Is ADHD a Disability? Possibly a Disability but Not Always

One of the most prevalent mental illnesses in childhood and later in adulthood is Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD symptoms include extreme impulsivity, difficulty paying attention, excessive activity, and problems starting and finishing tasks.

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Often, if an individual is diagnosed with ADHD, it will significantly affect their life in school, the workplace, and social settings. The big question, therefore, is: Can ADHD be considered a disability?

Unfortunately, the answer is not that simple.

It is crucial to have comprehensive knowledge of the disability qualifications to determine whether ADHD can be tagged as a disability.

Here is everything you need to know.

1. Introduction to ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects how people pay attention and control their behavior. 8.4% of all children have ADHD, and 2.5% of all adults have ADHD.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children generally manifests during their early school years when they struggle to pay attention and stay calm in class. It also occurs in teens and adults. Most studies suggest that boys are more likely to have ADHD than girls.

Managing ADHD symptoms requires early detection and an expertly designed treatment plan. The condition typically has a positive outlook if diagnosed early and intervened through comprehensive care and treatment.

The introductory section of this guide covers everything you need to know about ADHD. Later, you will be able to decide whether a given case of ADHD constitutes a disability.

ADHD Symptoms and Diagnosis

A person diagnosed with ADHD will typically show several symptoms, such as hyperactivity and inattention, for an extended period. But what makes ADHD different?

It is important to note that children with ADHD have greater hyperactivity and inattentiveness than normal children of their age, which affects their school performance, home life, and friends.

A diagnosis of ADHD is based on the symptoms they’ve experienced for the past six months.

The condition may fall into three behavioral types;

1. Inattentive type
2. Hyperactive/ Impulsive type
3. Combined type

1. Inattentive ADHD

Six (five for people over 17 years) symptoms of the inattentive ADHD type occur over six months:

• Neither pays close attention to details nor is careful at work
• Focuses too much on one thing at a time
• Doesn’t listen when spoken to
• Doesn’t follow instructions and doesn’t finish schoolwork, household chores, or job duties
• Loses focus too quickly
• Doesn’t stay organized (for instance, misses deadlines often and does not manage time well)
• Usually avoids prolonged mental effort, like writing a report
• Sometimes loses things needed to do daily tasks
• Often seems distracted

With the inattentive ADHD type, forgetfulness and failure to complete tasks are the overarching symptoms. Children fail to do their homework. Adults tend to pay bills late, fail to return phone calls, and forget appointments.

2. Hyperactive ADHD

The person experiences six (or five for persons older than 17) of the following symptoms in the first six months of their condition:

• Squirming while sitting or taps fingers and feet
• Difficulty sitting still for an extended period
• The person runs or climbs inappropriately
• Often unable to get a good rest
• Being constantly active
• Non-stop talking
• Answering before a question is finished
• Difficulty getting in line, such as waiting for their turn

Persons with hyperactive ADHD are more likely to interrupt or interfere with other people’s activities. For instance, children may interrupt conversations while old teens and adults may try to take over work done by others.

3. Combined Type

The combined type of ADHD is statistically the most prevalent type of ADHD. The combined type represents hyperactivity and inattentiveness symptoms.

When choosing a career, a person with ADHD might be interested in roles that require less attention and activity. That’s because they are not constantly attentive; they’re impulsive and have a lot of energy.

ADD Vs ADHD

Back in the day, ADD was the term used to describe the lack of attention. Today ADD has been replaced with ADHD.  ADD is strictly a medical term for the inattentive type of ADHD.

Impact of ADHD on Life

ADHD can negatively impact a person’s life as well as the lives of their family members.

Let’s examine how ADHD can impact daily living:

1. Social and Work-Life:

ADHD can significantly affect your social life by disrupting your work, school, and personal relationships.

In Europe, researchers found that more than one in five adults has ADHD [1*] , which is highly prevalent. It affects numerous aspects of life, including interpersonal and motivational skills, organizational skills, and attention.

2. Emotional and Financial Health

ADHD can also impact a person’s emotional and personal well-being. These effects include greater healthcare costs or difficulties in earning a stable income in adults.

2. Understanding Disabilities

Disability is part of being human. Unfortunately, some of us become disabled or impaired permanently at some point in our lives— even those who carry on smoothly until old age may experience substantive difficulty functioning in their golden years.

