Guest Post: Elly Both on ADHD As A Superpower!

A Kids Book About ADHD had been bubbling around in my mind for a long time before I put my fingers to the keyboard.  

I wanted to write a book that shared my experience growing up and telling the story of the struggles I had experienced.  

I wanted to share with kids who are experiencing what I did.  I wanted to write a book that shared all the awesome things that come along with having ADHD. 

I have been a big fan of the publishing company A Kids Co. for many years and loved their series of books designed to be read together (grownup and kid) to create open discussion around some big topics. 

True to the style of A Kids Co. books, my book is not a story with a central character and pictures - it’s my personal story with brilliant and bold typography that embodies the pivotal parts of the book.

In the book, I share my personal journey with ADHD – the struggles I had as a kid trying so hard to concentrate in school but ending up talking too much and spending lots of time with my head in the clouds. I also share the story of my assessment process as an adult and how I felt when I discovered that so many of the challenges that I had faced throughout my life really came down to having a brain that works in a different way.

I wrote the book for kids who are going through a similar experience. Some kids might find it hard to focus and tend to float away into daydreams. Others might have trouble sitting still and tend to bounce off the walls. Whichever way/s someone experiences ADHD, any and all of these behaviours are perfectly natural.

In a way, I also wrote the book for my 8-year-old self, the kid who didn’t understand why she felt upset and worried all the time. It was a way to accept myself for who I am and let go of the guilt and shame that I'd held onto for a long time. I hoped that by sharing this I could help other people do the same.

Without sugar-coating the laundry list of challenges that come along with having ADHD (and there can certainly be a long list!), I wanted to share that there can also be many wonderful things too. I call these superpowers! They can be things like coming up with creative ideas, working in deep hyperfocus and losing ourselves in an activity when something really piques our interest. These superpowers can be harnessed and used to our advantage to realise our potential.

I also wanted to share my story for grownups who experience significant challenges with their ability to focus, and to let them know that they are also unique and wonderful just as they are.

All in all, I hope that if my book can help one kid to accept their brain for its unique qualities, then it will have been worthwhile :)

Elly Both is a newly published author having recently released her first book, A Kids Book about ADHD through A Kids Co.

Diagnosed with ADHD in her early 40’s, Elly has transformed her personal journey into a source of empowerment, not only for herself but for young minds grappling with similar experiences. The book aims to redefine ADHD for young readers, encouraging them to see ADHD not as a hindrance, but as a superpower that provides them with a unique way of seeing the world and existing in it.

Connect with Elly at ellyboth.com or on Instagram