Lia
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‘I hope we get help so my children don’t grow up living a life like I have, feeling like a failure and not being understood or assisted.’
Lia is the mother of four boys under 18. Lia and her sons have a range of disabilities, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety. She wrote to the Royal Commission about the lack of support for people with ADHD in the NDIS, health and education systems.
Lia is frustrated by her experiences in seeking help for her boys, and for herself. She says there seems to be a societal belief that ADHD is a temporary medical issue.
‘ADHD is a lifelong condition that currently gets rejected for any form of help on NDIS as it’s considered taking medication will fix it.’
She says although medication helps the behavioural management of people with ADHD, they still require additional supports.
‘I have asked GPs, paediatricians and [psychiatrists] for help [but as ADHD] is not very well understood or funded [I] just get told “take medication”.’
She also explained the need for respite services to be available for parents of children with ADHD, as parents experience feelings of burnout.
‘I need respite because along with my own problems my children are exhausting as I have to constantly be watching them and they don’t sleep very well.’
Lia told us her family needs help in all areas of life, such as accessing medication, managing finances, maintaining the family home, mental health assistance, understanding diagnoses, managing relationships, addiction assistance and maintaining employment.
Her sons need assistance at school in particular. ‘Because there is no funding, they don’t get the help they need and end up being suspended because the schools don’t have anything else they can do.’
Lia says she is grateful for the support and advice provided by other parents on social media, but she would like to see more official supports put in place by the government.
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.