To mark Children’s Mental Health week, Michelle Beckett, CEO and founder of the registered charity ADHD Action, was the guest speaker for teachers and support staff across the North East. The training event was organised and hosted by Yes@Richmond School, an innovative provider of educational support and training in the region. The training session was packed to capacity with 30 delegates, representing 22 schools and including 4 parents.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects many children and their families and the aim of ADHD Action is to ensure those affected are understood and fully supported. ADHD Action was founded by Michelle, after she was finally diagnosed with ADHD aged 44, a condition she has struggled with since childhood. The diagnosis and subsequent treatment with medication changed her life. After experiencing first-hand, the impact of the stigma, the lack of awareness and patchy or non-existent provision available, Michelle has campaigned tirelessly, offering awareness training, consultancy and advocacy on behalf of ADHD adults and children in the UK.
Comments Kath Lawson, Specialist Teacher at Yes@Richmond School: “Michelle delivered an exceptional training course and, without exception, the feedback from delegates was unanimously positive. ADHD is an often misunderstood condition and it’s important that it continues to be given greater awareness across the media and in education. Children’s Mental Health Week was a fitting opportunity to raise the profile of ADHD Action and the fantastic work this charity does supporting families affected by ADHD.”
ADHD Action UK campaign for much-needed change and to help others with the condition. Their aim is to see a UK where everyone knows what ADHD is, there is no stigma, and no child or adult falls through the net for assessment, or is discriminated against. For further information visit http://www.adhdaction.org/
Delegate Alison Tapper, a teaching assistant at Stokesley School, added: “I really enjoyed the ADHD training session and found Michelle Beckett very interesting and informative. I learned that the condition tends to run in families with 80-85% of cases thought to be a result of genetic factors. Understanding that the behaviour signs for girls are different to those for boys and how we can support them will help me in my role as a teaching assistant.”
Yes@Richmond School offer a wide range of training opportunities throughout the year. They have developed a reputation as the go-to provider for courses in the area specialising in understanding learning differences to provide support for pupils, parents and schools. For further information on the timetable of courses scheduled for 2019 visit www.yesatrichmondschool.net/Training-Events.