26/10/2025
October is ADHD awareness month.
It’s a condition with many sides and many different presentations - no 2 people with ADHD are the same. It comes with a range of differing struggles and plenty of strengths too.
We all have extensive professional experience of ADHD here at CAT and many of the team have lived experience too.
Although dogs are not diagnosed as ADHD we are pretty certain some of the spaniels would meet the criteria too 😃.
We are proud to be neurodivergent affirming and we help young people accept themselves and advocate for their needs to be met.
Research shows that the average child with ADHD receives
20 000 more negative comments than a child without! Shocking! So important we build up the self esteem of these young people.
So what actually is ADHD?
ADHD is not just a tick box - it goes far beyond the typical hyperactive/ inattentive symptoms that are known about.
Neurodivergent people have many more symptoms than the diagnostic tools allow for.
Often this can be internalised and hidden including…
Auditory processing difficulties
Sensory issues
Sleep difficulties
Rejection Sensitivity to perceived criticism
Imposter syndrome
Not feeling good enough
Needing activities to have a purpose
Overwhelm
Intense emotions
Difficulty identifying and regulating emotions
Oppositional behaviours
Why we work well with neurodivergent children and young people:
Acceptance
No pressure
Interest led sessions
Playful and relaxed environment
Patience
Positive relationships
Working alongside parents
Non clinical setting
Sensory needs accommodated
Photocredits: 1 - Neurodivergent_insights 2:unknown 3: unknown 4: Chris Bonnello.
