Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on the rise among schoolchildren: Expert

There is a marked increase in the number of students suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD) which causes them to find it difficult to focus and pay attention ( especially in school), difficulty in controlling their behaviour and are hyperactive, Mental Health Director Dr Rasanjalee Hettiarachchi told Education Times.

Dr Hettiarachchi said that it is unfortunate that Sri Lanka’s education system fails to cater to these students, who are otherwise ‘intelligent and creative like every other child’.

“The problem we have now is that most children have behavioral disorders,” she said, adding that, about 5%-7% of the local student population is suffering from ADHD.

“When they misbehave or are inattentive in class, teachers simply scold or pun- ish them, because they do not understand that the child is suffering from a disorder. This could result in students being reluctant to attend school,” Dr Hettiarachchi said.

She added that the key to arrest such cases is early identification and treatment. “This is what is not happening in our country. The problem is that most teachers fail to see this as a behavioral disorder, but see it as a child being mischievous and hence, is punished.”

According to Dr Hettiarachchi, most ADHD students are left untreated, because of a lack of knowledge in the area.

Dr Hettiarachchi said that, the Health Ministry intends to address the issue next year by introducing a ‘ Mental Health Package’ to schools, where teachers will be trained to identify students suffering from a mental dis- order.

Another aspect that is on the rise in schools, she said, is bullying. “This badly affects the mental status of a child. Not just peers, but sometimes teachers too bully students.”

In the ‘ Mental Health Package’, experts will educate children and train teachers to identify a mental disorder and how to seek treatment for it, while promoting mental wellbeing in schools. “We hope to promote a bullying- free policy in schools, for a student-healthy environment.”

She further added that, they have proposed to the Education Ministry not to have exams till Grade 3, so that the child will be stressfree in school. “Private tuition classes start as early as Grade 1, with competition among students, and even parents, affecting students’ mental health.”