Disability awareness is highly significant, not only in exploring whether ADHD constitutes a disability. It also helps in developing empathy towards each other and softening the stereotypes of society surrounding it.

In this section of the guide, we define disability and explain its types to help you understand what it is.

Definition of Disability

Disability is a mental or physical condition that limits someone from engaging in certain activities and fully interacting with the environment around him/ her.

Thus, disability is more than just a health problem; it is a complex phenomenon that influences a person’s body. It impacts how they interact with their environment and even how they perceive themselves within that environment.

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There are different kinds of disabilities. Even two people with the same disability can manifest themselves differently and need other things.

What Do Disabilities Look Like?

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that disabilities come in three forms:

1. Impairment

The loss of a body part, loss of a particular sense (such as a sense of sight), memory loss, or any other loss related to a person’s body structure and mental functioning.

2.Activity Limitations

You have activity limitations if you encounter difficulty seeing, walking, hearing, or solving problems.

3. Participation Restriction

Here, you face challenges with normal day-to-day activities such as work, group involvement, and health issues.

Disabilities by Type

Different types of disabilities impact populations in diverse ways.

Here is a list of some of the major types of disabilities:

1. Physical Disabilities

Physical disability implies a lack of agility or mobility. If affected, you may need special equipment to facilitate such mobility. For instance, due to polio, spinal cord injury, or cerebral palsy, a person might need help participating in society.

2. Intellectual or Learning Disabilities

These disabilities limit your ability to learn or process information. This kind of disability can also hinder your ability to communicate information. Learning disabilities may fuel illiteracy.

3. Psychiatric disabilities

Mental illnesses, also called psychiatric disorders, can manifest at any age and are generally misunderstood. Mental diseases could either affect someone’s physical traits or cognitive processes. Several mental illnesses may cause a person to suffer from a psychotic episode, including schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorders.

4. Visual Impairments

Individuals who are blind and others who can’t see correctly due to various factors, including birth, accidents, illnesses, and diseases, are legally considered disabled.

5. Hearing Impairments

Several factors contribute to deafness, including genetics and environmental factors. There is a distinction between someone who is completely deaf and someone with hearing impairments. Some deaf persons can listen to a certain degree, but others cannot hear at all.

6. Neurological Disabilities

Various neurological disabilities, such as Parkinson’s disease, Dementia, and seizures, occur when the nervous system is damaged. The injury leads to a loss of physical or mental function. This type of disability can impact how an individual manages others or his/her behavior.

7. Hidden or Invisible Disabilities

A person’s ability to see, hear, learn, communicate, and socialize may be impacted by hidden disabilities. These disabilities include inner eye problems, diabetes, and heart diseases.

3. Is ADHD a Disability?

This section provides direct answers to this high-stakes question. This portion of the guide will discuss the central issue given the information you already gained in the last section.

A person with ADHD may be considered disabled based on how much their daily activities are affected by this condition. 

9% of children and 5% of adults with ADHD have impaired cognitive function. This chapter provides answers on why some of these impairments may be considered disabilities.

ADHD Through the Eyes of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

Across the nation, the Americans with Disabilities Act protects the rights of people with disabilities. It does that regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, or religion. The main goal of this act is to end discrimination against people with disabilities and strive for equal chances.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) both consider ADHD a disability under specific circumstances.

ADHD is a disability only when it interferes with a person’s ability to function. If ADHD is mild and doesn’t interfere with any functioning, patients cannot claim disability benefits.

Who Decides Whether ADHD is a Disability or Not?

Mental health professionals help to validate or disprove the disability status of a person’s case of ADHD. They do this based on evidence-based diagnoses and provisions by state law.

The law mandates that institutions provide accommodations for patients with ADHD when a mental health professional describes ADHD as disabling.

What Tests Decide Whether ADHD is a Disability or Not?

Specialists employ meticulous screening approaches to properly diagnose ADHD and determine whether it is a disabling disorder.

1. ADHD Rating Scales

Different rating scales are used for pediatric and Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

These ADHD rating scales assist a mental health professional in:

• Making an assessment or diagnosis
• Watching the patient’s progress
• Getting a bigger picture of the behavior

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) guides the ADHD rating scales used. A typical DSM-5 ADHD rating scale has 18 to 90 items touching on the frequency of ADHD-related symptoms.

