ADHD - I feel that somehow by using just four letters this condition is shunted into the background.  It isn't so important or difficult to deal with any more. So here I'll say all of the words not just the initials - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  Catches your eye yes? Sound serious? Sound scary? What does it mean? Could my child have this condition? Could I have this condition? Can it be cured? Can it be dealt with? How do we cope?

There are so many more questions, almost too many questions.

But I'll tell you the reason I decided to use my 24 hour read-a-thon in order to raise money for ADDISS.  I'm not a parent and I haven't really had a great deal to do with children throughout my life, except for nieces and nephews and the odd baby sitting job.  However, this last couple of months I've spent a lot of time with one particular child.  This isn't about him and my adventures in child care except for the fact that he has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

I've been brought smack bang into contact with the behavioural problems and learning difficulties that go hand in hand with this diagnosis.  It's difficult to cope, not only for the carer but for the child too.  It isn't just bad behaviour, all children can be naughty, I was, bet you were too.  It isn't that a child is stupid, in fact it can be that the child is extremely intelligent.  But it does wear you out especially if you have no idea how to address it and change it.

ADDISS helps people to understand and find ways to be able to cope, not just this condition but many others, Autism, Bi Polar, Dyslexia to name some of them, and by people that means parents, teachers, law enforcement officers, health workers and sufferers.  Did you know that it's not just a childhood condition? That might be worth thinking about too.

The http://24hourreadathon.com/ is what I will be joining on 10th/11th April 2010 from 1pm to 1pm (GMT) and I thought that I'd try and use the read-a-thon to raise some money for ADDISS.  I hope you'll help me.   For 24 hours I will be reading, updating my blog page and twitter with the amount read and hopefully reviewing any books that I manage to complete, I'll also be taking part in mini challenges over the session.  Please comment, lend your support, give me tips or send me jokes or cheer me on but above all please donate whatever you can afford to ADDISS.

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