ADHD Partners

Here at ADHD Partners, we are very disappointed with the way Monday night’s ABC Four Corners covered the “ADHD Boom” 📺.

If you missed it, please don’t feel you need to seek it out to stay informed. If you did see it, you might understandably be angry or confused. There were more points that deserved correction than we have time or energy to address.

Fortunately, the Australasian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA) has now published a detailed response that corrects a number of claims made in the program, especially around Australia’s ADHD Clinical Practice Guideline and the ADHD Prescribing Guide 📃.

🔎 Key clarifications from AADPA include:

✅ The Australian ADHD Guideline was developed over two years using a rigorous, evidence‑informed process and has been formally approved by the NHMRC — the peak body for health and medical research in Australia ⚕️

✅ The recommendations are built using the internationally recognised GRADE framework, bringing together research evidence, clinical expertise and lived experience 🧠

✅ Pharmaceutical companies did not fund or influence the development of the Guideline or the Prescribing Guides 💊🚫

✅ The $24,500 figure mentioned in the program was not paid to AADPA; public records show it went to a separate organisation ⛔

✅ All conflicts of interest were declared and managed in line with strict NHMRC processes, including exclusion from decision‑making where relevant ⚖️

This matters, because confidence in high‑quality, evidence‑based ADHD care is crucial — for clinicians, for people with ADHD, and for the partners, family members and supporters who stand alongside them 🧡.

When media coverage is inaccurate, it can fuel stigma, discourage people from seeking assessment or treatment, and leave those already diagnosed feeling doubted rather than understood.

For anyone wanting clear, factual information about how the Guideline and Prescribing Guides were developed and funded, you can read AADPA’s full response here:
https://aadpa.com.au/setting-the-record-straight-australian-adhd-guideline/



By Catherine O’Kane
Principal ADHD Coach and Consultant, ADHD Partners

Setting the Record Straight on Australia’s ADHD Guideline How Australia’s ADHD Guideline and Prescribing Guides were developed, independently validated by NHMRC, and protected from industry influence through transparent, evidence?based processes.

Over the last few days the ABC has described adult ADHD in Australia as “skyrocketing”, a “boom”, and “out of control”, concentrated in “hotspots”, with “deserts” where almost nobody is diagnosed (Swan, Donaldson, Greenbank, & Ting, 2026; ABC News, 2026). These phrases are classic agenda‑setting word choices aimed at framing ADHD growth as a problem in itself, rather than what ADHD in Australia actually is: a historically under-recognised neurodevelopmental condition with substantial unmet need.

The article supporting the Four Corners episode presents 2.5–3% as the “actual” adult ADHD prevalence and treats areas above that line as suspect (Swan et al., 2026). Yet the World Federation of ADHD international consensus statement and Australian guidelines estimate 3–5% of adults and 6–8% of children meet diagnostic criteria, and emphasise that these figures are likely conservative because women, gender‑diverse and culturally diverse communities have historically been under‑represented in ADHD research (Australian ADHD Professionals Association, 2022; Faraone et al., 2021). When you put those numbers alongside the ABC’s own analysis – showing that only 2.36% of adults filled at least one PBS ADHD prescription in 2024–25 – the narrative of an “epidemic of over‑diagnosis” becomes very hard to sustain (Swan et al., 2026).

We should talk about problems in how ADHD is being assessed. Four Corners’ reporting includes stories of telehealth services that rely heavily on questionnaires and ultra‑brief appointments, and quotes experts who are clear that you cannot safely diagnose ADHD in a 30‑minute consult (Swan, 2025; Swan et al., 2026). Many in the ADHD community share these concerns. But when headlines lean on words like “explosion”, “out of control” and “cosmetic psychopharmacology”, the issues we should be discussing are lost. Research suggests this kind of coverage actually serves to increase stigma, fuel doubts about the legitimacy of ADHD, and discourages people from seeking care (Bernhard et al., 2013; Faraone et al., 2021; Mueller et al., 2012).

