LOCAL SEND campaigner Rachael Harper has launched a new podcast which is about raising awareness of ADHD.
Rachael, from Orford, who has been living and diagnosed with ADHD for 25 years, said:” I’m very excited about it because social justice is incredibly important to me, which is one of the reasons I started the No to Central Six campaign in Warrington last year.
“It’s still incredibly frustrating to see so many misconceptions of it in the mainstream media, especially because it never usually involves the people who are most affected by the condition. The lack of accessible accurate information usually results in a lot of people misunderstanding what ADHD is and this in turn can affect the way people with ADHD are treated, and their access to support. A lot of people think ADHD is just a very active child bouncing around a classroom, but in reality, it’s so much more.
“That’s why two years ago I started a weekly blog called ‘ADHD and Me’ Within it, I’ve covered a variety of topics around ADHD, from education to politics, and the battles we face on a daily basis. My blog has since received hundreds and thousands of visitors from around the world, so launching a podcast seemed like a natural progression.”
Rachael added: “The podcast is called ‘The ADHD and Me podcast’ and it’s aim is to spread awareness of what it’s like to live with ADHD by the people who are most affected by it. My guests will include people with ADHD, their parents, their spouses, their friends, and the experts who work with ADHD. Every episode will cover a different topic around ADHD in just twenty minutes and will be released monthly.
“In the very first episode, which is out now, titled ‘Journey to Diagnosis’ I talk to three individuals about the challenges they faced in getting a diagnosis and how its shaped their life. I just want people to understand that ADHD isn’t this made-up condition to explain away difficult behaviour in children, like some people think it is, it’s a real condition diagnosed by a doctor that affects normal everyday brain function. If you don’t believe me, maybe you should listen to the very real and very difficult experiences of the guests appearing on my podcast.”
The ADHD and Me podcast can be accessed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or you can also find it through my blog at adhdandme.org
