It’s estimated that about 280,000 New Zealanders and 20,000 Kiwi students live with ADHD. It stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and is characterised by difficulty staying focused, impulsive behaviour, and challenges in regulating emotions. Our understanding of ADHD has grown in recent years. Yet, much more can be done to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and support New Zealanders with Aroreretini, the reo Māori for ADHD, with a literal translation meaning ‘attention goes to many things’.
Of those presumed to have ADHD, four out of five New Zealanders are undiagnosed. Receiving an ADHD diagnosis often means validation, reasons for current and past difficulties, increased access to resources and support, and personal growth. For many children and adults, their ADHD will long go undiagnosed; for some, this might be the case forever. New Zealand wait times for ADHD diagnoses are notoriously lengthy. Cases where people give up on a diagnosis entirely because of the long wait or the costs associated are all too common. The cost of an ADHD diagnosis in New Zealand can range from $1,000 to $4,000.
Other issues people seeking an ADHD diagnosis face include doctors not taking them seriously nor listening to them or receiving a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, or another mental health condition that is deemed more important than an ADHD diagnosis. A doctor might tell someone taking antidepressants that they already have the coping mechanisms needed to manage their ADHD and that a formal diagnosis is unnecessary.
As a result, there are no accurate details of how many New Zealanders have ADHD. Data comes from international research put into a New Zealand context. From this, it’s estimated that 2.4 to 3% of those under 18 will have ADHD.
Debunking ADHD Myths
It might seem that ADHD is on the rise. Darrin Bull, chair of ADHD New Zealand, says that the reality is that ADHD is just as prevalent as it always has been. “What has happened is the stigma has reduced, empowering those with ADHD and neurodivergence to seek more help. We think there are about 240,000 to 280,000 New Zealanders with ADHD.” Of them, 60,000 need medication. Darrin notes that not everyone with ADHD needs help.
Another myth is that the rise of social media and screen time has increased the prevalence of ADHD. Darrin adds that those with ADHD are more likely to be distracted generally, including by their phone. “I would add, though, that the rise of social media and excessive screen time has a significant impact everywhere. As an aside, those with ADHD often have social anxiety. Social media provides a real opportunity to connect socially as well.”
“Our understanding of ADHD has improved significantly,” Darrin says. ADHD describes the unique structure of your brain. It’s now clearly understood that the prefrontal cortex in the ADHD brain matures at a slower rate, generally by a rate of about three years in developing rangatahi. The
frontal lobe is responsible for attention, behaviour, emotions, energy, judgement, and executive functioning. As ADHD brains have to work much harder to control aspects that come naturally to others, children can be very fatigued by the end of the school day.
ADHD has three primary types. The predominantly inattentive presentation (formerly ADD) is marked by difficulty sustaining attention, forgetfulness, disorganisation, and being easily distracted, and is most often seen in women and girls. The predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation involves excessive fidgeting, talking, interrupting, and difficulty with impulse control and is most commonly associated with males and boys. The combined presentation includes symptoms of both and has a more varied and noticeable impact.
Darrin says that as women and girls are more likely to be diagnosed with a predominantly inattentive presentation, they are often not diagnosed in the school system, instead getting to their adult years before they realise potential ADHD. “There are significant barriers to getting diagnosed in New Zealand,” he says. “Males with Type 2 ADHD (a predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation) are more obvious and get picked up earlier.” Many people hold the longstanding myth that only boys have ADHD, perpetuated because hyperactive boys typify the condition. As girls with ADHD are typically less disruptive and impulsive than boys with ADHD and might mask their difficulties more, they are not as easily identified.
Creating a Classroom Environment That Supports ADHD
Whether it’s creating a predictable environment or developing self-regulation, there are many ways educators can support students with ADHD. Underlying all of these strategies is Darrin’s important reminder that “someone with ADHD has no less intelligence than those without, which means with the right focus, love and understanding, anyone can be successful”.
Educators can curate their daily schedules with students with ADHD in mind. Clear expectations and well-explained instructions leave the ball in the student’s court. Preparing students for transitions also helps them to adjust, such as a warning that in five minutes, we will switch to a new activity. Similarly, large assignments can be overwhelming, so breaking them down into smaller steps makes them more achievable.
Managing classroom behaviour can be a tough balance for educators. Accommodating students with ADHD with movement breaks and alternative seating options can help improve the focus of those students but disrupt the classroom as a whole. With this in mind, creating a supportive peer environment matters. Students should respect and embrace their differences. Further, recognising and celebrating the unique strengths of students with ADHD boosts self-esteem and engagement.
Darrin says that ADHD comes with hyper-focus. If a student is really focused on a subject or task, they should be able to be really successful,” he says. ADHD is often labelled as a ‘superpower’ or a ‘gift’, which might come from a well-meaning place, but these terms can be rather harmful. Using them can invalidate the challenges people with ADHD face and create unrealistic expectations. To avoid being potentially dismissive and patronising, it’s more helpful to recognise both the strengths and difficulties of ADHD and promote it without oversimplifying the condition.
Another way to support students with ADHD is multi-sensory learning. Hands-on and interactive activities are more engaging and impactful, as can be movement-based learning for holding student attention. Timers and apps like Google Keep can be useful, but building self-regulation in students is an important lesson. Teach students strategies to recognise when they’re feeling overwhelmed and
encourage goal-setting and regular communication. ADHD New Zealand offers learning modules for teachers and students on their website.
“ADHD NZ is small and works on a one-to-many model,” Darrin says. “This means we provide information and courses at a group level. Indeed, we have a wide range of courses and partnerships for parents and school teachers. (check out www.adhd.org.nz). We can also facilitate a partner to present to a school (but for a fee).”