As ADHD Awareness Month brings attention to a condition affecting thousands of children and families across the UK, one mother’s powerful story is helping to highlight the importance of early diagnosis and tailored support.
Angela, a mother of three neurodivergent children from Ayrshire, understands the emotional toll on parents navigating complex needs without adequate help.
Her son, Christopher, was diagnosed with ADHD and autism following a traumatic incident in which a childcare worker abandoned him in the street after he refused to walk or communicate.
The incident led to a referral to a paediatric specialist, confirming what Angela had long suspected: her son was neurodivergent.
“When we got the diagnosis, I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach and the world had been pulled from underneath me,” Angela said.
“But deep down, I always knew. From a young age, I could see the differences – he didn’t tolerate other children well, his speech was delayed, and he became easily frustrated or overstimulated.”
Angela described the emotional shift that came with the diagnosis:
“When you imagine your child’s future, you think about school, college, relationships, and them starting a family. Suddenly, that future looks different and the journey ahead feels like a struggle.”
Despite the diagnosis, Angela was not offered any immediate support for Christopher or herself. In the months that followed, Christopher began displaying risky behaviours such as playing with the gas cooker and attempting to exit a taxi on his way to school while it was stationary.
“It’s hard to admit you need help as a mum, but I knew I couldn’t do it all. I couldn’t be his mum, teacher, and counsellor.”
Angela was eventually connected with The Exchange (part of Health is One), a service offering expert mental health and wellbeing support to young people across the UK.
The service provides initial assessments, tailored interventions, and support plans for those with additional social, emotional and learning needs.
“The support we received from The Exchange service helped us reframe how we saw Christopher’s ADHD and autism. Instead of trying to stop the behaviours, we were given coping mechanisms to manage them.
“It’s easy to see someone’s disability first, but he began to grow his self-esteem and learnt that being neurodivergent doesn’t limit what you can achieve.
“I no longer see Christopher’s diagnosis as a barrier for him to be able to live his life to the full. I see his ADHD and autism as extra strings to his bow – tools that can help him get where he wants to go.”
The Exchange’s counselling support also helped Christopher navigate the emotions that came with grief when his pet dog died.
“We got a dog to help Christopher understand and practice the different emotions and feelings that came with caring and nurturing a pet.
“When he died, counselling really helped him to open up about how he was feeling to be able to start navigating grief and learning coping mechanisms to move forward. After just one session, he said he felt better in his head, tummy, chest and heart.”
The impact of that support was so profound that Christopher later used the empathy and tools he’d learned to support classmates after the tragic loss of a fellow pupil.
Now 16, Christopher is preparing to finish school and pursue a career that combines his passion for fitness and helping others.
“We’re unbelievably proud of everything Christopher has achieved. From a little boy who struggled to make sense of the world around him, to a young man competing in Hyrox events across the globe.
“We’re heading to Poland later this year to support him, and every time I watch him compete, I see more than just strength – I see determination and resilience.
“After school, he wants to work with neurodivergent young people to help them believe in themselves the way he’s learned to believe in himself. That’s the kind of future I never dared to dream of when we first got his diagnosis. But now, I see a young man ready to change the world – starting with the lives of others like him.”
Emma Davies, Director at Health is One, said: “Christopher’s story is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when young people are met with the right support at the right time. At Health is One, we understand that every child is unique. That’s why we offer tailored, evidence-based interventions that help young people build confidence, manage emotions, and develop the tools they need to succeed – not just in school, but in life.
“ADHD Awareness Month is an important opportunity to challenge stigma and highlight the strengths of neurodivergent individuals. With the right support, young people like Christopher can turn their differences into superpowers.”
