All About ADHD : Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

[Estéema]

Specialkids\" post_id=\"2005511\" time=\"1606608184\" user_id=\"129608:

As someone with ADHD experiences in church, school and home, I find intelligent and hyperactive kids wrongly labelled as ADHD 'possibilities'. Having taught in SEN-focussed Primary Schools, I am glad for well-trained educators, AEDs and a better system than before to diagnose properly a child for any special needs.

As such, I have decided to start writing about my personal experiences, in the local context of Singapore. As a teacher myself, and often now as an adjunct teacher supporting kids with special needs, I realised that to be blatantly frank, if a child is not interested in my lesson, then I don't blame the kid but myself for not being able to engage the kid. Bark up the wrong tree and I have only myself to blame. Admit that I have not reflected sufficiently about what goes on in my lessons, and I often come up with better engaging lesson plans whether my kids have special educational or behavioural needs or not.

As for the use of drugs, please research thoroughly. Don't point to other countries that developed the drugs. These countries are now realising the long term harmful results that these drugs, if wrongly or correctly diagnosed and administered in a prolonged fashion, can harm the consumers. The best medicine to give the child is love, acceptance, self-acceptance and control, and the 'I can do it' confidence, SEN or none.

:goodpost:

Thank you for sharing your experiences. Love your insight.

Most importantly, our kids requires our special attention and yes to your “ best medicine to give the child is love, acceptance, self-acceptance and control, and the 'I can do it' confidence, SEN or none.”. Always love our kids abd kids belonging to others in our community.

[Sheena8]

Thanks for sharing the experience. We need a mindset like this so badly. Respecting each other’s kids and loving our kids unconditionally…

[Bluepsy]

Depending on how old the child is when diagnosed with ADHD, the guidelines for treatment would differ. If we look at the UK's NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), they break up their guidelines on ADHD management into a few parts. For the most of it, parent-training (e.g. behavioural management strategies) is considered primary to medication when managing ADHD in children (https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/chapter/Recommendations#managing-adhd).


A similar stance is adopted by the World Health Organisation on managing ADHD (https://www.who.int/mental_health/mhgap/evidence/child/q7/en/).

Based on these guidelines, medication is usually recommended as an \"if challenges persists despite other strategies\" approach, and should not be viewed as the magic pill for ADHD despite some evidence of it's efficacy.

[zac's mum]

CNA has an article today about kids (and adults) with ADD (the non-hyperactive type) - how it affects their organization skills and studying journey. Also the coping strategies they have tried.


https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/adhd-adult-undiagnosed-women-disorder-2277441

[sharonkhoo]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2044254\" time=\"1635633726\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2044254 time=1635633726 user_id=53606]
CNA has an article today about kids (and adults) with ADD (the non-hyperactive type) - how it affects their organization skills and studying journey. Also the coping strategies they have tried.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/adhd-adult-undiagnosed-women-disorder-2277441[/quote]

You beat me to it! I was just about to post this as well! Although my older girl was not disgnosed with ADD (but with other stuff), her behaviour is the same, and I can confirm that many of these strategies help. She drinks coffee too, but only 1 cup a day.

[newbieks]

Hi how is ADD usually diagnosed for a teen? Through interview questions or some diagnostic test done?


In the article, despite facing learning difficulties due to the condition, I find it amazing that many of them managed to do well academically e.g getting scholarship and becoming a vet etc…

[zac's mum]

One of my friends did quite well academically, even taking Japanese as a 3rd language till O levels and A levels. Possibly the schooling journey was highly structured, with fixed homework & targets to work for.


It was only in her 20s that she realized she often misplaced her keys, phone, other items, couldn’t remember appts etc. that she started to suspect she had ADD. Not sure where she went to get the diagnosis. Now she relies a lot on technology (Eg reminders on her phone, Google Home etc) to prompt her on her appts, work deadlines etc.

[newbieks]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2044271\" time=\"1635648841\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2044271 time=1635648841 user_id=53606]
One of my friends did quite well academically, even taking Japanese as a 3rd language till O levels and A levels. Possibly the schooling journey was highly structured, with fixed homework & targets to work for.

It was only in her 20s that she realized she often misplaced her keys, phone, other items, couldn’t remember appts etc. that she started to suspect she had ADD. Not sure where she went to get the diagnosis. Now she relies a lot on technology (Eg reminders on her phone, Google Home etc) to prompt her on her appts, work deadlines etc.[/quote]

Thanks..just thinking wouldn’t all those be things that she can already be doing regardless of whether she gets a formal diagnosis or not? What then would be the difference/benefit if getting a formal diagnosis except if the person needs medication to control the extent of the condition?

In Singapore’s context, would getting a formal diagnosis (even if at private practice) means that the school needs to to be notified, whether by the clinic or by the parents?

[lee_yl]

Maybe depends on the severity for each individual?

I wouldn’t bring my DD2 for formal diagnosis, for what? She’s already so big and we can accept her for what she is.

Recently my DD2’s teacher called to inform she didn’t do well in school. Teacher’s feedback was DD2 is a fast learner but easily distracted. All these we know, well, that’s her. I can sit beside her like what I used to do when she was in primary school but i can’t be bothered now, it takes a lot of patience. Constantly breathing down her neck will spoil our relationship in the long term.

My DD2 has poor short term memory (or easily distracted again). A few times we agreed on a certain timing for her to wait at bus stop for me to fetch her but in the end, she didn’t turn up and went home on her own. She couldn’t even recall we spoke about the arrangements that day! 😂

[zac's mum]

newbieks\" post_id=\"2044274\" time=\"1635650440\" user_id=\"178749:

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2044271\" time=\"1635648841\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2044271 time=1635648841 user_id=53606]One of my friends did quite well academically, even taking Japanese as a 3rd language till O levels and A levels. Possibly the schooling journey was highly structured, with fixed homework & targets to work for.

It was only in her 20s that she realized she often misplaced her keys, phone, other items, couldn’t remember appts etc. that she started to suspect she had ADD. Not sure where she went to get the diagnosis. Now she relies a lot on technology (Eg reminders on her phone, Google Home etc) to prompt her on her appts, work deadlines etc.

Thanks..just thinking wouldn’t all those be things that she can already be doing regardless of whether she gets a formal diagnosis or not? What then would be the difference/benefit if getting a formal diagnosis except if the person needs medication to control the extent of the condition?

In Singapore’s context, would getting a formal diagnosis (even if at private practice) means that the school needs to to be notified, whether by the clinic or by the parents?[/quote]

Some adults want to get some sort of “closure” by getting a professional to assess them.

For kids, it’s not compulsory to get a formal diagnosis. However, if the parent/kid wants to be able to get special “access arrangements” for exams, then they need to submit evidence of a formal diagnosis from a qualified professional. For example, if the child tends to drift off and lose focus during exams, it may be beneficial to have a “prompter” person to tap on the table as a signal to bring their focus back to the paper. I think parents need to know their child well enough to make this decision. The “access arrangement” will be indicated on their exam cert, that’s a consequence that some parents do not want.