By Melissa Meehan
There is so much stigma and confusion around ADHD across the country with little information available to change that.
Endeavour Hills mum Jo Muir hung up her corporate cap to build an ADHD community and hasn’t looked back.
Her son Austin was diagnosed with ADHD years ago.
It was no real surprise, as she felt like she had been judge for his behaviour life.
But she found little support for parents and carers. There was so much for the kids who were diagnosed, but nothing for mums or dads.
“I realised I needed to help people what ADHD actually was, and provide a safe space for those with close connections to someone with a diagnosis,” she said.
So Ms Muir decided to become an ADHD coach – despite the course not being available in Australia – overseas.
She’s now embracing her role as an ADHD coach, consultant, educator and supporter to the many thousands of people touched by ADHD worldwide.
“My focus is to work on being a change maker in the world of neurodiversity. I’m determined to make an impact,” Ms Muir told Kids Today.
She started a social media page on Instagram @our_adhd_journey and it soon grew to over 36,000 followers.
“I’ve created a collective online and everyone is so supportive on that, and I also plan to have a place where others can sit down and actually not feel alone – that is the big bit that is missing,” she said.
“I’m not claiming to solve problems, I just want to create awareness and say, out loud, that this gig is hard and you are not alone.”
Ms Muir says she tries to make the posts relatable and simple, but also create awareness too.
And she always refers people to a medical professional.
“As I am sure you are aware. ADHD is a buzzword at the moment but is also a very serious condition that one in ten children will be diagnosed with. Not to mention many adults who are being diagnosed later in life,” she said.
Find Jo’s page at @our_adhd_journey
((fact box pls))
WHAT IS ADHD?
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) affects about one in twenty Australians, that’s about 1 million people, but is frequently misunderstood and under-diagnosed.
Key features are inattention, distractibility, hyperactivity and impulsivity, and it may also be linked to other co-ocurring mental health conditions.
Untreated ADHD can cause lifetime impairment; however there are effective ways of managing ADHD.
ADHD is diagnosed using criteria outlined in the ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition’ (DSM-5) by the American Psychiatric Association.
To be diagnosed with ADHD the symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity:
*need to be excessive for the developmental age of the individual
*need to be present before the age of 12
*must have persisted for longer than 6 months
*must contribute to impairment across multiple settings i.e. home, school, childcare, work, etc.
ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder is an outdated term that was once used to describe the inattentive form of ADHD.
ADHD is now considered to be the correct name of the disorder irrespective of a person’s predominant traits.
