During ADHD Awareness Month a group of staff members came together to step into the ADHD Experience. Whilst it’s not possible to fully experience ADHD within a workshop we were able to see just a little of what it could be like with some activities as well as stories from the host.
Robert Ward, Parent Carer Worker, was eager to share ADHD from every angle as a professional, as a parent carer, and as someone with Autism and ADHD himself. Robert explains, “I’ve experienced both incredible support and moments where it’s been misunderstood. So, this session was about helping colleagues connect with that reality, not through theory, but through empathy and shared experience.
“I wanted to remind everyone that small changes, patience, curiosity, flexibility, can really have the biggest impact, and that as a team, we already do so many of those things naturally. This session is about building on that and helping us all keep growing together.”
‘Stepping Into the ADHD Experience’ was born out of both lived experience and professional reflection. Creating something that didn’t just talk about ADHD, but allowing people to feel what it can be like, the distraction, the overwhelm, the humour, the constant effort to stay on track. So much of the conversation around ADHD focuses on challenges, but this session brought balance, showing the creativity, energy, and empathy that so often come with ADHD, while also highlighting how exhausting it can be to live in a world that doesn’t always accommodate it.
The session saw us split into 3 groups where we had to complete tasks, each task was to represent the different types of ADHD – Impulsivity, Hyperactivity and Combined. The rules of each task made you consciously think about movement, distractions, bouncing thoughts whilst always trying to complete the task. We had 10 minutes to complete these tasks in our groups, the room was noisy, people were moving about, there were rules to follow, there were distractions. This only lasted 10 minutes, what if that was all day, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep?
Just taking part in the tasks for 10 minutes, it was clear how it changed people’s perspectives of ADHD. Achieving exactly what Robert was after, giving every person in that room the empathy to turn round and say ‘I believe you when you explain this’ and they can truly mean it. Each one of us were attending the session with different experiences, whether being someone who does or may support a parent carer, diagnosed or undiagnosed but waiting an assessment, or being a parent carer ourselves. For all of us it presented something new to think about, made us feel heard or offered a different way of seeing others.
One member of staff said that they wished they had had this experience when they were teaching as it would’ve been so helpful. Another said that after being on the ADHD Assessment waiting list for 3 years they felt heard and “it was comforting to know that others are beginning to understand how my brain works and will gain a better understanding over time”.
With Robert’s rich lived experience, he was able to share some clever and catchy sentences which stood out, like “Connection NOT Perfection,” “Curiosity NOT Criticism.”
A member of the HR Team explained, “the session was a very honest and open, Robert shared his own experiences with humour and compassion for others. The interactive nature of the session gave me an insight into how those with ADHD try to function in the world.”
A Young Carer Adviser who attended the session said, “Rather than looking at stats, what is ND etc, it was great to look at it in a different way, by trying to understand and experiencing how a ND person may feel. I think this training helps with being able to empathise rather than judge. This training would be great rolled out to staff in all schools!”
From the feedback received it is clear Robert achieved his goal of ensuring colleagues could connect with others who have ADHD with more empathy, patience and curiosity. As an organisation we try to offer regular staff training to give colleagues an insight into conditions, services and safeguarding, making Suffolk Family Carers an organisation that truly understands the people we are supporting and can give them a voice.