2. ADHD’s Impact on Executive Functioning

The interrelation of executive functioning and ADHD is also essential when deciding the disability status of the condition. Professionals will determine whether ADHD affects executive functioning or not by comprehensively diagnosing a person’s disability.

A practical approach to executive functioning tests was proposed in the 1990s by Barkley.

The approach includes identifying the impact of ADHD on four specific cognitive competencies:

• Working memory
• Internalizing speech
• Self-regulation (the ability to keep one’s emotions in check)
• Behavioral analysis and synthesis

In ADHD patients, these skills may be lacking, especially self-regulating, planning tasks, and solving problems.

4. Does ADHD Qualify You for Disability Benefits?

Your ADHD may be a disability. But can you claim benefits if you have ADHD at a level of impairment that matches that of children from the Social Security Administration’s childhood impairment list (listing 112.11)?

You’ll find in this chapter all the essential information to answer these questions. Let’s start with the details.

Receiving social security benefits is generally not easy. Most people with ADHD don’t get SSI benefits. Only children with severe problems are approved.

Your ADHD must meet the earlier stated “disability” requirements to qualify for SSI benefits.

Also, from 2017, Social Security started providing coverage for listing 112.11—Neurodevelopmental Disorders—which includes various medical conditions as part of a parent’s disability claim:

1. Impulsive and hyperactive behavior (such as unable to remain seated, seeming restless, talking incessantly, or appearing to be driven by a motor)
2. Frequent distractibility (short attention span, difficulty organizing tasks, problems in maintaining attention span)
3. Recurrent movements or nonstop vocalization
4. Inability to learn

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To qualify for disability benefits, your child must have an extreme limitation in one of these functioning areas or a marked limitation in all the areas.

1. Concentration on tasks (not distracting others, completing assignments timely, never distracting others, continuously pace their work)
2. Interacting with others (cooperativeness, maintaining friendships, conflict management)
3. Self-management (adapting to changes to regulate one’s behavior or manage oneself effectively)
4. Learning, understanding, and remembering

Filing Social Security Benefits for Disability With ADHD

If, as an adult, you have ADHD and have applied for social security benefits, it is important to remember that the listing (112.11) only applies to children.

Suppose you’ve had ADHD from childhood and can prove that it severely interfered with your functioning at school and is likely to impact your employability. In that case, your condition may qualify you for disability benefits.

Children and adults with ADHD must meet the conditions mentioned above. Under no circumstances is one eligible for health insurance benefits if the condition doesn’t impair them at school, work, or general life.

Work Accommodations for People With ADHD Disability

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for adults protects workers who are disabled. This federal law prohibits companies from discriminating against disabled workers and requires them to provide necessary accommodations. Some adults with ADHD symptoms can greatly benefit from these provisions.

ADA stipulates the following work accommodation to the workers with disabilities;

• Modifying workplace equipment and devices
• Restructuring of jobs
• Modifying work schedules or part-time work
• Reassignment to the appropriate vacant positions
• Changing the contents of examinations, policies, or training materials
• The provision of translators and interpreters
• Making the work environment accessible to people with disabilities

5. How to Apply for ADHD Disability Benefits?

Often people with ADHD face many unique challenges when applying for Social Security Disability benefits.  Even if you have had ADHD disability since childhood and have been receiving Social Security Disability benefits, you’ll be required to prove once again how the condition is impacting your adult life.

Here is a comprehensive guide on the application process for ADHD disabilities benefits:

Things to Consider When You Apply for ADHD Disability Benefits

Contrary to many other disabilities, ADHD diagnoses have a subjective element. A medical professional or a psychiatrist makes the diagnosis using evidence-based approaches, but the conclusion also relies on the opinions of others (for instance, teachers, friends, colleagues).

The Social Security Administration can request information from teachers and child care providers—making their application requirements challenging to comply with. Adults face the same challenges one way or another.

More importantly, if your child currently receives Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI) benefits for an illness, injury, or disability, make sure to begin putting together information for their case before they reach their 18th birthday.

You can apply for disability benefits by calling the Social Security Administration or applying at an SSA local office in person. You must fill the Disability Checklist and complete the online application form before submitting your application.

The claim examiner will examine any benefits claim you provide along with all documentation you provide. If additional information or records are necessary, the claim examiner will ask for them. In this case, the Social Security Administration will decide on your child’s case.

