Latest news with #DoYouHaveADHD
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
How Do You Spot ADHD In Kids? Expert Shares The Subtle Signs To Look For At Home And School
A leading expert in ADHD has opened up about the signs of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children which might warrant further exploration. Professor Stephen Scott, a consultant child psychiatrist, spoke to Dr Karan Rajan for the Channel 4 show, Do You Have ADHD?, about the subtle signs adults might notice in kids at home and school. 'First of all, if you're just watching them in the school playground, are they running around more than other kids?' said Prof Scott. 'At the table, compared with their brother, do they have to keep getting up and down? 'Are they always forgetting things much more? Are they leaving gym kit at school, and that sort of thing – this disorganisation.' If any of this rings true, the second step is to get an idea of what your child is like at school when you're not there, said the expert. The best way to do this is by speaking to their teacher. 'If they're fine in class, it's something else – it's not ADHD,' Prof Scott continued. 'But if the teacher says 'yes they're very disruptive, they're always chatting and talking to the other people ... they seem to be daydreaming,' then you're more likely to be onto something.' How does ADHD feel for children In the show, which explored the complexities of life with ADHD, and the challenges faced by children and adults awaiting a formal diagnosis, children described how ADHD impacted them. One boy, James, said: 'I think I just feel maybe a little more hyper – and also I fidget a lot. I mean, a lot a lot.' Meanwhile Isla said: 'Sometimes I have too many things in my head that I just lose everything, so I can't think of what I'm saying.' Prof Scott pointed out that because boys with ADHD are 'often hyperactive and impulsive', it means they tend to get referred to services, 'whereas the girls can just be inattentive and it can be missed until adolescence'. With inattentive ADHD, children might struggle to pay attention, forget things easily, or lose important items, according to the Child Mind Institute. This can become more obvious when kids reach secondary school, as the workload increases and they're expected to work independently, which they might really struggle to do. When symptoms lead to significant suffering and cause problems at home, at school or work, diagnosis is important – especially as ADHD can lead to poor self-esteem and social function in kids when not appropriately treated. What to do if your child shows signs of ADHD If you suspect your child has ADHD and it's impacting their day-to-day life, speak to your GP, who can help rule out other conditions, such as autism and anxiety. There isn't a specific test to diagnose ADHD – it is typically made by a paediatrician, psychiatrist or clinical psychologist via an assessment, for which waiting times can vary. Great Ormond Street Hospital's states that an ADHD diagnosis 'can be considered but will not usually be confirmed until a child is around six years old and starts school'. The NHS recommends the following lifestyle changes to help a child manage their ADHD symptoms: Make time for physical activities they enjoy. Encourage them to get regular sleep. Help them to have a healthy, balanced diet and regular mealtimes. (Schedule regular meals or snacks no more than three hours apart.) If some foods and drinks seem to affect their symptoms, keep a food and drink diary to see what these are. Related... People Are Just Realising ADHD Has Links To This Joint Condition Waiting Endlessly For ADHD Or Autism Assessment? 'Right To Choose' May Get You Seen Sooner 10 Early Signs Of ADHD In Toddlers Experts Want Parents To Know
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Chaotic, charming and full of big ideas, comedian Johnny Vegas is the very personification of ADHD
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and it could be present in about 5pc of the population. That's a lot of missed appointments, unfinished knitted jumpers and lost phones. And that's also why the diagnostic systems both here and in the UK are overwhelmed. The problem with Do You Have ADHD? was simply this: one programme wasn't enough to contain the sheer range of what is currently known as ADHD. Between the child psychiatrist and the online influencers it was jumping around and, perhaps predictably, kind of disjointed. We followed a lovely doctor, Clare Bailey Mosley – widow of the telly and radio health expert, Dr Michael Mosley – as she revealed all the classic symptoms of ADHD. Her school reports said she should pay more attention, her late husband's complaints about her timekeeping, the way she had completely forgotten about a saucepan of boiling rice in a friend's kitchen. Although burning rice could happen to anyone? We had been sitting in front of our televisions going: 'Yeah, Clare definitely has it'. But it turned out that Clare just hadn't suffered enough to be diagnosed with ADHD. Part of the diagnostic process is called 'impairment', apparently. As in, how much has having the symptoms of ADHD impaired your life? How much has it disadvantaged you? Did you have the potential to be a tech