The Joy and Heartache that is - South Africa.

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Education is very much part of what is on my heart. I teach art and tutor children in maths, Afrikaans and IsiXhosa. It is a thrill to be a part of a child's development and learning. God has opened the door for me on so many fronts and I am so grateful for this. Talking about education is an obvious route. This weekend I had the opportunity to discuss with a friend about Special Needs Education in South Africa - something very close to HER heart. She is a champion of sorts in this field. We talked of the struggles and challenges to Special Needs Education and the overlap between school and special needs and those children struggling with learning for one reason or another. 

How can school better support those children who struggle? 

What happens when children fail?

Are there schools that can help children who fail?

How do these kids slot back into mainstream schooling?

Do schools want children that struggle?

These were some of the questions we were asking each other and have few answers for.

I think these are very relevant questions in today's world of education. I think many of these questions find an easy answer in Homeschooling. But Homeschooling is not without its issues and it is not something that everyone wants to do. 

So, we press on to try and find some answers and good solutions. 

God is at work!!

The conversation led on to some of the things that are happening in our Government schools where the less affluent and less fortunate go to learn. None of these stories are new to any of us because if you read the newspaper regularly you will from time to time come across these deeply sad and shocking stories. They each highlight the tragedy of education in our country. 20 years on from democracy children should be getting a better education. It is one of the rights of children in our land. While all children are in school - and that is something that has changed from the days of Apartheid, the quality and quantity of education is questionable. I can list the terrible stories but I will not. 

Except to say that the overall problem seems to be one of a real lack of leadership linked to vision and a will to really DO what needs to be DONE. 

When I look at our school in contrast I am reminded of the privilege we have in education and what a variety of areas that our children can and do experience. Sport, music , art , drama and then all the learning in the classroom. Yes we have our issues BUT our children are being blessed by learning and growing in safety and with teachers who care, work hard and a head that is leading and has a vision. 

I am an optimist.

I believe in people.

I really believe that we ( South Africa) can turn this cart around. With the right people in place and the will to do it , it can be done.

With this in mind I began to trawl the Mail and Guardian on Sunday. I came across this brilliantly uplifting article. 

' Love of Rugby trumps racial stereotypes" by Victoria John

It tells the beautiful story of a high school in Limpopo deep in the heart of traditional white racism. This school coach has turned things around. He has boldly and with determination brought the best players into the team. 9 out of the 15 are black. These kids are excellent players and this school is winning left right and centre. In the midst of racial taunts and abuse this team focuses on The Game and it is working. Unity and building into these boys by a wise and brave coach has meant that a small but certain change has taken place. 

It takes one person to stand up and do what is right.

This story blew me away and warmed my heart. In the midst of the chaos that was left from the brokenness of Apartheid, are people. Individuals like this man who are scattered across this land. They are DOING what is right and little by little they are bringing change.

I salute you Andre Hay and your amazing team. 

 

God I pray for many more people like this to be raised up.

Lord we beg for mercy for our education system in this land.

Lord have mercy!!

 

A day in the Life- part 26 - Please can I play? ( The draw of the internet and gaming for the ADHD child)

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Our boys all love playing computer and other games on the screen. It is enormous fun.  They enjoy many different kinds of games and the very best at the moment is Minecraft.

What is the link, if any between ADHD and playing screen games?

This past month we had our son assessed by a hearing and language specialist. As a part of her assessment she gave us, the parents, an article to read on TV, the Internet and computer games.

It was not really new stuff to us but it always good to be reminded of the pros's and con's of computer and screen games. 

The connection between ADHD and computer time has been a subject close to our hearts. As flagged up by the therapist, we are totally aware of the pull of computer to child.

ADHD children have a craving for computer games that seems to be more than the average child. There is an addiction type pull. Research shows this to be true. 

There are many reasons why an ADHD child would love and love computer games. 

Here are some of the reasons that  an ADHD child might find computer time especially the Internet and gaming a huge draw – a struggle and even an addiction.

