Patient Resources

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

ASD is a neuro-developmental disability thought to have neurological or genetic causes . However, the cause is not yet fully understood and there is no cure. A person on the autism spectrum has difficulties in some areas of their development, but other skills may develop typically.

ASD affects around 1 in 68 people of school age, with males being around four times more likely to be affected than females.

People on the autism spectrum have difficulties in the two main areas of:

social communication and interaction
restricted or repetitive behaviours, interests and activities.

There is no single test for ASD diagnosis. ASD in children is diagnosed through observation by a multidisciplinary team or the following health professionals:

Paediatrician
Psychologist

Psychiatrist
Speech Pathologist

Early intervention has been shown to improve outcomes for children on the autism spectrum.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is a 'neurodevelopmental' disorder, which is a disorder of brain function. With understanding, care and medical treatment ADHD can be successfully managed.

Children with ADHD experience the following difficulties:

Inattention – having difficulty concentrating, forgetting instructions, moving from one task to another without completing anything, distractibility
Impulsivity – talking over the top of others, having a ‘short temper’, being accident prone
Hyperactivity – constant restlessness and fidgeting.

Diagnosing ADHD

ADHD is not straightforward to diagnose. A paediatrician, child psychologist or child psychiatrist can make the assessment . Diagnosis of ADHD can be made only after making a detailed assessment – there is no single test.

A range of information, especially from parents and the child's school need to be collected. The symptoms of ADHD must be obvious in most areas of the child’s life. The assessment can include a developmental history of the child’s past behaviours, history of trauma or illness, relationships and family. A variety of standardised and validated tools, scales and criteria may be used when diagnosing ADHD.

Managing ADHD

There are a number of ways to help reduce your child's ADHD symptoms. These include:

medication – ADHD medications can reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity and improve a child's ability to focus, work, and learn
psychotherapies such as behaviour therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy
counselling – for child and other family members.

Parents of children with ADHD may find that they benefit from:

parenting skills training
learning some stress management techniques

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Patient Resources

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Diagnosing ADHD

Managing ADHD