Foreword
This booklet focuses on exploring what is ADHD and how this might affect you in your life.
The pack has been put together by staff at the Devon Adult Autism and ADHD service (DAANA). We have tried to bring together all the most important and up-to-date information for you. However, we know that this is a developing area and we are always pleased to receive new information and your suggestions and ideas for improving the pack. If you would like to pass on any comments or suggestions, please contact:
Devon Adult Autism and ADHD Service Forde House (second floor) Park Five Harrier Way Exeter EX2 7HU Telephone: 01392 674 250 Email: dpt.ADHD@nhs.net Opening hours Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Updated February 2026
Neuroaffirmative Language
Medical texts often define the criteria for ADHD diagnoses, using clinical terms such as ‘disorder’. Many people feel this is inaccurate and offensive and prefer to describe their experiences in their own words.
Everyone has their own preference for how they want their ADHD to be recognised.
We have adopted the most widely used and accepted terms for the purpose of this resource:
ADHD:
ADHDer / person with ADHD
Autism:
Autistic / autistic person
ADHD and Autism:
AuDHDer / person with AuDHD
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Contents
What is ADHD?
Page 4
Impact of ADHD
Page 5
Neurodivergence
Page 6-7
The Bio-Psycho-Social Model
Page 8
Myth busting
Page 9
Strengths
Page 10
Famous people
Page 11-12
References
Page 13
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What is ADHD?
ADHD stands for A ttention D eficit H yperactivity D isorder. The research suggests that perhaps up to 5% of individuals will have ADHD.
ADHD is a highly heritable condition- immediate relatives of a child diagnosed with ADHD are 4-5 times more likely to have the condition than the general population.
What is Attention? Attention refers to how well you are able to concentrate/ focus . This could be concentrating on a task you are doing at university, work or home, another person, a hobby etc. There are different forms of attention, you might have difficulties in some areas and strengths in others. ADHD is not an inability of attention, as the name might suggest. You might notice you can focus intensely on something you enjoy. Rather, ADHD is linked more to a difficulty and differences with sustaining and focusing attention. What is Hyperactivity? Hyperactivity refers to being over-active or restless . This may mean you move around a lot, fiddle with things or have constant racing thoughts. ADD means Attention Deficit Disorder. This means that you are experiencing the same difficulties as someone who has ADHD but without the hyperactivity. Hyperactivity can change how it presents, as you get older. From being very fidgety, unable to sit still as a child to this becoming more internalised and you may notice racing thoughts or needing to be fidgeting with something.
Difficulties with Attention and Concentration
Impulsivity/Restlessness
ADHD
Poor Organisation and Planning
Forgetfulness/Memory Difficulties
These are the four main/core areas that are assessed in an ADHD assessment and the main areas individuals report difficulties in. That isn’t to say there are other difficulties you might be experiencing with your ADHD.
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Impact of ADHD What we know about ADHD, especially prior to it being diagnosed, is that it can contribute to difficulties spanning across areas of your life. You might notice difficulties in the following areas:
Work
Education
Relationships
Leisure activities
Chores
Well-being
Self-esteem
Mental health
Mood
Receiving a diagnosis can be the first step to understanding yourself better, understanding the experiences you have had but also finding new ways to manage and new strategies to try. There is no “cure” for ADHD, it is not something that you grow out of (a third of individuals report symptoms reducing as they enter adulthood, 1-2 thirds report difficulties persisting and/or worsening). ADHD is described as a neurodevelopmental condition, it occurs due to the way in which the brain has developed while in the womb. It is a lifelong condition. There are tremendous strengths and “super-powers” associated with ADHD but for some it can feel like a burden and a negative attribute. We have written a booklet, “receiving a diagnosis in adulthood”, if you have been diagnosed in adulthood this is definitely worth a read to help guide you through digesting the news.
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Neurodivergence
What is Neurodivergence?
It is a concept that came about in the 1990’s as a way of stepping away from deficits and impairments and looking at differences. It has created a shift in language, one to where we are accepting that we are all diverse. Every one of us has a brain that is unique to us, there are not two brains alike. These differences are completely natural variations that develop from conception. Some people’s brains simply work in a different way. For over a million people in the UK these differences can be diagnosed as a neurodevelopmental condition. Please see below:
This diagram shows nicely, how the different neurodevelopmental diagnoses can interact and overlap with one another.
Prevalence
Within the UK there is estimated to be between 2-5% (averaging 3%) of adults with ADHD. Not all of these individuals will be diagnosed. That means around 2 million adults are suspected to have ADHD in the UK.
3% with ADHD
Population without ADHD
We know the presentation of ADHD can vary significantly in girls compared to boys. We have historically seen more boys diagnosed with ADHD however the discrepancy is slowly changing as more females are being diagnosed now. The ratio is roughly 3:1, boys/males being diagnosed to girls/females.
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What this means for us:
In Devon (minus Plymouth) this looks like - roughly 33,000 people will meet the criteria to be diagnosed with ADHD. When broken down, that would be roughly 11,000 females and 22,000 males.
Research has shown that if you have been diagnosed with one neurodevelopmental condition, you have a higher probability of being diagnosed or having traits of another.
Research has found: • Roughly 22% of those with ADHD will also meet the criteria for a diagnosis of Autism. • One in two people with ADHD will also meet the diagnostic criteria for dyspraxia and Dyslexia. • With Tic disorders, it has been found around 12% of adults with ADHD will also have a tic disorder. • Nine in ten individuals with Tourette’s will have ADHD.
There are three subtypes of ADHD, you would have been diagnosed with one of the following:
➢ The inattentive subtype- this accounts for 20- 30% of cases ➢ The hyperactive subtype- accounts for around 15% of cases ➢ The combined subtype- accounts for 50-75% of cases.
