Edmonton MP private member's bill seeks to improve resources and care for Canadians with ADHD

An Edmonton MP tabled a bill in the House of Commons aimed at helping Canadians living with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and increasing its early detection in children.

Introduced Thursday, New Democrat Heather McPherson's private member's bill seeks to set a national standard for supporting people with ADHD. Approximately 1.8 million Canadians have been diagnosed with the disorder, and it is estimated to impact between five to nine per cent of children, the Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada (CADDAC) says.

If passed, the federal framework would be prepared within two years in consultation with provinces and territories and set out measures including:

• awareness training for medical staff and educators on ADHD and how to screen for it;
• equitable access for individuals with ADHD and their families to medical and mental health professionals; and
• support resource creation for ways to manage, recognize and understand the disorder.

"It's a bill that recognizes that ADHD affects millions of Canadians," McPherson told CTV News Edmonton. "We don't have a good national strategy for dealing with that."

"This is something that I feel like we should've dealt with a long time ago," she added.

Her 15-year-old son Mac Purvis received his diagnosis after a year of fighting to receive the proper assessments back when he was in elementary school.

Now in high school, Purvis says getting the right medication and support has changed his life.

"Once I got treatment, it made a big difference," he said. "I could pay attention. My marks and stuff got much better in school… It's a lot easier."

Edmonton Strathcona MP Heather McPherson looks over her son Mac's report card (CTV News Edmonton/Marek Tkach).

Part of the problem is social stigma and misinformation about the disorder, McPherson said.

"It doesn't look the same for everyone," she added. "[Some say] that's just a kid being a kid. That's just a rambunctious person. That's just somebody who's not good at paying attention."

"That's not what ADHD is," McPherson said. "When we give folks with ADHD the tools they need, it changes their lives."

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"A kid who is treated for ADHD before puberty has almost zero differences in outcomes than a kid without ADHD. But if someone is diagnosed later in life, all of a sudden, those outcomes are multiplied."

Juanita Beaudry, CADDAC executive director, is excited that the disorder is being talked about by federal politicians and hopes the legislation is passed and implemented quickly.

"It will go a long way to help individuals and families with ADHD," Beaudry said. "Currently, there's really no support at all for individuals seeking resources or help, as well as families struggling to parent a child with ADHD."

What few resources are available are either over-subscribed or require private benefits to access. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Beaudry says CADDAC started offering more programming and webinars to help provide information about the disorder.

"We hear from lots of people who are desperate for help," Beaudry said. "Typically, people don't seek treatment unless something gets bad. Like something has happened, they lost their third job in one year, they are going through another divorce, they are filing for bankruptcy.

"That's typically when people will seek from our centre," she added. "Treatment changes the trajectory for someone's life."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach