So my approach with my students (who are a little older than your DC) is to emphasize that ADHD does not mean that you are somehow "broken". It's a brain profile that often is a poor fit for traditional classrooms, but has many other places where it can be advantageous. I know he's young, but he's bright too, and he might appreciate the kind of discussion I typically have about dopamine responses. The simplified version of it is that people identified as ADHD often have a lower response to dopamine, which is a chemical naturally released in the brain under various circumstances, but especially under stress. Under normal circumstances, this lower response means it can be harder to pay attention than for other people, and also that you tend to seek out stimulating activities that cause dopamine to be released. Hence inattention and hyperactivity. But under stressful circumstances, the brain floods with dopamine, which for other people tends to make them panic (fight/flight/freeze response). The ADHD brain, in contrast, performs better under stress, because it can handle the high dopamine levels (actually, it kind of "likes" them). This is why this brain profile can be good for high-performance athletes, fighter pilots, entrepreneurs, wall street day traders, etc.
When hyperactivity, impulsivity, or dysregulated attention occurs, it's not a sign of moral failure, just your brain asking for what it needs.
