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Online Sibshop Facilitator Training Founded in 1990, the Sibling Support Project is the first national program dedicated to the life-long and ever-changing concerns of millions of brothers and sisters of people with special health, developmental, and mental health concerns. We are proud to

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Speech, Language and Communication interactive Service Directory

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Speech, Language and Communication interactive Service Directory

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SLCN Service directory for Parents SOAP-SL

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Hertfordshire Sandbox and lumi Nova wellbeing gaming app

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Hertfordshire Sandbox and lumi Nova wellbeing gaming app

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Single point of access - self referral/enquiries/support

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Single point of access - self referral/enquiries/support

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Herts residents of all ages, including carers, GPs and other professionals can contact our 24/7 Single Point of Access (SPA) Mental Health Helpline team at any hour of the day or night, 365 days a year. The team can provide support for Herts residents who are experiencing a mental health crisis, need some mental health support or just want to talk on:

Freephone 0800 6444 101 or

NHS 111 and select option 2 for mental health services *

If they are seriously ill or injured, dial 999 for the emergency services.

*Access for British Sign Language users
Individuals requiring British Sign Language (BSL) can contact us by using the NHS Sign Video service and selecting the mental health option - NHS 111 - SignVideo : SignVideo
Our Head Office address
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
The Colonnades
Beaconsfield Road
Hatfield
Hertfordshire AL10 8YE

Tel: 01707 253800
Freedom of Information
We are committed to providing information and communications as specified by the Government's Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Media enquiries
For media enquiries during office hours and out-of-hours, please click here
PALS and Complaints
To raise a concern or send us a complaint click here.
Share your feedback
If you would like to feed back about a service or you would like to share a compliment, please click here.
Website Feedback
We welcome your feedback on how we can continue to improve and develop this website. To get in touch with your suggestions please click here

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Herts residents of all ages, including carers, GPs and other professionals can contact our 24/7 Single Point of Access (SPA) Mental Health Helpline team at any hour of the day or night, 365 days a year.

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ADD-Vance now offer telephone support for Parents/Carers and Professionals for help/advice/support with neurodiversity.

https://www.add-vance.org/parents/neurodiversity-support-hub/

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Neurodiversity support hub for parents flyer

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Understanding how your child's brain will change (chn 8-25 years)

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Understanding how your child's brain will change (chn 8-25 years)

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Helping your teen through change

Behaviour will not always be consistent or sensible. Bear this in mind when talking to your teen.

Remember that lots of changes are taking place that we can't always see.

Your support is vital in these intense years of brain development.

Read more about teen brain changes

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Advice and tips for parents of teenagers

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Discounts for fostered and disabled children - MaxCardMaxCard

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Discounts for fostered and disabled children - MaxCardMaxCard - The Max Card is the UK's leading discount card for foster families and families of children with additional needs. Families can use their Max Card at venues across the UK to get free or discounted admission.

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The Max Card is the UK's leading discount card for cared for and looked after children. Families can use their Max Card at venues across the UK to get free or discounted admission.

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Daily Check-In Self-Regulation Journal Pages

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Supporting pupils through transitions – a trio of challenges

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The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

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Young Minds parent advice

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A calendar to help your child understand what days they will go to school, and which days they don't (including school holidays)

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autism little stars - daily school calendar

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You are a young carer if you are under the age of 18 and you're helping to look after someone like a member of your family with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. If you're a young carer, you may be looking after your parents/guardians or helping to look after your brother or sister.

Do you do extra jobs like cooking, cleaning or helping someone get dressed and move around? You may give a lot of physical help and emotional support to a parent, brother or sister who is disabled or ill.

On this page we have added information to help and support you as a young carer.

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These videos were co-produced with young carers who are part of Carers In Hertfordshire's Young Carers Council in Hertfordshire. The young carers chose the topics covered and thought they were most relevant for young carers to receive help and advice around oral health.

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Young Carers service at Carers in Hertfordshire

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Find out how Carers in Hertfordshire can support unpaid carers in the county who are 18 or under.

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NHS information, training and referrals for Children and young people with motor coordination and sensory needs and their families

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Children and young people's occupational therapy

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The children's occupational therapy service offers a child and family-centred approach to support children and young people with their independence in all aspects of daily living, such as self-feeding, dressing and participating in play and school activities. The service is available to children and families across Hertfordshire.