An ADHD child is easily bored. I wrote about this in A Day in the Life Part 2 - I am Bored.
 He might really struggle to engage in an activity if the activity does not grab him. Mundane tasks hold no appeal to the ADHD brain. Step in the screen. Computers and the like offer instant gratification and constant action. We have found this to be true for all our boys but especially our ADHD children. What I mean by this is there is a draw towards the screen and playing games that is almost insatiable. It seems to provide an escape from the real world of ADHD struggle and so is a safe and fun and very exciting place to be. This is totally fun BUT research shows and our assessment information on this topic REMINDED us of the essential need for time limits and breaks from the screen.

We use timers in our home and each child is allowed half and hour. It is however a constant battle to make sure that time is kept and that not too much screen time rules. We often experience the RULING of the screen.

Research I read shows that in the teen years this Internet and gaming addiction amongst especially ADHD kids is a problem.

It is so easy to work with a ‘perhaps’ problem and to be aware of what might be a trip up for ADHD kids.

I asked one of my sons today if he feels sad when he can not get to play. He told me that not it is not really a big deal for him. We talked about it a bit and then he said this profound thing….. mom I think ADHD kids just like playing computer because it is interesting for them . In a nut shell. It is easy to engage and great fun. No stress and no ‘ getting stuff wrong’ and no ‘ having to focus’ --- it is the simpler option.

A Day in the Life - part 25 - My brother is ADHD - what about me?

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Every parent longs for their children to get along. Most parent want their children to build good relationships. I am one of those parents. We really pray that our boys will be good friends in their adult lives. I realise that having good, whole relationships requires work. These relationships surely begin to be forged in the home , along the journey to adulthood.

I have four boys. Two of them are diagnosed ADHD children. The other two are not. This is a post about the impact of ADHD on the family dynamics and on the "other" children in the family.   ADHD impacts family life enormously and it impacts the way people relate profoundly. I have learned a new way of relating to my ADHD husband which includes a change in expectations and a real deep understanding of the why and how of his ADHD strengths and weaknesses . Understanding ADHD means that I no longer get angry with those things that he might do because of his ADHD - his different brain.

ADHD needs to be understood by the siblings of ADHD children so that they can rightly interact with their brothers. This is a HUGE ask!!! After all children are children. They lack the adult ability to reason and are self focused. The question is -  How do the siblings of ADHD children experience them. What is the impact of the wirlwind that is ADHD on the OTHER children in the family. I think these are good questions to ask?  

Our ADHD boys have many strengths and weaknesses that are directly related to being ADHD. What this means for me as a mother of four boys is that my beautiful ADHD sons often......often take more of me. They require more input ...more help.... more thought ... more support.... more discipline ... just plain MORE. Of course this has an impact on the family and on the other children in it. I am so grateful that we are aware of this as parents and so really try and make time for the other two.  Giving more to one child is unfair. It is draining. it is time consuming. It can make the other children feel unloved. Being aware of this is part of the battle. Working hard at 'fixing' it is the other.

Because we have embraced ADHD we talk about it a lot and have talked to the boys about the struggles each has because he is ADHD. Growing patience and more patience is the really trying character trait for siblings of ADHD children. Having to forgive is another. I think these are really good character building traits to be growing as a person but for the sibling these continual times can be draining; really difficult and just plain unfair. "Why does my brother get all the time?" must be the mantra of a sibling of an ADHD child. Having to be creative and thoughtful as a parent is most definitely what parents need to be doing in these sorts of situations. The flip side is that the ADHD child is often the one who is having lots and lots of correction and discipline and steering in the right direction while the non-ADHD child might find he is 'off the hook" a lot more. This is also tricky for the parents because sometimes we are so caught up in the ADHD child's life that we really neglect the others. My oldest son often gets deeply frustrated with his ADHD brothers and their LOUD noisiness and BOLD business. He has had to struggle with impulsive behaviour as a sibling, just as much as we have to. Our boys share rooms and so that brings a real added dimension to ADHD struggles around order and chaos. Family life with ADHD children is complicated. It is a bit like being in a bowl of cooked spaghetti. A whole lot of messy muddle- in a really fun kind of way! The 'normal' parenting books and the 'run of the mil' marriage books just simply do not fit our family. WE have had to forge and find our own way. A new ADHD way!!

