: Families affected by ADHD often need guidance and resources. Awareness campaigns can provide information on ADHD and its treatment strategies while helping to connect families with community and resources to provide support.

Awareness Month is moving the ADHD community forward
ADHD Awareness Month is an opportunity for all of us to learn, support, and advocate for adults and families affected by ADHD. CHADD provides valuable resources throughout the year. By spreading knowledge and understanding, we can help each member of the ADHD community to move forward in their lives and to thrive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is ADHD? Everybody can have difficulty sitting still, paying attention or controlling impulsive behavior once in a while. For some people, however, the problems are so pervasive and persistent that they interfere with every aspect of their life: home, academic, social and work. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 11 percent of school-age children....

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Crisis support

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Call 988 or text HELLO to 741741 to get support from the Crisis Text Line available 24/7. Click here to access crisis support if you live outside the United States.

Trevor Project - The leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people. Text START to 678678 or call 1 866 488 7386

Evaluation & Diagnosis Resources

Wondering if you have ADHD? Take the ADDitude Symptom Checker Quiz to get a report on what conditions (if any) you may possibly have. It doesn't give you a formal diagnosis, but it can help you understand what's going on and where to find more information. Talk to a doctor or therapist about your results.

Learning Disability Evaluations: Marker Learning provides evaluation services and certified documentation that can be used for IEP, 504 plans, and school or work accommodations.

Find a Therapist or Support Group

Support Organizations

ADDitude Magazine - provides clear, accurate, user-friendly information and advice for families and adults living with ADHD.

Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) - Organization dedicated to helping adults with ADHD to live better lives.

Autistic Self Advocacy Network - Toolkits, information, and policy advocacy by and for autistic self advocates.

Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network - non-profit committed to disability justice, gender & racial equity, neurodiversity & trans liberation.

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance - education, resources, and support depression and bipolar disorder.

International OCD Foundation - improving the lives of those affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) through education, support, and advocacy.

Kaleidoscope Society - Empowering content for women with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Made by Dyslexia - An organization that raises awareness about dyslexia and empowers individuals with dyslexia to reach their full potential.

Understood - A platform that offers information, resources, and community for parents, caregivers, and educators of children with learning and attention issues.

Books

Podcasts

Job Accommodation & Workplace Resources

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) - the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.

Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) Neurodiversity in the Workplace Learning Center - Website with information on the benefits and business case, as well as tips for inclusive job descriptions, interviewing, performance evaluations, accommodations, and more.

Managing Made Simple Podcast Episode 47: How to support your neurodivergent team members with Margaux Joffe, Co-Founder of The Great ADHD Reset Program

" Autism at Work" Cornell University Course - 2 week instructor led, online course for HR professionals.

"Talking About Mental Health as a Leader" Linkedin Learning Course by Melissa Doman, M.A.

Accessibility and Inclusive Design Resources

Disability Inclusion Speakers and Consultants
Get in touch

Andraéa LaVant - Public Speaker and CEO of LaVant Consulting, a disability-focused strategy and communications firm.

Catarina Rivera - Founder, Blindish Latina. DEI Consultant and Public Speaker.

Eddie Ndopu - South African disability rights advocate and Sustainable Development Goals advocate for the UN Secretary-General.

Finn Gardiner - Co-Director of Policy & Advocacy, Autistic People of Color Fund.

Haben Girma - Disability Rights Lawyer, Author, Speaker.

Haley Moss - Attorney, Author and Speaker on disability inclusion, autism and neurodiversity.

Inger Shaye Colzie LCSW - Therapist, Public Speaker, Corporate Coach.

Kelly Bron (ᑭᐊᓕ) Johnson (ᔭᓐᓴᓐ) -Autistic and Hard of Hearing self-advocate, keynote speaker, author, and founder of Completely Inclusive and the Autistic Entrepreneurs Network.

Lainey Feingold - Disability Rights Lawyer and Digital Accessibility Speaker.

Lydia XZ Brown - Keynote Speaker, Disability Justice Advocate, Attorney, Writer.

to learn about the speaking and consulting services I provide. I am happy to discuss your project and refer you to other experts in my network that best fit your needs such as:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Neurodiversity & ADHD Resources - Margaux Joffe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How to find a therapist and support groups. Discover curated list of books, organizations and experts that support neurodiversity, ADHD and accessibility.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Emily Ladau's site is her "little space to share [her] passion for disability rights and social justice."

