ADHD - ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

Imparting skill training is the key.

- Padmaja Menon

My friend Savitri returned from her annual trip to her daughter in the UK. We usually meet up after a month or so and she would be in a little pensive mood but full of her holiday and her grandsons. Like all indulgent grandparents. And I was also the same when I returned from my trips to my daughters and grandsons.

But this time Savitri was upset. Her face was drawn and a little gaunt as though she was bogged down by worry. I hugged her close peering into her eyes to gauge her mood. I waited till we were seated and coffee was served. Till then she had not said a word.

Then in a whisper she said, Nani, her granddaughter, was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder). And she started sobbing. I got up, went to her side and hugged her tight. But I let her cry. She would be fine once the pent-up frustration had subsided in the form of tears.

Once she had calmed down, blown her nose and straightened her specs she was ready to talk. To confide.

Her daughter and son-in-law Rajat were of course working, but don't work nowadays and Nani was going to child care which is very common there and the carers had first brought it to their notice.

She must have been three or less but she was unruly, noisy, argumentative and fidgety.

In fact, once she had run after a little chicken in the classroom and almost squashed it before it could be rescued. It was a practical type of class showing egg hatching or something. And the list went on. In fact, her daughter joked that her husband would grab the child and run out before the carers could catch him to endorse the complaint of the day.

That brought a smile to our lips. Later, they were asked to put her into behaviour therapy. Gosh, this was serious. Savitri could not understand how her daughter and husband took everything so cooly.