ADD-vance is a voluntary organisation set up in Hertfordshire in 1996 to support parents and carers of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
Both these disorders make it difficult for the children to succeed in school because of the behavioural difficulties that result from these conditions, despite the fact that most children with these conditions are intelligent enough to be educated in mainstream schools. Although ADHD is not caused by bad parenting, it is often the parents who get the blame. This often leaves parents feeling like failures, demoralised and unheard.
This is where we come in.
At ADD-vance we listen.
At ADD-vance we do not judge
At ADD-vance we provide a friendly atmosphere where parents can speak freely (often for the first time) about their child
At ADD-vance we give space for emotions…..cry, shout, and be silent
At ADD-vance we give support and information
How can we help?
The telephone helpline service operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week and is answered by answer phone when there is no-one available. We aim to return calls within 24 hours and usually the same day.
Group support meetings are held monthly in St Albans (West) and Ware (East) although parents and carers attend from all areas of Hertfordshire. Meeting Dates East Meeting Dates West
ADD-vance has a lending library of resources which includes many books for parents, teachers and siblings. We also have resources of information from the internet which are available as print-outs or we direct parents and professionals to the appropriate resources on-line.
We produce a regular newsletter to enable parents to feel in touch when they are unable to get to meetings. Most parents have difficulty getting babysitters as people are unwilling to sit with such challenging children. They can therefore feel very isolated and so keeping in touch is important.
We have provided specialist training for our team of 8 experienced parents of children and young adults with ADHD to provide specialist coaching for families in the home. One of our coaches will work with you on a one-to-one basis with families to enable them to reach their goals. This is often in achieving behavioural strategies and forms the basis for family harmony and cohesion. This in turn allows families to move out from their social isolation back into community activities including school. For more information on coaching click here Coaching ServiceWe also run workshop courses for parents and outings and trips for families (including the siblings of course!)
Alongside this we have begun to educate the community so that they may understand the difficulties families face. We have provided INSET training for local schools and for the Youth Justice Service and have also received self-referrals from individual families requiring help.
