Bulletin Archives - ADHD Ireland

ADHD school friendly and how to enroll your school!

We hope everyone had a fantastic first week in school including those who began their education journey!

Spending time in preschool, primary and secondary school plus further education is vital to everyone. The feeling of safety, understanding and affiliation is the key for everyone, especially for those who need a little flexibility like neurodivergent children. That is why we deliver a variety of training for teachers and SNA each year. We have also developed the School Accreditation Programme (SAP) to improve the education experience for educators, pupils/students and even parents.

Our dream is to see our ADHD SAP flag in each school in the country because we will be assured that the school staff is comfortable and aware of the needs of their ADHD pupils/students and that is a big part of our mission!

Currently, our School Accreditation Programme Team is taking bookings for the programme starting in January 2023 as the September term has been filled out before summer. Please, read more about the SAP HERE. Additionally we are delivering primary and secondary training for Teachers and SNAs which can be found / Primary School Training Click HERE – Secondary School Training click HERE

All of the programmes commence now, what you can do as a parent or educator to make your school ADHD friendly? Please, forward your school this link (https://adhdireland.ie/school-accreditation/) which has information about the School Accreditation Programme. Plus you can let them know that ADHD Ireland also regularly delivers Teacher’s and SNA training which can be found in our event’s section HERE Events.

ADHD Ireland 02/09/2022

Transition from primary to secondary school made easier

Great news for those who are taking the big step of moving to Secondary school!! Starting somewhere new can be a challenging experience for anyone, especially for 11/12 years kids/teens. We couldn’t be happier that this summer we can offer two options for them to make the transition process easier and enter the new chapter of their life prepared and full of confidence.

Transitioning from Primary to Secondary School 5-Week Programme based on BELONGING PLUS evidence-based programme

This online transitions programme for children transitioning from 6th Class to 1st Year aims to support your child in preparing for secondary school. Across five one-hour sessions, your child will learn about time management, organisation, study and rules; making friends, and looking after our physical and mental health. The sessions are discussion-based and interactive – children will be encouraged to share their opinion and find their voices. This programme is based on the Belonging Plus+ school’s programme.

100% of parents rated that their children had found the programme helpful and that they had enjoyed it. The children said:

“the discussion about something new and the uncertainty of secondary school,”

“hearing other people’s experiences.”

“it made me feel happy”

“it was helpful and interesting”

“it was nice to know I wasn’t the only one experiencing some situations.”

Details:

Delivered by Emma McEnaney an Assistant Psychology assistant in the NHS, with a bachelor’s and masters degree in Psychology and extended experience working with neurodivergent children.
Starts | 26th of July at 11:00 am and runs for 5 weeks every Tuesday morning.
Price | Full price is €60 | Early Bird is €50
Only 15 places avaliable
This programme will take place on Zoom. All children will be asked to have their camera on, and it is asked that a parent or guardian be nearby their child while they are in the sessions. When you sign up for this programme, you agree to being contacted by the facilitator Emma via email.

Click HERE to register for Transitioning from Primary to Secondary School 5-Week Programme based on BELONGING PLUS evidence-based programme.

Transition to Secondary School Workshop

Shifting from being the oldest in the school to the youngest and in a completely new building is a shock to the system, not to mention the new teachers, subjects and trying to navigate a timetable. In this workshop we aim to provide participants with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them to have a smooth transition into secondary school and knowing what to expect in order to participate more effectively in school. We are hoping to have some sundry school students there to share their own experience with some time for a Q&A.

What we will work on:

Identifying Strengths.
Preparing for transitions.
Managing overwhelm.
Emotional regulation.

What you will learn?

Knowing what to expect.
How to break things down.
Asking for support.
Develop a strategy to stay on top of things.

What to expect?

Workbook sent ahead of the workshop.
Ice breaker activity.
Individual guided activity.
Break out rooms for partner activity.
Larger group participation.

Details:

This workshop is facilitated by Claire Twomey from Internal Connection. Claire is professional coach with extended social, mental health qualifications.
Starts | 27th of July at 7:00 pm and runs for 2 hours
Price | Full price is €35 | Early Bird is €25
This programme will take place on Zoom. All children will be asked to have their camera on. When you sign up for this programme, you agree to being contacted by the group coach Claire.

Click HERE to register for Transition to Secondary School Workshop

For all events, workshops, support groups and more please visit our Event section HERE

ADHD Ireland 05/07/2022

From Super Struggle to Superpower – How to support your ADHD child! Cork Live Event.