bro, for example, but ended up living in a bin? That doesn't sound very scientific to me. If cancer hasn't had a negative impact on your life – so far – does that then mean you don't have cancer? If you have coronary heart disease but are managing fine, does that mean you don't have coronary heart disease? The thing is, Clare wasn't living in a bin, but in a very nice house and wearing a lovely green suit. She has had a career in medicine, for God's sake. It was at this point that everyone who suspects that they may have ADHD – and also their parents – was leaning towards the TV shouting: 'How did Clare manage to have such a successful life?' But the programme never provided this vital information. Clare walked out of the assessment room in her lovely green suit and we were none the wiser. The following night on Johnny Vegas: Art, ADHD & Me, we meet Vegas's personal assistant, Bev. Bev knows a thing or two about ADHD because she's living with it at close quarters. Vegas, with his charm and his chaos and his big ideas, seems to be, as someone said here, the very personification of ADHD. Bev could actually be that traditional figure, the comedian's wife. She laughs at all Johnny's jokes, jollies him along and generally takes care of all the tough stuff: bookings, phone calls, deadlines. In other words, she's his personal assistant. Johnny was just full of love for his hometown of St Helen's, where he wanted to create a public art project as a way of saying thank you to the population. Vegas is a funny person. But here he was frequently emotional and often close to tears. His personal crisis looked like much more than ADHD. And the art looked terrible, Johnny seemed to get a lot of hugs from women, and to tell them he loved them. Needy doesn't begin to cover it, and this is a brilliant man. The most telling scene came when Johnny met three men he went to art college with. These guys actually were artists: thin, hard-headed and terrifyingly practical. They didn't give much for Johnny's chances of finishing the public art project – or indeed of starting it. With three months to go before his first one-man exhibition, Johnny went out and bought a dodgem car. When he and Bev went out to look for possible sites for the public art project, it was Bev who took the photos. There didn't seem to be much work going on – at least work by Johnny. 'I'm like God, and I've just come up with the tadpole and I'm knackered,' he said. If he can come out with lines like this you wonder why he's bothering with public art projects. But backstage at a comedy gig, Johnny said: 'I'm not funny, I just crave acceptance.' Shortly after that Bev had to ring everybody to tell them that Johnny was taking a year off. In the second programme, Johnny had his new diagnosis of ADHD. Bev had known he had it all along. The new public art project is an iron frame, which looks like a giant Dalek, holding 72 tiles, painted by Johnny, showing aspects of his beloved St Helens. But only 20 of the 72 tiles actually fit into the Dalek frame. Johnny has been trimming tiles for 48 hours. 'Measure once, cut nine times, that's what I say,' he said. Then the Dalek frame is too big to get out of the workshop. It all ended in happy tears. 'Thank God it's over,' said Bev.
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Do you have ADHD? A Channel 4 documentary myth busts the signs and symptoms
With thousands being diagnosed with ADHD, and many more on the waiting list, a fascinating documentary airing tonight aims to separate fact from fiction Everybody loses their keys sometimes, everyone can forget things, everyone occasionally fidgets, but does this mean you have ADHD? An eye-opening documentary airing on Channel 4 tonight, Do You Have ADHD?, aims to help viewers work out if they should get a diagnosis. It seems that everyone is talking about ADHD these days - celebrities from Rob Beckett to Johnny Vegas are opening up about having it and over 200,000 Brits are on a waiting list for a diagnosis. An estimated 2.6 million people in the UK have it, and no doubt many more who just haven't been diagnosed. Do You Have ADHD? aims to look at the symptoms, including inattentiveness, hyperactivity, impulsivity and time blindness, telling viewers what to do if they think they or their child has it. The show is fronted by Dr Karan Rajan and Dr Clare Bailey Mosley (wife of the late Michael Mosley), who even puts herself through a gruelling four-hour ADHD assessment because she has noticed she has some traits. The medical experts also explore the complexities of having ADHD, separate fact from fiction on ADHD traits, and give creative advice for living with an ADHD brain. First the documentary asks, what does it feel like to have ADHD? Alex says: 'It is like having a Ferrari engine, but bicycle brakes.' Milly says: 'It feels like there's always a swarm of bees in my brain that are always fighting each other for my attention.' Cole: 'It's like 20 televisions on at once and you can't really tell what channel is on or what anyone is saying.' Health educator Dr Karan says: 'I'm fascinated by the huge explosion of interest surrounding the condition. Everyone is talking about it. It's a hugely complex topic with a huge variety of symptoms, making diagnosis a