ADDept Yorkshire Learning & Ability Support Group

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	About ADDept
	ADDept's Training Courses
	Meet The Team
	Our Family is Growing

	What We've Been Up To
	Continuing Development To Support Families
	ADDept Staff Have Been Training
	Changing Policies
	Hidden Disabilities Questionnaire

About ADDept

1993:

Saw The Birth of ADDept.

Working with Norfolk County Council on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder issues in Children which subsequently transpired into working with Adults.  These monthly meetings continued till 2005 when the package and training became Universal.

1993:

ADDept first started working in partnership with the Department of Work and Pensions, advising about how to support people at work who needed to take time off to care for family members, enabling them to receive benefits.

We also advocated for client’s seeking to gain a diagnosis advising them as to where they could obtain funding etc. Enlightened them as to which benefits they were entitled to receive i.e. getting plus Disability Living Allowance and how to obtain them.

1997:

ADDept, Action Dyslexia and Job Centre plus (Cathy Murray, Director of Diversity) joined together in producing the Disability Advisors tool for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Aspergers, Dyspraxia and Dyslexia was completed and developed for other government departments.

2002:

The Disability Advisors tool was redeveloped for use by psychologists intoducing recognition and what form of Employment and Training would be suitable for them.

2006:

We requested our partners start work on the Hidden Disability Questionnaire which was finalized in March 2009, it was then trialled by the Department of Work and Pensions and completed in July.

2006:

ADDept provided information in the training  to ensure  Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder received entitlement to Disability Living Allowance.

2009:

In October The Questionnaire will come into circulation within government departments and their contractors.

ADDept will continue to work in partnership with:

	National Health Service
	Home Office
	Department of Health etc

In order to ensure policies and resources are put into place:

 

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ADDept Training Courses

 

 

 

For Parents / Carers / Professionals / Government Departments:

 

Our training staff have not only lived with Hidden Disabilities they are all parents themselves, therefore have a lifetime of strategies which have been tried and tested.

ADDept also Investigate Associations and Organisations ensuring policies are being upheld in an attempt to stop abuse to both children and adults in and out of their care.

 

 

 

Training for Professionals:

 

We supply training to Local, National and Government Groups, aiding them in the awareness of and how to support people with Hidden Impairments.

 

We advise professionals to always take into consideration the views of parents and family members not only because it is statutory to do so, but because we believe it is of vital importance.

 

 

Fee's  

 

	ADDept's staff do not charge for their services
	We Do Ask That Our Travel Expenses Are Funded
	Donations Are Greatly Accepted

 

Training and Instructions on how to handle ADHD and co morbid disabilities / Impairments

ADDept can also give medical credits for use in your Curriculum Vitae.

 

 

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Our Family Is Growing

 

 

We've recently been blessed with the arrival of Gillian Mead, who has joined ADDept as our Lead Consultant.

Gillian and ADDept go back a LONG way.  This wonderful lady started the first support group for ADHD in the UK, after she had had her daughter diagnosed and subsequently found that there were no resources available. A truly remarkable lady whom we feel very honoured to welcome back into the fold.

 

ADDept Supports families the country wide:

 

	Liverpool
	Whitby
	Ripon
	Harrogate
	Hull
	Doncaster
	Leeds
	Wales
	London
	Wakefield

 

 

What We've Been Up To

We're all rushed off our feet, which is just how we like it as it means things are happening i.e.

	Policies Are Changing
	ADDept Staff Have Been Training
	More Families Are Joining Us

ADDept Staff Have Been Training

We have all just completed the training for the Hidden Disabilities Questionnaire

Attended York University: Under the watchful eyes of Dr. John Rack (BSC.PhD.AFPPsS.C Psychol)

Attended Whitby Training: 

Continuing Development To Support Families

As part of the continuing development to support to families and individuals with Hidden Impairments, a training session was held at Allatt House to introduce the Hidden Disabilities Questionnaire, which will be used to help identify hidden impairments.

This has been developed, by Dr John Rack, Head of Assessment Services and Evaluation for Dyslexia Action, who was advised by our Mike regarding ADHD. 

Mary Robinson from Dyslexia Action facilitated the session and after introductions, the Hidden Disabilities Questionnaire was handed out and discussed. 

	It was agreed that the questionnaire would be photocopied and administered to as many different people as possible, including those who have no particular difficulties, as well as those who know or believe they may have a hidden impairment.
	It was agreed that as this is a trial, there would be no feedback regarding individual results, but that if participants would like to know their results, and have their questionnaires scored at a later date, they should retain a photocopy, which they could have scored once the questionnaire and training had been completed. (with consideration to any subsequent changes to the questionnaire).
	The completed, anonymous surveys were returned to Andrea Manton at Dyslexia Action in Hull in mid July 2008 where they were scored and results forwarded to Dr Rack

Issues:

Issues were raised regarding funding, and ongoing support, training and information once people had been identified as having a hidden impairment.

At the moment there seems to be very little available, other than signposting to partner agencies or groups who could offer information such as

	Dyslexia Action,
	Autism Plus,
	ADDept,
	CMVA Self Help Groups etc.

This could be the start of opening Pandora’s Hidden Impairments Box.

Schools:

It was felt that there is a gap in the level of awareness within schools, and that Yvonne, Ian and Karen should discuss the possibility of finding funding streams to deliver awareness training in these areas. 

The possibility of involving East Whitby and Stakesby Schools in a trial was identified. This would involve using the questionnaire and include training and support for all School staff. If successful, this could be used as a model for developing service provision and support in the area.

Again there are funding implications for schools that subsequently have to put in place extra resources to support children and young people identified as having a Hidden Impairment.

Training:

Mary indicated that she had expertise in delivering training and that she would be happy to support this initiative. 

We would also need to include training for Asperger and ADHD awareness. 

Topics to be considered would be:

	identifying children,
	signposting,
	what we can offer,
	resources
	training.

These were further discussed at a future-working group. 

The possibility of finding any family learning budgets for adult education that could be tapped into to train parents was also discussed as was the potential for early intervention and screening (as early as 5), and even preschool which could help prevent a lot of:

	self esteem issues,
	learning difficulties,
	stigmatisation,
	social behaviour problems.

Statistics:

We also need to have facts and figures regarding the average number of people in Whitby with HI (for funding bids for the aforementioned training and research). It was suggested that we contact individual organisations such as:

	National Autistic Society,
	Dyslexia Action,
	ADDept,
	NYCC,
	Home Office etc

To get this information.

Using the Questionnaire:

	Concerns were also raised about:
	how to screen people,
	what to do with the information once they have it,
	how do you tell someone they have a HI when they don’t know,
	confidentiality,

Barriers such as appropriateness of who to implement the questionnaire

e.g. Whitby Underground – the questionnaire may be perceived as a barrier to client communication.  Others included “Cop-A-Lot.”, who have built up trust and rapport with their group and felt that this was important for administering such a questionnaire. 

Self Help Group:

Also a suggestion was that parents in the self-help group could be given training on how to help their children.  The importance of helping parents to identify, understand and manage their children, partners or themselves with a hidden impairment was also critical.

Research shows that the biggest improvement in children with Dyslexia has been in home support and a DIY pack would be useful.

The group felt that the session was very productive and generated a lot of good ideas.  It was agreed that there are a number of issues to be resolved, discovered and developed, and have met again on numerous occasions as a working group to further develop these ideas.

Policies Are Changing

Our Mike has been busy harassing Government Departments, Councils, Prisons, Job Centre Plus etc

He's our loveable Rogue, we have a new saying now. "You've Been Fewstered"

Hidden Disabilities Questionnaire

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