TEACHERS GET LESSONS IN WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A CHILD WITH ADHD


20th anniversary of the Abergavenny Food Festival


Fay Bowring from Barnardo’s with teachers from Romilly Primary tackling the box building exercise


Difficult, disruptive and distracted are the labels often given to pupils with Attention


Deficit


Hyperactivity Disorder, but now teachers are discovering what it’s like from a child’s point of view. The children’s charity Barnardo’s Cymru has begun running classes for teachers which explain the many challenges facing pupils with the disorder and how staff can best help them.


After successful twilight sessions for more than 50 teachers at Romilly Primary School in Barry the charity is now getting training requests from other schools. Barnardo’s Cymru has been


running classes for parents with ADHD children for some time, thanks to funding from Cardiff Families First and the Integrated Care Fund in the Vale of Glamorgan, and it was parents themselves who suggested that teachers would also benefit from knowing more about the condition.


Fay Bowring, a family practitioner with the charity, said: “We have worked closely with health professionals to deliver parents’ programmes in schools and provide one-to- one support. The feedback from parents has been phenomenal.


“By attending a shortened version of the course


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teachers can now learn the same strategies as parents, so children are treated consistently at home and school.”


In one session the teachers watched a powerful video of an average day in the life of a teenager with ADHD who explained the challenges of coping with sensory overload. His brain is bombarded by different sounds and sensations all at the same time, making it difficult for him to concentrate on his studies. The teachers learnt how the condition is caused by a lack of, or an underactivity of, dopamine and noradrenaline, and that while some children may appear hyperactive others can be the class dreamers looking out of the window. Education, behaviour therapy, exercise and good nutrition can all help and teachers and parents can learn ways of communicating effectively and building children’s self-esteem.


Liz Durrant, Romilly Primary’s


Additional


Learning Needs Co- ordinator, said: “Ours is a large school and we have many children with ADHD. It has been really beneficial to have this specialist training because it means we can better support our children and parents.”


Headteacher of Romilly Primary, Kelvin Law, said: “There has been great feedback from parents who have been on the course. Some of the dads said it was the first time anyone had sat down and talked about what it’s like for their children who have ADHD. It’s been really interesting for our teachers to put themselves in those shoes too.”


Cardiff & South Wales Advertiser - Friday 16th March 2018 - 3


With plans well underway for the 20th


birthday edition of this year’s


Abergavenny Food Festival held on 15th and 16th September, weekend entry wristbands are on sale and those with an NP7 postcode will receive 25% off the cost of their wristband. For those wanting to buy wristbands in person, they will be on sale at the Borough Theatre in Abergavenny in early May. To qualify for the local discount, proof of address must be shown when buying in person at the Borough Theatre, or when tickets are exchanged for


wristbands during the festival. There will also be a 15% discount available for groups of 10 or more. Please go to www.abergavennyfoodfestival. com for more details. In 2017 the festival attracted over 30,000 visitors over the festival weekend with appearances from Tom Kerridge, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall


and Darina


Allan. The festival markets cover a diverse range of quality and artisan produce from Wales and across the UK, and sprawl throughout much of the town over the busy festival weekend.


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