New book for kids sheds light on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

With one in 20 South African children suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and an estimated one million adults experiencing the same condition, a new fictional book has been written – aimed at creating awareness for early detection and intervention.

With illustrations by David Griessel and co-written by professor Renata Schoeman – a psychiatrist and the co-author of the South African management guidelines for ADHD – and Refiloe Moahloli, the book is a colourful narrative that explores the adventurous life of Zee.

Printed in English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu and Sesotho, it explains how a child with ADHD perceives and lives in the world.

The second part of the book offers a simple but accurate explanation of ADHD: what it is, how it is diagnosed and how it is managed.

It also offers valuable advice for parents, teachers and healthcare professionals in understanding and managing ADHD.

ADHD, said Schoeman, was a condition often misdiagnosed – plagued by myths and misunderstandings – particularly with regard to treatment.

“When undiagnosed or not effectively treated, ADHD often sees children being unfairly labelled as naughty, delinquent, unteachable and adults as lazy or incompetent,” said Schoeman.

“It’s important to talk about ADHD and how it hampers educational performance, self-esteem, relationships and productivity.

“We also need to create awareness about other mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and substance abuse, which can sometimes surface when ADHD is either mistreated or goes undetected.”

According to Schoeman, the playful narrative of the book was intentional to ensure that children were “entertained while parents use the scientific content as a resource to answer their children’s questions about ADHD.

“We wanted to create a resource that would be accessible to as many South Africans as possible in native languages and in the voice of a child with which both children, parents and teachers, could resonate.

“The manner in which ADHD is talked about with a child can have an enormous impact on their perception of their value in the world,” she added. “The right books can help and there are no resources available to guide parents, teachers and carers.

“Parenting a child with ADHD can be challenging if one is not equipped but, if you seek the right knowledge, you can untap the potential of your child and help them to cope with their symptoms better.”

Proceeds from the book are to be donated to the Goldilocks and the Bear Foundation, founded by Schoeman and athlete Nic de Beer in 2017, which funds the screening of underprivileged children.

The foundation trains teachers, caregivers and nongovernmental organisations in the early detection of ADHD and other mental health disorders.

The book, All of these things are important to me, costs R100 at info@gb4adhd.co.za.

– brians@citizen.co.za

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