Childhood Disorders

What is Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder? - Advice for Parents

Kids are kids. They can be distractible, forgetful, impulsive and fidgety. They often don't listen and sometimes seem to forget what they should be doing the minute after they were told. But at what point should a parent worry about AD/HD?

Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) can have difficulties with maintaining concentration, organising themselves and impulsivity.

These difficulties affect their ability to complete tasks in the classroom and at home. Quite often, parents and teachers of children with AD/HD feel that the child has a great deal of potential, but is just not able to reach it because they have trouble staying on task and finishing things.

Children with AD/HD can display a variety of behaviours. Some children display them all and others are predominatly one kind or another.

Inattention, such as:

Makes careless mistakes

Has trouble keeping attention on a task

Often doesn't follow instructions

Sometimes doesn't seem to listen at all

Very easily distracted

Doesn't like and avoids activities that require concentration

Often loses things

Is often forgetful about daily things, e.g. brushing teeth, putting shoes on.

Hyperactivity, such as:

Has difficulty sitting still and often fidgets

Often gets up from being seated (e.g. in the classroom)

Often runs about or climbs when it is not appropriate

Seems to be always on the go, as if "driven by a motor"

May find it hard to quieten down and go to sleep

Impulsivity, such as:

Often interrupts

Has trouble waiting for his/her turn

Sometimes starts answering a question before the question is finished

Does things before thinking of the consequences

It is important to note that all children do these things sometimes. It is when these behaviours become of great concern to parents, teachers, siblings and friends that it may be helpful to investigate further.

Although children with AD/HD can be difficult to manage at times, there are plenty of great positive strategies that parents can use with children to help them stay on task, complete their daily routines and manage impulsive behaviour. We use the internationally-renowned Triple P Parenting Program to support parents in making postive changes to their child's behaviour.

What can be done to help a child with AD/HD?

Treatment of AD/HD has better results when it involves a variety of approaches.

We can complete a comprehensive AD/HD assessment. This will involve observations and administering standardised assessments with your child, as well as gathering information from parents and school teachers.

A comprehensive, individualised report will be written for your child, which will answer your questions. The report will also have recommendations that parents and teachers can implement to help your child function and cope better.

Parents are not alone after the assessment. We are available to follow up and assist with any concerns or needs parent have.

For children who have already been diagnosed iwth AD/HD, we can support parents to discover and put into practice new strategies to help manage difficult behaviours as well as focus on teaching the child to become more independant in managing themselves.

If you are concerned that your child has AD/HD or if you would like to know more about how to manage your child with AD/HD please contact us

What is Aspergers Disorder? - Advice for Parents

Lots of people are talking about Aspergers disorder and it seems many children have it. My child is sometimes a little odd. Does he have Aspergers? How do I know?

Children with Aspergers disorder are all very different. They have different strengths, needs and difficulties. Due to this wide range of differences, such children are referred to as “being on the Autistic Spectrum”.

Despite these differences, there are some features that are similar in children with Aspergers disorder.

Children with Aspergers have social difficulties. They may prefer to play alone or play with children much younger than them. They may prefer to play along-side other children, rather than “with” them. Children with Aspergers disorder don’t seem to follow or understand the “unwritten” social rules. They have trouble reading body language and knowing how someone is feeling by looking at their expression.

Children with Aspergers disorder also show quite rigid need for routines and stereotyped behaviours. This means they need to have things “just so” as they want them. Toys need to be lined up a certain way, things have to be in place and routines have to be followed a set way, sometimes down to where the broccoli goes on the dinner plate. Children with Aspergers disorder can get very upset when things are not as they expect them. They may also have unusual mannerisms, such as flicking fingers and hands, twirling or rocking.

There are often one or more “special interests” that a child with Apsergers has. However, unlike many other children who have favourite toys, or are following a particular “craze” of toy, Aspergers children go to astounding lengths to learn all about their special interest. For example, a child likes trains, not only will they collect trains and enjoy Thomas the Tank Engine, they will be able to recite all the models of trains, when they were built, what country they were from; sometimes down to which brake parts each train takes!

The excitement about an interest is hard to contain, and children with Aspergers often like to tell others about their interests in great detail. Typical to not being able to read the “unwritten” social rules, Aspergers children don’t have any idea when their listener gets bored.

Children with Aspergers Disorder, although they can be quite clever, generally find school a very difficult place to adjust to. They can become very anxious in the classroom and playground settings and may have difficulties learning.

Being the parent of a child with Aspergers Disorder

Children with Aspergers can be very difficult to manage. They often have need for very rigid routines and can become quite upset when things don’t go to plan.

Managing behaviour can be very difficult when the child has outbursts because they can’t cope with things not being “as they should”. Managing anxiety is another difficult task for parents, as the anxiety not always evident.

What can you do if you are concerned that your child has Aspergers disorder?

We can complete a comprehensive Aspergers disorder assessment. This will involve observations and administering standardised assessments with your child, as well as gathering information from parents and teachers.

Parents are not alone after the assessment. We are available to follow up and assist with any concerns or needs parents have. We use the internationally-renowned Triple P© Parenting Program to support parents in making positive changes to their child's behviour.

If you are concerned that your child has Aspergers disorder or if you would like to know more about how to manage your child with Aspergers disorder please contact us