Opinion | ‘My parents weren’t ashamed, they were worried.’ How getting diagnosed with ADHD as an adult brought me and my squirrelly brain peace of mind

OpinionPersonal EssayToronto Star
Written By Shara Cooper MA, MFA

The author in Halifax for her MFA residency in 2024.

Originally published March 25, 2025.

“I specifically asked the class not to use scrap paper for this project, and this is what Shara turned in,” my Grade 5 teacher told my parents as she slid my art assignment across the table. My parents, who were also teachers, had carved out time after work to hear about the ways I was failing.

They shifted in their chairs and looked at me expectantly, waiting for a reasonable explanation as to why I used a ripped piece of construction paper for my art project.

Read the full story at the Toronto Star

Shara Cooper MA, MFA

Shara Cooper is the founder of Nordic Prairie Life (formerly, Recipe and Roots) and the owner of the Boundary Sentinel. She is the mother of two teenage daughters, one dog (The Mediocre Gatsby), and one cat (Princess Roseabella the First aka Rosie). She lives in the Edmonton, Alberta. You can find her writing most recently in the Toronto Star.

https://www.sharacooper.ca
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