About Us

Parents for ADHD Advocacy Australia began in January 2018, evolving from exploratory conversations within Facebook ADHD support groups on the challenges of supporting young people with ADHD.   It became clear that the shared struggles faced by families living with ADHD were having a huge emotional, financial and mental health impact, so a small group of passionate parents decided to form an advocacy group in order to shape a better outcomes for their children.

An initial National survey conducted by PAAA in March 2018 of over 230 parent or carer participants indicated that:

• 34% of respondents felt that they were minimally or not at all supported by health and allied health professionals
• 45% of respondents felt that they were minimally or not at all supported by school staff with their child’s learning
• 42% of respondents felt that they were minimally or not at all supported by school staff with their child’s behaviour
• 44% of respondents felt that they were minimally or not at all supported by loved ones with their child at home
• 89% of respondents felt that they were minimally or not at all supported by the community

These results provided the impetus for PAAA to grow its Facebook membership to over 800 members, and, together with allied stakeholders such as ADHD Australia, commit to improving the outcomes for young people with ADHD and their families, through awareness-raising, education and advocacy.

Our Goals

• to increase public awareness and reduce stigma surrounding ADHD
• to ensure families are informed and empowered to help their child with ADHD successfully navigate life and reach their full potential
• to increase the capacity of schools to manage ADHD and comorbid conditions in students proactively and in an evidence-based manner