During a recent visit to Centrelink (an Australian government agency that helps people with financial benefits): I was informed by the lady who was supposed to be assisting me that "every child in the world seems to have ADHD these days". At the time I was too in shock at her ignorance and lack of compassion, considering her position, to be able to respond. I left the office feeling angry at her, but also at myself for not having spoken up and defended the diagnosis of ADHD as a genuine condition

As a result I came home and sat at my computer, venting into it the words I wished I had been able to say to say to her.

And now I am going to share those words with you.

To the ignorant lady in Centrelink today, in answer to your comment that "every child in the world seems to have ADHD these days" I wish to scream at you a resounding "No, they do not!!"

"There is more publicity about it these days. People are more aware of it because the media is all over it, often giving people totally inaccurate information, but no, not every child has it."

"Children had it in your day too, but those children were just called naughty or stupid, and were punished for things that were beyond their control. Those children grew up believing that they were naughty and stupid, they grew up with depression and low self esteem. Many turned to drugs, alcohol or self harming as a way to deal with the feelings that ADHD (and the judgement of others) made them feel. Some didn't even get to grow up at all because they committed suicide. Lots ended up doing dead end jobs because they left school early believing they could never amount to anything because they found studying too hard."

"ADHD is a real disorder that creates multiple problems in the lives of those affected by it. It is not just a label that bad parents use as an excuse when their children misbehave, or a fake illness that people use to extort money from the government."

"My son is a very bright and creative little boy, yet he is almost bottom of his class academically because he CANNOT focus, he tries so hard but he just can't do it. His mind is constantly racing thinking of thousands of different things and he can't keep it quiet long enough to focus and do his work in class. I've helped in my son's class and I've seen the difference between children who can hear a teacher give an instruction and then complete the task they were instructed to do, and children with ADHD who have too much going on in their heads to be able to follow through with the instruction. Not all children in my son's class are unable to follow a simple instruction because by the time they have picked up their pencil they have forgotten what they are supposed to do."

"As well as struggling in class he also struggles socially because he does not pick up on social cues, and sometimes he acts in ways that others might find a little strange, others find these behaviours strange because not all children act the way that children with ADHD act. These struggles make him incredibly anxious and have caused him to suffer from depression. Sometimes his anxiety is internalised and as result he often suffers from headaches and stomach aches. Other times his anxiety is released through anger, this can be expressed either towards himself (where he hits himself), or by hitting, kicking or throwing things and screaming."

"My son is an amazing little boy, he is great at making up stories and songs, and loves to entertain and make people laugh. I love my son and I refuse to allow him to grow up believing he is inferior to others just because he struggles academically, or because he is different to the 'norm'."

"So yes, I am applying for a carers allowance. I am not a bad parent who just wants money to spend on drugs or things for myself. I am a parent who is trying to give her son the help he needs to be on an equal footing with the rest of his classmates, because he is NOT on an equal footing, he has ADHD and the rest of his classmates do not. I am applying for a carers allowance to help with the costs of sending my son to an occupational therapist to help him with his social skills and anxiety, a speech therapist to help him with his reading, and a tutor to help him with school work. My son needs these services because he has ADHD, which is a genuine disability and not a fad title that myself and multiple doctors felt like labelling him with."

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My claim for carers allowance was rejected, which was to be expected to be honest, but I had thought that it was at least worth the time and effort of applying if it meant the possibility of being able to afford more help for my son than I am currently able to provide him. But the irony of the rejection is that although they won't help me financially to pay for therapies that will help my son both now and in the long term, they have offered instead to help me with the cost of medication which will only help my son short term, with a disorder that he will have for life, and which we have currently chosen not to use.