Person-First: Meet Ashleigh

Hoggarth describes that the main issue she has with the DSM criteria for ADHD, is that impulsivity is only looked at in terms of being verbally impulsive, but in adult women, it is often things like binge eating, impulsive spending and making impulsive decisions when it comes to their relationships and career.

Fechney says that when her partner suggested she might also have ADHD she thought it was ‘strange as she wasn’t one of those hyperactive little kids.’

She stresses the importance of more knowledge and acceptance of ADHD, and says,

“I think it’s really important that people know that it’s not just some hyperactive kid running around and that there’s no reason to be ashamed about it.”

But, though it is now understood that ADHD is not for only hyperactive children- the modern DSM now acknowledges three subtypes in its criteria.

These are categorised by the symptoms of ADHD that are most prominent. Primarily Inattentive, Primarily Hyperactive/Impulsive and Combined (someone with ADHD experiences a mix of inattentive and hyperactive symptoms.) 

It’s important to acknowledge that though the hyperactive subtype of ADHD is thought to be the least common, it is still an experience that some kids(and adults) have and they still need help and support just like people with the inattentive and combined subtypes do.

 Raeleen Wickham worked as a teacher aide in primary school for about 12 years before recently retiring.

Teacher Aides work closely with students with behavioural or learning difficulties providing individual assistance so they can succeed in their education.

Wickham has worked with many children over the years and says that it is an experience she will treasure forever.

She said every child is unique and when given the time and right support they are able to succeed.

During her time as a teacher aide, she worked with many students who have ADHD but mostly hyperactive boys.

She says, many of the kids struggled with the excessive noise in a classroom environment and she found that they worked better in small groups.

Wickham helped the students develop a routine and she would spend time talking to the children about school trips before they happened so they would know what to expect.

“If a child knows what to expect then they are usually able to behave. But, if you throw a child with ADHD into the deep end it overloads their brain.”

She recalls working with one little boy who struggled more with Inattentive symptoms and says that the modern “open plan” classroom does not work well for a lot of children,

“In my opinion, the open plan classrooms are not suitable for kids with ADHD as the excessive noise and having too many people in a group can overwhelm them.”

Fechney has the primarily inattentive subtype of ADHD and says her experience of ADHD has always been lots of anxiety and energy in her head, which can be great when she’s engaged;

“When I’m engaged, it’s awesome. I can focus, learn and comprehend really big things in a short amount of time. When I’m not engaged it just turns into anxiety and insomnia and it's really difficult to manage.”

She has always struggled with procrastination, but for the most part, she is able to work around it,

“As much as procrastination has always been an issue, I know myself. I might do no work for hours, then do 16 hours of work and wait eight hours... it kind of swings in roundabouts.”

In terms of strengths, Fechney says,

“I’m able to comprehend big issues really quickly. I was one of the first people talking about the wage subsidy and how it impacts employers.”

But she wants to be clear that just because ADHD can come with strengths it is still a disability, “My Disability is my ability, and my disability is also disabling.”

In terms of Fechney’s work she often works with clients who have ADHD.

A survey cited in an ADDitude Magazine article shows that a whopping 60 percent of respondents had lost or changed a job, and they believed it was because of ADHD.

Fechney says that if an employee discloses to their employer they have ADHD, they needed to be provided with appropriate accommodations especially in regards to employment plans.

She recalls a case study where a lady on an employment plan disclosed to her employer she had ADHD. “The employer went about the process like she was any other employee. But, the court found that they couldn’t actually do that and they had to provide her with what she needed.”

Many of Fechney’s clients will come to her when they are in a situation similar to this and she will advocate for them trying to find out if there is an EAP (Employment Assistance Programme) career coach that specialises in ADHD they could work with.

She says a lot of times in these situations, there is a lack of communication or a miscommunication, and it can be like they are speaking two different languages.

“The employee doesn’t know how to talk to their employer about what they need, and the employer is not seeing results or getting what they need.”

Many employees are afraid of discrimination when disclosing their diagnosis, but Fechney tells them to talk about what they need rather than what they have, as this can sometimes help.

But she also says due to a lack of resources when it comes to education and support for ADHD, many people don’t know what they need,

“People don’t know what to ask for, they don’t know what they need. They really struggle with finding that out and then communicating it in a way that doesn’t come across as demanding to the employer.”

And employers may not understand why disability accommodations are important,

“People will often look at accommodations like they’re a benefit, but they are not. They are there to level the playing field so everyone is equal.”

In terms of workplace accommodations, Fechney suggests starting small and working up.

“It starts really simple with things like noise-cancelling headphones, being able to listen to music while you work, or even just having a quiet area.”

Professionals like Fechney, Hoggarth and Wickham all agree that progress has been made in terms of education and acceptance of ADHD in our society but there is still a long way to go.

If you suspect you might have ADHD, Hoggarth urges you to seek out diagnosis and treatment,

“Try what you can to be diagnosed and treated. Stimulant medication can change people’s lives. They work for 80% of people and can help with around 70% of your symptoms. It’s worth it to get to that point even though it’s hard to get an assessment and pay for it.”

For more information the following resources may be beneficial…

Adult ADHD- This page is about the treatment provided by Hoggarth but has a wide-range of suggested resources you can go to for more information and help(many of this is free)

 ADHD & Employment- Fechney has written this blog post for ADHD NZ if you want more information about employment and ADHD

 ADHD NZ Website

 CHADD(Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

ADDitudemag

ADHD NZ Professionals

WHO ADHD test - Good start point for a conversation with your GP

Workbridge