HC Deb 27 March 2003 vol 402 c373W
Mr. Hepburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many schoolchildren there are with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in(a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) south Tyneside, (c) north-east and (d) England; [104584]

(2) what procedures are in place to identify schoolchildren with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; [104585]

(3) what measures have been introduced to help schoolchildren with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. [104586]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

Information on the number of schoolchildren with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not collected centrally. From January 2004 the Department will be collecting data on SEN by type of need. This will include children with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties, but will not contain a separate category for ADHD.

All schools and local education authorities have statutory duties to identify, assess and make suitable provision for children with SEN, which includes those pupils with behavioural difficulties and ADHD. The SEN Code of Practice provides practical advice to schools and Early Years settings to help them carry out these duties. It recommends a graduated, school-based approach to meet the needs of children with SEN, and specifically offers a range of interventions for schools to use in supporting pupils who are hyperactive and lack concentration.

Children with ADHD normally receive help and support from within the spectrum of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) which range from primary care, including school and social services interventions, to specialist and inpatient services. Child and adolescent psychiatrists, and increasingly paediatricians, provide specialist diagnostic and treatment services for children with ADHD, supported by members of multidisciplinary teams. The joint DfES/DH good practice guidance for schools "Supporting Pupils With Medical Needs" gives advice to schools and LEAs on supporting pupils with medical needs, including those who may be prescribed medication for ADHD.