ADHD claims get denied most commonly, so if yours gets rejected, you can appeal. It is best to bring a disability lawyer to the hearing if your appeal goes to an administrative law judge. If the judge rules in favor of the child, the child’s parents will be eligible to collect the benefits.

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Applying for SSI benefits for ADHD

If you intend to apply for Social Security Disability benefits as an adult with ADHD, take all necessary steps to ensure your medical records are accurate and complete.

Depending on the circumstances, an adult can seek Social Security benefits under Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or under Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if he or she meets eligibility requirements for insurance and income.

SSDI provides benefits to non-elderly disabled workers and their employees and their dependents, whose contributions are taxed by the Social Security Administration if each employee earns enough credits during a working relationship.

As an alternative, Social Security is a need-based benefit program authorized by Title XVI of the Social Security Act that provides cash payments to disabled individuals who are older, blind, or elderly (including children) and have limited assets with little financial means.

6. ADHD vs. Intellectual Disabilities

Patients with intellectual disabilities may be mistakenly diagnosed with ADHD due to the presence of an intellectual disability in most cases. A diagnosis of ADHD in patients with an intellectual disability potentially indicates a co-occurring condition.

Lack of awareness can lead people to confuse intellectual disabilities with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. We examine intellectual disabilities in this subtopic of our guide to help clarify these issues.

What Is Intellectual Disability?

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), an intellectual disability is a developmental disorder that starts during the early years.

Intellectual disability is categorized either as mild or moderate (most people with intellectual disabilities fall in this category).  Mental disabilities start during childhood or at puberty.

Language delay or motor difficulties may appear by the age of two. However, mild forms of intellectual disability may not become apparent until the young child is school-aged and may have difficulty learning.

The affected persons may have mild intellectual disabilities, fragile x syndrome, Down syndrome, or Prader-Willi syndrome. 

Diagnosis of Intellectual Disabilities

Intellectual disabilities fall under the neurodevelopmental category in the DSM-V manual. There are different diagnostic criteria for each kind of intellectual disability. According to the DSM, a person must fulfill the following criteria to be diagnosed with an intellectual disability.

Cognitive Deficits

Trouble reasoning, problem-solving, abstract thinking, social interactions, and conflict resolution.

Persons with these intellectual disabilities will have problems:

• Planning
• Reasoning
• Judgment
• Abstract thinking
• Problem-solving
• Experiential and academic  learning

Individuals with these deficits can be assessed both clinically and through standardized intelligence tests (IQ tests).

Deficits in Adaptive Functioning

Adaptive functioning disabilities are measured by failure to meet the standard of personal independence and social responsibility required in daily living.

Specialists test deficits in adaptive functioning using standardized, culturally appropriate tests to assess a person’s ability to succeed in school, work, or independent living.

1. Communication Skills

Communication involves understanding and expressing oneself through words and actions. It refers to the ability to convey information from one person to another.

2. Social-Situational Skills

These skills are important for success in life, but usually, we take them for granted. This intricate function requires analyzing figurative language and detecting unspoken cues, like body language, to understand social rules, customs, and standards of public behavior.

3. Self-Reliance

You must be able to safely do some of your day-to-day chores without the assistance of another person, for example, bathing, dressing, and feeding, cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Throughout the community, routine activities include grocery shopping, accessing public transportation, and accessing healthcare.

4. Learning Ability

Social abilities help to conform to social norms at work or school. They include the ability to acquire new knowledge and skills. A practical, adaptive approach must be applied to the information without being excessively directed by higher authorities.

Is ADHD Considered an Intellectual Disability?

Sometimes people with intellectual disabilities also get a diagnosis of mental, physical, and neurodevelopmental conditions. Some of the symptoms of ADHD may resemble mild intellectual disabilities among these comorbidities of intellectual disabilities.

There is some disagreement among mental health professionals about whether or not ADHD is a form of intellectual disability. Some individuals believe they are the same since both conditions fall under neurodevelopmental disorders.

7. Confusion Between ADHD With Learning Disabilities (LD)

The term learning disabilities is often confused with ADHD. But how is ADHD different from a learning disability?

A learning disability makes it harder to gain specific skills such as math or reading skills. Compared to this, ADHD affects global skills, executive functions, and management of emotions, and the ability to control impulsive behavior.

