he guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is aimed at improving the diagnosis and management of ADHD in children and young people. It highlights the role of teachers in recognising ADHD and supporting children with the condition.
A study presented at last week's Royal College of Psychiatrists' conference in Liverpool suggested that two-thirds of primary school teachers struggle to understand ADHD because they lack training.
Author Dr Sheheryar Jovindah, a consultant in child and adolescent psychiatry at Mount Gould Hospital, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Plymouth, surveyed 95 teachers from six Plymouth primary schools about their attitudes towards ADHD in children.
Only 35 per cent of the teachers said they had received any training in understanding and managing ADHD behaviour.
More than 60 per cent of these teachers had limited understanding of issues surrounding the disorder in children, including over-diagnosis and the use of stimulant medication to treat it.
The study found that teachers with some form of training were more likely to work in partnership with parents, and that teachers played 'a vital role in the process of diagnosis and management of ADHD.'
Dr Jovindah said it was crucial that teachers were provided with better training in understanding and managing ADHD behaviour in children.
- Further information: To view the guidance go to www.nice.org.uk.
'The aim of this study was to improve communication between schools and CAMHS. As part of our thorough assessment of children with possible ADHD, we gather information from various sources of which schools are an essential part. So teachers' understanding of this condition is very important in terms of early identification, our accurate assessment and better management of children with ADHD.'