Siblings do not always get along in general. Because of the nature of impulsivity and the four seasons in a day emotional roller coaster of ADHD children,  children in families with ADHD especially might have times where they do not get along. This is all part of normal home life but in his book " Understanding ADHD, Christopher Green talks about the stress of ADHD on siblings. One of his sub-sections is called - invasion of space. I can so see this happening in our children and their lives as siblings. The fiddling fingers and impulsivity of ADHD children mean that they usually act without thinking or ASKING.  So rules around the problems that arise because of this need to be established.

There are good ideas in his book and on the ADDitude web site around some of the real issues with siblings and ADHD. 

ADHD children are often extremely talkative - non-stop demaning kind of talkative. This means that they try and own all the airtime in the family and have to learn to wait and give others a turn. Having fair air time is a constant struggle in our home. Consiously giving all the kids a turn to speak is high on the agenda

What helps me is remembering that I need to be  mindful of ALL my children ALL of the time even though some might need more of me ALL of the time.

A day in the life- part 24 - Do I have ADHD?

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Are you asking the question………

Am I ADHD? Is my child ADHD?

If after reading some of these posts you are more certain that ADHD is the obvious conclusion, well then, what do you do.

What is the next course of action?

You like countless others might have already tried Omega and diet. You might have tried OT and other therapies. Some will have helped and yet if ADHD is at the heart of the issue, eventually you might be confronted with the reality that nothing really worked well. We tried some of these including Chinese calming meds to help sleep.

It is all part of the ADHD journey.

But now you are facing the real tough decision.

Should I see a specialist?

Perhaps you are wondering if these specialists simply just diagnose ADHD in all children and dish out medication like sweets. You are probably petrified. Please can I encourage you. These specialists are invaluable in helping you come to a good conclusion around ADHD as a diagnosis. They have experience and knowledge on their side. They are able to cut through all the confusion and get to the heart of it all.

They see things that you do not see and can not know.

They are available to walk this journey with you and your family. In a way, a relationship is formed. We have found it helpful to find the doctor we like and stick with her. She is building up an essential history of the child.

We have tried several professionals in the area of children and learning and ADHD.

If they ALL say the same thing and all point to ADHD then I would suggest that this is the real diagnoses.

I actually think by the time you reach this point you are pretty desperate for help.

We see a pediatric neurologist. We also had an educational psychologist assess both our boys.

Both are great. Both deal with us as a family.

They ask good questions and the right kind of question.

All of this is costly financially BUT we have found it to be money well spent.

Some people go straight to their pediatrician or GP.

There are many routes to help.

Contrary to some popular thinking, doctors do not just hand out medication unless they think it is necessary.

Ritalin and they like are schedule 6 drugs in SA. A new script is written every month by the doctor.

Similarly, schools and teachers do not simply suggest that children go on medication. I have yet to meet a teacher who would ‘ put ‘ a child on Ritalin, which is something I hear again and again. I kid you not. 

So…….

A trial run of medication might be suggested by a doctor as a first course of action.

There are many different brands and ways that methylphenidate works.

Some may be the fast acting – in and out the system one. Others may have a mechanism in the tablet that allows the meds to be released slowly throughout the day over time.

You will find the right one that works for you and your family.

Give it a trial.

It could transform your child’s ability to be available to learn at school and it may help his ability self –regulate and so some peace may reign in the home.

The best way to find a good specialist is by word of mouth.

Ask around. Ask at school.

In addition to this you might want to begin attending your local ADHD support group. These groups often have excellent quest speakers who will help in the education on different aspects of ADHD and also keep you up to date with latest information.

You might want to start your own support group.

Meeting up with other moms who had ADHD children has been helpful for us all.

Read, read and read up about ADHD.

Can I encourage you to read helpful stuff and to avoid the real controversy? It will confuse and cloud the issues.

Coming to terms with ADHD is a journey for us all. It is so very scary to be confronted by being different in one and even more difficult when it is our children.

May I encourage you to travel this journey as slowly as you need to? Getting help and support and equipping yourself with knowledge will help you and your family.

In some ways having the ADHD diagnoses is very liberating. For us it helped us to adjust our expectations and form more realistic ones. This has been helpful for us all.

