Country Women's Association Awareness Week focuses on neurodiversity

That is made up of 280,000 children and 530,000 adults.

But women are often diagnosed later in life because their symptoms and behaviours are not always obvious in young girls.

It's also possible that doctors diagnose girls and young women with other mood disorders such as anxiety or depression rather than ADHD.

Country Women's Association (CWA) Awareness Week, which runs from September 3 to 9, is focusing on increasing awareness around neurodiversity (which includes ADHD, autism, dyslexia and Tourette syndrome), and the challenges those with neurodiverse conditions face, particularly women and children in rural and regional areas of NSW.

Branches from across the NSW and ACT will use the week to highlight the growing number of women who are being diagnosed with ADHD.

Country Women's Association Murray Group secretary Judy Haines said women with neurodiverse conditions often went under the radar.

"A lot of women are diagnosed with ADHD in later life," she said.

"Young boys are normally diagnosed with ADHD at school while girls slip under the radar.

"Women are often just getting by managing their family and life and don't seek help."

CWA Murray Group - which includes eight branches - set up a stall at Bunnings Albury on Friday, September 8, to highlight neurodiverse conditions.

Ms Haines said CWA was much more than a baking fraternity.

She said CWA highlighted social issues every year during Awareness Week.

"Neurodiversity is the unique way people's brains work," Ms Haines said.

"We have highlighted domestic violence and other important issues each year.

"We're about much more than just baking scones."

The CWA annual state conference in May carried resolutions related to the constitution, agriculture and environment, health and social security, education, transport and telecommunications.

Among them, it asked governments to investigate ways to increase accessibility to and reduce the cost of diagnosing and treating ADHD.

It also advocated for the sponsorship of international nurses to relocate to regional and remote areas of NSW with support to undertake their registration.

It pushed for the shingles vaccination be made available to people over 70 and immunocompromised adults through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and National Immunisation Program.

Albury Evening CWA Branch meets at its Kiewa Street headquarters on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7pm.

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