# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Young people explain autism | Ambitious about Autism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal Act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
AUTISM | 3Cs for an autistic friendly environment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mental Health of Neurodivergent Learners - New

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lily Farrington's Amazing Developmental Language Disorder Animation

# data[].attributes.headline
Creating dyslexia friendly learning resources

# data[].attributes.subject
Creating dyslexia friendly learning resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Page not found - British Dyslexia Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The British Dyslexia Association is the voice for the 10% of the population that are dyslexic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Awtistiaeth Cymru | Autism Wales | National Neurodivergence Team

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Marjorie Thomas - Supporting Learners With Dyslexia - Awtistiaeth Cymru | Autism Wales | National Neurodivergence Team

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To watch the recording in full screen, click the button in the video player. Downloads Presentation Slides Download PDF

# data[].attributes.headline
PODCAST neurodiversity & preparing for exams

# data[].attributes.subject
PODCAST neurodiversity & preparing for exams

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
CANDDID, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) and the ADHD Foundation have produced a series of informational videos 'Understanding and Managing ADHD' our topics include: Watch the videos using the drop down menus below:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
CANDDID, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) and the ADHD Foundation have produced a series of informational videos 'Understanding and Managing ADHD' our topics include: Watch the videos using the drop down menus below:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Introduction to PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ten Facts About Tourette's - ADHD Foundation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1 out of 100 school aged children have diagnosable TS. As with other neurological conditions, TS is more prevalent in boys. TS is a disability protected under the Equalities Act 2010. "A physical or mental impairment that has a regular, 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities".

# data[].attributes.headline
Helping learners to achieve their potential

# data[].attributes.subject
Helping learners to achieve their potential

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
1. What are Tics? (Dr. Seonaid Anderson)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The first in a series of explanatory videos about Tourette's Syndrome, presented by Dr Seonaid Anderson of Neuro-Diverse.org.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
51. Dr Seonaid Anderson in conversation with Lisa Rudge – Talking about tics and Tourette’s

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lisa Rudge from the ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity and Dr Seonaid Anderson from Neuro-Diverse came together to discuss Tourette's Syndrome, as part of TS Awareness Month (15th May-15th June).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Prof Amanda Kirby CEO of Do-It Profiler, GP & Chair of the ADHD Foundation

I am very interested in this topic, as I have a number of family members with diagnoses of ADHD. Despite having a number of ADHD traits myself this was not considered as a child at all. I was fidgety, a doodler, but not disruptive. I was chatty, enthusiastic, and impulsively volunteered to help with everything. I was anxious and a ruminator and had a 'busy brain' that often ended up trying lots of different hobbies because I was curious but gave them up if they bored me. I also seemed to work much harder than others to achieve what others seemed to do with less effort. As a student, I put in endless hours when others were 'playing'. I look back and think now was that about inefficiency, or uncertainty about being good enough? I have always had 'imposter syndrome' and never really believing I was good enough even when I won awards from others... I always thought it was not for me! I never thought that I had ADHD.... till in my 60s... despite diagnosing and recognizing it in others.
Adults talk about feelings of 'inner restlessness', and I find this is very real for me. I find it very hard to do one thing only. If I am listening to a lecture, I need to make notes or doodle at the same time. If I am watching TV, I often do something else at the same time like being on my laptop writing something while listening to it in the background. The thought of sitting still doing only one thing is hard for me. I think this is why I prefer to be lecturing as I am the one doing something and can move around.

As the chair of the ADHD Foundation, I feel passionate about raising awareness of ADHD and neurodiversity in all sectors of society but especially in females as so many girls have been completely missed in childhood. Many of us are emerging now at different stages of our lives, and some are looking back and thinking how much easier could it have been if I had known....
What is it all about?
The term neurodiversity recognizes diverse and varying brains and it is becoming associated with both positive traits and characteristics associated in some people with Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder/condition (ASD/C), Developmental Coordination Disorder/Dyspraxia, and Developmental Language Disorder as well as specific challenges that some people may have.

Increasing awareness of neurodiversity means there are females self-diagnosing one or more conditions in adulthood. But there are many girls and females who still haven't had their support needs recognized and continue to have challenges in day-to-day life. For some arriving at adulthood, it can mean having years of constant feelings of anxiety and for many being or having been depressed. Cycles of burnout, with challenges with sleep, may have been their norm. Their diagnosis was missed altogether or considered as something else.