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What is dyscalculia?
Research suggests that dyscalculia is a specific learning disability (SpLD) that affects a person's ability to acquire arithmetical skills. It can manifest itself as a person's inability to understand basic number concepts and/or number relationships, recognise symbols, and comprehend quantitative and spatial information. Many people liken the effects of dyscalculia with numbers to that of dyslexia with words, and while there are many characteristics that overlap, there is no proven link between the two.

Research suggests that, like many SpLDs, dyscalculia has varying levels of severity and can affect different areas of mathematical calculations. These difficulties can have an adverse effect on many day-to-day activities such as dealing with finances, following directions, managing a diary and keeping track of time. However, it is important to remember that many people can struggle with maths and numbers, but this does not mean that they have dyscalculia.

It is estimated that between 4% and 6% of the population suffer with dyscalculia. However, this research is based on data from children, and figures relating specifically to the adult population are non-existent. For this reason, and because of limited understanding and recognition of dyscalculia, many people go undiagnosed.

Definitions of dyscalculia:
There is no single widely accepted specific definition of dyscalculia, but a number of definitions exist:

Kosc (1974) defined developmental dyscalculia as 'a structural disorder of mathematical abilities which has its origin in a genetic or congenital disorder in those parts of the brain that are the anatomical-physiological substrate of the maturation of the mathematical abilities adequate to age, without a simultaneous disorder of general mental functions'. (Kosc, 1974, p165)

The DSM-IV (2000) document, used by educational psychologists, defines mathematics disorder in term of test scores: 'as measured by a standardised test that is given individually, the person's mathematical ability is substantially less than would be expected from the person's age, intelligence and education. This deficiency materially impedes academic achievement or daily living.' (DSM-IV, 2000, 315.1).

There are two key features of this definition: the mathematical level compared to expectation, and the impedance of academic achievement and daily living.

Butterworth (2001) says:'most dyscalculic learners will have cognitive and language abilities in the normal range, and may excel in non-mathematical subjects.' (Butterworth, 2001, http://www.mathematicalbrain.com/int06.html).

The National Numeracy Strategy (DfES, 2001) offers the following definition: 'Dyscalculia is a condition that affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills. Dyscalculic learners may have difficulty understanding simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers, and have problems learning number facts and procedures. Even if they produce a correct answer or use a correct method, they may do so mechanically and without confidence.' (DfES, 2001, p2).

Sharma (1997) defines dyscalculia as: 'An inability to conceptualise numbers, number relationships (arithmetical facts) and the outcomes of numerical operations (estimating the answer to numerical problems before actually calculating).' (Sharma, 1997, http://www.dyscalculia.org/experts/sharma-ctlm (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5a5tLlpxE)).

How common is dyscalculia?
There is a general agreement that around 5-8% of pupils suffer from dyscalculia (Geary, 2004). On average, each class of 30 children will have approximately two or three pupils who are affected by it (Hannell, 2005).

Though environmental factors play their part in transmission of a talent for, or a difficulty in, mathematics, research has proven that biological influences do play a significant role in dyscalculia. Shalev and Gross-Tsur (2001) found that pupils whose parents have dyscalculia are ten times more likely to have it too compared with members of the general population. Similarly, 50% of dyscalculia sufferers have siblings who are also affected by it.

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What is dyscalculia?Research suggests that dyscalculia is a specific learning disability (SpLD) that affects a person's ability to acquire arithmetical skills. It can manifest itself as a person's inability to understand basic number concepts and/or number relationships, recognise symbols, and comprehend quantitative and spatial information.

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This website places cookies on your computer to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more details, see our privacy policy. I agree

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The British Dyslexia Association is the voice for the 10% of the population that are dyslexic

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Herts Dyslexia Association

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Hertfordshire Dyslexia Association (HDA) is a voluntary organisation and registered charity. Its aim is to support parents and carers of children with dyslexia living in Hertfordshire. We are part of the British Dyslexia Association whose vision is to develop a dyslexia-friendly society that enables all dyslexic people to reach their potential.

