Brighter Days ahead for support group

Jul 22 2010 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

Brighter Days ahead for support group

BRIGHTER Days could be ahead for families with children that suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

A West Lothian mum has set up a new support group to help parents learn more about the condition.

ADHD is the most common childhood behavioural disorder. It is estimated that ADHD affects five to 10 per cent of children and adolescents in the UK, with up to one in 100 severely affected.

Those children with the condition have a greatly reduced ability to maintain attention without being distracted, to control what they’re doing or saying and to keep the amount of physical activity appropriate to a situation in check.

East Calder mum Avril Sinclair used to spend sleepless nights agonising over her son Reece’s seemingly wayward behaviour.

The mother-of-three felt like she was on speed dial at his school as they constantly called her to meet with his teachers to discuss his “bad behaviour”.

But Reece was no troublesome teen — he was a five-year-old P1 pupil at St Paul’s Primary.

Warned that their son faced a bleak future if he continued to behave the way he had, Avril and husband Chris felt they had no where to turn for help.

It wasn’t until the couple made investigations of their own into his behaviour that they discovered Reece had ADHD.

Now Avril has set up a support group called Brighter Days to help other parents in West Lothian come to terms with a diagnosis of ADHD.

She decided to do something after realising there was nothing out there for families following Reece’s diagnosis.

Avril explained: “I had a really hard time with St Paul’s. After my son started there, we were just passed from pillar to post.

“We were being called into the school all the time. Sometimes it would be for trivial stuff like tapping his pencil against his table, which they put down to bad behaviour.

“They would come down hard on me and, as a result, I would come down hard on him. They told me he was out of control.

“I had sleepless nights wondering what to do with him.

“The school never received any help for him. I was at my wit’s end and didn’t know where to turn.

“However, he got Alopecia and lost all his hair and I realised it wasn’t simply just bad behaviour.

“The school doctor said he thought there was something wrong but never took it any further and I had to arrange more appointments with specialists off my own back.

“I took him to hospital and doctors there knew right away there was something wrong.”

After Reece’s diagnosis, the family felt they were still not receiving any support from the school and decided to move him.

Now about to enter P4, Avril said there was an immediate improvement in Reece when he started East Calder Primary.

“He is a different wee boy now. He still has his bad days, don’t get me wrong, but he is so different and much happier,” said Avril.

“The minute we returned home after his first day there, we could see things were going to be better. It was like night and day.

“They were aware of the condition at the school and there was no tarring him with bad behaviour.

“If children with ADHD are constantly being told off and people are always on their backs, then they will only get worse. It’s a very hard life for them but if there is more awareness out there, it will help.”

Avril and hubby Chris took the first steps towards establishing Brighter Days after realising the lack of support for parents with ADHD children in West Lothian.

“After the consultant told us what was wrong with Reece, we asked where we went from there but he said there was nothing,” she said.

“He put us down on the waiting list for parenting classes with Barnardos but it’s a big list and we had to wait for a while. There is nothing out there for parents at the moment. There are no charities or organisations specifically for ADHD in the area to help.

“Barnardos are inundated with people trying to get parenting classes and they run them during the day, which means some can’t go to them because of work.

“However, we learned so much from it and we want to pass that on to other families.

“When I first had meeting with Barnardos, I thought I had it bad but others have it a lot worse.

“ADHD normally comes with other conditions – Reece also has obsessive compulsive order – and it can be hard work for the families.

“I’m a member of Scotland ADHD Interest Group and I am constantly being educated with regards to the condition and hope to pass that on.”

The group started in May and it takes up a lot of time for Avril, who works part-time in the communications department at Scotmid.

She said: “My boss heard about what I was doing and he printed 30,000 leaflets and posters for free for the group. It was an incredible gesture.

“Every time there is a child diagnosed in West Lothian, I get a call and the parents will be given a leaflet about Brighter Days to let them know support is out there.

“If there is more awareness out there, it will help. If I can help one family, then it will all be worthwhile.”

lIf you want to find out more about the group visit the website at www.brighter-days.com or e-mail brighter_days@rocketmail.com.

The next meeting of Brighter Days is in the Crofthead Community Centre, Templar Rise, Dedridge at 7pm on Monday, July 26.