6,000 children have attention deficit disorder

AT LEAST 6,000 school aged children in Cyprus have AD/HD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), according to conservative estimates of ADD-ADHD Cyprus, a voluntary association that provides support, information and education in order to establish an integrated AD/HD community on the island.
The association is organising an AD/HD Awareness Week, which will last until Saturday and is part of a European programme undertaken by all AD/HD organizations within the bloc.
AD/HD is a neurobiological disorder that causes chronic problems with inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. It can affect children and adults and can have serious consequences such as school failure, depression, failed relationships, underachievement in the workplace, and substance abuse.
Awareness Week includes the distribution of leaflets in bookshops, pharmacies and schools across the island, the latter in cooperation with the Cypriot Parents Association. The week will culminate in a training programme for parents, teachers and health professionals – the ‘Goula Stylianidou’ Annual AD/HD Awareness Open Training on Saturday at the AD/HD Walk-In Centre in Strovolos.
The session will be in Greek, but the organisation has announced that if there was enough interest, a similar training course would be organised in English as well.
“These events are crucial because as we raise awareness, the need for the understanding of AD/HD in all sectors of society is essential in the process of early intervention, assessment and diagnostic services,” said Susan Chrysostomou, founder and Executive Director of ADD-ADHD Cyprus.
Chrysostomou emphasised the fact that AD/HD children were extremely energetic and needed help in channeling their energy in appropriate directions. “ADD-ADHD Cyprus started in order to help parents, teachers and doctors in Cyprus to better understand AD/HD. Because these children can and do succeed with multi-modal treatment programmes combined with support and encouragement,” said Irene Ioannidou, Special Educatior and President of ADD-ADHD.
The organisation began as a small support group in 2000, comprised of two parents and a teacher. It has now expanded and works hand in hand with the Ministries of Health and Education, the private sector and other non-governmental organisations.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.