If you wish to donate

All donations are greatly welcomed

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Herts Dyslexia Charity - Hertfordshire Dyslexia Association

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Hertfordshire Dyslexia Association (HDA) is a voluntary organisation and registered charity. Its aim is to support parents and carers of children with dyslexia living in Hertfordshire. We are part of the British Dyslexia Association whose vision is to develop a dyslexia-friendly society that enables all dyslexic people to reach their potential.

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NHS information, training, support and referral process for support with speech and language needs

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Eating and drinking difficulties

If you are worried about your child's eating and drinking skills, please speak to your child's health visitor or GP in the first instance. Referrals for eating and drinking difficulties will only be accepted from a health professional, for example GP, health visitor, paediatrician, dietician etc. We would not carry out assessments of eating and drinking at our screening clinics. If a referral to the service is needed, please complete the CYP SLT referral form. Click the referral guidelines for guidance on how to complete the referral.

Pre-school children

Should you have concerns regarding your child's speech and language development, please:

Speak to your health visitor or local family centre in the first instance. They will often be able to provide you with advice on ways to support your child at home.

Family centres also offer some groups to support early language development.

Look at the 'Useful information' section on this webpage above which has specific resources for parents and setting staff to support speech, language and communication development.

If you are still concerned after trying out the advice then please follow the guidance below:

Children under 2 years, 6 months
Children under 2 years, 6 months can be referred directly to the children's speech and language therapy service by a health professional if they have additional needs and there is a clearly identified language, communication, and/or eating/drinking need - see our referral guidelines for more information. Health professionals - please refer using the CYP SLT referral form.

Children aged 2 years, 6 months and above (not in full-time school)
If your child is aged over 2 years, 6 months and you have ongoing concerns regarding their speech and language skills, they may benefit from attending a speech and language therapy screening clinic.

A screening clinic is a short assessment appointment which offers an opportunity for you to talk with the therapist regarding your child's development and for us to gather information to understand your child's needs.

The criteria for attending a screening clinic is as follows:

1. Screening clinics are for pre-school children from aged 2 years, 6 months and above, who are not yet in full-time school

2. Children need to meet our clinical referral criteria - please look at our referral guidelines to check if your child is eligible for our screening clinic at this time

3. We are unable to see children with Education, Health and Care plans, or those requiring associated assessment within these clinics. A referral should be made by your child's special education needs officer in this instance

4. Children already known to the service, or children outside of the given age range for the screening clinics, are not able to be seen

5. We are unable to complete assessments of eating and drinking at screening clinics (scroll down on this page for details of what to do if you have eating or drinking concerns)

If you need help or are not sure if your child meets the criteria, please call our advice line (01923) 470680 Option 3, Option 1 for support.

If your child meets the criteria above, please follow these steps to refer your child for a screening clinic appointment:

Complete the CYP SLT referral form

If you would like advice on how to support your child at home whilst waiting for your screening clinic appointment, please follow the links in the 'Useful Information' section above.

If you have any difficulty completing the form and sending the information, please contact our administration team on 01923 470680 option 3, option 1.

If your child does not meet the criteria but you have some concerns we advise you to:

access the strategy sheets and videos on this website to support your child (see 'Useful information' and select which area of speech, language or communication that your child may need support with).

You can also talk to your local family centre or education setting to ask for advice.

If you continue to be concerned after implementing the advice or have any questions, please contact a therapist by calling the advice line (01923) 470680 Option 3, Option 1.

School-aged children

If your child is in full-time school, you should discuss any concerns you may have with your child's teacher. Some children can be supported in their school without a referral to the service through advice from the school's link therapist. SENCos and other educational professionals can refer a child to the service.

All referrals are to be made via the CYP SLT referral form. HCT do not accept paper referrals. GPs can continue to refer into CYP Therapies Services using either the Digital Referral form, Ardens or DXS.

If you have any queries or experience any issues when making a referral, please contact the Children's referral hub:
01923 470680 Option 2 or hct.cypspecialistservices@nhs.net.

Screening clinics

These speech and language therapy clinics are for children aged 2 years and 6 months to school age, offering an opportunity for you to talk with the therapist regarding your child's development and for us to gather information to understand your child's needs. Register your interest for a speech and language therapy screening clinic using the contact details above.

