Let’s talk about ADHD

Posted November 06th 2019

We were thrilled to welcome more than 30 children and their families and carers to our ADHD Open Day. 

As well as a day of activities and workshops we supported the launch of a new animation about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Brain Games and Mad Science

There was an opportunity for parents and carers to hear some of our latest research around ADHD and for younger attendees to take part in several Brain Games activities and a Mad Science workshop.

The Brain Games were run by the staff from NCMH, the MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics (MRC CNGG) and students from Cardiff University. The children had the chance to put on a lab coat and extract DNA from bananas, and test their brain processing power on the Colour Confusion Stroop mat.

One young guest commented about the event,

My sister has ADHD. I’m glad I came too because I love science. I really liked the banana experiment.

Parents were invited to two workshops; research around sleep and gender differences in ADHD, and a session on parent wellbeing.

During workshop two the children took part in some Mad Science, conducting another experiment and making their own slime to take home.

One parent said,

We got a wealth of information from all the talks.

And another commented, “It’s a great feeling that we’re important enough for you put this event on for us.”

Animating ADHD

Over the last 18 months, we have been working with a group of children with ADHD and their families and carers to create a new animation about the condition.

Our Open Day celebrated the completion of the new animation, Let’s talk about ADHD, and the afternoon closed with a special screening and a talk from Dr Sharifah Agha.

We’d like to say a big thank you to the children with ADHD, their families and carers, and health professionals in the field who shared their experiences and research to help us co-produce the animation. Our thanks also go to the Wellcome Trust for funding our project and making the animation possible.

I am so proud to have been a part of this. I am even more proud of my daughter and the other children involved.

“I loved it. The diversity of characters and the balance of information in particular.”

A great animation. Explained in a very clear child (and adult) friendly way. Loved the part about positive aspects.

Read more:

• Listen to our Piece of Mind episode about ADHD
• ADHD Foundation – The Neurodiversity Charity
• What is ADHD? Learn more about the condition.
• More good days than bad – a series of diaries from parents of children with ADHD
• Ten things you didn’t know about ADHD – the myths and misconceptions
• Why is ADHD more common in boys than girls? A blog by Dr Joanna Martin