Ryan Swain, 36, from Malton in Yorkshire, spent his childhood being called "useless, stupid, and irritating" by adults and peers alike, before an ADHD diagnosis at age 21 made his life make sense. He was removed from mainstream education at 14 after his behaviour was deemed difficult, and now campaigns for mandatory neurodiversity education in schools.
Childhood Struggles and Missed Diagnosis
Ryan was born with undiagnosed ADHD and a heart defect that left a hole in his heart. Doctors did not detect the heart condition until he collapsed at age four, despite such conditions typically being identified much earlier. He believes his undiagnosed ADHD masked the symptoms: "Normally, a child will be lethargic, they won't eat, they won't drink. But for me, I was the complete opposite. I was always on the go, I had no sense of danger, I acted upon impulse, I talked excessively."
Following an operation, his ADHD symptoms worsened. "I wasn't growing and developing like the other children around me. I was just called lazy, naughty, bad, useless," he said. Matters deteriorated at secondary school, where puberty exacerbated his symptoms. After witnessing another pupil being bullied, Ryan found himself in a fight and was permanently excluded.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
Ryan was officially diagnosed with ADHD in 2011 at age 21. The diagnostic process took 18 months, starting with his GP, who referred him to a psychotherapist and neurologist through the NHS. "I sat through six sessions, and then I got my diagnosis. It all made sense," he said. His father attended every appointment and was also diagnosed with ADHD at the same time.
Ryan later attended a pupil referral unit in Scarborough, which he credits with saving his life: "There was flexible learning and movement breaks. We learnt about each others conditions and the consequences of our actions."
Campaigning for Neurodiversity Education
Now an artist and musician, Ryan visits schools, educational establishments and parliament to share his experiences. During ADHD Awareness Month, he has visited 27 schools voluntarily. He launched a petition last week calling for all schools to incorporate ADHD and neurodiversity education into their curriculum, which has already gathered over 6,000 signatures; 10,000 are needed for it to be discussed in Government.
Ryan is also launching a virtual course called "You, Me and ADHD," which he plans to give to the Department of Education for free. He said: "In the curriculum, we teach young minds about drugs and alcohol addiction, we have sex education, so why are we not teaching young people about mental health conditions and neurodivergence?"
