Origins: ADHD Awareness Month
If you haven’t heard, October is ADHD Awareness Month.
Pete and I were discussing this on a recent episode of Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast, and Pete asked the question, “who invented ADHD Awareness Month??” At the time, I didn’t know the answer, so we dropped the topic, but I was still curious—who did create ADHD Awareness Month?
Later, I hopped on my favorite internet search engine and started researching the origins of this important month. The results of my search were unexpected and fascinating!
In the beginning…
Before there was ADHD Awareness Month, we had Learning Disabilities (LD) Awareness Month.
LD Month was first introduced in Congress by George E. Brown Jr. in 1985. Once passed, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation declaring October to be Learning Disabilities Month. Check out this great passage from President Reagan’s address:
Awareness of learning disabilities is one of the most important advances in education in recent years. As more and more Americans become aware, our citizens with learning disabilities will have even greater opportunity to lead full and productive lives and to make a contribution to our society.
I think we can all agree that more awareness will increase opportunities.
Fast forward…
Learning Disabilities Awareness Month would be the standard for almost 20 years after that first proclamation—until 2004.
In 2004, ADHD organizations like CHADD, ACO, and ADDitude Magazine pushed for a day of the year specifically recognizing those people who have ADHD.
Click here to see the original letter from the Senate establishing ADHD Awareness Day
I was unable to find an exact date on when ADHD Awareness grew from a single day a year to a whole month, but many sources say it has grown since 2004 through a collaboration of many different ADHD-focused organizations.
Today…
In a previous year, the theme of ADHD Awareness Month was Understanding a Shared Experience.
I really like this theme. It wholly encompasses one of the core values of TCA that I try to share with my clients and the ADHD community—You are not alone. Of course, it can feel like you’re the only one experiencing the highs and lows of ADHD. This is why I feel it is so important to get connected with a community of other ADHDers who truly understand where you’re coming from.
You can start by visiting the official ADHD Awareness website to learn more, get connected, and participate in some of the fun events and contests going on this month.
Thank you for joining me on this short journey through the history of ADHD Awareness Month. I would encourage you to click the links to the various sources and resources in this post. The information I shared here is only a small portion of what I learned, and it was really interesting!
I hope you will continue to observe ADHD Awareness this month and continue to spread the word and increase awareness about this misunderstood condition.
Thank you for your time and attention,
-Nikki
