A charity is to set up support workshops for parents of children with behavioural disorders.

Basildon-based ADDing Su-pport was launched two years ago for parents and carers of children with Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder.

The group became a registered charity last year, and was able to expand library and information services thanks to a £5,000 National Lottery Start Up Grant.

Professionals from all over the world regularly speak at the group's twice-monthly meetings at Basildon Hospital.

Now parents who know or suspect their children have the disorder can attend workshops from next month, teaching them to manage such behaviour.

AD(H)D, thought by some experts to affect up to five per cent of children, impairs concentration and learning abilities. The nine-year-old son of ADDing Support chairman Sue Griffiths was diagnosed with AD(H)D three and a half years ago.

She said: "If you're not lucky enough to come across a professional who is aware of AD(H)D, it can be very difficult to get a diagnosis.

"There are three core conditions - impulsive behaviour, lack of concentration, and, in some, over-active behaviour. Not all children have that, but people tend to recognise the problem when you say hyperactivity.

"The quiet ones sometimes aren't diagnosed until secondary school. By then they can suffer low self-esteem, depression, and even have been in trouble with the law.

"We've been dealing with younger and younger children, which is a good thing."

Anyone interested in attending the workshops should contact Sue Griffiths on 01268 548036 or Chris Luckett on 01268 571201.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.