07/08/2025
This is a personal one.
But I know I’m not the only parent who’s been through it — and I wanted to share.
Yesterday, my 19-year-old daughter was diagnosed with severe ADHD.
It’s taken a long time to get here. Years of being told I was overreacting. That I was too soft, too protective, too emotional.
But I knew something wasn’t right.
Both of my children are neurodivergent.
Ben is autistic. He masked all day at school — then came home and let it all out. Meltdowns, headbanging, overwhelm. School didn’t see it, so no one believed how bad it was. We didn’t get the help we needed for a long time.
Eventually, he got a diagnosis. And it gave him the language to make sense of who he is.
Olivia was harder to spot.
She’s sharp, funny, strong. But she’s been called lazy. Disruptive. Difficult. She’s had panic attacks. She developed a tic. She’s told me more than once that she didn’t want to be here anymore.
No one mentioned ADHD.
Not once.
Until now.
The diagnosis won’t fix everything. But it gives her something important — a way to understand herself. A reason things have felt so hard. A bit more kindness towards herself, hopefully.
I’m not posting this for sympathy.
I’m posting it for the parents who just know something’s going on with their child, even when no one else can see it. Even when people tell you you’re imagining it.
You’re not.
And you’re not alone.
If you’ve ever walked through the doors at Kidzplay with a child who’s already had a big morning, who doesn’t want to take their shoes off, who needs to move or hide or cry — I get it.
We’re not a specialist setting. But as a mum who’s lived it, I want you to know you’re welcome here. No judgement. No eye-rolling. Just space to be.
💛 Lisa
Founder of Kidzplay — and mum to two brilliant, neurodivergent young adults