Connecticut has long recognized and celebrated the month of October as ADHD Awareness Month. We were one of the first states in the country to do so (in fact, we are believed to be the first). This year’s theme is “A Community of Support” and focuses on uniting individuals, families, educators and professionals to share their lived experiences, practices and strategies, and accurate information and knowledge so that no one is left to navigate the world of ADHD by themselves. This is aimed at providing information and support not only to those with ADHD, but also to those who work with, live with, care for and love those with ADHD. Increased knowledge and awareness can only benefit those whose lives are touched by this condition.

Toward this end, the first question that might be asked is, “What is ADHD?” This attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a neurodevelopmental medical condition that impacts how the brain develops and functions. Common symptoms of ADHD include difficulty in focusing, distractibility, disorganization, restlessness, and impulsivity.

Despite its name, ADHD does not mean that a person with this condition lacks attention. Instead, it means that this person may find it harder to control his or her attention or direct their focus.

There are three presentations of ADHD that healthcare providers diagnose in adults and children. They consist of Inattentive ADHD (where the person has difficulty focusing, finishing tasks and staying organized [i.e. executive functioning deficit]); Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD (involving restlessness, talkativity, interruptive behavior, and impulsivity); and Combined Presentation (most commonly observed and consisting of both previously identified traits).

Some professionals will refer to an unspecified presentation, consisting of severe symptoms that interfere with daily performance and activities but that do not neatly fit in any of the previous boxes. This is not part of the standard description but reflects the experience of some individuals.

One way to observe and participate in ADHD Awareness Month is to share your experiences as a person with ADHD or one who loves, lives or works with someone with ADHD. Toward this end, the ADHD Awareness Month Coalition, of CHADD, the ADHD Coaches Organization, and ADDA, has been formed and is dedicated to providing information and support to the greater ADHD community. You are encouraged to visit ADHDAwarenessMonth.org to learn more about ADHD, CHADD’s website, CHADD.org, and those of the coalition members to learn what you can do to assist yourself on your journey or support others on theirs.

Our awareness in this month should not only include learning about ADHD, sharing information and formulating ways that we can support those families impacted by this condition. We must also be vigilant and constantly aware of developments that may affect or negatively impact our ability to defend the rights that our children must have to receive the support that they need in school to experience a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).

I am proud to be associated with CHADD having served as a board member and on the executive committee as the national secretary. I am currently serving on the very important advocacy and public policy committee (APPC) for CHADD. This committee is charged with advocating on behalf of persons with ADHD and related disorders by influencing national, state, and local public policies. As a committee, we monitor legislation and regulatory agencies as they relate to ADHD, particularly in the justice and educational systems, civil rights, employment and healthcare. The committee is goal-oriented, establishing legislative priorities that we wish to influence and responding to concerns as they develop.

One of the areas that we are concerned about and monitoring is the recent action taken by the United States Department of Education when, on June 16, 2026, Education Secretary Linda McMahon signed an interagency agreement (IAA) to transfer the day-to-day administration of specific programs away from itself (where Congress had placed them) and into the hands of other federal agencies (whether they had experience in handling these matters or the staff to do so or not).

These transfers include the Offices of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)(used to help states and schools implement IDEA) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)(charged with investigating discrimination complaints and enforces Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 used by many students with ADHD). Pursuant to these IAAs, OSERS would receive oversight from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and OCR would be operated within the Department of Justice (DOJ). In response to these moves, a “broad coalition of disability, civil rights, and educational organizations” have spoken out questioning these moves . These organizations include several from Connecticut: Disability Rights Connecticut, Center for Children’s Advocacy, and Out Accountability Project.

The efforts of CHADD’S APPC and other advocacy groups have led to the drafting of a bipartisan bill (S. 5046) that would stop the Department of Education from transferring OSERS and other offices and functions to other federal agencies. Unfortunately, an amendment to include the OCR within this protection did not pass. Though this bill was on the calendar to be addressed by the Senate, it was not acted on before the Senate left for its summer recess. Accordingly, this protective piece of legislation rests in limbo.

Our ADHD awareness effort must include keeping tabs on the status of this bill. You are invited to visit CHADD’s Advocacy Action information on this bill at CHADD.org/ADHD-Advocacy-Action-Center. You are also encouraged to contact your Congressional representatives to weigh in on this matter and push for this bill to go forward.

Think ADHD is only for kids? Think again. Though some people with ADHD have fewer symptoms as they age, many adults continue to have major symptoms that interfere with daily functioning . Over the last few years, the number of adults who have been diagnosed with ADHD has increased dramatically. This is especially true for women and people of color who experts say have been historically underdiagnosed .

However, many adults with ADHD are unaware that they have it, leaving them to face the challenges created by this condition without possibly getting the support or resources they need.

We should also emphasize the fact, as we have done in the past, that those with ADHD bring many assets, ways of viewing things and levels of energy to the table that the community profits from. Our friends and family with ADHD certainly bring many positive qualities to our community.

It is for all of these reasons that this year’s ADHD Awareness theme is “A Community of Support.” There are many levels and considerations involved in this. For all these reasons we, as a community, will use this month (and beyond) to explore the many facets of ADHD and provide support to those on this journey.

 

M. Jeffry Spahr, Esq.
Jeff Spahr serves on the Advocacy and Public Policy Committee for CHADD and was formerly on the board of directors Executive Committee where he served as the Secretary. He currently serves on the State Advisory Council for Special Education and is the chairman of the legislative committee; previously he was the president of the Connecticut Association of Children with Learning Disabilities (CACLD); and the chairman of his school district’s Special Ed Parent Advisory Council. Spahr has initiated the annual practice of declaring the month of October as ADHD Awareness Month and the month of April as Autism Acceptance Month. He is the proud father of a young man of many talents and interests who has bravely faced his challenges and of an amazing daughter who has taken up a career as a school psychologist in Connecticut.