Past challenges can result in difficulties progressing in education and socially. It can include a sense of never quite fitting in. I have had many females feel both relieved and at the same time angry at gaining a diagnosis in adulthood. Some are frustrated at not achieving what they see now as their potential. Sadly, some end up with lower-level qualifications despite having wasted talents. Even sadder are some females who end up in the justice system have been both misunderstood and misdiagnosed.

Estimates for childhood ADHD range between 3% and 7%. The pathway to adulthood does not appear to be different in males or females with ADHD. A recent review has shown that about 80% of children continue to experience challenges that can impact on day to day functioning. Importantly, research on gender differences in ADHD increasingly suggests that girls may be consistently under-identified and underdiagnosed.

This has mostly been explained by some differences in the way challenges and strengths are present in females compared to males. Females (in general) with ADHD have been reported to have fewer hyperactive/impulsive symptoms and more inattentive symptoms when compared with males with ADHD. They are less likely to be disruptive and so fade somewhat into the background and so not necessarily noticed as being a 'nuisance' to others.

If they are disruptive then this may be associated with other factors in their life and ADHD not even considered.

Lack of knowledge by teachers and health professionals about the presentation in females means they can be missed altogether till adulthood. Sciutto, Nolfi, and Bluhm(2004) found that teachers more often refer more boys than girls for treatment for ADHD, even when showing equal levels of impairment.
Overshadowing
A major contributing factor to late or missed diagnoses of ADHD in females appears to be the presence of coexisting symptoms that often cloud or overshadow the diagnostic picture. As many as 75% of children with ADHD are likely to have at least one other mental health condition. In general, boys with ADHD have been found to have more externalizing disorders (noticed by others) than while females tend to show more internalizing disorders( not seen always by others) in comparison to girls without ADHD. Low mood, emotional lability, and anxiety may be especially common in females with ADHD. Substance misuse may be problematic for some people with ADHD. This often means other conditions are diagnosed before ADHD is considered.

Females who get diagnosed with ADHD generally have to be more symptomatic than their male counterparts. This means they need to have a greater impact on day-to-day life before being recognized or considered as potentially having ADHD. Often females get diagnosed because someone else in their family has a diagnosis of ADHD such as their child.
Some ADHD signs and the impacts for females
(Note: not everyone has everything and this list is not exhaustive. Some of these signs may be associated with other conditions too - this is why it is helpful to be professionally diagnosed).

1. Starting something and not finishing it and then feeling bad because of this

2. Working much harder to achieve because not sure of how hard you need to work ... burn out cycles

3. Chatty, enthusiastic, overly engaged ( and then not!)

4. Losing your day drifting off down a rabbit hole of interest- seen sometimes as 'daydreaming'.

5. Distracted by other people's conversations around you and drifting off when talking to someone - unless the topic is of high interest and then fully engaged.

6. Impulsive ( enthusiastic) decision making - saying yes before saying no and then regretting it because of too many yes's

7. Not being able to sit still/stay quiet for long/fidgety/toe-tapping/doodling/hair twirling

8. Sleep disturbance, busy brain, and rumination and feelings of disappointment when it hasn't gone right ( again). Feeling anxious.

9. Losing possessions even though you are sure you put them in one place, disorganised.

10. Loads of information/knowledge... but a brain that has an inconsistent filing system

11. Poorer concepts of time passing

12. Other people's perceptions of you - thinking that you are less capable than you really are or overly direct or rude because of interrupting ( I often find it hard to stay quiet for long!).

13. Compensating to camouflage by working even harder to cover up mistakes /driving anxiety and obsessional actions to do so- putting the pressure on yourself

14. Prevarication ends up with you doing the things you like doing and avoiding the tedious things we still all have to do as much as possible even though we know they often won't take us long in reality.

15. The impact for females may result in having greater social problems in school and it may result in having been more vulnerable to bullying, including physical and social-relational bullying, and cyberbullying.

16. Like males, there is an increased school dropout, academic under-achievement, and more accidents with females. Not surprisingly there is an impact on self-esteem and self-concept.

Living with ADHD
The challenge for many females who have not been diagnosed is they may have learned a whole range of ( not always positive) compensatory strategies such as using alcohol or cannabis to slow them down. Social interaction may be achieved with higher-risk activities. Coping strategies may be less overtly noticed, such as avoiding specific events, settings, or people, not facing up to problems, spending too much time online, or not seeking out help when needed.