# data[].attributes.body
Emily's book, "Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally" is an approachable guide to being a thoughtful, informed ally to disabled people, with actionable steps for what to say and do (and what not to do) and how you can help make the world a more accessible, inclusive place.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Available now!

Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally

An approachable guide to being a thoughtful, informed ally to disabled people, with actionable steps for what to say and do (and what not to do) and how you can help make the world a more accessible, inclusive place.

Learn more about Demystifying Disability.

Order your copy of Demystifying Disability:

Find Emily Across the Interwebs

Social

The Accessible Stall Podcast

The Accessible Stall is a disability podcast hosted by Kyle Khachadurian and Emily Ladau that keeps it real about issues within the disability community.
Check out the Accessible Stall Podcast

Sign up for Emily's email newsletter

Subscribe for monthly updates rolling straight to your inbox!

As Seen In

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Emily Ladau is a disability rights activist and author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, is the founder of Blindish Latina, has worn hearing aids from a young age, and was diagnosed with a progressive vision disorder.

# data[].attributes.body
Catarina's platform aims to smash disability stigmas through storytelling and advocacy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dynamic Disability Public Speaker + DEI Consultant | Offering Workshops + Talks on Disability Awareness, Inclusion, and Accessibility

# data[].attributes.body
A weekly roundup about disability arts and politics.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Before I jump into what this will do to expand this project, I want to stress that the weekly issues of Crip News - the core publishing process - will always be available for free. These newsletters are a collage of artists' and organizers' public work and I hope they are accessible to anyone who finds them useful.
When I dream about disability politics, culture, and artistry, I'm dreaming of a commons.
A commons belongs to all of us. Access is how we build a commons.

So it's difficult to write this post. Because I want to create a space where no one feels obligated to pony up anything to be here. Exclusive content, early access, membership tiers, advertising...none of it thrills me. NOTAFLOF is a divine process.

But I need support to sustain and expand this work.

I am amazed that I've been able to assemble these weekly issues for 15 months now. As I wrote at the 1-year mark, "the thrill of remote connection to others' work saves and energizes me." Now that I know I can do this on my own, reliably, I'm able to imagine what is possible with new forms of support.

I want to be able to pay collaborators to help me assemble the issues. You'll get fresh takes, I'll get some rest, they'll get some coin. Win-win-win.

I have story ideas. I have sources. If I can take a pause from scouring my screens for each week's issue, I'll be able to follow this stuff. And report on things that you won't find anywhere else.

With the space to dream, we can use events, partnerships, and special projects as tools for connection. I find the word "community" to be really vague, so here I mean it as something we will come to know. And I'll ask you what it might mean for you.
Your support is deeply felt. Thank you.
Do you use Crip News in your professional work? Please consider becoming a Founding Member. Expense it or write it off on your taxes. Use Crip News as a business service.
Get a group subscription
And if you don't have this relationship to a career or profession, if work hurts and bosses suck, you don't have to do a single thing. The weekly issues will always land in your inbox, free.

And finally: Want to donate to Crip News another way? You can Venmo @Kevin-Gotkin or send an email to kevin.gotkin@gmail.com for more information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Crip News is now accepting your financial support. Before I jump into what this will do to expand this project, I want to stress that the weekly issues of Crip News - the core publishing process - will always be available for free.

# data[].attributes.headline
Christian Tasso on challenging perceptions of difference

# data[].attributes.subject
Christian Tasso on challenging perceptions of difference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
It’s a cultural fight: challenging perceptions of difference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Christian Tasso uses photography to tell new stories about disability.

# data[].attributes.headline
Christian Tasso on challenging perceptions of difference

# data[].attributes.subject
Christian Tasso on challenging perceptions of difference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
It’s a cultural fight: challenging perceptions of difference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Christian Tasso uses photography to tell new stories about disability.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Are you focused on what's wrong with your students? This focus on weakness is a pervasive, powerful judgment that continues to harm students long after they leave school.

It's time for educators to hack deficit thinking, think about SEL and about strength-based teaching, and reframe teaching and learning. Nationally certified school psychologists Ready to reframe your thinking and go from what's wrong to what's strong? McClure and Reed show teachers, administrators, and support staff how to unlearn student blame and reframe thinking to focus on students' strengths. In Hacking Deficit Thinking , you'll learn how to: Read Hacking Deficit Thinking today.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"At risk." "Low." "Title I kids." If you've worked with students, you've probably heard or said these coded labels that reflect deficit thinking. It's time for educators to stop this type of judgment and hack deficit thinking.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Do boys and girls show the same signs of ADHD?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out if boys and girls show the same ADHD symptoms. An expert explains how signs of ADHD or ADD can look different in boys and girls.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
ADHD can affect how kids perform in class and how they handle schoolwork. Read on to see common age-specific behaviors teachers see in students with ADHD.