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If you are worried about your child's eating and drinking skills, please speak to your child's health visitor or GP in the first instance. Referrals for eating and drinking difficulties will only be accepted from a health professional, for example GP, health visitor, paediatrician, dietician etc.

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How do I know if my child has a speech and language or communication difficulty?

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Speech, Language and Communication is our ability to make and understand sounds, express and receive messages, and use and understand social rules. The rate at which young children develop these skills varies and it can be hard to tell sometimes if your child is developing within the expected range.

This guide on the stages of speech and language development from The Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust has more information about what to expect from your child and at what age. It may help you to decide if your child's development in this area is delayed.

If you have concerns about your child or young person's speech and language development, or think that they may have difficulties with social communication, you can start by talking through these with a professional. It may be that there is nothing to worry about, but getting help early on is important if they do have needs.

You shouldn't feel nervous about raising your concerns - these teams are there to help you and are happy to talk to you about your child, however small your concern.

Speak to your Health Visitor or GP

If your child is under 5, your first step might be to make an appointment with the Health Visitor at your local family centre. They can talk to you about your concerns, offer advice, and signpost you to further support if appropriate.

For older children and young people, you could consider talking to your school nurse, or discussing your concerns with your GP.

The CYP Therapies Advice Line

The Children & Young People's Therapy Service has a dedicated telephone number which parents, carers and professionals can call to speak to a speech and language therapist about a new referral or a child's development. The advice line number is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Leave a message on the Advice Line - 01923 470680 then select option 3, option 1 - and a therapist will contact you. Calls are responded to by a therapist on weekdays.

The Neurodiversity Support Hub

The Neurodiversity Support Hub is an advice service offering support, signposting and guidance to parents and carers about a whole range of things relating to ADHD and Autism.

Call them on 01727 833963 or email supporthub@add-vance.org

Open Monday - Friday 9am - 1pm.

We know that there can sometimes be a wait for support but there are things you can do to support your child's communication skills at home. Look under 'Useful information' on the Speech and Language Therapy webpage to find information and videos on talking tips, social communication skills, and what to expect when.

Our resources area on the Local Offer also has a collection of activities and websites with some practical tips and strategies you can use at home with your child, including signing, makaton and ideas to help your child learn to talk.

If your child is in full-time school you should discuss any concerns you may have with your child's teacher. All DSPL areas have a named Speech and Language Therapist that schools are able to contact directly in order to discuss concerns they might have about a child's speech and language development. Some children can be supported in their school without a referral to the service through advice from the school's link therapist.

Your SENCo can also refer your child to the Speech, Language, Communication and Autism Team. This is a team of qualified teachers and specialists who provide advice and guidance to support schools in developing their provision for children and young people who have needs relating to speech, language, communication and autism.

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If you need support for your young person's speech, language and communication needs, these are all of the ways you can get support.

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Directory of local services to support mental Health in Children and Young people

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Cookies

Like many other websites, we place small information files called 'cookies' on your computer.

Why do we use cookies?

To remember your settings, for example your language and location. This means you don't have to keep entering these details when you visit a new page.

To find out how you use the site to help us update and improve it.

How do I change my cookie settings?

You can change the settings of your web browser so that it won't accept cookies. For more information visit AboutCookies.org.

But, doing this may stop you from using some of the online features and services on this website.

Cookies we use

Cookies do a lot of different jobs, and we use 2 types of cookies:

Required functionality cookies - these cookies are essential for the website to work.

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Take a look at a list of cookies we use on our website:

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There are links and content from other sites and services on our website. These sites and services set their own cookies.

Below are a list of cookies that the other sites and services use:

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These are used to compile reports for us on how people use this site.

Cookies of the same names are also used for the same purpose by other websites such as Building Futures, Countryside Management Service and Hertfordshire LIS.

Visit the Google Analytics website for more information about the cookies they use.

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This cookie is used to remember which language to translate each page into if you have chosen to do so.

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This ASP.NET_Sessionid cookie is essential for the Netloan secure online payments website to work, and is set when you arrive to the site. This cookie is deleted when you close your browser.

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Services for parents, carers and families

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Services to support parents and carers of children and young people with SEND and their familiies.

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The Local Offer lets parents and young people know what special educational needs and disabilities services are available in Hertfordshire, and who can access them.

New to SEND? Learn more

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Coronavirus updates and messages

We will be providing you with updates and messages from special educational needs and disabilities services relating to Coronavirus when they are available. You can follow service updates to all Hertfordshire County Council services from this page.

Learning resources and fun activities to try at home or in the classroom with your child

Along with the help of our specialist advisory services, we have collected together useful online and printable activities to help develop your child's skills - from maths and English to building independence and life skills.

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special educational needs and disabilities

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We will be providing you with updates and messages from special educational needs and disabilities services relating to Coronavirus when they are available. You can follow service updates to all Hertfordshire County Council services from this page.

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ADD-vance is a dedicated group of professionals, who also happen to be parents of children affected by ADHD and/or Autism. Our mission is to support the families of children affected by these conditions and the professionals involved in their care. We want to increase understanding, provide support and change perceptions of these complex neurological conditions, so as to improve the wellbeing and reduce the social isolation of these young people and their families.

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Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition

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Home | ADD-vance - The ADHD & Autism Trust, Hertfordshire

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ADD-vance is a Hertfordshire based charity that supports families affected by ADHD, Autism or a related condition and the professionals who support them.

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Families in Focus is a Hertfordshire-based community interest company, which provides training information and therapeutic and emotional support to parents.

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Families in Focus is a Hertfordshire-based community interest company, which provides training information and therapeutic and emotional support to parents.

Parent courses

Our parenting courses and workshops are available for ALL parents of children aged two to 11 years and include a range of topics to help support and inform parents, such as sleep solutions, managing anger in your family, and the complete guide to parenting.

SEND support

We offer support for parents living with children with special educational needs and disabilities, autism, ADHD and all neuro-diverse conditions, inclusive of those awaiting assessment or diagnosis. Sign up to courses, workshops, and Parent Network SEND support and information groups.

"I wanted to send you a personal message to thank you for the course you just ran on parenting children with SEND. I have found it immeasurably helpful and feel so grateful and lucky to have been able to attend it. You are both so knowledgeable and supportive."

Parent attendee from Complete Guide to Parenting Children with SEND course

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Families in Focus - Looking forward together

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Families in Focus is a Hertfordshire-based community interest company, which provides training information and therapeutic and emotional support to parents. Our parenting courses and workshops are available for ALL parents of children aged two to 11 years and include a range of topics to help support and inform parents, such as sleep solutions, managing anger in your family, and the complete guide to parenting.

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We are a local Social Enterprise, providing parenting support through courses, workshops and 1:1 mentoring of parents and children throughout Hertfordshire and the surrounding area.

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Menu
Home Quality Mark About Us What We Do Courses Workshops What's On Contact Us

Welcome

Help with Zoom

Are you booked on a course or workshop and are having difficulty accessing the event?

Please check your email. You will have been sent an email from info@supportinglinks.co.uk and/or Eventbrite that includes the Zoom Meeting ID and Passcode. Please check your junk/spam folders. Open your Zoom app or go to the website in your browser and enter the details. CLICK HERE

To ensure easy admission to the event, please ensure your name displayed on Zoom is the same as the name you booked under.

"Thank you so much to you all, this has been a fantastic workshop. You have really nailed the delivery on zoom. So much better experience than anything else I've done on zoom."

Supporting Links

Most parents love being parents but it's not always easy. Things don't always go as you expected them to and you might find yourself unprepared for a situation you find yourself in. You might be doing fine at the moment but want to be prepared for what is ahead.

There's a constant juggle of different needs between children, parents, work, school and home. Needs changing as your children grow, it can be hard to keep on top of everything and still remember to enjoy family time.

Conflict arises in many families over issues such as bedtimes, meal times, morning routines, use of technology, homework, behaviour, keeping safe, being respectful, responsibilities and more.

This is where Supporting Links can help.

We are a local Social Enterprise, providing parenting support through courses, workshops and 1:1 mentoring of parents and children throughout Hertfordshire and the surrounding area.

