Alabama hosts conference focused on ADHD discussion

The University of Alabama held its 15th annual Southeast Regional ADHD Conference this week.

The two-day conference is used a tool to educate counselors, parents, employers and people in general about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and how to better understand the 5% to 10% of people who have it.

Experts presented research showing that more adults and children are being diagnosed with ADHD than ever before.

ADHD Coach Jeremy Didiera was one of the presenters at the conference who told us about some signs to look for when diagnosing ADHD.

“Primarily, we are looking for things like impulsivity, emotional regulation is one we talk about a lot,” Didiera said. “Kids and adults who have ADHD can have problems with emotional regulation. Executive function is one too. Challenges getting started, challenges with prioritization, activiation, working memory, impulsivity . Everyone who has ADHD experiences it differently, but those are the primary ones.”

Didiera said undiagnosed or poorly treated ADHD can lead to a decrease in life expectancy of up to 13 years.