ADHD — A POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD

 What do Olympic athlete Louis Smith, actress Emma Watson, chef Heston Blumenthal and businessman Richard Branson have in common?

 All these gifted people have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which is now one of the most common, and yet misunderstood and maligned, childhood conditions.

 ADHD Richmond Support Group is joining organisations around the World in October, 2017 to change attitudes and raise better awareness.

The theme of this year's campaign is "Women and Girls with ADHD" highlighting that females aren't diagnosed as much as boys because they tend not to present with hyperactivity which is easily spotted.

The Group's Lead, Alastair Yates, says

"ADHD is neither due to bad parenting or bad children. Nor is it because of diet or what they watch on TV. The causes are unknown but, put simply, it's a neuro-developmental issue which, according to the World Health Organisation, affects the brain's neurotransmitters' ability to transfer messages through the frontal lobes. While ADHD cannot be cured, it can be managed through prescribed medications, parenting courses and therapies".

ADHD Richmond has organised a series of free events for the Awareness Month to educate and support concerned parents and their GPs & teachers.

* October 4^th 7pm Talk on ADHD - What To Do by Dr Claire Scott, Consultant Paediatrician at Kingston hospital. Also at that meeting will be the new Children's Councillor for Richmond, Susan Chappell.

* October 5^th Post-diagnosis session for parents

* October 7^th 10am Play/Meet-Up at Marble Hill Park, Twickenham

* October 10^th 11am Talk on Education Law by solicitor Eva Akins, Kingston

Further detail can be found https://adhdrichmond.orgwhere a free ADHD Handbook is also available and hard copies are being made available to doctors, schools and libraries.

What parents and teachers must do is work together to understand that children with ADHD are not lazy or defiant.

They are simply different - different in their ability to organise, concentrate, focus, inhibit, control, and direct their behaviour in response to their environment.

They turn up late, lose their property, talk incessantly, get easily bored and are impulsive. On a positive note, they also have incredible mental and physical energy and, with the right help and support, they can change the world!

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EDITORS NOTES:

The ADHD Richmond group is a voluntary group which was founded in 1995 to give support to parents & carers of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder & all its comorbidities. Free seminars are held twice-monthly and open to all concerned parents or carers. Donations can be made @ https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/AdhdRichmondSupportGroup1

 The ADHD Richmond team visits schools to explain to teachers how they can make simple adjustments; they also help the two Borough's Achieving for Children services in their ADHD practitioner training programmes, the next of which is on October 16, 2017 at the Twickenham Training Centre.

The Group also supports a parent coaching course, which is one part of the diagnosis process, called 123 Magic. The next starts on November 2, 2017.

 ADHD Richmond is followed by over 4500 people on Facebook and Twitter as well as a YouTube channel.

WHAT IS ADHD?

A lack of dopamine in the brain means a person is unable to control concentration or impulsiveness. They lack the ability to regulate behaviour and motivation or how to learn from mistakes.

 ADHD will almost always have a co-exiting condition like autism, dyslexia, anxiety or depression. These conditions make everyday activities highly stressful for everyone

It is important to diagnose ADHD and its co-existing conditions as early as possible. If a 5-7 year old child is displaying symptoms for at least 6 months, the first port of call is the GP. If that is not satisfactory contact The Richmond & Kingston Single Point of Access (SPA) on 020 8891 7969 (Monday - Friday, 8.00am to 6.00pm) Out of hours Tel: 020 8770 5000 who will begin the process of diagnosis leading to a consultant psychiatrist.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Jenny Cooper - ADHD Richmond 07778126351jenny@adhdrichmond.org

ADHD Richmond Lead, Alastair Yates ADHD Richmond team meet Zac Goldsmith MP