Primary Times Hertfordshire Back to School 2018

Primary Times Hertfordshire
Back to school
Back to Head Lice
In all the hustle and bustle of back
to school week, it’s often easy to
overlook that this is the peak season
for head lice. Your children have no
doubt had a great summer with lots of
socialising and summer camps. But,
you may not have noticed that they’ve
picked up head lice in the process
through all that contact.
Then there is all the hugs and kisses
when they reunite on the first day
of school. Giving head lice the
perfect way to find a new home on
your child’s head
What can you do? Eileen from NitNOT
head lice removal clinic gives useful
advice: “Prevention is better than
cure” she says, “Hair to hair contact
is the easiest way to catch head lice.
Girls should wear long hair tied back
in a low ponytail or plait. Tell them not
to share hair brushes or swimming
towels and a weekly checks of hair via
wet-combing. Unfortunately it can be
difficult avoiding head lice.
If you find your family are suffering call
NitNOT for a screening or treatment
appointment for more details call
01442 388879. It will save you time,
stress and money.
One Stop
Doctors!
INTRODUCING
Dr Sharmishtha Sarkar
Consultant Paediatrician at One Stop Doctors, specialising in behavioural
and neuro – developmental (including Autism and ADHD) issues.
Our One Stop Doctors private Clinic in Hertfordshire has a team of
specialist paediatricians and child health experts. To book an appointment
or find a specialist please call 01442 331 900 or visit onestopdoctors.co.uk.
NEWS
Dr Sarkar, explains what symptoms to look out for if you think your child
is suffering from ADHD?
Fill the space in your home
and your heart and foster with us.
As students across the county pack
their bags for the start of the new term
or for far-flung shores, Hertfordshire
County Council is calling on their
parents to consider whether fostering
might be the way to fill the extra space
in their homes and their hearts.
Research suggests that every year
in September and October, as
youngsters fly the nest, there is a
significant increase in the number of
people coming forward to enquire
about fostering and thinking that
now might be the right time to do
something new and different in their
own family lives and being a foster
carer might well fit with the changes
happening at home
In Hertfordshire there are just over 835
children and young people in care and
many live with Hertfordshire’s foster
carers - each month, they receive an
average of 55 requests for new foster
placements, with more requests to
place older children (aged 10+),
sibling groups and those with more
complex needs.
Empty nesters potentially make great
foster carers because they’ve already
got the skills and experience needed
to look after children and teenagers
whether this is for a short term or
longer term period.
Anyone who fosters with Hertfordshire
County Council can expect unrivalled
support. If you are interested in
fostering with them, they’ll be there
to guide you through the process,
every step of the way. For more
information visit www.hertfordshire.
gov.uk/whyfosterwithus or call the
recruitment team on 0800 917 0925.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a group of behavioural
symptoms that include hyperactivity, impulsivity and difficulty in focusing
and paying attention. Awareness of the disorder has grown exponentially
over recent years, but Dr Sarkar believes that diagnosis and treatment
is still a problem for many parents and looks to shed some light on
symptoms, advising when one should seek professional help.
Dr Sarkar says. “If you have worries over your child’s behaviour or
your school have advised concerns with behaviour / ability
to access learning due to behavioural issues, then there are things
that you can look out for to help you identify whether you should seek
professional advice for ADHD.
Sometimes, as a parent it can be difficult to know what constitutes as
normal and what doesn’t – very often there is a fine line and it is difficult to
be objective about your own child.
“The obvious behaviours to look out for include struggling to sit still and
follow instructions, high activity levels and inattentiveness. But these
symptoms can be subjective, and it can be more helpful to understand
how these problems can manifest themselves in daily activity. For
example, does your child find it difficult to keep friends, does he interrupt
conversations, is he impulsive, does he have problems with anger, does
he lose possessions and is forgetful, or does he find it difficult to complete
a task even as mundane as getting dressed or tidying up a bedroom.
Symptons can carry through
to their teenage and adult
years and lead to:
• Dropping out of school
• Self-esteem issues
• Risk taking behaviour e.g.
substance misuse
• Involvement with law and
order
• Anxiety disorder/Depression
• Inability to keep a job
In addition to this, ADHD can
also co-exist with other
related conditions including:
• Autistic Spectrum Disorder
(ASD)
• Learning Difficulties
• Dyspraxia or Dyslexia
• Tics or Tourette’s Syndrome
• Depression, anxiety
“A rule of thumb is to look at these difficulties and reflect whether they
are more problematic for your son or daughter than for children generally
at the same age. If you are struggling with your child’s behaviour go and
see your GP. There are also many resources online available and One
Stop Doctors has recently launched a whole host of paediatric services
to include developmental issues with both Paediatric Consultants, Child
Psychologists and other therapists on hand”.
www.primarytimes.co.uk/Hertfordshire | BACK TO SCHOOL 2018 5