Finding out how to approach the how’s and what’s of the ADHD brain has been invaluable in helping us parent more effectively and in helping our boys learn and flourish.

Remember that you are being given the keys to unlock your ADHD and all its uniqueness.

Bless you as you travel this road.

 

A day in the life- part 23- Right School, Right Teacher.

Most parents want the best for their child.

Most parents of ADHD children wrestle, at some point, with thoughts around, 

'is this the right school for my child?' and /or

'is this the right teacher?'

I think what lies behind these thoughts are actually a whole lot of other questions and deep worries around ADHD children and learning - flourishing - being available for learning and being helped while learning

I have spoken about these in some of the other posts on ADHD..

There is no perfect school or schooling system. 

.I state the obvious but I think sometimes we need to be reminded of this.

There are better learning environments for children. Some that suit children more than others. Some that work some things better. But no one system offers EVERYTHING and is therefore better than another.

I have friends who have ADHD children who have made a variety of decisions around schooling. These range from homeschooling through to schools that focus and build up children who are ADHD offering small classes and focused help and through traditional schools. Some kids have facilitators for a time. Some are home schooled for a time. There is so much to choose from . So many choices. ALL are valid and All work in different ways. 

What every you might choose for your child and especially your ADHD child needs very careful thought.

I say this because I often hear people slating the SYSTEM as the thing that is not working. While, in part, this might be true for a child, it is not totally true when ADHD concerned.

 

Why do I say this.

it is not the system that has caused the ADHD. The child may swap systems but the child will take himself with himself, along to the new system. 

 

Some ADHD children require support with learning. Occupational Therapy , speech therapy and or remedial work might be offered and used to support the child. Shifting systems might note remove the need for some or all of these helpful interventions. 

ADHD children often struggle with learning to learn.

They need professional, one on one, help.

Some think that if only I can ........ then I wont need medication for my child. This might very well NOT be true either.

 

Choosing the right school for the child is both personal and a big decision. 

Help is at hand no matter what the choice.

Some systems work better for some children.

There is no rule

ADHD children take there ADHD with them , wherever they may go.

some need help by professionals what ever you might choose.

 

The Right School  System is not the right schooling system for all ADHD children and families.

WE are free to choose. Is this not great!!

The Right Teacher.

Some teachers are better at their work than others. Some are more in tune with issues around ADHD than others. Some are willing to learn and others are not. 

I often salute teachers in my posts. I know how dedicated they are and mostly, how hard they work.

We have had 7 years at one school and many teachers along the way. I just love that a whole lot of different people get to share in my children and their learning. The richness that has come from this has been great. They draw out some great things- some hidden things - some things that we are trying out , from quite a different angle. 

Are there times that are not great?

Of course. 

Teachers are not perfect.

Not all teachers are a right fit for all kids and parents.

Not all teachers are nice all the time. 

BUT......

As a Christan I experience God, even in the  choice  of teacher  for my child.

I depend on him. It is totally out mf my control. But he knows, he cares and he is at work.

This does not mean that God gives us the teacher we want or think is right for our children.

We ask and boy do I ask but sometimes the answer has been unexpected and different and sometimes the answer has been NO.

This was our experience this year. I thought I new better and that this one teacher would be simply the very worst thing for my dear little ADHD son. I prayed and begged God. But he had quite a different plan.

And so we got her. 

There is other thing wrong with her actually. 

I just thought she would not suit him and I would not suit her.

The first 3 quarters of this year have been like being on a wild and scary roller coaster with no one in control. I know that is not true but it has been a very difficult settling and learning journey with him and with her.

So, was I right and God wrong. 

Over these last 2 weeks I have learned again the lesson that God is at work in ALL things for my good and for his Glory. It has not been perfect nor has it been easy and fun but it has been an enormous blessing in so many ways for me, for him and for her.

We have all learned and grown. 

I have learned to press on; to tackle difficult issues with teachers and practice being calm and kind when I felt like yelling. 

I have learned to pray more and depend on God more. 

