The signs list focuses on everyday changes that may suggest a child or young person is experiencing ADHD burnout, such as struggling with tasks they previously managed, needing more downtime than usual, feeling tired even after rest, and becoming more sensitive to noise, stress and ordinary demands.
Presented as a one-page printable poster, the content is easy to share with parents, carers, school staff, SENCOs, pastoral workers, social workers and child and family practitioners. It can help adults recognise when behaviour that may look like defiance, laziness or lack of effort could actually be linked to depleted mental, emotional and physical energy.
The wording is especially relevant for children with ADHD who mask their difficulties during the day and then become distressed at home. It highlights patterns that families often describe, including after-school meltdowns, increased frustration, difficulty concentrating even on favourite activities, and anxiety around schoolwork, routines or expectations.
In practice, the poster could be printed for noticeboards, parent meetings, ADHD support sessions, school discussions, early help conversations or psychoeducation work with families. It offers a gentle way to start conversations about reducing demands, building in recovery time, and noticing early signs of burnout before a child reaches crisis point.
Rather than diagnosing or labelling a child, the sheet gives adults a shared language for spotting ADHD exhaustion, overwhelm, emotional shutdown and burnout signs in kids. The author named on the PDF is Edita Stiborova.
