by Ghislaine Cobb of The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD as it is more commonly identified, is one of the most common mental disorders of childhood, affecting between 3 and 5 percent of children in the United States.
In Cheyenne, a new pilot program is helping the children and their families work together more effectively to handle the challenges of the disorder.
The Cheyenne Attention Camp Program, which kicked off its two-week pilot run last Monday at St. Mary’s School, is providing 23 children with positive learning experiences. It also is helping parents to develop the skills needed to reduce family stress and help their children succeed.
Peggy Nikkel, director of Unified Parents Lifting Kids for Tomorrow, which is sponsoring the program with a grant from the Wyoming Children’s Trust Fund, said the camp is special because two clinical psychologists from the Oregon Social Learning Center in Eugene are combining their talents with local experts in the field.
UPLIFT provides emotional, educational and advocacy support for parents and community members concerned with the emotional needs and behavioral difficulties of children, she said.
One of the Oregon professionals, Dr. Phil Fisher, said the children are following themes each day to improve their social skills.
“They are also using a balance of encouragement for motivation and limit setting,” he added.
The other Oregon expert, Dr. Mark Eddy, said, “By creating a consistent environment, families can get a jump-start in getting things under control.”
Because ADHD is so misunderstood, it is important for parents to be as informed as possible on the disorder, he added.
Fisher said data collection on the children’s behavior is being recorded by the camp staff as well as from the parents.
“We’re pinpointing what the problems are and measuring how they do,” Fisher said.
Follow-up data will be taken in the months ahead, he added.
Nikkel’s son, Jeremy, who is 14-years-old and has ADHD, is serving as a camp assistant to the younger children.
“I’m helping them understand ADHD and how to correct their actions. I’m also learning how to deal with some of my actions and giving time-outs,” he said.
Nikkel said she is very grateful to all the camp’s sponsors.
Reprinted with permission. Copyright 1997, The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle.