RADDISH Redbridge Attention Deficit Disorder in Shared Hands For those of you who may not be aware, RADDISH stands for "Redbridge Attention Deficit Disorder in Shared Hands." We are a group of parents who have something in common - we all live with ADHD, which is a disorder that affects the whole family.

About AD/ADHD

AD/ADHD is a neurobiological disorder that affects between 1 - 5% of the population. It is believed to be genetic in origin. A person with this condition will have a severe inability to maintain attention. They may also be unable to organise tasks and have a lack of self control due to impulsivity. They may act or say inappropriate things. Where hyper activity is present, they will be unable to limit their physical activity and act like they are driven by a motor. This has a severe affect on family life and is particularly difficult for siblings who often feel frustrated by the behaviour of their brother or sister. They may also be embarrassed by them.

The difficulties for AD/ADHD children are prevalent in all aspects of life and not just school. From a parent's point, it can be even harder when people who know nothing about the condition, make snide comments. When the public see a child jumping up and down shouting and making noises, they think the child is spoilt. What they do not see is a child who is making an enormous effort at waiting in a queue with a parent. The child is simply unable to do this because of his condition.

About Us

RADDISH is open to everyone with an ADHD child up to the age of 18 and their siblings and close family. RADDISH also welcomes professionals who would like to know more about ADHD. We wish to educate people, and enable them to understand the condition and realise the devastating affect that it has on families. Our hope is that with increased knowledge, the lives of affected children and their families will improve dramatically.

The group only started last September after an initial meeting by Sheila Kelly, the Project Manager of Add+up (an ADHD group in Hornchurch). In the few months that we have been meeting, we have learned and achieved so much. We have a name and a logo, a bank account and registered address with e-mail and a dedicated phone line. We have produced an information leaflet and are now learning all about Constitutions, Budgets, Child Protection Policies and Business Plans. We even have someone crazy enough to run this year's London Marathon!

We had our very first outing to bowling on Sunday, 27th February. Almost 30 people joined us in this very successful activity. The ages of the people attending ranged from 20 months upwards! This was a wonderful step towards seeing our children interacting in society.

For some of the ADHD children it was the first time they had met other children with ADHD and Taylor aged 10 commented, "It's good - and nice to meet other people". For their siblings it was a chance to talk to other siblings who have grown up with an ADHD child in the family. "It was good to see my brother socialising with other kids who can empathise with him" said Yasmin aged 14. For the parents, Ruth voiced her thoughts as, "It was nice to see the kids being themselves, but not standing out from the others".

RADDISH aims to build up a knowledge base of ADHD and to be able to help and inform members. We have regular meetings for people to pop in and see a friendly face. We organise trips for parents and children, and continue to learn about the condition itself. We also have the RADDISH phoneline. We aim to be the first port of call in the Redbridge and Waltham Forest areas, to be accessible and friendly and to provide the support that parents may need.

If you want to join us or just find out more, you can e mail us at info@raddish.org or 'phone us on 020 8550 0330. Alternatively, you can write to RADDISH c/o RCVS, 3rd Floor, Forest House, 16-20 Clements Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1BA. Bonny Metin Chair

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