Support for dealing with ADHD

SHARING THE BURDEN: Di Celliers is running a support group for parents of ADHD children.

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A mother of three boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has started up a support group for parents.

Di Celliers of Torbay decided to form a network to share experiences and expertise with other people in the same boat.

Her youngest son, Grant, has both ADHD and asperger syndrome and is the most severely affected of her children.

Mrs Celliers says it’s not rare to have more than one child in a family affected.

"It’s quite common and tends to run in families."

Mrs Celliers featured in the North Shore Times in 2007 after the generic drug rubifen had a bad effect on Grant’s behaviour.

The government’s pharmaceutical agency Pharmac stopped subsidising ritalin on April 1, 2007. Grant’s doctor wrote a letter to Pharmac’s exceptional circumstances panel seeking an exception to be given ritalin, but the request was declined.

Mrs Celliers and others won the battle to get ritalin re-subsidised in September that year. Grant, 10, is now doing well.

She says she started the support group because "I know, with the difficulty I went through, what it’s like not knowing who to turn to and where to go."

"I have learned a huge amount over the years, while trying to support my sons, especially my youngest. I would like to offer my help in supporting other parents."

Members meet to offer each other support, share knowledge, advice and ideas. She says parents of children of all ages attend, from as young as three to 19 years old.

Mrs Celliers’ support group meets the second Monday of the month at 7.30pm at the Windsor Park Baptist Church, Mairangi Bay.

Other contacts for parents with ADHD children include:

• The ADHD Association phone 846-0913 ext 2 or email adhd@xtra.co.nz

• ADHD support groups are based in Greenhithe, phone 413-8667 and in west Auckland, ph: 834-9559 or 828-8620.

• TeenADDers for families with teenagers with ADHD/ADD has offices in Whangaparaoa, phone (09) 424-2880, and Helensville, phone (09) 420-9362. Visit www.teenad ders.org.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News