ADHD at School – The Silent Struggles

Bright but “inattentive.”
Enthusiastic but “disruptive.”
Creative, curious — and yet constantly misunderstood.

Children with ADHD often fall through the cracks of a system designed for conformity, not neurodiversity. They may forget homework, mishear instructions, or misread social cues — not out of laziness or defiance, but because their brains process the world differently.

And the consequences?
Children with ADHD are three times more likely to be excluded from school.

Exclusion doesn’t just end at the school gates. It’s often the start of a much darker road.
In the UK, a staggering 25% of the prison population is estimated to have ADHD.

When misunderstood and unsupported, ADHD doesn’t simply “go away.” It escalates — often turning frustration into behavioural issues, and alienation into isolation. A misunderstood child can too easily become a criminalised adult.

This isn’t a failure of children. It’s a failure of the system.

As Dr. Ross Greene put it: “Kids do well if they can. If they can’t, we need to figure out why — so we can help.”

What if we stopped forcing children with ADHD to adapt to a system never designed for them — and started reshaping that system to support every learner?

We must do better. The stakes are far too high.

(Image shared on X by Tom Bennett)