NPS Recognizes National ADHD Awareness Month 2024

The Norwalk Board of Education is proud to recognize the month of October as ADHD Awareness Month.

This year’s national theme is “Awareness is Key,” and the month of October is dedicated to raising awareness around Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, which affects millions around the world. This month provides the opportunity to educate, advocate and support the adults and children who live with ADHD.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 11 percent of school-age children. Symptoms continue into adulthood in more than three-quarters of cases. ADHD is characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

ADHD is nobody’s fault. It is not caused by moral failure, poor parenting, family problems, poor teachers or schools, too much TV, food allergies, or excess sugar.

ADHD is a problem with the brain’s self-management system or its “executive functions,” which can affect not only children but many teenagers and adults too. Executive functions involve getting organized and started with necessary tasks, sustaining focus and effort for work, managing alertness and emotional interference, utilizing short-terms working memory, and managing one’s actions without excessive impulsivity.

Individuals with ADHD can be very successful in life. However, without identification and proper treatment, ADHD may have serious consequences, including school failure, family stress and disruption, depression, problems with relationships, substance abuse, delinquency, accidental injuries and job failure. Early identification and treatment are extremely important.

By declaring this ADHD Awareness Month, the Board of Education is committed to bringing greater awareness to our students that are living with ADHD, reducing the stigma around ADHD, encouraging early intervention for ADHD and supporting families who need guidance or resources.