Tell us what interests you

About the author

About the author

Lexi Walters Wright is the former Community Manager at Understood. As a writer and editor, she helps parents make more informed choices for their children and for themselves.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How ADHD Impacts Learning in Different Grades

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ADHD can affect how kids perform in class and how they handle schoolwork. Read on to see common age-specific behaviors teachers see in students with ADHD. Tell us what interests you Lexi Walters Wright is the former Community Manager at Understood. As a writer and editor, she helps parents make more informed choices for their children and for themselves.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
CHADD does not endorse products, services, publications, medications, or treatments, including those advertised in any CHADD publications, webinars or podcasts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There's nothing shameful about having attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD) - or at least there shouldn't be. But in our society, people who have the disorder are somehow seen as "defective," which is clearly untrue.

Can this stigma be avoided? How can children and adults with ADHD avoid being the victims of ridicule, contempt, or discrimination? ADDitude's Carl Sherman, Ph.D., posed these and other questions to Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D., the author of The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change (#CommissionsEarned) (Oxford). Dr. Hinshaw, who chairs the psychology department at the University of California, Berkeley, has done pioneering research on ADHD and the ways it affects children and adolescents.

Why does ADHD carry a stigma?

Despite evidence to the contrary, many people still don't believe that ADHD is a bona fide medical condition. They see it as an excuse for sloppiness or laziness. The fact that ADHD symptoms appear to come and go, depending on the situation, only feeds the doubters' contempt. They say, or think, things like, "Why can't you pull it together? You're fine with certain friends - how come you can't sit down and do your homework?"

Another factor is the widespread negative feeling about the use of psychiatric drugs. In recent years, there's been a surge in the number of people taking ADHD medication. Some wonder if this increase is justified.

Finally, the fact that ADHD can undermine academic performance worsens the stigma. Our society seems to think, "If your grades are poor, you're not worth much." This is especially true if the cause of poor performance is hidden, as it is with ADHD.
[Click to Download: Your Free Guide to Debunking Annoying ADHD Myths]
What harm does ADHD stigmatization cause?

There are obvious things, like social problems and workplace discrimination. But the greatest harm often comes from self-stigmatization - that is, when people with ADHD internalize negative stereotypes.

In the course of my research, I've gotten to know hundreds of children who have ADHD, and I've heard many say things like, "I just can't make it," or "I'm just not cut out for school." The stigma has so corrupted their motivation that they've given up even trying to be successful.

The flip side of self-stigmatization is denial. You consider the stereotypes of ADHD and think, "That's not me." You want nothing to do with such a shameful identity.

People with ADHD tend to have trouble seeing themselves realistically, and the desire to avoid discrimination makes it even harder. For example, if you believe that needing medication proves there's something wrong with you, then not taking your medication "proves" there is nothing wrong with you.
[Free Webinar Replay: From Shame and Stigma to Pride and Truth: It's Time to Celebrate ADHD Differences]
Who is affected most by stigmatization?

Stigmatization can be difficult for anyone who has ADHD, but the burden falls more heavily on girls and young women. People continue to think of ADHD as an exclusively male problem. According to this stereotype, if a girl exhibits common ADHD traits, there must really be something wrong with her.

Something similar may be operating with adults. Since ADHD is commonly thought of as a childhood disorder, adults who have it, or claim to have it, come under suspicion. The thinking seems to be, "Either you made it up to compensate for the failures in your life, or there's something very wrong with you."

What should you do if you hear a hurtful comment about ADHD?

A firm, but gentle, discussion with the person making the remark goes a long way toward raising awareness.

"I have ADHD," you might say, "and it's just as real as other medical conditions." Or you might say, "I work hard, and I bet that you have no idea how demoralizing it is to hear a comment like that."

What else can people with ADHD do to counteract the effects of stereotyping?

The more aware you are of stereotyping, the easier it is to recognize when it is affecting you.

Of course, it's also important to recognize that negative feedback about oneself is occasionally valid - and valuable. If you believe that all criticism leveled at you is the result of stereotyping, you'll be less motivated to seek appropriate treatment.

Taking positive action is another way to avoid the negative effects of stereotyping. Joining others in the struggle to do away with discrimination is empowering. So, when you encounter biased, belittling portrayals of people with ADHD in the media, write a letter to the people responsible for those portrayals.

