What is ADHD exactly?

ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder – what does it mean? Well, the name means it is someone who is not able to pay attention to what is at hand and that their levels of activity are above ‘normal’. Well that tells us a lot doesn’t it – you probably already guessed that much!!

At least 5% of children today have these symptoms so severely and so often that they are diagnosed as having a ‘condition’. This is stressful for parents and families, who have to structure busy and demanding lives around coping with these symptoms which generally include inattentiveness, impulsive behaviour and being constantly on the go.

Often the only respite, is when their child goes to school and teachers are increasingly unable to provide the level of support and resources needed to help these young people cope with their condition and to "achieve" in an educational context. This structure is lacking in resources and strategies, often in unsuitable buildings with noisy classrooms and high numbers of children crammed in together. On average, in each of these classrooms there are 2 children presenting with a diagnosis of this condition and another 4 or 5 are exhibiting similar symptoms or copy cat behaviours.

NO one knows for sure why there is such an increase in ADHD right now. Some schools of thought attribute it to diet, others poor parenting skills (which doesn’t parent morale much good for those with children with ADHD - thank you very much!) Others blame it on a genetic disorder – (OK parents…. time to go on another guilt trip again here). The reality of the situation is that just as each child is unique and individual, so too is the ADHD condition. It is a combination of a number of factors that overwhelm the nervous system which then presents the symptoms, collectively referred to as ADHD.

We have all been in a situation where you are out shopping and a child ‘Kicks off’ – literally! It is easy to be judgmental and make discrete comments about lack of parenting skills these days, to whoever is standing closest but the reality is that a lot of families are unable to live a "normal" life, where even a simple trip to the supermarket can turn into a "Nightmare on High Street". Very often the strain of these behavioural issues break up relationships and Moms are left to cope alone with situations that escalate out of control, where they are isolated and alienated and with very little support or understanding for their situation forthcoming from friends or families when the going gets tough.

Traditionally when the situation gets unbearable and once a diagnosis is made, medication is prescribed and the side effects of this are well known. There is evidence that these drugs can have harmful side effects and very often don’t work and in some cases symptoms have been known to get worse.

This publicity has raised concerns for every parent going down the route of ADHD assessment and caused an ongoing interest in the value of alternative and complementary therapies in assisting with ADHD.

The first question has to be do these approaches work? Very often it is an area lacking in substantial research but when delivered properly and evaluated in a suitable context it can deliver some staggering results. In my role as an educational advisor, I have seen a huge turnaround in young people who have been identified as having ADHD.

An example of this is the young man who attended a pupil referral unit because of his inability of cope with life in mainstream school, which affected his behaviour. After following a programme which is a natural alternative to ADHD and achieving remarkable success both behaviourally and academically, it is causing professionals to revisit their thinking about What is ADHD and how to treat the symptoms of ADHD