When a child struggles with an LD, it might look like ADHD because learning requires executive functions such as attention, attention, involvement in tasks, and working memory. It is easy to believe that ADHD and LDs are the same things. Though, the elements of an LD may affect more cognitive functions, even executive functions.

What Are Learning Disabilities (LD)?

The problems associated with learning disabilities are neurological. They are unrelated to how hard your child works to grasp knowledge; they are also not affected by how intelligent your child is. In most cases, children with learning disabilities are brilliant, but they have differences in their abilities.

An easier way to explain learning disorders would be to say that the person’s brain is wired differently and receives information differently. LDs make it hard to spell, read, write, and solve math problems.

Other than that, they can affect both a child’s short-term and long-term memory as well as their ability to learn, recall, and organize information.

Researchers from around the world estimate that 5-15% of people have a learning disability. Over 80% of these problems are linked to difficulty reading. Since knowledge and information are obtained chiefly via reading, understanding it can be difficult for a young person with an LD.

Individuals with LDs may experience varying levels of impairment, ranging from mild to severe, depending on their level and specific academic abilities. A child with a severe learning disability or multiple LDs can face significant challenges in academics and social interactions. These effects may make diagnosing a learning disability tricky.

Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities

The first signs of a learning disability manifest when a child is enrolled in formal schooling.

For the ADHD diagnosis of learning disabilities, the patient must meet the following criteria:

1. The person must experience at least one of the following for at least six months:
   • The inability to read accurately
   • Inability to understand what you read
   • Spelling problems
   • Difficulty in writing e.g., learning grammar, punctuation, or sentence organization
   • Numeracy problems, difficulties with counting, or difficulties with calculations
   • Problems with math reasoning
2. The individuals must be significantly slower in learning than is typical for children of that age, leading to difficulties in school and everyday activities.
3. Most difficulties begin during the school years. However, in some cases, a person may not have significant problems until adulthood (because their educational demands and day-to-day responsibilities are greater).

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There is no pattern in how children acquire learning difficulties. The conditions may or may not be due to intellectual disability, hearing problems, vision problems, strokes, environmental disadvantages, insufficient instruction, or linguistic barriers.

Learning Disorders

There are several types of learning disorders, including:

1. Dyspraxia

People with dyspraxia have difficulties controlling movement and coordination. They may have trouble holding a fork in the early stages, tying their shoes, or writing and typing.

Dyspraxia also manifests as:

• Speech difficulties
• Light, touch, smell, and taste sensitivity
• Problems with eye movements

2. Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is related to writing skills.

People with this disorder may experience a variety of difficulties, including:

• Poor handwriting
• Difficulties in spelling
• Inability to put ideas into words

3. Dyslexia

People with dyslexia may have difficulty reading, writing, or comprehending what they are reading. Dyslexia can also make getting their messages across verbally difficult.

4. Dyscalculia

Individuals with dyscalculia have difficulty performing even the simplest math problems.  They may face constant problems in math from their early years, including difficulty with simple computations or difficulty remembering multiplication tables.

Understanding the Differences Between Intellectual Disabilities and Learning Disabilities

It is a popular myth that learning difficulties are the same as intellectual disabilities, but they are not. Intellectual disabilities refer to inadequate IQ and incapacity to execute daily life tasks. Learning disabilities, however, describe just weaknesses in specific academic skills.

Many elements differ between these two. The differences become clearer in the dysfunctional areas, such as intellectual disabilities are linked to difficulties in communication, academic success, self-help, memory, and reasoning. LD’s, on the other hand, are confined to challenges in reading, writing, understanding, and processing.

Albert Einstein and Walt Disney are perfect examples of the difference between these two terms; both were diagnosed with reading disabilities as children, but they proved to be intellectually above average in later years.

Difference Between ADHD and Learning Disabilities

A learning disability can be confused with ADHD by the way a child’s executive functioning manifests itself.

For example, a child will attempt to make sense of a math concept, try to answer a crucial math problem on paper, but struggles to apply what he/she has learned practically. That might be one symptom of LD. Then the child might become frustrated, cease to pay attention, and even lash out in frustration, in a similar fashion to ADHD.

ADHD and learning difficulties differ, but some people may have ADHD and reading challenges as well. Research indicates that between one-third and half of the people with ADHD and reading difficulties have learning difficulties.