We value the knowledge and experience that every parent brings and we aim to build on those skills to enable parents to feel more confident and positive about their own abilities. We can help you understand your child's behaviour and develop effective strategies that really work to improve behaviour and communication, and build the foundations for successful family relationships.

Promoting Strong Family Relationships

Your Feedback

"Just a quick note to say thank you for all your kindness, support and help over the last few weeks. Thank you for sharing your wealth of expertise, knowledge and wisdom. But most of all, thank you for giving us the tools and techniques to make changes to our families."

"We have learnt so much, shared so much and can leave feeling positive about the future for our children and family"

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Supporting Links run parenting courses and workshops throughout Hertfordshire and surrounding Counties for parents of all children, including issues with anger, challenging behaviour, resilience, motivation, mindset, disability and additional needs

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Emotional and SEN support for young people through gaming, game design and digital skills.

Through online 1-to-1 sessions, MindJam provides mentorship and guidance to young people to support their emotional needs and SEN identity through positive, non-judgemental and low-demand sessions.

We are proud to be an approved provision for many local authorities around the UK and work with the schools, specialist provisions, NHS. We also work with Sony, BAFTA and other games companies.

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MindJam | Empowering and Supporting Young People

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Through online 1-to-1 sessions, MindJam provides mentorship and guidance to young people to support their emotional needs and SEN identity through positive, non-judgemental and low-demand sessions. We are proud to be an approved provision for many local authorities around the UK and work with the schools, specialist provisions, NHS.

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Balancing work and caring commitments can sometimes feel like an impossible task for parents of children and young people with SEND. We know it's stressful, and money shouldn’t be a worry on top of everything else. There are funding options out there to help support your family financially.

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Balancing work and caring commitments can sometimes feel like an impossible task for parents of children and young people with SEND. We know it's stressful, and money shouldn't be a worry on top of everything else. There are funding options out there to help support your family financially.

Funding you can apply for yourself

If you are pregnant or have child under 4 years old, and get certain benefits, you could get help to buy healthy food and milk for you and your family.

A tax free amount of money for some disabled children which can help with the extra costs of looking after a child (under 16).

Extra money to help you with everyday life if you have an illness, disability or mental health condition.

If you already get disability living allowance or personal independence payments, you may be able to get carer's allowance too.

If your child has an EHCP, social care or health plan, you can ask for a personal budget, to provide more personalised support.

You might be able to get a grant for a disabled or seriously ill child or young person.

Income support can help to cover your costs if you are low on income and look after a disabled child or young person. However, income support is now largely being replaced by universal credit but some carers may still be getting it.

Universal credit can help to replace or top-up your other income, including help with living costs, rent, costs of children (including an extra amount for children with disabilities), ill-health and caring.

If you still get tax credits, there are extra payments of child tax credit if your child gets DLA or PIP.

Rights and decision making

Find out more information about managing somebody else's finances, wills, inheritance and and the support services available to you on our Rights and decision making webpage.

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There are a number of ways you can get extra funding to support a children or young person with special needs and disabilities.

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HPCI is an independent parent carer led organisation which aims to improve services for children and young people aged 0-25 years who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. We do this by ensuring that family voices are heard by service planners and decision makers.

Add your voice to those of other Hertfordshire parents and carers and help make a difference.

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HPCI is an independent parent carer led organisation which aims to improve services for children and young people aged 0-25 years who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. We do this by ensuring that family voices are heard by service planners and decision makers.

Add your voice to those of other Hertfordshire parents and carers and help make a difference.

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HPCI is an independent parent carer led organisation which aims to improve services for young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Learn touch typing online using TypingClub's free typing courses. It includes 650 typing games, typing tests and videos.

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people's behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.

Symptoms of ADHD tend to be noticed at an early age and may become more noticeable when a child's circumstances change, such as when they start school.

Most cases are diagnosed when children are under 12 years old, but sometimes it's diagnosed later in childhood.

Sometimes ADHD was not recognised when someone was a child, and they are diagnosed later as an adult.

The symptoms of ADHD may improve with age, but many adults who were diagnosed with the condition at a young age continue to experience problems.

People with ADHD may also have additional problems, such as sleep and anxiety disorders.

