One of the most common presenting issues in mental health services in Ireland is ADHD. This neurodevelopmental difference was historically underdiagnosed (particularly in girls), with an over focus on hyperactivity in school aged boys. We now understand ADHD in a much more detailed way, which often has nothing to do with hyperactivity.
Contrary to mainstream discussion, ADHD is still underdiagnosed as a percentage of the overall population in Ireland and many individuals have had to mask and manage at tremendous cost across work, school, college and home settings.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2018) describes Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by persistent patterns of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention that is excessive relative to the individual’s developmental stage.
Symptoms must be evident early in life and these often lead to significant functional impairment, observable across multiple domains (psychological, social, educational or occupational).
- Difficulty sustaining attention
- Consistent, apparently careless mistakes
- Challenges with organisational tasks,
- Avoidance of tasks that require effort
- Excessive talking/interrupting,
- Fidgeting,
- An inability to remain seated in appropriate situations.
- Predisposition to other mental health presentations
Our understanding of ADHD and other neurodevelopmental differences is evolving rapidly. These neurodevelopmental differences often overlap (comorbidity), for example someone with ADHD may also have Dyslexia. Neurodiversity reframes many of these neurological differences across individuals as natural variations of human cognition that pertain to such diagnosis as
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),
- Autism Spectrum Disorder/Condition (ASD/C),
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia (DCD)
- Dyscalculia ( lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that causes profound difficulty in understanding numbers, and basic maths)
- AuDHD (co-occurring ADHD and Autism diagnosis)
Talk Therapy Dublin has a number of practitioners with specific training and experience working in this area, often involving comprehensive postgraduate training in neurodevelopmental conditions. These include practitioners with experience working clinically across a variety of setting like nursing and psychology.
Neuroaffirmative therapy can support individuals during this process and provide crucial psychoeducation for families and loved ones. We can also provide guidance around Clinical Psychology, Occupational Therapy and Psychiatry which may be crucial around diagnosis, medication and reasonable accommodations linked to the above,
Please make contact for a free phone consultation on this area