# 90. ‘When Someone Says “We Didn’t Have ADHD Back Then” — And You Start Questioning Yourself’

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/adhd-mums-6363089/90-when-someone-says-we-didn-t-have-adhd-back-then-and-you-start-questioning-yourself
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/adhd-mums-6363089/90-when-someone-says-we-didn-t-have-adhd-back-then-and-you-start-questioning-yourself.md
Podcast: [ADHD Mums](https://stenobird.com/podcast/adhd-mums-6363089)
Published: 2026-03-16T19:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://adhdmums.com.au/captivate/myth-busting-series-when-someone-says-there-were-no-adhd-kids-back-then
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/7b08f064-62bc-4beb-b65b-1283aba3c727.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/adhd-mums-6363089/episodes/90-when-someone-says-we-didn-t-have-adhd-back-then-and-you-start-questioning-yourself
Duration seconds: 1286

## Resource

Somewhere in almost every ADHD conversation, someone eventually says it. 'There weren't kids like this when I was at school.' Or the slightly more polite version: 'Why are there suddenly so many ADHD kids now?' And if you're a parent of a neurodivergent child, you've probably heard this one too: 'Maybe it's just screens.' This episode pulls that myth apart. Because the truth is far more complex — and far more interesting. ADHD didn't suddenly appear in the last 20 years. What has changed is how classrooms work, what children are expected to do inside them, and how visible neurodivergence becomes when the environment shifts. In this episode, we unpack one of the biggest myths about ADHD and neurodivergence: Are there actually more neurodivergent children now? Or are we finally recognising what was always there? WHAT WE COVER – The myth that 'there were no ADHD kids in the past' – Why increased diagnosis does not mean ADHD is suddenly more common – How modern classrooms have changed dramatically over the last 30 years – Why language demands in early schooling are much higher than they used to be – What happens when school expectations exceed a child's nervous system capacity – The difference between developmental opportunity and underlying neurodevelopmental differences – Why early learning environments play a crucial role in supporting neurodivergent kids – The societal changes affecting children's development, play and independence – How pandemic stress and modern family pressure has reshaped childhood environments – Why blaming screens oversimplifies a much bigger developmental conversation WHAT THE RESEARCH ACTUALLY SAYS One of the most cited global studies on ADHD prevalence analysed 175 international studies and found that ADHD rates have remained relatively stable…

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