Inattentive subtype
Combined subtype
Hyperactive subtype
Inattentive subtype Hyperactive subtype
Combined subtype
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Bio-Psycho-Social model As we understand it, ADHD does not change, it is a relatively stable lifelong condition. It is not something you can expect to grow out of. The majority of individuals will report their ADHD symptoms persisting into adulthood. What can change is the way people manage their symptoms especially around different life events.
The diagram below shows how your biology, your psychology and/or your social factors can influence how you feel able to manage your symptoms.
Gender
• • • • •
Age
Hormones
Pain
Physical health Disability
Biology
•
Social
Psychological
Behaviour Personality
• • • • • •
Education Housing Finances
• • • • • •
Attitude/beliefs Coping skills
Opportunities Social support
Self esteem
Emotions
Family backgrounds
ADHD is not described as being mild, moderate or severe, however you might find yourself referring to your ADHD as one of those. If you have developed strategies to manage aspects of your ADHD then it might feel as though your ADHD is “mild”. When individuals talk about having “severe” ADHD it is most probably linked to not feeling able to manage the day to day difficulties and expectations due to having few or no strategies. The strategies you have will be directly impacted by everything listed above in the diagram.
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Myth Busting There are a number of myths around ADHD that you might have read or heard of before receiving your diagnosis. Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation on social media and this can have severe consequences for people who read it as it can change how you view yourself and your diagnosis.
Myth 1: ADHD is over diagnosed.
As stated in an earlier section, ADHD is thought to be present in up to 5% of the adult population and up to 8% in the child and adolescent population. We can estimate that just over 2 million adults in the UK will have ADHD and just over 1 million children and adolescents will have ADHD. From the data, dated 2021, there is an estimated 120,000 formally diagnosed adults in the UK. This is significantly below the expected number of individuals with ADHD.
It is important to note that not all who have ADHD will require a diagnosis, if ADHD is not impacting on their lives then it might not be recognisable to the person.
Myth 2: Only children have ADHD.
ADHD is a lifelong condition. Children diagnosed with ADHD will become adults with ADHD. It isn’t something you grow out of, rather it is something you learn to accommodate and live with. Hence the need for strategies to thrive.
Myth 3: ADHD is caused by a lack of discipline as a child.
While we know ADHD can affect how children behave it is not caused by a lack of discipline or parenting style. While parenting isn’t the reason that a child will have ADHD, it can be part of the solution. By assisting the child through their difficulties, helping develop and learn strategies that help, can be the difference between a child managing or not. Myth 4: ADHD can’t exist if you’re fine one minute and then struggling the next. It is important to remember that symptoms and difficulties will fluctuate. Being able to complete a task quickly one day might not be repeated again on a different day. People with ADHD often report using a significant amount of energy trying to keep themselves focused and on track which can be exhausting. Myth 5: ADHD is just an excuse for laziness We hear people refer to themselves as “lazy” often, especially if they have heard others calling them this, they begin to believe it. ADHD is not about being “lazy”. Individuals with ADHD will exert as much effort into their activities as those without ADHD. The difference is how they approach, plan and execute the activity. It might take longer to process, plan and complete the task. There are different obstacles to manage such as being distracted, preventing procrastination and focusing attention.
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Strengths There are so many strengths associated with ADHD. It might not always be possible to see these, especially if you have heard a lot of negative comments. It is important to try and have a balanced view yourself. Some see their strengths as superpowers. These are some of the strengths the people who have used our service have identified within themselves.
Can you notice any of these within yourself?
Energetic
Compassionate
Resourceful
Honest
Friendly
Spontaneous
Great in a crisis
Resilient
Creative
Curious
Lives in the moment
Sporty
Extrovert
Hyperfocus
Adventurous
Think outside the box
Problem solving
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Famous people
It can be so easy to focus on the difficulties and the negatives; what’s not going well and what might never be easy for you. It is worth remembering that ADHD does not discriminate, there will be diagnosable individuals from all ethnicities, races, religions; rich and poor, famous or not.
There are extremely successful, innovative, outside the box thinkers with ADHD, some that you might not be aware of:
Michael Phelps- USA Olympic swimmer
Justin Timberlake- musician/actor/ producer
Dave Grohl - Musician
Jamie Oliver - TV personality/chef
James Haskell- England rugby player
Lewis Hamiton- Formula 1 driver
Simone Biles - most decorated American gymnast
Mel B - Spice Girl
Michelle Rodriguez - American actor
Solange Knowles - Singer/actor, sister to Beyonce
Lily Allen- Musician/ podcaster
Nicola Adams- 2 time Olympic gold medallist Boxer
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Some more well-known individuals with an ADHD diagnosis:
Jim Carey
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Adam Levine Paris Hilton
Zooey Deschanel Richard Branson Rory Bremner Emma Watson
Will.i.am
Channing Tatum
Rhod Gilbert
Shaparak Khorsandi
YungBlud
Sheridan Smith
But we also come across people who are successful lawyers, teachers, entrepreneurs, medics, you name it, we've met people who have ADHD and they have a passion. ADHD is in all walks of life. Find your niche, your passion and thrive!
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References
Heritability: Faraone et al., 2000
•
• Patient Info UK for information about ADHD myths: https://patient.info/
• Statista website for population data: https://www.statista.com/statistics/281208/population-of-the-england-by-age-group/
• NICE ADHD statistics: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity- disorder/background-information/prevalence/
• ADHD and Autism: https://www.autistica.org.uk/what-is-autism/adhd-and-autism
• ADHD and comorbidities: https://aadduk.org/symptoms-diagnosis- treatment/comorbidities/
• ADHD UK website: https://adhduk.co.uk/famous-people-with-adhd/
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