The primary color for ADHD awareness, often seen on ribbons and flags, is vibrant orange, symbolizing energy, creativity, and warmth, though the rainbow butterfly is another popular ADHD symbol representing neurodiversity, and the broader disability pride flag includes gold for neurodivergence. While there isn't one single "official" ADHD flag, orange ribbons and flags are widely used during October's ADHD Awareness Month.
The ADHD Awareness Month color is a spirited shade of orange. This uplifting hue stands tall, representing the condition's vibrancy and warmth. This chosen hue not only symbolizes the dynamism often associated with individuals with ADHD but also binds the community in visual solidarity.
There are also official colors and emojis that you might see around, especially during October — ADHD Awareness Month. The official color of ADHD awareness is orange, often represented with an orange ribbon.
There may not be a single “official” flag for ADHD. That said, the disability pride flag, most recently redesigned in 2021, includes a gold stripe for the neurodivergent community.
The ADHD Ribbon Color
The vibrant orange ribbon represents hope, support, and solidarity for individuals and families affected by ADHD. This symbol serves as a reminder that understanding and compassion are essential in addressing the challenges associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Symbols (Rainbow Butterfly Symbol): The rainbow butterfly symbolizes the diverse journeys of individuals with ADHD. Much like the butterfly's graceful flitting from one flower to another, ADHD individuals navigate through life with a similar sense of fluidity.
The ADHD "2-Minute Rule" suggests doing any task taking under two minutes immediately to build momentum, but it often backfires by derailing focus due to weak working memory, time blindness, and transition difficulties in people with ADHD. A better approach is to write down these quick tasks on a separate "catch-all" list instead of interrupting your main work, then schedule specific times to review and tackle them, or use a slightly longer timeframe like a 5-minute rule to prevent getting lost down "rabbit holes".
In line with ADHD awareness month every October, the ADHD awareness symbol is an orange ribbon. The colour of orange offers a representation of energy, warmth, and creativity which are all common traits in people with ADHD.
The ADHD "30% Rule" is a guideline suggesting that executive functions (like self-regulation, planning, and emotional control) in people with ADHD develop about 30% slower than in neurotypical individuals, meaning a 10-year-old might function more like a 7-year-old in these areas, requiring adjusted expectations for maturity, task management, and behavior. It's a tool for caregivers and adults with ADHD to set realistic goals, not a strict scientific law, helping to reduce frustration by matching demands to the person's actual developmental level (executive age) rather than just their chronological age.
The five gifts of ADHD include creativity, emotional sensitivity, exuberance, interpersonal empathy, and being nature-smart (The Gift of Adult ADD, 2008).
The 24-hour rule for ADHD is a self-regulation strategy to combat impulsivity by creating a mandatory waiting period (often a full day) before reacting to emotionally charged situations or making significant decisions, allowing time for reflection and reducing regretful snap judgments, especially for things like impulse purchases or arguments. It's a pause button that gives the brain space to process, move from impulse to intention, and evaluate choices more logically, helping manage ADHD's impact on emotional regulation and decision-making.
Yellow: Yellow represents ADHD, capturing its energetic and often spontaneous nature. The bright, lively hue of yellow reflects the high energy levels, enthusiasm, and creativity commonly associated with ADHD.
Symptoms
One symbol that has come to represent attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a form of neurodivergence, is a rainbow-colored butterfly.
The "dark side" of ADHD involves significant life struggles like poor work/school performance, financial issues, unstable relationships, and higher risks for substance abuse, accidents, depression, anxiety, and even suicide, stemming from core symptoms (inattention, impulsivity) and weaker executive functions, leading to frustration, low self-esteem, and feelings of being misunderstood or a fraud, especially when untreated.
– Simone Biles
She has won an eye-popping 14 world championship medals. At the age of six, Simone was diagnosed with ADHD and today serves as a powerful voice for those with both invisible and visible disabilities.
Increase stress relief by exercising outdoors—people with ADHD often benefit from sunshine and green surroundings. Try relaxing forms of exercise, such as mindful walking, yoga, or tai chi. In addition to relieving stress, they can teach you to better control your attention and impulses.
The only way to know for sure is to see a doctor. That's because the disorder has several possible symptoms, and they can easily be confused with those of other conditions, such as depression or anxiety. Everyone misplaces car keys or jackets once in a while. But this kind of thing happens often when you have ADHD.
The 20-minute rule for ADHD is a productivity strategy to overcome task paralysis by committing to work on a task for just 20 minutes, leveraging the brain's need for dopamine and short bursts of focus, making it easier to start and build momentum, with the option to stop or continue after the timer goes off, and it's a variation of the Pomodoro Technique, adapted for ADHD's unique challenges like time blindness. It helps by reducing overwhelm, providing a clear starting point, and creating a dopamine-boosting win, even if you only work for that short period.
The 🎗️ (Reminder Ribbon) emoji symbolizes support, awareness, and remembrance for various causes, often representing hope, remembrance, or a specific campaign, with its meaning varying by color (e.g., yellow for hope/military, pink for breast cancer, red for AIDS), stemming from the tradition of tying ribbons to show solidarity or a desire for someone's return, as seen with the yellow ribbon movement.
Celebrities With ADD/ADHD
The 5 C's of ADHD, developed by psychologist Dr. Sharon Saline, is a framework for parents and individuals to manage ADHD challenges, focusing on Self-Control, Compassion, Collaboration, Consistency, and Celebration. This approach builds skills for better emotional regulation (Self-Control), empathy (Compassion), working together (Collaboration), establishing routines (Consistency), and recognizing progress (Celebration) to foster a supportive environment and reduce stress.
For adults, 7-8 hours is recommended. Try to avoid napping during the day. Optimise your sleep environment. Make sure your environment is quiet, calm and comfortable.
The one-touch rule
Teach your child to only pick up each item one time and put it away immediately. It could take some time to get used to, but once they do, this is a simple habit to keep things neat. For example, coloring books go onto their bookshelf, dirty socks go into the hamper, and so on.