MHM Magazine

Today’s generation of children and teenagers are increasingly questioning their sex assigned at birth and the use of alternative pronouns is becoming more the norm. The use of “they/them/ their” is becoming gradually more common and gender is slowly evolving to be viewed as a “gender spectrum” rather than a binary one. For those living with ADHD, impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, and planning may further complicate this picture. More research and information are becoming available on how the notion of gender intersects with neurodiversity.  Both ADHD and gender identity or gender diversity are related to one’s self-expression and their experience of the world around them. But before these topics are explored further, it’s important to define a few terms: • ADHD: is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects a person’s ability to focus, regulate their emotions and control their behaviour. Additionally, ADHD can cause significant challenges in various aspects of life, such as at work, home, school or with relationships. Often, people with ADHD also struggle to navigate social settings and tend to have low self-esteem. • Gender identity: The American Psychological Association defines gender identity as: “A person’s deeply felt, inherent sense of being a boy, a man, or male; a girl, a woman, or female; or an alternative gender (e.g., genderqueer, gender Claire Tobin Psychometrist at Goldilocks and The Bear Foundation Cape Town GENDER IDENTITY DIVERSITY IN INDIVIDUALS WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) Issue 6 | 2023 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 19 MHM