Having a very strict and controlling teacher that did not really suit our son. meant that his issues came out eventually and they are obvious to her, now. She sees what we see  and because she is who she is the obvious ADHD traits have helped us make a diagnoses early- with clarity and certainty. We do  not wanting to make a mistake here.

I have been reminded of my sin and my need of forgiveness.

Our son has learnt so much. Some has been very, very difficult and painful. He has learnt about himself; about others and mostly about Jesus. He can explain, in his own 7 year old way, all about struggles and relying on God. He has experienced us praying for him and for his day and his teacher. 

He has learnt to trust us as we have come around him with help and support. 

Mostly I think she might have learnt. It has not been easy for her having me on the other side. It is never easy for a teacher to have a concerned, afraid and at times angry mother to deal with. 

She has stepped up to the plate.

She is also experience that medication is indeed a real, real real help. I just want to shout this today. Our son is transformed. He is switched on. It is one of the most exciting things to experience.

And she is experiencing it too. 

Surprise and joy is on her face too.

So, the teacher may not be right . He or she will not be perfect.

 But all that is ok.

This world is not perfect.

God is at work in us and for us.

Sometime the not so right teacher is a catalyst for good change!

It is an opportunity for faith in Jesus to grow and strengthen.

Perhaps even to be found for the very first time.

 

A day in the life- Part 22- Positive ADHD

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I can not tell you how many people have found these posts on ADHD helpful. I am thrilled that this is the case. Educating others about ADHD- what it is, how it impacts the family and the child and what help there is available , is something very much on my heart. Not only because we are a family with ADHD but because I meet countless others walking this journey, who long to share, learn and encourage.

One of the voices for ADHD is a man called Edward Hallowel. He is ADHD and writes a great deal on it.

 Books like

* Driven to Distraction

* Delivered from Distraction

* Super parenting for ADD

and more 

I find his blog and the ADDitude site on line very  helpful indeed. One of the things I love about his perspective is that it is  and aims to be 

POSITIVE.

So much of what one reads and experiences seems to be about the struggles, and there are struggles. But, sometimes we ge tso caught up in the struggles that we forget all the positive things that ADHD brings. Sometimes it means a shift in perspective. Mostly it requires a shift in expectations. 

Realistic expectations will vary from child to child and from family to family. We have found that trying to squeeze our kids into a mould that just does not fit is the more difficult route to navigate. 

Sometimes it takes tough decisions.

In Super-parenting ADD , Hallowel has many helful ideas and shifts in the way we think about ADHD. 

He begins the book with a chapter on 

LOVE. 

It is a compelling and powerful chapter. 

It is encouraging, reassuring and challenging. I loved reading it. It gave me a big vision again. 

Here is one sentence from it.

" Those are not just pretty words. They define what matters most in raising children, especially those who have the fascinating, widely misunderstood trait called ADD.These kids Particularly need someone who can perceive and draw out what is wonderful in them" - Edward Hallowel. 

Can you spot the positive and the real shift in looking at the ADHD child. 

He talks in another chapter  about mirror traits. I loved this idea. It is the idea that every negative ADHD trait has a positive mirror trait. So we recognise the negative but work on shifting and drawing out or focussing on the positive. 

Here are some of the examples....

* Distractible -------- curious

* impulsive ------- creative

*Hyperactive and restless-------energetic

*Stubborn ---- persistent and will not give up

* ca not stay on the point ------ can see connections that others do not. 

There are more.....

I think that human nature tends towards the negative. I love these mirror traits because they are real, alive and bring out some very good stuff in and for our kids. 

For me as a mom of ADHD boys this means I need to shift they way I think and they way I speak about ADD stuff. We joke a lot at cry a lot. We are honest and up front but hugely try and use positive words. 

I often say, " remember that your brain works differently. it thinks in a different way."

Or I have to practice seeing the positive traits and not just the negative.

Hallowel and many like him are embracing ADHD and not only embracing it but shifting the predominatly negative view on it . Thank you!!

