02 Oct ADHD in Australia Today: ‘Thriving Kids’ and What Parents Should Know
As Australia navigates rising ADHD diagnoses, expanding pharmaceutical interventions, and new support frameworks like Thriving Kids, critical reflection and transparency remain essential.
The Therapeutic State: When Morality Becomes Medicine
Where people were once judged for simply behaving badly, psychiatry now often treats those same behaviours as medical conditions. Thomas Szasz (The Myth of Mental Illness) described this as turning moral questions into medical ones: gambling becomes compulsive; overeating becomes an eating disorder; ADHD becomes a medical condition.
Australia’s Department of Health also treats mental illness the same way it does physical illness. But ADHD is diagnosed by observing a person’s behaviour and making judgements from it, not just by physical signs. That’s why people still debate what counts as normal behaviour and what should be considered a medical issue.
Australia Today: Growth and Complexity
ADHD prescriptions in Australia have increased approximately 11-fold from 2004–05 to 2023–24, with stimulants accounting for 87% of scripts. Nearly 600,000 patients (of all ages) received over 4.6 million prescriptions in 2023–24. Supply shortages for methylphenidate brands (Ritalin, Concerta) are expected throughout 2025.
State reforms, such as in New South Wales, may soon allow GPs to initiate ADHD diagnosis and treatment, rather than only maintain prescriptions. A 2023 Senate inquiry recommended broader reforms in assessment, prescribing, and service access.
Thriving Kids: New Early-Intervention Program
Thriving Kids is a new Australian early-intervention program beginning 1 July 2026. It targets children aged 8 and under with mild to moderate developmental delay or autism, delivered through mainstream services rather than the NDIS.
Children with permanent or significant disability will continue to access the NDIS. ADHD is not explicitly listed, but advocacy groups like the Australasian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA) are seeking clarity to ensure children with ADHD can access appropriate supports.
Thriving Kids: Parent Information
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- Start: 1 July 2026
- Age: 8 and under
- Who: Children with mild/moderate developmental delay or autism
- Funding: A$2B over 5 years
- ADHD: Not explicitly included; advocacy groups are seeking clarification
- Action for parents: Talk to your GP or paediatrician, monitor eligibility, and gather documentation
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Where to From Here?
- ADHD-like behaviours exist on a spectrum, overlapping with anxiety, trauma, sleep problems, learning differences, and family stress.
- Evidence shows best outcomes occur when medication is combined with structured, drug and medicine-free support.
- Ethical vigilance is essential to avoid overprescribing and misclassification.
- Programs like Thriving Kids should be monitored to ensure children continue receiving support.
Balanced Perspective:
Australia continues to navigate ADHD diagnosis, treatment, and support. Children deserve early intervention, guided by evidence, while families need reassurance that medicalisation does not replace understanding of behaviour and individual needs.
More details on the Thriving Kids Program here
