Highland Developmental Coordination Disorders Group

10^th Anniversary Conference

“Living and Growing with Developmental Coordination Disorder”

 

On Friday 11^th May 2007 the H.D.C.D. Group held a conference at the Culduthel Christian Centre, Inverness, to celebrate 10 years since the group was founded and to provide useful information about D.C.D. to professionals and parents/carers. The main speaker was Professor Amanda Kirby from the Dyscovery Centre in Cardiff who has a wealth of expertise with this disorder. Amanda is a G.P and she founded the Dyscovery Centre, also 10 years ago, following her son’s diagnosis with D.C.D. 123 delegates attended the conference and this consisted of 65% Education and Health professionals, and 35% parents. The conference was organised by the H.D.C.D. Group committee, which consists of proactive parents and some professionals. The Group is a charitable organisation and has an employed Development Officer, Arlene Maxtone (For more information on D.C.D. and/or help and advice contact Arlene on Tel. 01463-709907).

 

 Overall the conference was a huge success thanks to the fantastic venue and the eloquence of the speakers. It was the largest conference held at the Culduthel Christian Centre, since it’s opening last August, and it dealt superbly with the PA system and the catering from church volunteers. The programme offered information on how the H.D.C.D.Group began, on living and growing with D.C.D., on research carried out on services for D.C.D. in Scotland, and on collaborative working. Participants were also given the opportunity to select a workshop of their choice.

 

The conference was opened by Dr. Jane Austin, Community Paediatrician, and Stephen Iliffe, Additional Support for Learning Team Leader, then Lindsay Graham, parent founder of the group, described how it all began with worries about her young son having immense motor and specific learning difficulties, and seeking diagnosis and help for him. To the present day where her son has grown into a capable young man due to the help he has received from the group and support for learning. She informed everyone, that given the right support, all children could reach their full potential and lead very full lives. She is now a very proud parent of a young adult, who has a string of GCSEs, can drive a car and is hopefully going to join the Police Force!

 

Professor Amanda Kirby initially spoke about the symptoms and causes of D.C.D. and its overlap with other conditions, the prevalence of the condition, where children get assessed and how they are assessed, and about treatment intervention. She emphasised some preventative measures such as playing old games that can give children opportunities to develop their motor skills eg. Hop scotch and Chinese skipping; improving the modern diet of some children, ie. increasing essential fatty acids (omega3); that babies should be placed on their backs to sleep, fronts to move, and sit to play to develop motor skills. She also described how day-to-day tasks, such as washing and dressing, pose huge difficulties to these children and she offered strategies throughout her lecture to help increase a child’s skill. She encouraged children to get involved in hobbies where they can be successful, and to avoid team sports if this is difficult for them. She suggested having routines, as this reduces stress, and to seek out the strengths of the individual and focus on these. Professor Kirby went on to elaborate on teenage issues and transitions into the workplace. The key to intervention she stated was to keep things simple, give extra time and practice to increase skills and not necessarily involve equipment at vast cost. There should be a 5year rule with adolescents if difficulties persist despite appropriate intervention then alternative means of communication/recording or doing something, may need to be considered. She gave hope to parents by describing her own son and how well he has coped and overcome a lot of his difficulties. He can also drive now, though it took him 3 years to learn, and he is studying Business Management at University- an inspiration to us all!

 

Christine Owen and Donald MacIver from the Achieve Alliance Group, based at Queen Margarets College in Edinburgh, talked about the research they have carried out on services with D.C.D. children from as far North as Shetland to the far south in the borders. Many members of the H.D.C.D. Group were involved in this investigation and although their results and outcomes have not been published yet (due in September) they thanked all those that took part in their research. They informed the delegates that it is recognised that D.C.D. is an issue and that more steps need to be taken to provide services for this condition.

 

Jane Baines, Support for Learning in Secondary and Special Schools, spoke about collaborative working. She emphasised the importance of good communication and teamwork and involving parents in the education process and outcomes. She stressed that liaison with all other parties working with the child must be carried out, so a consistent approach is taken and all the child’s needs are met. Arlene Maxtone, Development Officer for the H.D.C.D. Group, lectured about the way forward with these children. She felt positive about the H.D.C.D.Groups role in the voluntary sector and she left the audience with a challenge! She implied that with all the skill of the delegates and resources from information stands and attendees in the auditorium, that all those with D.C.D had the potential to be successful given the right support at the optimum time, so use your skills and knowledge to help them!

 

There was a number of stands for delegates to peruse at breaks during the conference and these were run by the National Autistic Society, Food & Behaviour (FAB) Research, Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Support Group, Steering Group for Movement Programme (Highland Council & NHS Highland), Blythswood Christian Care (Highland Foodbank), and Children in the Highlands Information Point (CHIP)+. The workshops on offer were informative and/or practical sessions – Mindmapping, Sit up & Listen up (Posture & writing), Transition from primary to secondary school, Transition from secondary school to the workplace, ICT, and Strategies for D.C.D. children in school.

 

The day was highly professional with Andy Maxtone, parent/committee member chairing the day and playing emotive music, alongside photographs and captions projected onto the auditorium screen at the beginning, middle and end of the conference. In addition, the delegates were issued with a bag containing the programme, library resources, information from the Dyscovery Centre, a resourceful catalogue, an H.D.C.D badge and pen! Evaluation feedback forms rated the conference and venue as excellent, so well done to all those who helped to produce an informative day, in a relaxed and professional way! Giant oaks from little acorns, the H.D.C.D. Group has grown and developed in more ways than we would ever have imagined! 

                            

Morven Ball,

H.D.C.D. committee member