This is our first official in-person Cork Region event aiming to connect, educate, chat and celebrate our ADHD Ireland Cork Branch!!

Join us for a lovely, friendly evening fulfilled with useful information, opportunities to meet other parents and our fantastic Cork Branch Manager Martin Finn who has put so much effort to make this event happen. Let’s build a supportive ADHD community in Cork together!

Please, below you can find comprehensive Official Information about the event.

ADHD Ireland will host a Parent Awareness event at The Clayton, Lapp’s Quay, Cork on the 14th of June 2022 from 7:00pm – 8:30pm.

This event is free of charge and is aimed at parents who need information and support for a child who has or may have ADHD.

The team will talk about the pathway to diagnosis and strategies for supporting the child and their family.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental difference which affects roughly 5% of children. A child with ADHD will typically struggle with organisation, staying focused and impulse control. As a result, the child may feel frustrated, overwhelmed and anxious. Girls, in particular, may be adept at masking their daily struggles which often results in ADHD being undiagnosed and unsupported. A lack of meaningful understanding and support can create a sense that the child is living in a world that is moving at an impossible speed and leaving them behind. There is also a huge impact on parents and guardians who may themselves feel helpless and overwhelmed in their efforts to support their child.

The good news is that the right supports can make an enormous difference to the child and the family. With proper diagnosis and support, the child can reach their full potential while building their confidence and self-esteem. Children can even learn to appreciate the many positive traits associated with ADHD such as enhanced curiosity, innovative thought and creativity. In fact, they may come to see their ADHD as their superpower!

The ADHD Parent Awareness evening at The Clayton (Lapp’s Quay) will be led by ADHD Ireland CEO Ken Kilbride. This event coincides with the opening of the organisation’s Cork branch. New Cork Service Development Manager, Martin Finn, is looking forward to increasing ADHD supports in the region. ‘ADHD is a much misunderstood condition and accessing accurate information is the key to unlocking the right supports for parent and child. We hope this talk will be an important step towards empowering children with ADHD’.

For further information see www.adhdireland.ie or email [email protected]

To book tickets, please click HERE

We hope to see you there!

ADHD Ireland 07/06/22

Neurodiversity and the Legal System : Towards Equality for All

We are very proud to be headline partners alongside UCD, the Institute of Neurodiversity, NUI Maynooth and Neurodiversity Hub to develop and deliver significant conferences focused on equality for everyone within the legal system. This project follows the successful conference in 2020 on Neurodiversity and Higher Education.

The conference will take place on the 19th and 20th of May 2022, talks are scheduled from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm; the registration is free via Eventbrite; a Zoom link will be provided with a reminder email (please check your spam folder).

For more details, talks schedule and registration please click HERE

ADHD Ireland 26/04/2022

New Book about experience of ADULTS with ADHD in Ireland

ADHD Ireland is working with a major Irish publisher to produce a book on the lived experience of ADULTS with ADHD in Ireland today! For this, we are looking for adults (official or self-diagnosis is fine) to take part in an hour-long Zoom interview with us. We would love to see all ages be part of the book as the entry to be included is 18 years old and does not have a limit, as the aim is to showcase a broad perspective of living with ADHD.
If you are interested in taking part if you were able to fill out the form below.
The deadline is the 30th of April 2022, after t that the forms will be screened and we will start scheduling a zoom interviews which will follow with an email stating the final decision of being included in the book.

Please click HERE to access the form and complete your entry.

ADHD Ireland 20/04/2022

The announcement of new National ADHD Adult support!

We are thrilled with the decision made to develop the necessary support for Adults with ADHD. Below you can find all information showcasing yesterday’s announcement made by Mary Butler T.D. Minister for Mental Health and Older People.

RTE article about the announcement click HERE

RTE RADIO 1 interview with Mary Butler T.D. listen HERE

The below video was sourced from the Department of Health official Twitter account @roinnslainte

For our current support groups, please visit our EVENT page.

ADHD Ireland 18/04/2022

Research results about suicidal, self-harm behavior in ADHD adults

First ADHD Friendly school flag was raised in Co.Cork

ADHD Ireland School Accreditation Programme and the first ADHD friendly primary school in Cork.

Last week we visited friendly and very creative Beaumont Boys School in Cork to raise the flag of ADHD Ireland accreditation school programme. The ceremony was a beautiful as everyone took time to acknowledge the moment of the achievement.

