40 years young
In November, we celebrated our 40th birthday as an Association with our annual conference, ADHD Interactive. An outstanding event, it provided the opportunities for our members to meet as a community with experts in ADHD ranging from Clinical Psychologists to educators and even a photographer.
As a concept, the interactive conference was a huge success, and we plan to run more of these events around New Zealand over the next year, starting with Wellington.
The highlight of the day was the cutting of our Birthday cake by our founders Jenny, Diane, and Paul. It made us think how far we have come since our founding in 1979. Initially set up as a parent support group, we have continued to evolve and have morphed into ADHD New Zealand. Our membership continues to grow to nearly 1,000 members, with over 5,000 active participants on our Facebook support pages...
...But in 1979, it was quite a different story.
Despite being identified in 1902 by Sir George Still, ADHD was not understood and indeed much maligned. Today, we can only imagine what it would have been like in 1979 when there was a limited understanding of ADHD, no real support and no internet to increase knowledge or aid the development of a supportive community. To form and grow a parent support group would have taken some doing.
Worldwide organisations for ADHD children began when an allergist Dr Ben Feingold in USA found behaviour of children he treated for allergies improved most markedly when foods containing colourings, flavourings, preservatives and salicylates were removed. It became known as the Feingold diet. Now you will find a similar approach on the web under the Failsafe Diet.
In New Zealand, sometime in 1979, a journalist wrote an article in the Wednesday Midweek for Women in the Auckland Star newspaper about the increasing prevalence of problematic children. Pam House wrote to her of her success with her son on the Feingold diet and the journalist wrote another article in which she published Pam’s phone number. Pam later reported that her phone did not stop ringing, so much so that she took it off the hook to go to the bathroom. I was a caller. I suggested that she invite those calling to her place where she could tell a collective rather than individuals.
The meeting was amazing with the mother’s stories, their desperation and discoveries. As we were washing up some of us agreed that one meeting could not satisfy the need that was so obvious for information – the giving and the collection of these family’s experiences. Several others were asked if they felt the same and so a further meeting was arranged with just these women. These were the women who continued to run the Association for the next 28 years – mostly voluntarily!
In 1980, the influential Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders third edition (DSM III)), uses the term “Attention Deficit Disorder” for the first time, and this was upgraded to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), in 1987. Indeed, since then the level of understanding of ADHD has slowly continued to grow throughout the world, and there have been numerous research studies into ADHD and its associated impact.
By 1990 the demand for help had outgrown this modus operandi and the Association moved into an office. Di Wellacott set up this and the office systems and for years ran the office alone. Later a part time then a full time assistant had to be employed as the workload grew.
By 2008, after nearly 30 years, a major shift in administration was required and a board of directors was formed with Marceline Borren as the CEO. Di stayed involved on a helpline and has recently retired after being amazing for all that time.
A key breakthrough was in 2017 when the Lancet, one of the world’s leading medical journals conducted breakthrough research into ADHD which described ADHD as a disorder of the brain, it concludes “This message is clear for clinicians to convey to parents and patients, which can help to reduce the stigma that ADHD is just a label for difficult children and caused by incompetent parenting”.
ADHD New Zealand is now 40 years old and continues to support hundreds of families whose children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and need good information and support. In addition we're hearing from adults who were diagnosed as youngsters, or have recently discovered the reason for their quirkiness and are seeking referrals and access to our community.
While the research into ADHD continues to develop and validate what ADHD'rs and their families already know, a greater understanding by society, the education and health sectors have some way to go. This is the challenge that our community and ADHD New Zealand will face into, over the next forty years.
In the meantime, though, we can reflect on how far we have come, and have a slice of birthday cake.
Did you know in the year to October 2019:
As a concept, the interactive conference was a huge success, and we plan to run more of these events around New Zealand over the next year, starting with Wellington.
The highlight of the day was the cutting of our Birthday cake by our founders Jenny, Diane, and Paul. It made us think how far we have come since our founding in 1979. Initially set up as a parent support group, we have continued to evolve and have morphed into ADHD New Zealand. Our membership continues to grow to nearly 1,000 members, with over 5,000 active participants on our Facebook support pages...
...But in 1979, it was quite a different story.
Despite being identified in 1902 by Sir George Still, ADHD was not understood and indeed much maligned. Today, we can only imagine what it would have been like in 1979 when there was a limited understanding of ADHD, no real support and no internet to increase knowledge or aid the development of a supportive community. To form and grow a parent support group would have taken some doing.
Worldwide organisations for ADHD children began when an allergist Dr Ben Feingold in USA found behaviour of children he treated for allergies improved most markedly when foods containing colourings, flavourings, preservatives and salicylates were removed. It became known as the Feingold diet. Now you will find a similar approach on the web under the Failsafe Diet.
In New Zealand, sometime in 1979, a journalist wrote an article in the Wednesday Midweek for Women in the Auckland Star newspaper about the increasing prevalence of problematic children. Pam House wrote to her of her success with her son on the Feingold diet and the journalist wrote another article in which she published Pam’s phone number. Pam later reported that her phone did not stop ringing, so much so that she took it off the hook to go to the bathroom. I was a caller. I suggested that she invite those calling to her place where she could tell a collective rather than individuals.
The meeting was amazing with the mother’s stories, their desperation and discoveries. As we were washing up some of us agreed that one meeting could not satisfy the need that was so obvious for information – the giving and the collection of these family’s experiences. Several others were asked if they felt the same and so a further meeting was arranged with just these women. These were the women who continued to run the Association for the next 28 years – mostly voluntarily!
In 1980, the influential Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders third edition (DSM III)), uses the term “Attention Deficit Disorder” for the first time, and this was upgraded to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), in 1987. Indeed, since then the level of understanding of ADHD has slowly continued to grow throughout the world, and there have been numerous research studies into ADHD and its associated impact.
By 1990 the demand for help had outgrown this modus operandi and the Association moved into an office. Di Wellacott set up this and the office systems and for years ran the office alone. Later a part time then a full time assistant had to be employed as the workload grew.
By 2008, after nearly 30 years, a major shift in administration was required and a board of directors was formed with Marceline Borren as the CEO. Di stayed involved on a helpline and has recently retired after being amazing for all that time.
A key breakthrough was in 2017 when the Lancet, one of the world’s leading medical journals conducted breakthrough research into ADHD which described ADHD as a disorder of the brain, it concludes “This message is clear for clinicians to convey to parents and patients, which can help to reduce the stigma that ADHD is just a label for difficult children and caused by incompetent parenting”.
ADHD New Zealand is now 40 years old and continues to support hundreds of families whose children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and need good information and support. In addition we're hearing from adults who were diagnosed as youngsters, or have recently discovered the reason for their quirkiness and are seeking referrals and access to our community.
While the research into ADHD continues to develop and validate what ADHD'rs and their families already know, a greater understanding by society, the education and health sectors have some way to go. This is the challenge that our community and ADHD New Zealand will face into, over the next forty years.
In the meantime, though, we can reflect on how far we have come, and have a slice of birthday cake.
Did you know in the year to October 2019:
- we had over 28,000 website visits
- reached over 7,300 Facebook members, and
- sent over 500 information packs out?
