Kia ora,
I’m making this Official Information Act request to the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) for information held by the Ministry of Youth Development, Te Manatū Whakahiato Taiohi, which is administered within MSD. This request is part of ADHDInquiryNZ, a grassroots, unfunded, and non-partisan volunteer initiative supporting a public petition calling for a Parliamentary inquiry into systemic harm to people with ADHD in Aotearoa. This request focuses on information held by MYD to help identify how ADHD is currently recognised within youth policy settings. The information gathered from this and related requests will be used to help identify any patterns across agencies and will contribute to evidence provided to the Petitions Committee when the petition period closes. I appreciate the time involved in OIA responses.

Timeframe: 1 January 2015 to the date this request is received.

Format: Please provide datasets in machine-readable format where applicable (CSV or original spreadsheet file).

Please provide:

1. Policy and Advice
Any policy documents, strategy papers, briefings, or advice since 2015 that refer to ADHD or broader neurodiversity in relation to youth development, wellbeing, participation, or equity.

If none exist, please confirm this.

2. Research, Funding, and Youth-Voice Inputs
Any research, funding rounds, community projects, or youth advisory group inputs since 2015 that have included ADHD as a topic or identified ADHD as a barrier to youth participation.

If none exist, please confirm this.

3. Public-Facing Materials
Any public-facing resources, campaigns, guidance, or youth-awareness materials since 2015 that mention ADHD, including any broader disability or neurodiversity materials where ADHD is specifically referenced.

If none exist, please confirm this.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation
Any evaluation or monitoring frameworks that include ADHD, including any broader disability or neurodiversity indicators where ADHD is specifically referenced, within MYD’s reporting.
If none exist, please confirm this.
5. Categorisation
If ADHD-specific work is not held, please confirm and indicate whether ADHD is considered under broader categories such as mental health, disability, youth equity, or NEET risk factors.

If information is not held
If MYD does not hold some or all of the information requested, that absence itself helps clarify how ADHD is currently recognised within the youth policy system. Identifying such gaps is part of building the evidence base for a coordinated response.

Please confirm if the information is not held, and include any documents or correspondence that record a decision not to collect or monitor ADHD-related information. Where applicable, please indicate how related matters are categorised.

Ngā mihi,
Elspeth Baker-Vevers

Kia ora,
I confirm I do not require staff names or contact details.
Ngā mihi,
Elspeth