When ADHD is mistaken for disobedience (Kayla Sanders’ story)

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Growing up as a Black girl with undiagnosed ADHD, Kayla Sanders
learned very early that getting into trouble was not an option.
Kayla was imaginative, playful, and extremely bright. She was
also hyperactive, which was occasionally mistaken for
disobedience. 


One incident in particular in the first grade left a lasting mark
on Kayla. From then on out, Kayla did everything she could to
avoid causing trouble for her hard-working, loving mom. She
pushed down her hyperactivity and masked her symptoms for years.
Then, during the pandemic, Kayla was finally diagnosed with
ADHD.  


Join Kayla and host Laura Key’s chat on ADHD and masking, and the
added pressure that comes from racial bias.


Related resources


To be Black in America with a learning disability

Bias in school discipline: When the teacher says your child
is “acting out”, from Opportunity Gap

ADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)



Timestamps


(01:10) Kayla’s pandemic ADHD diagnosis story


(06:53) Kayla’s childhood behavior


(09:45) The pressure to mask ADHD as a Black woman


(13:56) Covering up “mistakes” in the classroom


(15:35) Kayla’s relationship with her mom


(20:11) Cultural masking, and the intersection of ADHD and race


 


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