For people who already live with ADHD – and who have often waited years to be taken seriously – that has real‑world consequences: second‑guessing their own diagnosis, hesitating to ask for workplace adjustments, or being treated with suspicion when they present to health services. For families in so‑called “ADHD deserts”, sensational coverage risks normalising the idea that low diagnosis and prescribing rates are somehow safer or more virtuous, when they may actually reflect structural barriers and disadvantage (Australian ADHD Professionals Association, 2022; Swan et al., 2026).

We need journalism that is as careful with language as it is with numbers: willing to expose poor‑quality practice and commercial exploitation, but equally committed to reflecting current evidence on prevalence, impairment and treatment. In this series of articles, the ABC has, in my view, failed to uphold a basic journalistic responsibility to minimise harm to an already‑stigmatised community. Australians deserve a higher standard from our national broadcaster.

References
ABC News. (2026, April 19). Is ADHD overdiagnosed in affluent Australian areas? [Video]. ABC News.

Australian ADHD Professionals Association. (2022). Australian evidence-based clinical practice guideline for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Australian ADHD Professionals Association.

Bernhard, B., Stephan, A., & Christine, M. (2013). Online news media portrayal of ADHD: A systematic review of content and effects. Journal of Attention Disorders, 17( 8 ), 1–10.

Faraone, S. V., Banaschewski, T., Coghill, D., Zheng, Y., Biederman, J., Bellgrove, M. A., Newcorn, J. H., et al. (2021). The World Federation of ADHD international consensus statement: 208 evidence‑based conclusions about the disorder. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 128, 789–818.

Mueller, A. K., Fuermaier, A. B. M., Koerts, J., & Tucha, L. (2012). Stigma in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 4(3), 101–114.

Swan, N. (Host). (2025, July 19). Are we diagnosing the right people with ADHD? [Audio podcast episode]. In Health Report. ABC Radio National.

Swan, N., Donaldson, A., Greenbank, A., & Ting, I. (2026, April 20). ADHD rates in adults are skyrocketing — but by how much depends where you live. ABC News / Four Corners.

🧠 Research Opportunity: Puberty, Emotions, and ADHD in Girls

Researchers at Deakin University are exploring how puberty relates to emotions in female adolescents with and without ADHD. This study has been co-developed with members of the ADHD community to ensure it reflects real experiences and insights.

If you are the parent or guardian of a female adolescent aged 12–17, with or without ADHD, you are invited to take part. (“Female” here refers to s*x recorded at birth, though participants may identify with a different gender.)

Participation involves both you and your child completing a short, 10–15 minute online survey.

🔗 Find out more or check your eligibility here:
https://researchsurveys.deakin.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_3CSyAwepqtcjAPk

📧 For questions or assistance, please contact Emily Friedel, PhD Candidate, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University: [email protected]

Thank you for supporting research that helps deepen our understanding of how puberty and emotions connect with ADHD. Community involvement makes studies like this possible!

At ADHD Partners, we see every day how can intersect with complex health conditions like , hypermobility, MCAS, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, and we support our clients to navigate this kind of layered, neurodivergent health picture with compassion and practical strategies.

Many in our community live at the crossroads of ADHD, other forms of neurodivergence and POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) – and it can be hard to untangle what’s “brain fog”, what’s attention, and what’s dysautonomia. When you add pain, fatigue, dizziness and sensory overload into the mix, work and study can become even more challenging to sustain.

That’s why we’re excited to share this free upcoming webinar from the Australian POTS Foundation:

🧠 Making Work and School Work with POTS: Practical Supports from an OT Perspective

🗓️ Tuesday 31 March, 6:30pm–7:30pm AEDT

📍 Online event

🎟️ Cost: Free (registration required)

Senior Occupational Therapist Melanie Weeks will be sharing practical, real‑world ideas to help make work and education more sustainable for people living with POTS, including adjustments and strategies that can ease participation and reduce symptom load.

👉 Register here:

Making Work and School Work with POTS: Practical Supports from an OT perspective Join OT Melanie Weeks in a discussion around workplace and school modifications to assist people living with POTS.