Women with ADHD may experience challenges in the workplace, such as disorganization, inattention, difficulty accepting constructive criticism and appraisal, and difficulties managing interpersonal relationships with colleagues. Working longer hours ( but often hidden from others) to complete tasks because of time management/focus challenges can also be exhausting. Cycles of burnout may also be more common but may not be recognized or seen as something else.

We start to see increasing numbers of highly skilled females with ADHD talking about what it is like for them. Some of them are entrepreneurs using their vision of pulling things together, commitment, and passion to be successful.

It will be interesting to understand more the factors at play that resulted in being more resilient and successful and what differentiates these females so we can help all with ADHD to be their personal best.
We have a lot to learn! What's your experience if you are a female with ADHD?
Thanks also to this amazing review of the literature ( link below) and all those who contributed to the body of work and especially Suzie Young.

Reference: Young, S., Adamo, N., Ásgeirsdóttir, B.B. et al. Females with ADHD: An expert consensus statement taking a lifespan approach providing guidance for the identification and treatment of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder in girls and women. BMC Psychiatry 20, 404 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02707-9

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why talk about females and ADHD? - ADHD Foundation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I am very interested in this topic, as I have a number of family members with diagnoses of ADHD. Despite having a number of ADHD traits myself this was not considered as a child at all. I was fidgety, a doodler, but not disruptive. I was chatty, enthusiastic, and impulsively volunteered to help with everything.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dr Jo Steer - Understanding ADHD in Girls & Women

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Disinhibition in Tourette’s Syndrome - ADHD Foundation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
by Lisa Rudge, Director of Parent Services Tourette’s Syndrome is a complex neurological condition, characterised by involuntary movements and vocalisations called tics, however the condition involves much more than tics alone. Many of those with Tourette’s Syndrome (TS), may sometimes act or behave in a certain way that may go against what we deem socially acceptable. […]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - CYP Website

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Selective Mutism training for all ages - Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - CYP Website

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This webinar is for parents/carers and education staff who want to learn more about the best ways to support a child or young person who is unable to speak in […]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10b Ensuring an anxiety-free environment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Our Key Principles When Supporting Autistic People

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Summary:1. Autism Acceptance In many spaces and places autism is seen as a negative thing. But Spectrum Gaming proves that autism is not a 'disorder' or a 'burden', it is simply a difference. Just like every other brain type, the autistic brain has its negatives and its positives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Autistic burnout is like a phone that has run out of battery. Even if you need to make a phone call, you are no longer able to. You have no energy left and can become quite stuck.​Burnout happens when: * Your tasks/ expectations in the day exceed the resources you have to deal with them (i.e.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How and why autism affects our senses: Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, Hearing, Balance, Body Awareness, Internal Senses, Alexithymia, Stimming

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It is quite normal for people to compare themselves to others, especially when they are growing up. Humans are social animals, so we seek connection with other people.

Autistic brains work differently to non-autistic brains and we have different ways of communicating and expressing ourselves. Non-autistic people can find it a bit surprising if someone acts in ways that they're not used to. Sometimes, they might laugh at us, or point out these differences. Autistic young people are unfortunately more likely to be bullied because of this.

We may be taught that, in order to 'fit in' we must hide who we are and pretend to be like the people around us. To do that, a lot of autistic people can become very good at observing and imitating those around us. This is called 'masking'. The more unsafe we feel, the more we are likely to mask. If our attempts keep failing, we may withdraw from social situations altogether.

Sometimes autistic people aren't aware and mimic others subconsciously. We may also hide our feelings and pretend we're fine when we aren't. Most autistic people who mask aren't aware that not everyone does this - they think everyone is pretending as part of the social rules. Many of us will have been doing it from a very young age, so it can become almost automatic - but it is not natural for us.

Masking involves us closely observing others; translating their words, tone, mannerisms and body language into something we understand; considering how we want to respond and then finally translating that into something we think they are most likely to respond well to. We might not realise it, but this takes a huge amount of energy and concentration. If we're having a more stressful day, or something has gone wrong, we can find it much harder to mask and might find ourselves reacting to situations in ways that feel more natural to us. If we've been working really hard to 'fit in' and then the mask slips, we are often very hard on ourselves. "Why can't I just be normal?" We can start to feel quite down on ourselves and this can be hard to recover from.

Masking can keep us safe, certainly in the short term. But many people who mask will eventually reach a point where the effort causes burnout and masking is no longer possible.