Getting help

Many children go through phases where they're restless or inattentive. This is often completely normal and does not necessarily mean they have ADHD.

But you should discuss your concerns with your child's teacher, their school's special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) or a GP if you think their behaviour may be different from most children their age.

It's also a good idea to speak to a GP if you're an adult and think you may have ADHD, but were not diagnosed with the condition as a child.

What causes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?

The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, but the condition has been shown to run in families.

Research has also identified a number of possible differences in the brains of people with ADHD when compared with those without the condition.

Other factors suggested as potentially having a role in ADHD include:

being born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy)

having a low birthweight

smoking or alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy

ADHD can occur in people of any intellectual ability, although it's more common in people with learning difficulties.

How attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is treated

For children with ADHD, although there's no cure, it can be managed with appropriate educational support, advice and support for parents and affected children, alongside medicine, if necessary.

For adults with ADHD, medicine is often the first treatment offered, although psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may also help.

Living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Parents of children with ADHD

Looking after a child with ADHD can be challenging, but it's important to remember that they cannot help their behaviour.

Some day-to-day activities might be more difficult for you and your child, including:

getting your child to sleep at night

getting ready for school on time

listening to and carrying out instructions

being organised

social occasions

shopping

Adults with ADHD

Adults with ADHD may find they have problems with:

organisation and time management

following instructions

focusing and completing tasks

coping with stress

feeling restless or impatient

impulsiveness and risk taking

Some adults may also have issues with relationships or social interaction.

Page last reviewed: 24 December 2021
Next review due: 24 December 2024

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

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Read about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition that affects people's behaviour.

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FREE - individual login required

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The highest quality free courses through the most awesome learning platform.

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Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's)

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Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's)

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Introduction to Adverse Childhood Experiences

Early Trauma Online Learning

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When someone you know dies, the grief that follows can be a really difficult and painful process. People are sometimes surprised by just how painful it can be, and just how long the process can last.

This short video won't take that pain away, but it does have some ideas based on what other young people have said, that might help you through it.

Below the video we've included links to some charities who offer a range of support for young people who may be grieving. You can look at each organisation, read their advice and contact them direct if you would like someone to talk to or need support.

A guide on traumatic bereavement for children and young people has been created by the UK Trauma Council . The guide will help you learn about traumatic bereavement and what might help if you are worried about yourself or someone else.

The UK Trauma Council is hosted and supported by Anna Freud.

Do you need help right now?

The AFC Crisis Messenger text service provides free, 24/7 crisis support for young people across the UK.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need support, you can text AFC to 85258. Read more about the AFC Crisis Messenger service .

Download the AFC Crisis Messenger poster for your school, college or workplace.

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Ideas and support on how to deal with a loss or bereavement.

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Amazing Things Happen - by Alexander Amelines

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NHS guide to autism. Find out what autism is and what the common signs are. Get help and advice if you or your child are autistic.

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A short workbook for siblings of autistic young people to help them understand their siblings better.

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OUR VISION:

Spectrum Gaming is an autistic-led UK based charity that supports autistic young people. We aim to create a world where every autistic young person knows that who they are is ok and they can be themselves, whilst still developing meaningful relationships and achieving their personal goals.

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We do this by providing spaces where they feel safe and accepted, amongst others with similar shared lived experiences, and opportunities to explore who they are.

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We want all autistic young people to have the strength and confidence to find their place in the world that works for them. In many cases this means influencing wider strategic changes to create an environment that is more understanding and equitable.

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Spectrum Gaming is an online community for autistic young people. The aims of Spectrum Gaming are to enable autistic young people to develop meaningful friendships; to help them understand and develop a positive perspective of their differences; and to advocate for the needs of autistic young people

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Delivering Special Provision Locally (DSPL9)

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Delivering Special Provision Locally (DSPL9)

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DSPL is a Hertfordshire-wide partnership approach where parents, staff in early years settings and schools, further education colleges, local authority officers and representatives from other agencies, work together as part of an Area Group, reviewing and developing the range of provision and support services available to their local community that : Meets the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), aged 0-25, as close to home as possible.

Improves outcomes for wellbeing and attainment

Widens choice for children and parents/carers

Removes barriers to learning Uses resources more effectively