UPCOMING, FREE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR

We have some exciting news to share! Our Principal ADHD Coach and Consultant will be delivering an in-person professional development session about ADHD for the Bayside/Chelsea Mental Health Professionals’ Network (MHPN) on Wednesday 18 February 2026.

The session is called "From “Tricky Client” to ADHD Awareness: A Multidisciplinary Approach" - It will cover how to identify clients who may be living with undiagnosed ADHD, and what to do then!

We’ll be looking at how ADHD can show up in less obvious, often‑missed ways, how it intersects with trauma and other conditions, and how a neurodiversity‑affirming approach can positively change the way practitioners understand and support ADHDers across the lifespan.

I’ll be talking about practical things like red flags for undiagnosed ADHD, how to screen for possible ADHD, how to support seeking an assessment, and where to find evidence‑informed resources to share with clients.

Catherine's aim is to help more professionals spot ADHD earlier, reduce shame and stigma, and build safer, more validating therapeutic spaces for ADHDers.

If you or someone you know may like to come along, please share these details:

📅 Date: Wednesday 18 February 2026
⏰ Time: 6-8pm
💻 Format: In person - please register via MNPN website for venue details
💰 Cost: Free
🔗 Registration link: https://mhpn.org.au/members/ #/Meeting/27263

If you’re a GP, psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, counsellor, OT, nurse, or other health professional – or you know someone who is – and you’d like to deepen your understanding of ADHD in a neurodiversity‑affirming way, I’d love for you (or them) to join us.

Big news for our ADHD community in Victoria!!

The Victorian Government has announced funding to train GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD in adults and children. This has the potential to reduce long waitlists, lower assessment costs and make support more accessible for many people and families.

As ADHD life coaches and consultants, we welcome these changes and the recognition that ADHD is both common and important to identify.

At the same time, it’s worth remembering that GPs often have very limited time, even in extended appointments. That can make it hard to cover the ‘human side’ of a diagnosis: unpacking what ADHD means for your life, relationships and work, processing the grief that often comes with a later‑life diagnosis, and exploring non‑medication strategies alongside any medical treatment.

This is where coaching, psychoeducation and peer support can play a powerful complementary role. At ADHD Partners we work with clients to:

➡️ Understand their ADHD profile and distinguish what ADHD and ‘what is me?’

➡️ Process the emotions (including relief, grief and anger) that can follow a diagnosis

➡️ Explore the risks and benefits of different ADHD medication options in plain language, so they can ask informed questions of their prescribers

➡️ Develop practical strategies for home, work, study and relationships

➡️ Prepare for GP, psychiatrist or psychologist appointments so they can advocate for their needs

If you’re newly diagnosed, currently seeking an assessment, or supporting someone with ADHD and you’d like help making sense of all this, you’re welcome to get in touch. Coaching is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric care, but it can be a valuable part of a holistic support team alongside your GP and other professionals.

If you’d like to know how ADHD coaching could support you through diagnosis, treatment decisions and day‑to‑day life with ADHD, you can find out more and book a complimentary 15 minute quick chat with one of our coaches at

ADHD Partners: Experienced ADHD Coaches in Melbourne & Perth, AU. ADHD Partners provides online & in-person ADHD coaching, consulting services & resources, for persons with diagnosed or suspected ADHD. Melbourne, Perth, AU & Online.

🚨Many people in our ADHD and broader neurodivergent community are also living with undiagnosed Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS), often only finding out after years of pain, fatigue and injuries.

🧡 Sharing this here in case it helps someone recognise their own experience sooner and get the support and care their body has needed all along.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1buqHZuq3V/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Hypermobility is just the tip of the iceberg. 🧊

There is a huge difference between being "bendy" and having Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. As this graphic shows, it impacts everything from our gut to our sleep.

📸 Visuals & Original Post by: .e

She nailed this breakdown. Go give her a follow for more EDS insight!