8. Managing ADHD with Learning Disabilities and Intellectual Disabilities

ADHD on its own can be hard to manage, but having dual challenges with Learning Disabilities (LD) can make things worse. While medications are available for ADHD, there are currently no medical approaches for treating learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities.

You will discover why management skills are essential regardless of whether you have ADHD alone or another disability. At the end of our guide, you will learn how to manage your ADHD and disability.

9. Parenting Tips

Raising a child with disabilities such as ADHD often requires a lot of time and effort. You must learn how to take care of your child’s behavior and modify your behavior according to their needs.

An essential element of the treatment process for parents would be self-education regarding developmental challenges faced by their child. Healthcare practitioners can handle this education for the parents. Close collaboration between parents and doctors is essential to tracking progress and difficulties in symptoms of ADHD and associated disabilities.

1. Fragmentize Tasks

Make sure your child knows what is due daily by color-coding chores and homework on a calendar. Separate their school day activities into distinct tasks.

2. Remove Distractions

Put your child in a quiet, spacious place to do homework, read, and relax. Keeping your home clean and organized will help to prevent your child from getting distracted and becoming distracted.

3. Embrace Routine

Establish a routine for your child that he or she can stick to each day. Routines around meals, schoolwork, playtime, and bedtime provide structure. The structure is crucial for simple tasks like helping them fold their clothes at every end of the day.

4. Help Them Think Aloud

These disabilities may cause a child to lack self-control. The child’s impulsive solid nature leads them to speak or act ahead of thought. So, make sure your child verbalizes their thoughts and reasoning when they feel the need to act out. Understanding your child’s thought process is essential to curb unwanted impulsive behavior.

5. Teach Them to Wait Their Turn

An excellent way to ensure your kid doesn’t start speaking before they think is to show them how to ask interactive questions or discuss a favorite book before talking or responding.

6. Encourage Exercise

Physical activity can burn excess energy without negatively affecting the child’s health. Exercise also helps children stay focused and reduces impulsive behavior. Sports, including athletics, can help children with ADHD find a constructive way to focus their passion, attention, and energy. Experts suggest that athletics can provide the child with ADHD with a good environment for focusing attention, and energy.

7. Sleep Is Crucial

With ADHD, getting a good night’s rest may be very challenging for children. Sleep deprivation exacerbates hyperactivity, inattention, and recklessness. Establishing calming sleep routines for your child is essential in helping them get a good night’s rest. Eliminate stimulants such as sugar and caffeine from their diet, and lessen their TV time.

8. General Behavior Interventions

A patient with ADHD may also have other disabilities that require behavioral interventions, such as deficits in daily life skills or communication. For impactful intervention, it is essential to perform a functional assessment beforehand. These interventions demand a role on the therapist’s part in teaching basic life skills such as interacting with others, acting in social settings, and being self-reliant daily.

9. Managing the Pace of Work

Often, the pace of work is affected by learning disabilities or ADHD. The patient faces difficulties in meeting timelines. He/she has a range of capacities and speeds when performing any task. It would be beneficial for ADHD students and students with learning disabilities to set their own pace for task completion. These students tend to be less problematic when their pace of work is set by themselves rather than when the pace is set by others.

10. Personalized Counseling

Medication plays a crucial role in treating mental dysfunction, but it doesn’t work all by itself. Patients also need additional support from friends and family, in addition to professional help. A therapist can help your child with another outlet that may be lacking. A therapist can also help one manage stress, which is often a side effect of drug and alcohol treatment.

11. Healthy Routines

Create an easy-to-follow daily routine around your meals, sleep, work, and physical activity. We often overlook things that may seem unimportant but may be crucial. Something as simple as an interfered diet schedule or sleep cycle can aggravate many of your problems.

12. Relaxation

Regular practice of relaxation, including deep breathing techniques, can help to reduce the severity of symptoms. In most cases, relaxation is only possible when you work with a routine and predictable schedule.

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Final Word

ADHD can severely impact daily functioning, which then qualifies it as a disability. Therefore, it can be legally considered a disability if its symptoms are so severe that they diminish your ability to perform at your job or school.  If you wish to claim disability benefits for ADHD, consider working with a social disability worker and mental health professional. They will help to prove that your ADHD is disabling.

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