Seeing Beyond the Surface: Early ADHD Screening and Real Support in the Black Community!
By Nyleve Eiram
By: Nyleve Eiram, EdVoices Cohort Member, Advocate, Speaker, single mother and Creator of Nyleve Speaks Bold
My Story
I was forty years old when I found out I had ADHD. For years I thought I was just forgetful or unmotivated. I pushed myself harder, stayed up late trying to get things right, and carried this heavy feeling that I was always behind. I told myself over and over that I just needed to try harder. But deep down, I was tired of trying to fix something I did not understand.
Everything started to make sense when my son got diagnosed. As I learned more about ADHD through him, I started seeing myself in every page, every symptom, and every pattern. The distractions, the racing thoughts, the emotional highs and lows, and the pressure to always keep it together. Watching him go through testing and treatment helped me understand myself in a new way. His diagnosis opened my eyes to something I had been living with all along.
When I finally got my own diagnosis, it felt like freedom. I finally had words for what I had been carrying all my life. ADHD was not about being lazy or not trying. It was about how my brain works, and that realization changed everything. But that freedom came late. And I know I am not the only one. So many Black children and adults go unseen, unheard, and unsupported. They get labeled, judged, or ignored instead of being understood.
The Hidden Gap in ADHD Diagnosis
In our community, ADHD is often misunderstood. Black children are less likely to be diagnosed compared to white children even when they show the same signs. Between 2020 and 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 13% of white children had been diagnosed with ADHD, compared to only about 11% of Black children. Those numbers may not seem far apart, but they represent thousands of children who never get the help or support they need.
Today, about 12% of all children ages 3 to 17 in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD. For ages 5 to 11 it is around 9%, and for ages 12 to 17 it climbs to about 14%. Boys are diagnosed more often than girls, with nearly 15% of boys compared to 8% of girls. These numbers show that ADHD is common, but also that not everyone gets the same chance to be seen or supported early.
Black and Hispanic children still face some of the biggest delays in diagnosis. They are less likely to be referred for testing and more likely to be punished for behaviors that are actually ADHD symptoms. Many teachers and schools still do not have the training or understanding needed to see how ADHD looks in different cultures. These differences follow children into middle and high school and can lead to more suspensions, lower grades, and missed opportunities to thrive.
When those children grow up, they often carry the same struggles into adulthood without ever knowing why. In 2023, more than fifteen million adults in the United States reported having ADHD. That is around 6% of all adults. More than half of those adults, about 56%, did not get diagnosed until after the age of eighteen. That means millions of people lived years of their lives feeling like something was wrong with them when all they needed was understanding and support.
Black adults are still 26% less likely to be diagnosed compared to white adults, even when they show the same symptoms. And even after a diagnosis, many still do not receive care. The CDC found that about 36% of adults with ADHD are not getting any kind of treatment. That lack of access affects families, careers, and mental health in ways that last for years.
Medication Is Not the Only Way
Medication can help some people, but it is not the only way. Many of us want other options too. We want therapy, mindfulness, coaching, and real lifestyle tools that help us work with our brains instead of against them. The National Institutes of Health found that therapy and mindfulness can improve focus and emotional balance in adults with ADHD by almost thirty percent when combined with early screening.
That kind of progress matters. It shows that ADHD support should be about choices, not just prescriptions. When people have options, they can find what works best for them and their life. ADHD is not a flaw. It is a different way of thinking. Once people understand that they stop judging and start supporting.
What Needs to Change
We need real change. ADHD screening should be a regular part of healthcare and education. Every child and adult deserves to be screened early and treated fairly. Screenings need to reflect how ADHD shows up in every community, not just one kind of person.
Right now, many schools still miss the signs. Research shows that around 78% of children with ADHD also have another condition such as anxiety or a learning difference. But in many districts, it can take months or even years to get an evaluation. Some parents do not even know that schools can offer free testing. Families of color face even more barriers like stigma, fear of labeling, and lack of access to resources.
Healthcare needs to cover therapy, coaching, and behavioral support just like it covers medication. Doctors, teachers, and counselors need more training to recognize ADHD in everyone. We also need to collect more data by race, gender, and age so we can close the gaps that have been ignored for far too long. This is not just about equality; it is about giving everyone a fair chance to reach their potential.
The Cost of Waiting
When ADHD goes untreated, it changes lives in ways people cannot always see. It affects how people work, how they love, and how they see themselves. Adults with untreated ADHD are more likely to deal with anxiety, depression, and financial problems. Many end up using substances or alcohol just to cope with the stress of always trying to keep up.
This is not just about focus. It is about how we treat people who learn differently. The cost of being under-diagnosed reaches far beyond one person. It touches families, classrooms, and entire communities. It also costs the economy millions of dollars each year in lost productivity and mental health care.
If I had known earlier, my life could have looked different. But now that I know, I am using my voice to make sure others do not have to wait as long as I did.
The Goal and the Ask
My goal is to make early ADHD screening and real support a normal part of life for everyone, especially for Black children and adults who have been left behind for too long. My ask is simple. Let’s make it law. Let’s make early screening standard, fair, and accessible. Let’s make therapy, coaching, and mindfulness part of what healthcare covers. Let’s train professionals to see ADHD clearly in every race, gender, and age. Let’s make care supportive, affordable, and built for everyone. We can do this. We can make the system better than it was for us.
Why I Speak Boldly
I do this work because my story matters. My diagnosis came late, but my purpose came right on time. I speak up because someone out there is still wondering what is wrong with them, and I want them to know that nothing is wrong with them. ADHD is real and it is in our community. We deserve the same care, the same understanding, and the same opportunity as everyone else. No one should have to wait until forty to understand their brain. No child should be punished for something they cannot control. No adult should feel broken for being different. Early screening saves lives. Real support changes futures. And I will keep speaking boldly until that becomes the law.
The preceding blog was authored by a member of the 2025 EdVoices cohort. Through our EdVoices program, EdAllies seeks to elevate diverse voices and foster a candid dialogue about education. While we provide our blog as a platform for EdVoices and other guest contributors, the views and opinions they express are solely their own.