Learn
ADHD Academy
Clearly labelled: what's established, what's emerging, and what's lived experience.
- Foundations · 4 min
What ADHD is — and isn't
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention regulation, activity levels and impulse control. It isn't laziness, a lack of intelligence or a parenting failure.
Clinically establishedDraft - Executive function · 5 min
Executive function, explained
Executive functions are the brain's management skills — planning, starting, switching, remembering what you were doing. ADHD often makes these harder.
Clinically establishedDraft - Time · 4 min
Time blindness
'Time blindness' is a popular, experience-based term for difficulty sensing time passing and estimating how long things take.
Emerging researchDraft - Task initiation · 4 min
Starting is the hard bit
Procrastination in ADHD often isn't about not caring. Starting a task can feel like pushing against a wall, especially if it's boring, vague or emotionally loaded.
Lived experienceDraft - Emotions · 5 min
Big feelings, fast
Many adults with ADHD describe emotions arriving quickly and intensely. Emotional dysregulation is increasingly recognised as common in ADHD, though it isn't a core diagnostic criterion.
Emerging researchDraft - Wellbeing · 4 min
ADHD burnout
'ADHD burnout' describes exhaustion from long periods of compensating and masking. It's an experience-based term, not a standalone diagnosis.
Lived experienceDraft - Diagnosis & treatment · 5 min
Assessment in the UK
In the UK, adult ADHD is diagnosed by a specialist (usually a psychiatrist) after a detailed assessment. Your GP is normally the starting point.
Clinically establishedDraft - Strengths · 3 min
Strengths and differences
Many people with ADHD describe strengths like creativity, energy and thinking on their feet. These are individual — not guaranteed 'superpowers'.
Lived experienceDraft - Emotions · 4 min
When rejection hits hard
Many people with ADHD describe intense, fast emotional pain when they sense criticism or rejection. It's a widely shared experience, though not a formal diagnosis.
Emerging researchDraft - Body & health · 4 min
ADHD and sleep
Sleep problems are common with ADHD — trouble switching off, a later body clock, and 'revenge bedtime' scrolling. Small, steady changes help more than big overhauls.
Clinically establishedDraft - Everyday life · 4 min
Money and impulse spending
Impulsivity, forgotten bills and subscription creep can make money stressful. Systems that remove decisions work better than willpower.
Lived experienceDraft - Work & study · 5 min
Work and reasonable adjustments
In the UK, ADHD can count as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, which means employers may need to make reasonable adjustments.
Clinically establishedDraft - Treatment · 4 min
Medication: the basics
Medication is one option for ADHD in UK guidance, alongside support and adjustments. Decisions are made with a specialist — this lesson is general information only.
Clinically establishedDraft