Tongues wag in middle class schools about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Are teachers raising too many red flags‚ or have diagnostics simply improved – leading to higher numbers of ADHD kids in each school?
The other side of he equation is that many kids are slipping through the net‚ going undiagnosed and simply being viewed as “behaving badly”.
Now‚ the country’s first screening for ADHD has arrived and could change the fate for thousands of children who suffer from this common and easily treatable condition.
Goldilocks and the Bear‚ a new foundation just launched by psychiatrist Dr Renata Schoeman and local athlete Nic de Beer‚ is offering non-profit screenings and mobile clinics for early intervention in underserved communities.
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At first‚ the foundation will screen 500 kids a month in the Western Cape. It will then extend its footprint nationally.
Nurses and psychologist interns will be trained to screen the rating scales for children to identify possible symptoms‚ followed by a more in-depth screening.
Dr Schoeman says many children who suffer from ADHD do not have access to medical care‚ especially those in rural areas and their symptoms go undetected which is detrimental to the full development of the child.
She says: “Although mental health clinics exist in the public sector‚ children with ADHD often never reach this point of diagnosis and treatment due to a lack of awareness and knowledge in their communities.
“They are never screened for ADHD‚ and may be labeled as naughty‚ or 'stupid'‚ or just silently fall out of the educational system and only come to our attention when absorbed in the criminal justice system.” - TMG Digital/The Times
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