“We were delighted to get the opportunity! Our main goal is to nourish every student equally, and for us to get the opportunity to extend our knowledge and understanding of ADHD was significant. We are all about acceptance and equal opportunities and this programme has gained our confidence in ADHD understanding” said Fiona Meehan /Beaumont Boys School principal

We are honored to have our flag at Beaumont school as the dedication and focus for the students journey is impeccable. We have met lovely, caring teaches and principals, but more importantly we got a chance to meet students which have appreciate their educators expanding their understanding of ADHD. Well done to everyone in Beaumont Boys School!

THE HIGHLIGHTS

The video futures – The Students of the Beaumont Boys School, Mags Moore Deputy Principle, Nicola Coss National Service Development Manager ADHD Ireland with Fiona Meehan Principle.

If you wish for your school to become ADHD friendly, please contact us to enter the next phase of the project at [email protected] or visit our website https://adhdireland.ie/school-accreditation-2/

ADHD Ireland 05 /04/22

First ADHD Friendly School in the country crowned in Kilcullen, Co. Kildare

Cross and Passion Secondary School, Kilcullen is the first school in Ireland to complete the “ADHD Friendly School Programme”

ADHD Ireland has completed a pilot of the new programme and is now ready to roll it out nationwide. On the 16^th of March, we were very pleased to crown the ‘CPC’ Kilcullen the first ADHD Friendly school in Ireland.

The ceremony was a credit to the dedication of teachers and staff of the college, who have done amazing work committing time to expand their knowledge of ADHD and to learn strategies to support their students in the classroom. With a prevalence of 5% for ADHD, this equates to 1:20 children.

“We were determined to start this programme for our students, we wanted to understand ADHD and get the tools to support them in their educational journey” said Aimee Kelly, The Junior Years Learning Support Coordinator.

The programme was designed to include teachers, SNAs and parents within the process. The main goal of the project is to provide an understanding of the needs of young people with ADHD and to give practical information. The project is delivered throughout the school year, via online training delivered by industry professionals from ADHD Ireland and the ADHD Foundation (UK).

Additionally, parents/carers are invited to join private sessions on ADHD Ireland as the aim is to have everyone involved in the young people’s lives to be informed and educated to help benefit them in all aspects of their lives.

“We are more confident now to accommodate our students with ADHD and we can recognise their needs, plus we see the difference in boys and girls with the condition, that is a great ability when you want to provide equal education opportunities to all your students” said Madeline Scully Senior Years Learning Support Coordinator.

The Cross and Passion College have 13 teachers participating in the programme and it is proud to call itself Ireland’s first ADHD Friendly School. In the coming weeks, ADHD Ireland will be presenting flags to Cork and Dublin schools, with a vision to see the accreditation flag in every school around the country.

“We know there is a huge gap and we are here to help support schools in filling the need for understanding their ADHD students” said Nicola Coss National Service Development Manager ADHD Ireland.

If you wish for your school to become ADHD friendly, please click HERE to expand the topic or contact us to enter the next phase of the project [email protected]

ADHD Ireland 22/03/22

ADHD Ireland and The Neurodiversity Celebration Week in Ireland

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is starting on the 21st of March

It is a time to recognize our differences and uniqueness. The movement has been recognised for the last four years when Sienna Castellon s 16 years old student, developed a school programme to recognize the differences in how we are and what we can offer due to our talents and abilities. She was wanting to change the stereotype of people with different ‘conditions’. The idea has grown and continues to grow all over the World and now the celebration aims to reach every organisation, school, parent, educator, university, and business

We are so proud to say that organisations, communities and schools have stepped up this year and we have plenty of amazing and positive celebration programmes in Ireland. ADHD Ireland has developed programmes, plus we are honoured to partner and participate in other organisations and schools talks.

Our plan for Neurodiversity Celebration Week

21st March IADT Student Talk | internal talk

21st 7 pm / Wicklow Social Democrats – Neurodiversity Allies Panel | Click HERE to find more

22nd March / ADHD Ireland ‘Tourettes in the Classroom’ with Seonaid Anderson | Click HERE to join

23rd March / University of Limerick Student Talk | internal talk

23rd March / ADHD Ireland ‘Emotional Regulation & Healthy Boundaries up to 8 yrs’ with Aisling Murray | Click HERE to join

24th March / Neurodiversity Masterclass series in Partnership with UCD and NUIM | Click HERE to join

24th March / ‘ADHD is the energy for life’ for All Abilities Ireland | Click HERE to join

25th March / ‘Neurodiversity in the Workplace’ for All Abilities Ireland | Click HERE to join

25th March / Malahide Portmarnock Educate Together National School | internal talk