Empowering Adults With ADHD and Advancing Neurodiversity Awareness – Interview With Rosie Elvin
- Jan 21, 2025
- 5 min read
Rosie is dedicated to raising awareness and supporting individuals with ADHD across various sectors. She also conducts talks and workshops for university staff, equipping them with essential tools to support students and staff with ADHD. Additionally, Rosie offers online courses to parents and carers to empower them to provide effective support to students with ADHD during their university experience. Rosie emphasises that ADHD doesn't define a person and believes in empowering individuals to achieve success. As an ADHD coach, she provides insights and identifies resources to help individuals thrive.
Rosie Elvin, ADHD Coach
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
Hi, I’m Rosie Elvin. I live in Lincoln, UK, with my husband and two boys. I’m a part-time architecture lecturer at Nottingham Trent University and the founder of ADHD Focus. With a background in interior design and architecture, I’ve worked in several design practices and have run my own. Teaching at the university gave me the freedom to explore my ideas and collaborate with inspiring individuals, sparking my passion for both teaching and coaching.
My professional life has been enriched by my personal experiences with ADHD, which I was diagnosed with in my 40s. This diagnosis profoundly shaped my understanding of neurodiversity and inspired me to create ADHD Focus. Through this platform, I coach professionals, often business owners, with ADHD and deliver CPD-accredited talks on neurodiversity in the workplace. I’ve also developed an online course for parents and carers of children with ADHD and authored several e-books, including a free guide for students with ADHD.
As for hobbies, well, I have many! With ADHD, my interests are ever-expanding. Swimming, running, roller skating, allotment gardening, cooking, knitting, and playing the piano are just a few. Discovering new hobbies is part of the joy of embracing my ADHD traits!
What inspired you to start ADHD Focus, and how did your personal or professional experiences influence this decision?
The journey began about eight years ago when a colleague introduced me to the world of neurodiversity. This sparked a curiosity that led me to explore ADHD, especially as I recognised many traits in myself. At that time, I was struggling with hyperfocus, burnout, and frequent mistakes, yet I lacked a clear understanding of ADHD.
As I looked into this more deeply, reading books like Driven to Distraction by Ed Hallowell and Faster Than Normal by Peter Shankman, I discovered the strengths associated with ADHD, entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, and unique problem-solving abilities. However, the road wasn’t easy. Many doubted my ADHD diagnosis, which only strengthened my resolve to raise awareness.
I started giving talks, like the one at Café Scientifique titled "Doesn’t Everyone Do That?" to challenge misconceptions and share my insights. This led to more opportunities to educate others about ADHD in both universities and workplaces, and ultimately to the founding of ADHD Focus.
Can you describe the main challenges adults with ADHD face in the workplace and how your coaching services address these challenges?
Burnout and Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) are significant challenges in the workplace. RSD can lead to a fear of reading feedback, reluctance to seek promotions, and anxiety in meetings. Perfectionism is another common issue, resulting in stress, difficulty prioritising tasks, and taking on too much work to please others.
In my coaching, I help clients unpack these feelings and trace them back to their roots. We focus on self-regulation, self-care, and resilience. For example, if a client struggles with “time blindness,” we explore the contributing factors and develop tailored planning strategies to prioritise tasks effectively. A key part of my work is helping clients reframe their self-perception and build a positive, empowered outlook.
How do your workshops and talks help organisations better support employees with ADHD?
My CPD-accredited workshops and talks help organisations understand ADHD and its workplace implications. Participants gain insights into neurodiverse conditions, executive functioning, and the importance of inclusive practices. I emphasise recognising signs of burnout, managing anxiety, and creating sensory-safe environments. By debunking myths and exploring ADHD’s nuances, I help organisations better support and understand their neurodivergent employees.
What specific issues do women with ADHD face, and how does your approach cater to these unique challenges?
Women with ADHD often face underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis, frequently receiving mental health diagnoses instead. Their symptoms can be less disruptive and more internalised, making them less noticeable. This often leads to a lack of appropriate support.
In my coaching, I start with empathy, recognising that each individual’s experience with ADHD is unique. Together, we explore their challenges, such as time blindness, emotional regulation, and executive functioning issues, alongside their strengths, like creativity and the ability to hyperfocus. We set personalised goals that acknowledge both their professional and personal needs and develop strategies to help them thrive. I aim to empower women by helping them understand, embrace, and work with their ADHD, fostering a deeper sense of self-worth, resilience, and confidence to navigate life’s complexities.
Could you elaborate on the content and objectives of your online courses for parents of university students with ADHD?
The course for parents and carers aims to bridge the gap in understanding ADHD, particularly as many university students are diagnosed later in life. It provides insights into ADHD’s impact on university life, effective communication strategies, and resources for support. The course also addresses the transition from university to the next stage of life, offering guidance on part-time work and career planning.
What feedback have you received from clients who have completed your coaching or attended your workshops, and how has this feedback shaped your services?
I’ve had some lovely testimonials from clients and people attending my talks. One of my favourites, which made me feel so proud that my message is getting across in exactly the way I wanted, is from Jack Parkin, an employee at East Anglia Air Ambulance:
"Amazing talk, Rosie! Having attended many ADHD courses and talks over the years (and self-diagnosed myself), I’ve never heard it explained in such an eloquent way. Well done and thank you for your time!"
I received another lovely testimonial from a coaching client of mine. I coached her through the run-up to her diagnosis, and she said:
"Absolutely thrilled with Rosie and her ADHD coaching service. From the very first session, there was a genuine sense of support and understanding that made all the difference. Rosie really gets the unique challenges that come with ADHD, and instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, she tailored it specifically to what was needed."
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.
A pivotal moment for me was confronting scepticism about the existence of ADHD. This experience ignited my determination to advocate for greater awareness and support. Seeing the widespread lack of understanding around neurodiversity, I am committed to educating others and fostering a shift in how society views and supports neurodivergent individuals.
My journey with ADHD has shown me the power of embracing our unique traits and turning them into strengths. Until educational systems fully accommodate neurodiversity, labels like ADHD are essential for articulating individual needs and accessing necessary support. ADHD and other neurodiverse traits should not be seen as "disorders" or inherently tied to negative mental health outcomes. I will continue raising awareness until there is a broader, more informed understanding of neurodiversity.
It's crucial to equip everyone with knowledge about brain function and ensure access to support systems. Neglecting these needs can lead to serious challenges, including mental health struggles and the high prevalence of ADHD among prisoners, over 40% of individuals in prison have ADHD. This underscores the urgent need for systemic change, ensuring stability and support for all neurodivergent individuals.
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this important topic.
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