About Lou
My goal is to thrive with ADHD, and to help my son thrive as well. By understanding ADHD and how it shows up in our lives, truly accepting ourselves and our diagnosis, being our own best friend, embracing our strengths and learning to manage our challenges, I believe we can all thrive, live a positive and fulfilling life, and achieve our dreams.
Professional Bio
Lou Brown is a Doctor of Philosophy (Nursing) candidate at Curtin University, a Registered Nurse (non-practicing), and an experienced, accredited ADHD Coach, Consultant & Educator. She is also an Appointed Director on the Australian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA) board, the lead peak body for ADHD Professionals in Australia, and a Consumer Advisor and Research Collaborator for a Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health ADHD research group lead by Professor Mark Bellgrove and a Deakin University ADHD research group lead by Associate Professor Emma Sciberras. As a tireless ADHD advocate, Lou has presented ADHD workshops and spoken at conferences on ADHD all around Australia and in the UK. She is often consulted to provide consumer input into ADHD initiatives and has collaborated with the Australian National ADHD Consumer Forum, ADHD Australia, Parents for ADHD Advocacy Australia, and the ADHD Foundation Australia, in both paid and unpaid projects. Additionally, Lou has appeared in multiple television interviews and online and print publications, sharing her lived and clinical experience with the aim of fostering understanding and awareness around ADHD.
Doctoral Research
Lou’s doctoral research aims to inform the development an acceptable and feasible ADHD parenting program that is ready for wider testing and implementation. The aim of the parenting program is to empower parents to commence the process of fostering the development of their children as independent, healthy, functioning adults with ADHD in their prepubescent years. The program development process is being guided by the first five steps of the six steps in quality intervention development (6SQuID) outlined by Wright et al. (2015). The parenting program will be grounded in biopsychosocial theory and incorporate acceptance of disability, recovery and shared management principles due to their influence on holistic wellbeing.
Research Plan:
| Phase 1: | Integrated literature review to inform the development of the ADHD parenting program. |
| Phase 2: | Semi-structured interviews to examine potential barriers and facilitators related to the delivery of the ADHD parenting program. |
| Phase 3: |
Pilot ADHD parent education program three times using an iterative approach. Each pilot round will include pre- and post-workshop surveys and one parent and one clinician focus group. |
Academic publications
*Bisset, M., *Brown, L.E., Bhide, S., Patel, P., Zendarski, N., Coghill, D., Payne, L., Bellgrove, M.A., Middeldorp, C.M., & Sciberras, E. (2023). Practitioner Review: It’s time to bridge the gap – understanding the unmet needs of consumers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder – a systematic review and recommendations. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry.https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13752
Chau, T., Tiego, J., Brown, L., Coghill, D., Jobson, L., Montgomery, A., Murrup-Stewart, C., Sciberras, E., Silk, T. J., Spencer-Smith, M., Stefanac, N., Sullivan, D. P., & Bellgrove, M. A. (2023). Against the use of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2–15 years. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. https://doi/10.1177/00048674231161504
Chau, T., Tiego, J., Brown. L. E., Mellahn, O., Johnson, B. P., & Bellgrove, M. A. (2024). The distribution of parent-reported ADHD and subclinical Autistic traits in children with and without an ADHD diagnosis. JCPP Advances, e12223. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12223
Knott, R., Mellahn, O. J., Tiego, J., Kallady, K., Brown, L. E., Coghill, D., Williams, K., Bellgrove, M. A., & Johnson, B. P. (2024). Age at diagnosis and diagnostic delay across attention-deficit hyperactivity and autism spectrums. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 58(2), 142–151. https://doi.org/10.1177/00048674231206997
Publications
Brown, L. E. for the Australian ADHD Professionals Association (2023). Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline For ADHD: Consumer Companion Guide. https://adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au/consumer-companion/
Brown, L. & Quinn P. for the Australia ADHD Professionals Association (2021). Talking about ADHD Language Guide. The Guide has been endorsed by AADPA, ND Australia, World Federation of ADHD, The Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance, The Israeli Society of ADHD, The ADHD Foundation, ADHD Australia, Parents for ADHD Advocacy Australia, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health – Monash University, Brain and Mind Centre – University of Sydney, University of Melbourne.
Brown, L. for the Australia ADHD Professionals Association (2021). Kids like me (children’s book). Illustrated by Australian children with ADHD https://aadpa.com.au/some-kids-book/
Brown, L. (2018). ADHD in primary school: A comprehensive guide to understanding and supporting students with ADHD in the classroom.
Personal Statement
Having grown up with untreated ADHD, I know from personal experience the detrimental impact the condition can have on your self-esteem and self-worth, social skills and interpersonal relationships, academic and career success, as well as your health and quality of life. So much so, that when I first read about the trajectory of possible ADHD-related adverse outcomes, I could sadly see my earlier life so clearly reflected back to me on the page. Thankfully, however, I can report with a bit of maturity and a lot of self-determination and hard work, I learned to accept myself unconditionally, to be my own best friend, to develop skills that help me manage my challenges, to achieve many of my personal goals, and to find my happy place in the world.
That’s not to say that my ADHD no longer challenges me, it does on a daily basis and probably always will. However, I am more at peace with myself and my journey now, and choose to view any challenges I still have as further opportunities to learn and grow.
The greatest challenge I faced after my diagnosis was coming to terms with the fact my son also had ADHD. When I found out, the grief was unbearable and I became consumed with worry for his future. However, after accepting his diagnosis, I grew determined to do anything I could to prevent him from having the same experience as me. I do not want him to just cope with having ADHD, I want him to truly thrive and flourish despite the condition. To reach his full potential and live a full and rewarding life.
This set me off on a crusade to learn everything I could about ADHD. To personally delve deep into the research and to seek out educational opportunities in an effort to develop a really good understanding of the condition and the various treatment options. My efforts were so worth it. The knowledge I gained helped me to understand my son and his symptoms, as well as make decisions regarding my parenting approach and other treatment interventions in order to positively support his development and help him thrive. It also set me on the path to becoming a full-time PhD candidate and ADHD research collaborator, and to dedicating my life to optimising the outcomes of individuals with ADHD.
Memberships & Qualifications
Full member – Australian ADHD Professionals Association
Full member – World Federation of ADHD
Doctor of Philosophy (Nursing) Candidate, Curtin University, Perth WA
AHPRA Registered Nurse, Non-Practicing
Basic ADHD Coaching, ADD Coach Academy, USA
Level 1, 2 & 3 Wellness Coaching, Wellness Coaching Australia
Bachelor of Science (Nursing), Edith Cowan University