Masking also stops genuine connection with others because others only get to know the mask and not the real person underneath.

Some people may choose to mask in certain situations, where connection isn't important but safety is. And some may not realise that masking is what's preventing them from creating genuine connections, and not understand that masking is preventing them from forming deeper friendships.

Many autistic people go through a process of " unmasking" once they have received their diagnosis. They recognise that masking a lot is actually quite harmful, and being around people who accept them as they are, without the need to mask, is the best way forward.

Writing led by Matthew Harrison, autistic adult and staff neurodiversity representative at The University of Manchester

What masking feels like for me

I definitely feel a lot better and I can be myself at home. I really can't be myself when I am not at home, I just can't it's hard.

Teachers don't know how I feel, no, no I don't think so.

Masking is when you hide how you feel, when you try to hide yourself.

I don't think masking is a good thing, but when I have tried to tell teachers how I feel one has just laughed and said you need to line up over there. When I looked sad a lot of people said hi to me to try to make me happy, I pretend to be happy and say hi back, but all the attention makes it bad.

If people speak to me when I am out I can't say what I want to say, I wish I could.

People would be surprised if they knew what I wanted to say, but also I would get scared if they knew.

If my friends knew how I felt, I worry they wouldn't be my friend because I'm trying to hide my feelings, this happened once.

If I could say what I wanted I would say to people who don't believe me and think I am OK, it would be, I am not well, I may not be physically ill but I am mentally ill.

The worst I have ever felt was going into school and being forced onto the stage in front of strangers for Harvest Festival, I was really scared, they gave me lines and I was forced to read it in front of them, I was really scared but I tried my best, I felt really embarrassed I don't know how badly I stuttered. Afterwards I had to serve food to other classes and then to strangers and give them soup, it was so loud, I had to eat soup but I hate soup. I tried to act happy so I wouldn't get attention, because teachers and friends would ask me a lot of questions which would make everything a lot worse, I don't like being asked questions.

Things are now getting better, but not completely, I can you know, I can share my feelings with some people and my parents.

What's changed, definitely not going back to school anymore, it was just really loud there. I would tell parents, if your child is really bad and can't manage at school move to home education because I find it a lot easier to talk to my parents than teachers. Being at home is giving me a chance to have some practice and I am managing to be myself and talk to people outside of the house.

I hope this helps other children in school who are struggling.

Written by C, age 9

Facade

This drawing is called Façade and it represents masking. Me and many other autistic people feel like we need to camouflage to fit in with our surroundings, just like the leaf insect, but it's important for us to know that we're incredible just the way we are. We are the colour and difference that the world needs.

By Hannah, autistic young person

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
WHile masking can help autistic people feel safe, it will eventually lead to the point where the effort can cause burnout and masking isno longer possible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Can Schools Better Support Neurodivergent Young People.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
Video: supporting neurodiversity in the classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
Video: supporting neurodiversity in the classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Catrina Lowri - Supporting Neurodiversity in the classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ERROR: The request could not be satisfied

# data[].attributes.headline
e-learning course: An introduction to the new additional learning needs system in Wales

# data[].attributes.subject
e-learning course: An introduction to the new additional learning needs system in Wales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
HWB.GOV.WALES uses cookies which are essential for the site to work. Non-essential cookies are also used to tailor and improve services. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal Act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Deaf children’s rights at School | Wales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The law protects deaf children’s right to be supported in school and not be discriminated against.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you work with blind and partially sighted students we have resources and information to support you. We can provide training and guidance to help you support children with visual impairments and older learners with sight loss.

We're here for you

If you have a question about living with sight loss we're here to offer support.

Call 0303 123 9999

"Alexa, call RNIB Helpline" on Alexa-enabled devices

Living with sight loss

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you work with blind and partially sighted students we have resources, guidance and training, to help you support children with visual impairments and older learners with sight loss.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities - Microsoft Support

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how to create PowerPoint presentations that are more accessible to people with disabilities, or who are using assistive technologies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Ways to support Autistic Students through Exams - Reachout ASC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Download here 5 ways to support exams It's that time of year again. Emma and I have been spending some of last sessions with our autistic Y11 students, supporting them and their teachers through these next few weeks as the GCSE exams loom. We thought it may be a good time share some of the wisdom [...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal Act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Deaf children’s rights at School | Wales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The law protects deaf children’s right to be supported in school and not be discriminated against.