A point well made: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17moVG71Tv/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Spoiler! They didn’t ‘get it’ midlife everyone has missed diagnosing it since childhood!! Read on. ADHD and perimenopause can have a significant and often under-recognised relationship which often unmasks pre existing. ADHD. We need to spread this message. 🧠ADHD in Women Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in women is frequently underdiagnosed or diagnosed later in life, often because their symptoms can be more inattentive than hyperactive. Common symptoms include: • Difficulty focusing or staying organised • Emotional dysregulation • Mental restlessness • Impulsivity • Forgetfulness Women often mask symptoms well, which can lead to years of coping before diagnosis albeit it’s exhausting. 🧠What Happens During Perimenopause: Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause (typically starting in the 40s), marked by fluctuating hormone levels—especially estrogen and progesterone. These fluctuations can cause: • Mood swings • Poor sleep • Brain fog • Memory lapses • Reduced stress tolerance 🧠The ADHD + Perimenopause Overlap: For women with ADHD, perimenopause can feel like their symptoms suddenly worsen or become unmanageable. This is largely due to hormonal changes, particularly drops in oestrogen, which has a key role in: ✅Modulating dopamine (a neurotransmitter central to ADHD) ✅Supporting attention, memory, and mood As oestrogen levels dip: • Dopamine activity can fall • ADHD symptoms (especially executive dysfunction, emotional regulation, and attention) can intensify. Oestrogen also supports other chemical messengers in the brain like serotonin and melatonin so as it drops so do they. Some women are first diagnosed with ADHD during perimenopause because what they once managed now feels overwhelming. I like to call this ‘unravelling’ as this is what a patient who started this inquisition for me called it. We learn from our patients if we listen to them. #adhdisreal #nhs #generalpractitioner #adhdawareness #neuroscience #perimenopausehealth #perimenopause #adhdwomen #hrt #menopause #womenshealth #womenshealthmatters #gptraining #gptrainee

🚨 Victoria is falling behind on ADHD care.

While GPs in WA, NSW, and the ACT can *diagnose and prescribe* for ADHD, Victorians are still facing long waits and limited access to care. This petition calls on the government to train up to 1,000 Victorian GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD — making timely, local support a reality for children and adults alike.

If you believe in equitable healthcare and want to see meaningful change for ADHD access in Victoria, please sign and share this petition 👇
🔗 https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/petitions/train-gps-to-diagnose-and-treat-adhd

Train GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD - Petitions - Parliament of Victoria The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council announcements made in Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales that general practitioners (GPs) are allowed to diagnose and prescribe medication for attention de...

Many families living with complex, poorly understood illnesses are not just fighting their symptoms – they are fighting to be believed.

“Complicated” is a new documentary about young people who are branded as “difficult” or “fabricating problems”, and whose parents are accused of medical child abuse when they seek help.

The trailer shows how hospital and child protection systems can misinterpret complex disability as exaggeration or abuse, leading to children being separated from their families, life‑saving care delayed, and long‑term trauma for everyone involved.

These patterns will be painfully familiar to many people with Ehlers–Danlos syndromes and related conditions in Australia, where symptoms are similarly often dismissed as “all in your head”, “anxiety” or “overprotective/abusive parenting”.

I’m posting this on our ADHD Partners page because recently we have become more aware of the overlap between ADHD and hypermobile spectrum disorders, and we started asking our clients about their co-occuring conditions as part of our wholistic approach. About 50-60% of our ADHD Partners clients are hypermobile and at least 10% have symptoms consistent with EDS (although less than half are diagnosed when we first ask).

For those in the ADHD, autism and hypermobility/EDS communities, the film speaks to a wider problem: when medicine struggles to make sense of complex presentations. Neurodivergent and medically complex people are at increased risk of disbelief, misdiagnosis and even punitive responses instead of support. I have personally experienced this and I witness/support others in our community experiencing this.

The stories in “Complicated” echo what many EDS patients here in Australia describe – having to fight to be heard, to access appropriate care, and to keep families together. I have met Australain parents this has happened to. Raising awareness about EDS is just as important in Australia as it is in the USA.

If this resonates with you or someone you care about, please watch and share this post to help raise awareness and push for safer, more compassionate healthcare systems in Australia and beyond:

Complicated (Official Trailer) Young people with a complex, mysterious illness and their parents are branded as "complicated" and torn apart due to false allegations of medical child abuse...