If you're not already involved with advocacy groups, like CHADD and ADDA, consider getting involved. Or contact your elected representatives to ask them to consider needed policy changes, such as parity. This means putting insurance coverage for mental health problems, like ADHD, on an equal footing with coverage for physical illnesses.

What can parents do to help protect their children with ADHD?

If you're the parent of a child with ADHD, make sure that he or she understands what that means. ADHD should never be used as an excuse, but it probably explains why your child has trouble doing certain things, and why she or he might have to work a little harder than other kids to get the same results.

Make sure your child's school understands that ADHD is a legitimate disorder - and that it may be legally obligated to provide accommodations.

How or when should you reveal a diagnosis of ADHD?

It's a dilemma. If you conceal the fact that you have ADHD, you avoid the ADHD label and the discrimination that can lead to. However, you risk a kind of indirect discrimination. People who notice you being disorganized, impulsive, or forgetful might assume that you are simply rude or lazy.

When is the right time to talk to your boss about your ADHD? When to tell a new friend? It's a judgment call, and timing is crucial. If your employer has a reputation of being good about providing accommodations, for example, you might broach the subject. Otherwise, it might be better to keep it quiet, at least until you get established in your job. Advice from a therapist or consultant can be helpful.

There's no need to tell everyone that you or a loved one has ADHD. But if you feel you shouldn't tell anyone, you're wasting energy - and reducing the likelihood that you will get treatment.

Secrecy fuels feelings of shame. Better to seek out people and places that make secrecy unnecessary, and open up.
[Read This Next: Life Is Too Short for Shame]
#CommissionsEarned
As an Amazon Associate, ADDitude earns a commission from qualifying purchases made by ADDitude readers on the affiliate links we share. However, all products linked in the ADDitude Store have been independently selected by our editors and/or recommended by our readers. Prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tired of battling other people's opinions about ADHD? Learn how adults with the condition and parents of children with ADHD can ignore the stigma, and also discover the best time to tell people about your diagnosis.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In over 30 years of clinical practice, Drs. Peg Dawson and Richard Guare have worked with thousands of children who struggle at home and in school. At the center of their struggles are weak executive skills, and through our writing and now this website, we spotlight these skills...
Learn More

Special Offer!

Take advantage of a special Offer on books from Guilford Press: Now save 20% with Promotion Code AF2E

Join our study group on executive skills!

Peg Dawson leads an informal discussion forum on executive skills throughout the school year. Sponsored by the New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists, it is open at no cost to anyone with an interest in promoting executive skill development in schools. Participants include school psychologists, teachers, speech paths and OTs, school counselors, and the occasional school administrators. If you would like to be added to the meeting notification list, please contact me.
Contact Peg Dawson

New and Featured Books

New: Second Edition

This revised second edition of this influential resource presents a refined coaching model and an expanded set of tools for helping K-12 students live up to their potential in school and beyond.
More Details

10 Steps to Help Young Adults Use Their Executive Skills to Set Goals, Make a Plan, and Successfully Leave the Nest
More Details

With insight and humor, this motivating guide shows how to bring executive functions (EF) to the forefront in K-8 classrooms.
More Details

Third Edition More Details
A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention

Announcements

View the Directory of Coaches

Online Learning Opportunities:

In-Person Learning Opportunity:
University of Southern Maine, July 27-August 2, 2023
Executive Skills: Practical Strategies for Assessment and Intervention

Recent Interviews

In this YouTube interview, Peg talks with Elliott Neff, founder of Chess4Life (https://chess4life.com), about how playing chess helps kids develop executive skills while doing something fun.
See the Interview

View this conversation with Rachel Ramsey, a middle school teacher who brings executive skills into the classroom in a number of creative ways.
See the Interview

Listen to this Learn Smarter podcast where Peg Dawson shares what led her to exploring Executive Function Skills, her framework for supporting executive skills, and the difference between foundational and advanced skills.
Listen to the Podcast

How to Utilize The Smart but Scattered Guide to Success

Read this article written by Roxanne Turner on how she uses the Smart but Scattered Guide to Success in her coaching practice.
Read the article

How to Use Executive Function Skills in the Classroom to Foster Steady Change, Either Alone or with Colleagues
View the book details Read the article

©2023 Guilford Press. All rights reserved

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Drs. Peg Dawson and Richard Guare help thousands of children who struggle at home and in school reach their potential using Executive Skills coaching.