A new children’s book is challenging negative stereotypes about ADHD – a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts the ability to focus and causes hyperactivity.
Local author Dani Vee and her partner James Layton have published My SUPERCHARGED ADHD Brain to change the way it’s perceived.
“We were late diagnosed ADHD – only in the last two years – and we were thinking about all the negative things we’ve been told about having ADHD: ‘You’re fickle, you’re vague, you’re too much, you’re too loud.’ We were laughing about them and saying we celebrate that stuff now,” Vee explained.
That’s when the idea for a book arose.
“I wish I had that book when I was growing up because I always felt like I didn’t quite fit in all the time,” Vee explained.
“You’ve always got such a busy brain, and I wanted to celebrate that you can do lots of things – that you are a good friend, that you like to take risks, that you like to have fun.”
But the authors don’t neglect the negatives.
“If you read the book, the character does forget her project, she does run late, she does need time alone,” Vee stated.
“It’s not pushing those things aside, but we’ve all heard the negative things about ADHD over and over again, so we wanted to flip it.”
While writing the book, Vee had her daughter in mind.
“All those things I heard growing up weren’t personality flaws, it was just how my brain operates,” the local author said.
“I’d love kids to not feel so weird or different or bad about themselves. If people do criticize them and tell them they’re too loud or too much, then kids can say ‘That’s my awesome brain’.”
The book has resonated with many readers, already selling around 5,000 copies before its release in stores on June 4.
Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.