minefield.' He investigates the challenges faced by thousands of children and adults looking into a formal diagnosis, talking to experts in neurodiversity. The programme advises on what to do if you're looking for answers, starting with a symptom checklist that you can download online. Questions include: 'How often do you have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project?', 'How often to you have problems remembering appointments and obligations?' and 'How often do you fidget or squirm with your hands or feet when you have to sit down for a long time?' If you check more than four in the grey boxes, you or your child may be eligible for an assessment and should ask your GP. Meanwhile, former GP Dr Clare turns patient as she undergoes the assessment process to establish whether undiagnosed ADHD could be the cause of some of her own behaviour challenges. She says: 'I would say I'm energetic. I think I just do fidget. "I don't relax. I think I just like to be active. 'Certainly Michael was aware of my poor time keeping. I just think I have been living with it and comfortably but with the odd blip.' However, after a four-hour deep dive, it becomes clear that without these traits impairing Clare's life, she would not warrant a diagnosis or need treatment. She says: 'It's interesting hearing all these impairments, but I don't feel particularly impaired by them, so it turns out that I don't fit the criteria. It was a long process but really interesting.' *Do You Have ADHD? airs tonight (August 5) on Channel 4 at 8pm
Irish Independent
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
What to watch on TV and streaming today: Cooking with the Stars, Made in Italy and Perfect Match
Do You Have ADHD? Channel 4, 8pm Informative documentary in which surgeon Dr Karan Rajan and ex-GP-turned-nutrition expert Dr Clare Bailey Mosley debunk some of the myths surrounding the neurological disorder while examining how it is diagnosed. Cooking with the Stars Virgin Media One, 8pm Natalie Cassidy, Jordan North, Jack Osbourne and Jessica Wright are the first celebrities to do battle during the culinary contest's latest series. Hugh Dennis, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, Kelly Hoppen and Shaun Wright-Phillips will also take part. Emma Willis and Tom Allen host. Ireland's Perfect Pubs RTÉ2, 9.20pm Anna Clifford has landed what many would describe as their dream job — getting paid to go on a pub crawl. Her trip involves visiting some of the nation's most amazing hostelries, including the Bar in Inis Mór. Made in Italy Film4, 7.10pm Real-life father and son Liam Neeson and Micheál Richardson head the cast of this touching light-hearted drama. Their characters team up to sell the Tuscan villa left to them by the older man's wife, with the younger chap keen to use the money to buy the art gallery where he works. King of The Hill Disney+, streaming now Between this and the return of South Park, it's 1997 all over again (if only). Hank and Peggy return to Arlen after building their retirement fund in Saudi Arabia (peddling propane, obvs), while Bobby now lives it up in Dallas as a chef. For more grown-up animation, there's also Eyes of Wakanda. ADVERTISEMENT Prime Video, streaming now Not to be confused with Jack the Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe shared a taste for misdirection and was ultimately facilitated by a Wearside Jack, whose notes and tapes led the police astray back in the 1970s. Fifty years later, retired detective Chris Gregg assembles a cold case team to hunt the impersonator who kept Sutcliffe's crimes alive. Trainwreck: Storm Area 51 Netflix, streaming now Frankly, I don't mind that they're starting to get repetitive; it's still appointment viewing every week in Chez McGinley. In 2019, a joke Facebook event to 'storm Area 51' went viral, drawing millions and triggering warnings from US authorities. Indeed, it does sound exceedingly similar to last month's Real Project X instalment, but I'm still here for it. Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes Netflix, streaming now 'Tis the turn of David Berkowitz's police tapes to get an airing. This chilling docuseries unpacks the Son of Sam killings, exposing Berkowitz's disturbing mindset he unleashed on 1970s NYC. Brady and the Blues Prime Video, streaming now Prime appears to be chasing some of that Welcome to Wrexham magic with a new sports docuseries featuring NFL icon Tom Brady. Mind you, this could be entirely different given Brady, at 3.3pc, is very much a minority stakeholder in Birmingham City FC. Perfect Match Netflix, streaming now Netflix's biggest reality stars – from Love Is Blind to Too Hot To Handle – head to paradise to search for love (or more followers) in a strategic dating showdown. So, like Battle Camp but with more bikinis. For more 'unscripted' drama, WWE: Unreal takes fans inside the writer's room for a look at the chaos behind the curtain. Leanne Netflix, streaming now Leanne Morgan's world flips when her husband leaves after 33 years. Menopausal and newly single, she leans on her family – especially her fierce sister Carol (Kristen Johnston) – to tackle this next chapter with Southern grit and lashings of 'jello salad'. Chuck Lorre is involved, so it can't be too bad.
