Welcome to Compassiviste Dialogues. I'm Ali, your host, and my mission with this podcast is to shed light on critical social and environmental issues worldwide, exploring avenues for positive change.

I’m honored to welcome Sarah Templeton, a passionate advocate for ADHD awareness, author, and campaigner driving systemic change across education, mental health, and the criminal justice system. Sarah’s work sheds light on the often overlooked crisis of undiagnosed ADHD, especially within prisons, addiction centers, and homeless shelters, where some of society’s most vulnerable people fall through the cracks.

As the author of How Not to Murder Your ADHD Kid and a key voice within the UK government’s APPG for ADHD, Sarah fights for mandatory ADHD screenings in prisons and police stations to help break the cycle of unnecessary incarceration. In this episode, we delve into her journey, the urgent reforms required, and how early intervention can transform lives.

ABOUT GUEST:

Sarah Templeton is a passionate advocate for adolescents and adults with either unrecognised, and therefore undiagnosed, or late diagnosed ADHD. 

She has seen the catastrophic effects of the condition not being diagnosed early enough. Her decades volunteering and working with the homeless, serving & ex-offenders and addicts had flagged up the disproportionately high amounts of ADHD in these groups; who have such an easily treatable condition which had been allowed to destroy their lives.

Purely because nobody including teachers, CAMHS, GPs, probation, the police and prison services and charities working in the sectors haven’t spotted it.

KEY NOTES:

What is ADHD, and Why Is It Overlooked in Prisons?

How Do Geography and Social Class Affect ADHD Diagnosis Behind Bars?

Rethinking Responsibility in Systems That Profit from Misdiagnosis

Exploring the Link Between ADHD and Crime

Is Medication the Answer for ADHD?

The True Cost of Ignoring ADHD: More Than Just Crime

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Episode trailer

02:00 - Intro  

03:32 - What is ADHD?  

09:30 - Why Are We Ignoring ADHD in Prisons?  

18:05 - Do Geography and Class Shape ADHD Diagnosis in Prisons  

33:53 - Rethinking Responsibility in a System That Profits From Misdiagnosis  

38:30 - Does ADHD Lead to Crime?  

44:10 - Is ADHD Medication A Cure?  

47:30 - What If ADHD Costs More Than Crime?  

57:35 - How Do We Help Solve ADHD As A Community?  

59:57 - Prevention Over Punishment  

01:06:24 - Why Do Some People Leave Stability Behind?  

01:15:39 - Is Education the Key?  

01:20:05 - Compassion and ADHD: Changing Lives Early  

01:30:24 - Outro  

THINGS MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST:

Sarah's Website: https://sarahtempleton.org.uk/

Sarah's Books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Sarah+Templeton&i=audible&ref=dp_byline_sr_audible_1

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