Celebrating ADHD Awareness Month and the Launch of the ADHD Center of Minnesota
October is ADHD Awareness Month, so it’s a perfect time to celebrating something deeply meaningful to me: the launch of the ADHD Center of Minnesota! This center has been a long-time dream, a place where ADHD isn’t pathologized or minimized, but understood, supported, and even celebrated. This blog post helps shares why we chose a butterfly as our symbol for this new ADHD center.
For many late-diagnosed ADHDers, life has felt like an endless puzzle: why does everything seem harder than it should? Why do others seem to effortlessly do what takes us immense effort? When an ADHD diagnosis finally arrives, it can feel like stepping out of a cocoon. We realize that we were never broken, just wired differently. And we’re ready to try flying.
That’s why we chose the butterfly (a symbol that originated within the ADHD community itself) to represent the journey from confusion to clarity, from shame to self-acceptance.
(image of ADHD Center of Minnesota’s butterfly symbol)
The ADHD Butterfly: A Community-Born Symbol of Transformation
The ADHD butterfly symbol didn’t come from a branding agency or medical organization. It first took flight in online ADHD communities. In particular, it seems to have originated from one Facebook Group where thousands of adults (who were discovering their ADHD identity for the first time) were responding to a prompt about what imagery resonated with lived ADHD experience.
Members began sharing butterfly images to express what words often couldn’t. “This is how it feels” the flutter of attention, the restless movement of ideas, and the yearning for transformation. high energy, quick and shifting attention, creativity, and resilience
It quickly evolved into a shared language of hope and self-compassion, and also helped people make a profound shift in recognizing that ADHD can be viewed as a difference and not a deficit.“It’s not a character flaw—it’s my wiring.” The butterfly became an emblem of possibility, new birth, and and personal growth. Many view it as a reminder that ADHDers don’t need to change who we are, but instead deserve the space to unfold into who we’ve always been.
Here is the “official” ADHD Butterfly Symbol that many use today.
At the ADHD Center of Minnesota, we see the butterfly not just as a beautiful image, but as a metaphor for our approach: respectful, growth-oriented, rooted in identity and possibility rather than correction or stigma. We get to witness people move from shame and struggle to pride and empowerment every day.
The Autism Infinity Loop: Infinite Diversity and Pride
For the autistic community, the rainbow infinity loop has become the most widely recognized symbol of autism acceptance and pride. Created by autistic advocates, the infinity shape represents endless diversity and infinite potential, while the rainbow colors highlight the vast spectrum of strengths and experiences within the community.
For many, this newer symbol has largely replaced the older puzzle piece, which can be perceived as stigmatizing and otherwise problematic. They perceive it to suggest that autism is something incomplete or in need of fixing. Some still find positive meaning in the puzzle piece, but for many the infinity loop better reflects what autism truly represents: whole, valuable, and endlessly varied.
You might also see a gold infinity loop symbol. This was first introduced in 1998 by sociologist Judy Singer, who coined the term neurodiversity. The “Au” in gold’s chemical symbol (Au) nods to the first two letters in autism, and can represent how valuable and special autism is.
The AuDHD Symbol: Where the Two Meet
Many people discover they identify with both ADHD and autism—sometimes years apart, sometimes all at once. When the autism infinity loop is layered over the ADHD butterfly, the two images merge to form what’s some recognize as the AuDHD symbol.
(Image of ADHD butterfly sumbol next to autism rainbow infinity loop next to image of autism loop layered over ADHD butterfly)
It’s a beautiful representation of the overlap between ADHD and autism—two forms of neurodivergence that often coexist, interact, and enrich one another. For late-diagnosed adults, this combination often feels deeply personal. It captures that experience of clarity: the sense of finally understanding your lifelong patterns, sensitivities, and strengths.
At the ADHD Center of Minnesota, our work is centered on ADHD—but our values are proudly autistic-affirming and neurodiversity-affirming. We’re working toward true allyship and accessibility, so that every neurodivergent person feels safe, respected, and seen here. The icon that we created centers the ADHD experience, while also being inclusive to autism experience. Our butterfly gives nod to the autism infinity symbol and incorporates the reality of AuDHD of many of our clients.
The Metamorphosis: Turning Understanding Into Growth
A caterpillar doesn’t become a butterfly by trying harder. It transforms by finding a safe space where change can happen naturally.
That’s what we strive to offer at the ADHD Center of Minnesota—a cocoon for transformation.
Through diagnostic testing, therapy, and ADHD-focused coaching, we help people understand their brains, release the shame of feeling “too much” or “not enough,” and discover the strengths that have been there all along.
Our goal isn’t to “fix” ADHD. It’s to help you thrive with it—to move from coping to creating, from self-doubt to self-trust, from camouflage to color.
This is what it looks like when a caterpillar finds its wings.
Join the Movement
We are excited to be launching the ADHD Center of Minnesota, and are curious to learn more about your needs and way you can help us. If this message resonates with you—whether you’re late-diagnosed, exploring neurodiversity, or simply curious about how ADHD and autism intersect—we’d love for you to stay connected.
You can:
- Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to explore testing or therapy
- Or subscribe for occasional updates from the ADHD Center of Minnesota
We promise our updates will be as ADHD-friendly as we are:
infrequent, spontaneous, and probably sent at the last possible minute when we suddenly realize that we planned something amazing but forgot to advertise it. 🙂
(We can’t promise consistency. But we can promise heart.)
[Subscribe for Occasional ADHD Center Updates →]
[Schedule a Free Consultation →]
A section about Dr. Nate Page
Comments
One response
Hi, this is a comment.
To get started with moderating, editing, and deleting comments, please visit the Comments screen in the dashboard.
Commenter avatars come from Gravatar.