ADHD charity to set up new Cork branch

An awareness event for the parents of children with ADHD will take place in Cork city next week.

Hosted by ADHD Ireland, ‘From Super Struggle to Superpower’ is free to attend and is aimed at parents who need information and support for a child who has or may have ADHD.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition believed to affect roughly 5% of children who will typically struggle with organisation, staying focused and impulse control.

As a result, the child may feel frustrated, overwhelmed and anxious.

This can have a significant impact on parents and guardians who might themselves feeling helpless and overwhelmed in their efforts to support their child.

Next week’s event aims to inform parents that, with proper diagnosis and support, a child can reach their full potential while building their confidence and self-esteem.

The event comes as ADHD Ireland prepares to open a new branch in Cork.

This will be the charity’s first branch outside of Dublin and new ADHD Ireland Cork Service Development Manager, Martin Finn said the southern region is “crying out” for the service.

“There are very few, if any, child psychologists dedicated to ADHD as a sole thing at the moment in Ireland,” Mr Finn told the Cork Independent. He also said the condition can often go untreated in girls as they do not present in the same way boys do.

He said: “In schools, often times, girls are missed. Boys are more like the traditional ADHD child, bouncing around the classroom, it's more physically obvious.”

According to Mr Finn, ADHD is the most treatable condition in psychiatry with between 70% and 90% of people with the condition finding medication to be hugely successful for them. He said: “The best analogy that I've heard is that it's like eyeglasses, like not being able to focus and then putting on eyeglasses, the glasses being equivalent to the medication.”

Mr Finn said that, when it comes to ADHD and its diagnosis, “knowledge is power” and that parents should never be scared to come and get more information. ADHD Ireland is currently in the process of precuring a premises for its Cork branch which it hopes to announce in the near future.

In the meantime, more information can be found at adhdireland.ie or by emailing martin@adhdireland.ie. ‘From Super Struggle to Superpower’ takes place next Tuesday from 7-8.30pm at The Clayton Hotel on Lapp’s Quay.