Resources
Free guides, worksheets and tools for ADHD families. Read them, print them, share them.
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Making sense of it
What's really going on, and why. Start here if you're wondering, waiting, or newly diagnosed.
Might my child have ADHD?
A calm way to make sense of what you're noticing and find your next step. Not a diagnosis - recognition, reassurance, and where to go next.
When school doesn't see what you see
Filling in ADHD assessment forms and school's answers don't match yours? Why children can seem fine at school, and how to make sure the forms show the whole picture.
When the mask says everything's fine
Why the easy, capable child at school falls apart at home - what masking costs, how to spot it, and what helps. More often associated with girls, but it happens in boys too.
When it's not only ADHD
ADHD rarely shows up on its own. How it overlaps with autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, anxiety and more, why overlaps get missed, and what helps.
The strengths that come with ADHD
ADHD brings real difficulties and real strengths. What those strengths often look like, why they're two sides of the same brain, and how the right support helps them grow.
How ADHD changes in the teenage years
Why ADHD can look different, and often harder, in adolescence. What changes, how it shows up in teenagers, what helps, and how to tell it apart from typical teenage behaviour.
Navigating rejection sensitivity (RSD)
Why your child takes the smallest things so personally, what RSD really is, and how to support them through the intensity.
Understanding demand avoidance and PDA
Why some children automatically resist requests and what to do instead of pushing harder.
When nothing you say gets through
Why lectures bounce off an ADHD brain, and the small changes - validate first, ask don't tell, say it once - that get through instead.
Family life
Big feelings, play, getting out and about, and looking after yourself along the way.
When big feelings take over
A parent's toolkit for the moments emotions take over - what's happening, what helps in the moment, and how to come back together afterwards.
When "don't worry" isn't enough
Helping an anxious child with ADHD: why reassurance doesn't last, how families end up living around the worry, and what to say and do instead.
When it's all a bit public
Social exhaustion, why the bill for a hard day arrives late, and what judgement from other adults does to your own response. For the moments it goes wrong in front of everyone else.
Play is how your child talks
For younger children: how play, not talking, is the way in - decoding 'no one plays with me' and letting play lead behaviour, feelings and friendships.
Parent self-care and regulation
Managing your own frustration, guilt and burnout while supporting your child - because looking after you is the foundation everything else rests on.
Tools to use
Plans, scripts and worksheets to print, stick on the fridge, or hand to your teenager.
Meltdown response plan
A short, print-for-the-fridge plan of exactly what to do in the moment - the same five steps, every time, for everyone who looks after them.
Grounding: helping them come back to now
Simple grounding ideas to use alongside your child, grouped by what's happening: spiralling thoughts, overwhelm, shutting down, or rejection.
Low-demand parenting scripts
10 ways to reframe requests to reduce the 'demand' feel and increase cooperation.
Rewards that last
Why your child can game for hours but not start ten minutes of homework, and ten ways to help effort pay off sooner - without turning it into a list of demands.
RSD reality check worksheet
A simple tool to help your teen separate perception from reality when emotions run high.
Sleep diary
A printable two-week sleep diary to spot the patterns, keep track of what you've tried and whether it helped, and take along to your GP.
Working with your child's school
Meeting preparation, changing the language schools use about your child, and protecting yourself in the process.
Inner critic worksheet
For the teen who's hard on themselves - talking back to the voice that says they're not enough.
Friendship traffic light
A simple way for teens to work out which friendships fill them up and which wear them down.
Journaling guide
Low-pressure journaling prompts designed for brains that don't do 'dear diary'.
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Helpful links
These external resources provide additional information and support for teens and families affected by ADHD.
ADHD UK
Support, information, and advocacy for people with ADHD in the UK.
Visit site →ADHD UK - Getting your child assessed
A step-by-step walkthrough of the routes to a diagnosis for a child: an NHS referral through your GP or school, Right to Choose, and going private.
Visit site →NHS - ADHD in children and young people
Official NHS guidance on symptoms, getting an assessment, and what support is available.
Visit site →Young Minds
UK charity supporting young people's mental health, including ADHD resources.
Visit site →How to ADHD (YouTube)
Engaging, practical videos about living with ADHD.
Visit site →ADDitude Magazine
Articles, strategies, and expert advice for ADHD.
Visit site →Want personalised support?
Resources are a great starting point, but nothing beats working with someone who understands your family's unique situation.
Abby Parkes ADHD Coaching & Support · adhdcoachingandsupport.co.uk