AD/HD Club of Iloilo celebrates AD/HD Awareness Week

By Mrs. Israelita Ravena Sumagaysay

The AD/HD Club of Iloilo celebrates Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness Week, this October 3 -9 with the theme: Identification, Impact and Intervention.

The AD/HD Support Group was the name we had given to the club when we first organized a group of parents and professionals with undying support of the three big companies, the Eli Lilly, Janssen and Novartis as our sponsors.

The commitment of the parents who are very eager to help the children and the continuing support of the doctors kept this group going.

We had our first meeting last July 7, 2004 and it was followed by a series of meetings and seminars conducted by different doctors and sharing of experiences from parents who have children with AD/HD. Through this sharing we decided that there was indeed a need for us to join hands in order to help our children so we came up with the decision to elect our officers to formalize our organization. Elected Officers of the AD/HD are the following:

President: Ramon Cerrado; Vice President: Arlene Pena; Secretary: Happy Abenir; Treasurer: Israelita Sumagaysay; PRO: Joie Magbanua; Board of Directors: 1. Dr. Kristin Trenas; 2. Dr. Celina Gellada; 3. Dr. Fredilyn Samoro; 4. Miss Mae Dais; Adviser: Dr. Japhet Gensaya - Femandez de Leon.

The club has set programs of activities for 2005 and it is composed of seminars, lectures on AD/HD, workshops and trainings, linkages with different schools, socialization for AD/HD kids and many more. The club has started its first school caravan on July 25, 2005 at St. Joseph School Auditorium. It was a half day seminar attended by at least four representatives from public and private elementary and secondary schools in Iloilo City. Those who attended were school principals or school heads, guidance counselors and senior teachers.

The topics and speakers during the seminar were as follows:

1. Topic: New Kid on the Block: Identification ofAD/HD Speaker : Dr. Celina Cordero Gellada MD, FPSDBP, DPPS Developmental Pediatrician; 2. Topic: Impact of AD/HD
Speaker: Dr. Japhet Gensaya Femandez de Leon, MD, FPPA, FCAPPI Adult and Child Psychiatrist; 3. Topic: How to Reach and Teach AD/HD Children: Practical Techniques,
Strategies and Intervetion for Helping Children with Problems of AD/HD. Speaker: Miss Maria Cecilia F. Sarabia School Directress Iloilo Integrated School.

The mission and objective of the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) Club of Iloilo in promoting awareness and acceptance of AD/HD children will only be realized if parents, families, friends, doctors, professionals, schools and the government will join hands in uplifting the objective of this organization so that children with AD/HD can become functional members of society.