ADHD Inside Out

“Best Professional Development I’ve been to as a teacher in 16 years. I love how you have ADHD yourself, so you offer insights from the ‘inside scoop’.” - S. A.

"Hello Dan,

I am probably one of many who has thanked you for the powerful impact you have made, advocating for a better world for those diagnosed with ADHD.

I am a family physician and I have been to two of your talks when you ventured to Alberta pre-COVID. Once in High River, and again in Lethbridge.

I feel that we in primary care medicine have the capacity to do better - educate better, validate better, support better. ADHD is so common, but the understanding of what it truly means, and its fundamental impact on children, adults, and mental health in general is often so woefully unexplored, and in that context - underserviced.

Personally, I have learned more about ADHD from your talks than from my entire medical education. Isn’t that wild? I suppose my years in medical practice have provided me with the context to more fully appreciate and apply what I learned from your presentations, compared to when I was taught about ADHD as a young inexperienced med student. 
Nevertheless, your stories about the "sticky tabs falling off", about the association between "ODD" and the ADHD child who did try so hard to "be good" but ultimately couldn't because it's impossible for a circle to fit into a square, have taken permanent residence in my brain.

Today I wanted to send you this note of thanks. I have had multiple encounters these past few weeks spanning from a young mom who I just formally diagnosed, to a 10-year-old boy who I diagnosed and initiated ADHD treatments on 8 months ago. The father of this boy wept as he shared how his son has transformed in front of him for the better. His crippling anxiety is ebbing away, he no longer needs to sleep in his parent's bed at night, he actively WANTS to be involved in sports, schoolwork is actually getting done...

During these encounters, I quoted you, drew terrible versions of your graphs, shared your stories about emotional regulation. And they were riveted. Listening to me as if I "knew", but my knowledge came from you, who truly did know/have the lived experience.

Anyways, there's nothing more satisfying to me than being able to meaningfully help someone in a world that's so messed up. You have helped arm me in this. And I will forever be grateful."

Thanks again.

Kind regards,

(Dr.) JoAnna Fay