Don’t take the wrong message from ADHD headlines

BBC’s Panorama documentary about private ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) clinics caused some controversy in recent weeks by looking at the issue of whether ADHD was over- or mis-diagnosed, prompting a storm of debate in the press and on social media.  

For some, it reinforced the misguided narrative that ADHD has become a kind of fad, or worse, a ‘con’ pushed by commercial interests. For many others, it sent the message that their diagnoses of ADHD were seen as invalid or ‘wrong’, because they obtained them during a mass ‘rush’ of diagnoses. Both viewpoints are in the context of a recent rise in people seeking diagnosis for ADHD, a trend acknowledged in the programme.     

But what many missed was that the Panorama documentary did not seek to question the ‘reality’ of ADHD. On the contrary, the programme noted that ADHD was a real condition that many people experience, and indeed that people with ADHD needed high-quality assessment and support. Its real focus was on ADHD assessments the investigators felt were not properly conducted – that is, they were too short, and missed out proper medical checks or diagnostic procedures. For the documentary’s producers, it was a question of whether due care was being paid to those people needing support with symptoms of ADHD. 

And, notably, the message wasn’t simply that ADHD was being over-diagnosed. In fact, there is no consensus on ‘over-diagnosis’ – some argue the opposite is true, that ADHD is under-diagnosed and many are left marginalised by a lack of support or adjustments, as well as stigma and misconceptions about the condition.  

The challenge for organisations is to look beyond the debates about diagnosis and medical interventions and instead focus on practical steps to support customers and employees who have ADHD.   

It comes back to barriers 

Ultimately, our approach to ADHD, like any condition, should focus on barriers.  The question organisations, particularly employers, should ask is what barriers an individual faces because of a disability or condition. This should be less a question of formal diagnosis than an assessment of individual needs and what appropriate adjustments can be made to meet them.  

These adjustments need to be tailored to individuals, and the questions should always be what barriers exist and how these can be removed. Organisations, as a general rule, should not question someone’s stated disability or condition or assume knowledge – especially based on news headlines. Aside from the legal risks, taking this kind of approach is likely to result in poor experiences for customers and employees alike. Far more useful is listening to customers and employees and seeking to identify barriers and adjustments to create good, barrier-free customer journeys and an inclusive, productive work environment where all employees thrive.  

On that note, we should also be very cautious in approaching claims that ‘everyone’ has features of ADHD – as with any condition, the importance is in the effect these features have on life, school and work, and whether they present barriers.  

Panorama raised some interesting points about the medical diagnosis of ADHD. But ultimately these are questions for specialists and regulators to consider. The fact remains that many of your customers, colleagues, and employees will experience barriers either because of ADHD or the symptoms of ADHD. And it’s very much within our gift to remove those barriers whether there’s a diagnosis or not. 

For specific information on supporting customers and employees with conditions such as ADHD, see our Neurodiversity Toolkit. This includes a section on Adjustments.