The Current Situation in Canadian ADHD Advocacy

10/01/2018
CADDAC National Director

For more than a decade now CADDAC has been advocating with the Ministries of Education, Health, Child and Youth, Justice and Social Services. Our policy papers have been sent to all ministries across Canada impacted by ADHD, and we have personally met with many of these ministries.

When CADDAC meets with government officials to advocate for needed changes to improve the lives of families with ADHD we are told that change will only happen through the interest of our elected officials. In other words, the bureaucratic arm of the government will rarely effect change unless told to do so by the political arm of the government.

However, when CADDAC meets with the politicians we are told that they have no reason to be interested in ADHD since their constituents have shown no interest. They report that their constituents do not speak with them about ADHD, but they do hear from families of children and adults with other neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Autism.

Since CADDAC receives countless calls from parents extremely concerned about the current situation we know that you are indeed very interested, but this is not being shared with your elected officials. You are interested in government policies that impact your children with ADHD in our schools. You are interested in the lack of accessibility to ADHD assessment and treatment options. You are interested in the fact that youth as well as adults with ADHD are highly represented in the prison population yet we lack screening and treatment of ADHD in most correction facilities across Canada.

Unless educated by their constituents, our MPPS fall prey to the same misinformation and misconceptions as the general public. They view ADHD it as an insignificant issue rather than the most common neurodevelopmental disorder impacting the academic success and mental well being of our Canadian children today.

This year we have a unique opportunity with the upcoming Ontario election. We can use this platform as a pilot to see if parents, grandparents, extended family, educators and medical professionals working in the field of ADHD are interested enough to let their voices be heard.

Let’s make ADHD an Ontario election issue for families impacted by ADHD!   

For those of you outside of Ontario, there is no reason for you not to use the same information to assist you in letting your elected official know that you are indeed interested in ADHD.

What Can You Do To Help?

Did you know that your MPP is required to meet with any constituent that request a meeting?

Did you know that governments estimate that every letter they receive on a topic represents an additional 50 to 60 people also concerned about that topic who have not written a letter?

If you have an interest in ADHD, CADDAC and other Canadian ADHD support organizations need your help!

Advocacy efforts cannot succeed unless the voices of those like you are heard – we need all those with an interest in ADHD: parents, grandparents, adults with ADHD, extended family members, educators and medical professionals to do at least one thing to add their voice to the effort.

Please access information on or web site Campaign Page to find information that CADDAC has developed to help you in this effort.

You will find talking points and questions to share with your sitting MPP and those who will be running for election in your riding.  You can use the same information to ask questions at town hall meetings.

CADDAC will be asking Ontario parties to answer a list of questions on ADHD. We will be posting their answers later in February for everyone to see. CADDAC will also be asking to meet with the party leaders to present this information and ask for their commitment to families impacted by ADHD.

Warm regards,

Heidi Bernhardt

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