Dr Tom Nicholson
2024 Global Conference Speaker
Biography
Dr Tom Nicholson is an Assistant Professor of Mental Health Nursing at Northumbria University and a keynote-speaker, trainer, and advocate for ADHD. His research explores the lived experiences of parents of ADHD children and the tension between medical and neurodiversity paradigms of ADHD. Dr Tom is a registered mental health nurse with experience working within the neurodevelopmental assessment service within the Children and Young People’s service. Diagnosed with ADHD in childhood, Tom uses his personal lived experience of ADHD alongside his clinical and academic background to give a multitude of perspectives to his work.
Seeing ADHD from Both Sides: Navigating Nuance In how We Talk About ADHD
How we see ADHD as a society determines the care people get within services, the narrative within wider society, what research is funded and completed, and the way we treat ADHD’ers everywhere.
There are currently two significantly different ways in which people see or conceptualise ADHD. In a medical model, ADHD is a debilitating disorder requiring treatment to reduce disability. However, the neurodiversity/social model describes ADHD as normal human variation, desirable, or even a superpower. Which is right? This talk will explore the strengths and issues within each of these competing ways of thinking, and help you find a nuanced middle ground which takes the best of both worlds to help us bridge the gap between these seemingly competing views.
Use the Comment field below to ask a question for the Q&A section
It’s funny to hear Tom’s story… it’s so similar to mine!
Interesting to think about ADHD and social justice. Is there any known relationship between ADHD and empathy?
Hmm… getting it wrong isn’t quite how I would describe social issues. It’s more like seeing multiple options and not knowing which one(s) the other person wants us to take, sometimes because they don’t know themselves. Makes people very hard work!!
I think one thing ADHD’ers struggle with is imposter syndrome, lack of self confidence, etc.
In addition statistically I think I read something like that by age 12 adhd children will have heard like 10,000 negative comments? Sorry I can’t remember the exact statistic.
Work like this will help remind people and allow them to reflect on good things about themselves! thank you!
Loving the PhD story… had two cracks at one (deep sea biology … and educational research… because… you know… the “thing” :-)). The freedom that came with being told “your job is thinking and going down rabbit holes looking for new connections” was amazing until being told that i had to crush down all that thinking into the prescribed format of the thesis (nevermind the constant progress reports)…. so yeah… two PhDs abandoned 🙁
From my comedy duo. Westdal & Hayward.
“Beth’s got a PHD!”
“No Freyja, I’ve got ADHD!”
Thank you Tom, very positive! 🙂
That’s a shame. I could research for ever…