“You are all on Motorbikes and I’m on a Bicycle”: exploring the retrospective school experiences of females with ADHD through a systemic lens

The present study sought to offer a voice to this underrepresented population. Drawing upon data from ten semi-structured interviews with embedded visual research methods (drawing, diamond ranking, and timelines), the study explored the retrospective school experiences of females with ADHD (aged 18-29) in Northern Ireland through a systemic lens.

Data was primarily analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, aided by a critical visual methodology framework. Participants reported that systemic misunderstanding, lack of awareness, and scepticism surrounding ADHD, most pertinently in relation to teachers, contributed to adverse school experiences and mental health decline in adolescence. Such difficulties were compounded by the effects of masking behaviours and the negative self-perception typically exhibited by participants during this developmental stage.