For many years, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been misunderstood in schools. Too often, children and young people with ADHD were labelled as disruptive, lazy, or poorly behaved. But our modern understanding tells a very different story. ADHD is not about a child choosing to misbehave—it is about differences in how the brain regulates attention, emotions, and executive functions.

As teachers, we are in a powerful position to shift the narrative. Instead of seeing ADHD through the lens of ‘naughty’ behaviour, we can see it as a matter of understanding and support. By reframing our approach, we create classrooms where students with ADHD feel valued, capable, and motivated to learn.

 “ADHD clearly appears to be a problem of willpower failure, but it is actually a problem with the interacting dynamics of emotion, working memory, and the chemistry of the brain.”  Thomas E. Brown

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