In the last few years ADHD has increasingly come under the spotlight as there is greater awareness of neurodiversity and ADHD. As a community support group for families and professionals living and working with ADHD, we welcome the increased awareness as it ultimately should ensure there is greater understanding of the condition by the wider community.
At the same time, we also have experienced a backlash against ADHD stemming from misinformation being spread about over-diagnosis of the condition or those who trivialise the impact of ADHD on the lives of people affected by it.
The facts about ADHD and its impact
NICE estimate that ADHD is prevalent in approximately 5% of the UK population. Across the UK approximately 3% of children have been diagnosed and under 1% of adults, thereby indicating that there is an under-diagnosis. The public at large may feel there are many more people seen to be affected by ADHD compared to the past, however, we do believe this stems from the fact that many more people are acknowledging they have a diagnosis due to people feeling less stigmatised and also more people seeking a diagnosis compared to previously. Particularly in the case of adults there is a catch-up effect in view of the low prevalence of ADHD diagnoses for adults.
We are often asked why seeking an ADHD diagnosis is important? People with ADHD lives can significantly be impacted by the condition and typically find home and school (or work in the case of adults) challenging. This is either through having difficulty accessing an education or finding building friendships difficult or feeling they are marginalised and lacking a sense of belonging. By undergoing an ADHD assessment, it can help clarify whether someone has ADHD, and if so, enables them to seek the appropriate support in view of their ADHD presentation.
Our approach is to encourage early diagnosis and support as if this is received at a young age then we have seen clear evidence of the children or young people having a better chance of being able to cope with the challenges of life and ultimately coming into their own.
In the current environment we are still seeing the impact on those with ADHD whose needs were not met and here we see some harsh statistics:
-High prevalence of school exclusions or school avoidance
–50% of children excluded from school have a special educational need
–90% of children excluded at primary school fail to attain maths & English GCSEs
-Exclusions at secondary school are significantly higher than those at primary school
–39% of children with ADHD have experienced a fixed term exclusion and 11% excluded permanently
-Many are caught up in the criminal justice system
–50% of UK prison populations have special educational needs
–25% of UK prison population meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD
-Proportionately higher rate of teenage pregnancies amongst ADHD teenage girls
-Higher percentage of people with ADHD suffer from mental health challenges such as anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm and suicide
NHS Independent National Task Force on ADHD
On 2 November 2025 the independent ADHD Taskforce commissioned by NHS England delivered their final report having examined ADHD, impact of unsupported ADHD on individuals, services and the wider community and address concerns about timely access to diagnosis and support.
The work of the Taskforce was wide ranging taking over a year. It was a systematic evidence-based approach and was extremely thorough involving a broad selection of stakeholders including those with lived experience. We were delighted to have contributed to one of the workstreams and share our experiences and insights gain from over twenty years.
We welcome this comprehensive and balanced review that was undertaken. As a support community for families of young people with ADHD, we are delighted to see the recommendations being put forward on improving care and support for those with ADHD and the holistic approach recommended.
The key take aways are:
-Re-thinking access to diagnosis by broadening the access
-Early intervention and providing more accessible support
-Importance of data to enable informed decisions
-Need to a holistic approach to providing support – healthcare, education, justice, employment and wider community
We also call all government departments to action in terms of addressing many of the issues identified and its recommendations. We would encourage the different government departments to work together in order to address the best way to support those with ADHD holistically.
The full report can be read here:
Dept of Health and Social Care independent review into Mental health, ADHD and autism
Within a month of the publication of the NHS independent taskforce report, in December 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care and Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, launched an independent review into rising demand for mental health, ADHD and autism services in England and what is driving it.
The Government announcement explains that it will look at whether there is evidence of over-diagnosis and what gaps in support exist. It also acknowledges that increased burden on the NHS means that for too long. People with acute needs have faced long waits, had to navigate overstretched services, experience inequalities in care and felt abandoned when support was needed most.
The independent report is due to report in the summer of 2026, and the findings will inform the Governments 10-year Health Plan commitment. Professor Peter Fonagy, a clinical psychologist and National Clinical Advisor on Children and Young People’s Mental Health is leading the independent review which will be undertaken by an advisory working group of leading academics, clinicians, epidemiological experts, charities and people with lived experience to directly shape the recommendations and scrutinise the evidence.
We hugely welcome this further independent review launched by the Dept of Health and Social Care where its remit covers ADHD and also extends to autism and mental health. We would encourage Prof Fonagy and the advisory working group to take cognisance of the recent work done by the NHS Independent Taskforce on ADHD as it will be a value resource for their investigations.
We would also welcome to contribute to the investigations of Prof Fonagy’s advisory working group, where we can share our experiences and insights from our work of over twenty years with families and professionals living and working with young people with ADHD. This review is much needed to inform policy and the approach to service provision going forward, which is long overdue for so many impacted by ADHD, autism and mental health.
Annette Wilson
Chair and Founder
ADHD Embrace
January 2026
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