ADHD Myths & Facts

“Debunking Myths and Misperceptions of ADHD: How to Influence Naysayers” [Video Replay & Podcast #580]

Access the video replay, listen to the podcast episode (#580), download the slide presentation, and learn how to get a certificate of attendance for this ADHD Experts webinar originally broadcast on October 1, 2025.

William Dodson, M.D.
ADHD Expert: William Dodson, M.D., LF-APA Updated on October 23, 2025
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Episode Description

ADHD has been misunderstood since the early 1900s, when children with the condition were described as having a “defect in moral control.” Through the decades, the name for ADHD evolved, but the condition continued to be dismissed or questioned, and the treatment remained maligned. Damaging narratives about ADHD were embedded in the public consciousness and resulted in deep fears among caregivers to effectively treat their children with the condition.

Those fears linger today, reinforced by the false and misleading claims about ADHD in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report released earlier this year. Battling these claims, and encouraging public understanding about the complexities of ADHD, are especially important this ADHD Awareness Month.

ADDitude is kicking off ADHD Awareness Month with William Dodson, M.D., who has spent more than 25 years educating caregivers, teachers, coaches, and other adults on the real-world consequences of untreated ADHD in childhood and over a lifetime.

In this webinar, you will learn:

    • About the history of ADHD, and its long relationship with ignorance and irrational fears
    • How ADHD is much more complex than the symptoms identified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
    • About the lasting and harmful consequences of undiagnosed and untreated ADHD in children and adults
    • How to talk to family members, teachers, and others to improve their understanding of ADHD, and the behavioral and social struggles associated with it
    • How to ensure that you are not on the receiving end of your adult child asking you, in 15 years, You knew I had ADHD and did nothing?

Watch the Video Replay

Enter your email address in the box above labeled “Video Replay + Slide Access” to watch the video replay (closed captions available) and download the slide presentation.

Download or Stream the Podcast Audio

Click the play button below to listen to this episode directly in your browser, click the symbol to download to listen later, or open in your podcasts app: Apple Podcasts; Audacy; Spotify; Amazon Music; iHeartRADIO

ADHD Myths and Misperceptions: Resources

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on October 1, 2025, watched the video replay, or listened to the podcast, you may purchase a certificate of attendance option (cost: $10). Note: ADDitude does not offer CEU credits. Click here to purchase the certificate of attendance option »

William W. Dodson, M.D., LF-APA, is a clinician who has spent his career working on the day-to-day practice of adult ADHD medicine and how to get optimal outcomes from the treatment of ADHD. He has specialized in the application of practice-based evidence to evidence-based practice. Over the last several years, Dr. Dodson has changed the emphasis of his practice from direct patient care to writing and speaking about and consulting on adult ADHD medicine. He has written more than 120 articles and produced many webinars for ADDitude and ADDA.
Dr. Dodson is a board-certified adult psychiatrist who was one of the first practitioners to specialize in adults with ADHD 25 years ago. He is the recipient of the national Maxwell J. Schleifer Award for Distinguished Service to Persons with Disabilities in 2006. He was named a Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association in 2012 in recognition of his contributions to the field of adult ADHD. Dr. Dodson continues to have a private consulting practice in Denver.

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