What’s it like to have ADHD in church? A mother and son share their story

Philippa Bolton missed her son’s Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) for many years. This ADHD awareness month, Philippa and her son, Isaac, share their advice for Christians with the diagnosis - and the churches that support them 

Looking back, it should have been obvious that my son, Isaac, had ADHD on the day that he locked himself in the toilet, aged six, because he had just been told that it was a family service that morning, and not junior church as he had been expecting.  

For him, this meant sitting still for an hour, excruciatingly bored. I don’t use the term ‘excruciating’ lightly. For someone with ADHD, sitting still can be almost physically painful. Thankfully, on that occasion, there were cool magic tricks and funny sketches, and it ended up being a highlight of his childhood church experience.  

ADHD can take many forms. One person with ADHD is not the same as another, but symptoms can include difficulties with focus (hyper fixation, attention deficits and surpluses, impulsiveness) and challenges with routine.  It’s also not uncommon for ADHD to co-exist with other forms of neurodiversity, such as autism, dyslexia or dyspraxia. Some people struggle more with attention, others with hyperactivity, some with both. But the important thing is this: it’s not a problem unless it’s a problem. For many people, it’s the thing that makes them really good at what they do.