{"id":40099,"date":"2022-02-17T14:14:50","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T14:14:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shefnews.co.uk\/?p=40099"},"modified":"2022-02-17T14:14:50","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T14:14:50","slug":"sheffield-hallam-mp-olivia-blake-opens-up-conversation-about-adhd-and-neurodivergent-conditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shefnews.co.uk\/index.php\/2022\/02\/17\/sheffield-hallam-mp-olivia-blake-opens-up-conversation-about-adhd-and-neurodivergent-conditions\/","title":{"rendered":"Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake opens up conversation about ADHD and neurodivergent conditions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake has called for action to improve the system for neurodivergent young people and those with ADHD in a recent speech in Parliament.<\/span><\/p>\n

Miss Blake said: \u201c<\/span>There’s still a real lack of understanding and unfortunately ADHD is not very well recognised especially in women and girls.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut for many young people bad experiences and not getting the right support can have a huge impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to change the story for young people with neurodivergent conditions today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The MP has only been diagnosed recently with ADHD and called for shorter waiting times and improvement of screening to give earlier diagnosis for neurodivergent conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The speech had been well received on Twitter, sharing their own experiences with diagnosis and thanking Miss Blake for speaking out on the issue.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many people share the same struggles with being diagnosed in their adult life, including Rebecca McPhillips, aged 22, from Roslin Road, Sheffield.<\/span><\/p>\n

She said: \u201cWhen I was younger I didn’t even know that I had ADHD, I just thought it was something that naughty kids had.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have always struggled with overwhelm and sensory overload but in school I was always well behaved and was taught to just get on with it. I ended up okay but I went for diagnosis after moving to uni at age 21 because my self analysis in social situations was putting such a strain on my mental health.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Rebecca McPhillips, age 22<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cMany times in life I’ve felt like I didn’t know who I was and how people just naturally and effortlessly formed friendships, I now realise it’s because I’m neurodivergent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t have all the answers but I can see that the school system is a problem. The disregard the government shows everyone is a problem, and the school\/ diagnostic systems come under this bracket.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Billy Flynn-McLean, 34, from Kensal Rise, Derby, said: \u201cI had a little cry watching this, but in a good way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was recently diagnosed with dyspraxia and ADHD at the age of 34. I had good support as a child but that dried up as I got older.<\/p>\n

\u201cI struggled increasingly with feeling lazy and like I was a failure to hold down a place of study or a job.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can find Miss Blake\u2019s full speech on Twitter here:<\/span><\/p>\n

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As someone who is neurodivergent – & was only diagnosed with ADHD recently – I know the long term impact of late diagnoses on mental health.<\/p>\n

Young people today deserve action to cut waiting times & improve screening so we can ensure early diagnosis of all neurodiverse conditions pic.twitter.com\/KczVTxrYVo<\/a><\/p>\n

— Olivia Blake MP (@_OliviaBlake) February 15, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n