(Image: Ryan Swain)
A campaign for greater ADHD awareness and understanding is being brought into schools and communities.
Ryan Swain, a Malton-based speaker, is delivering talks across North Yorkshire during ADHD Awareness Month this October.
Ryan, who has ADHD and Tourette’s syndrome, is using his lived experience to help children, parents, and educators better understand the condition and its wider impact.
He said: "ADHD does not only affect the person with ADHD.
"I know what it feels like to be the child everybody is frustrated with because I was that child, but as I have got older, I have realised frustration can work both ways."
His programme of voluntary talks includes visits to Wigginton Primary on October 6, Norton Primary on October 7, Dringhouses on October 9, Elvington Primary on October 13, Acomb Hostel in York on October 26, and Ryedale Special Families in Pickering on October 28.
He is also scheduled to appear at Malton Library on November 16.
Ryan said education is key to reducing misunderstandings and improving support.
He said: "A child might not understand what is happening in their own brain.
"A teacher might be trying to support 30 completely different needs.
"Parents can be exhausted from constantly advocating for their child.
"Siblings, partners, friends, employers and colleagues can be affected too.
"Nobody wins when everybody feels like they are fighting each other.
"Education can help bridge that gap."
His talks, delivered as part of the You, Me & ADHD programme, explore topics including executive functioning, emotional regulation, impulsivity, school avoidance, and reasonable adjustments.
He also works with families navigating assessments, waiting lists, and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
Ryan stressed that understanding ADHD should not mean excusing all behaviour.
He said: "ADHD is not and should not always be an excuse for behaviour, but it can be an explanation.
"Understanding somebody does not mean excusing everything they do.
"It means giving them the knowledge, strategies and opportunity to understand themselves, take responsibility and do better."
For Ryan Mr Swain, bringing the talks to North Yorkshire is especially meaningful.
He said: "This is home for me.
"I was the child struggling in education here, so to now be invited back into schools and organisations across my own area to have completely different conversations about ADHD, neurodiversity and mental health means a huge amount."
He has also shared his experiences with policymakers, taking part in three ADHD All Party Parliamentary Group sessions to amplify the voices of families and neurodivergent individuals.
Ryan said: "I was permanently excluded from mainstream education at 14 and years later I have been invited into Parliament to discuss some of the very issues that contributed to me struggling.
"That is something I could never have imagined as that 14-year-old boy.
"But this is much bigger than my story now."
He is campaigning for mandatory ADHD and neurodiversity education throughout the curriculum so that all children, not just those with diagnoses, can develop understanding and empathy.
With demand for his talks growing, Mr Swain is calling on schools, parent groups, community organisations, and employers to get in touch.
He said: "Knowing the letters ADHD is not enough.
"Awareness has to become understanding, and understanding has to become action.
"I am not doing this because I want people to feel sorry for what happened to me.
"I am doing it because I do not want another child growing up here, or anywhere else, having to reach adulthood before they finally understand themselves."
Ryan’s core talks for children, parents, and communities are delivered on a voluntary basis, with only travel expenses requested where necessary.
Structured training for professionals and workplaces is available on a paid basis.
Anyone interested in arranging future talks or training can find more information at youmeandadhd.uk/about-ryan or contact swainproductionsuk@gmail.com.