In our family we are trying this too and embracing ADHD with all its ups and downs and with all its fun and sparkle. Did you know that ADHD children and adults are often very bright. They think out of the box and have marvelous ways of seeing the world and solving problems. They are sponteneous and take risks perhaps I would not. My husband often jokes that it was because of the trait ADD that man survived wild animals . Round the camp fire pre- historic man relied on the ADD, spontaneous risk taker to jump up and stand firm as an animal came in for the kill.  The rest of us just cowered in fear. 

I have seen this many times with my husband in those sorts of situations. 

Having said all this, in SA, a negative stigma is still lingering around ADHD and things ADHD. While I respect that it is an individual choice to reveal ADD, I do wonder if parents choosing not too is still because we view it as something bad; other and wierd. 

Just plainly something wrong. 

Yes, something does work differently in the brain.

Something might even be wrong but that does not make the child less.

I think we, as humankind really struggle with being broken.Having stuff 'wrong' with us means somehow we are less special; less important; have less status.

We can not shine if we are less.

Perhaps a shift is needed in the way we view people in general. We are all special and unique and valuable to some other person at least; a family at most but primarily we are all, each one of us made in God's image. That raise the bar on what value we have as people. Every person on this earth, nomatter who we are or what we are - no matter all the things we can do and all the things we can not, are a treasure because of WHO made us and because of HIS stamp on us. 

Labeling and owning ADHD is a complicated issue. It is a personal issue. But because we called to live and work and thrive in relathionship, it is an issue that flows out into all aspects of life. We do not want children to be stigmitised and alienated by their ADD but we surely want the right kind of help, understanding and support which in a sence can only be given when a diagnoses is made and the ADHD 'label' is attached.

It is all about what we DO with the label. 

How we view ADHD is all part and parcel of wht we do with it. 

I firmly believe that embracing ADHD in a positive way will be helpful not harmful. 

My deep hope is that as more is learnt about ADHD and the more people who are ADHD embrace it, the more we will all understand it and it will loose its stigma. 

This world is broken and we are all broken in it too. Knowing which way the break falls means we can apply the right kind of balm. 

The right sort of help and support- understanding and structure fits the right kind of "label'

Sensitivity is require and kindness.

ADHD is never an excuse for bad behaviour. 

The process of coming to terms with a child who is ADHD diagnosed can take some people a long time. And that is ok. 

It is a process and a journey and we are all going along at different paces and rates.

In the end I think every parent wants their child to flourish and do his or her best in life. 

As I have said before, right undertanding of ADHD and right solutions, thought they may take time, will enable the child to be more available to learn and so flourish.

If you would like to chat to me about ADHD please mail me on Caren.falconer@gmail.com

God Bless and strength on your journey, whatever it might be.

 

A Day in the Life- Part 21- Why is there so much ADHD?

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Why are so many children being diagnosed ADHD? Kids seemed to just get on with it when I was at school.

I hear this a lot.

What I am about to write is just my observations. I love to observe children and being a teacher, child behaviour, ways of thinking and learning  and the like fascinate me. I tutor kids in Maths, Xhosa and Afrikaans. I run a little Art Studio. I run a little moms and babes group all called THE STUDIO. I have 4 children of my own. I get to engage with lots of different families and its of different children. Each is unique. Each family is precious and unique. 

I love my work and count it as an enormous privilege to work with people.

I love the different way kids think from each other. So many things come into play when kids learn. Each little person learns in a unique way from another. it is really important to try and figure out just how your kid learns best.

I think that many people who work with children have come to see the different ways children are and learn and so are looking at children in a variety of new ways. Teachers and other professionals are seeing ADHD, perhaps for the first time. 

This is a post about ADHD and why I think that there seems to be more children diagnosed today.

I wonder if this is at all true. In South Africa we have grown out of a terrible history. Part of that terrible history was our education system. it was rigid and strict. Children were beat en and corporal punishment ruled. I do not know a single male who was not caned. I was a nerd at school. a good girl and even I got smacked at school. 

ADHD children who really, really could not sit still or stop talking or pay attention were not diagnosed as such but rather they were labeled as naughty and lazy. they were told to pay more attention and to pull up your socks.

ADHD children who were not obvious jumpers just hid under the radar, hoping that they would not get into trouble.

There marks might have been poor but no one noticed. 

They were not a problem in class. Perhaps they were just stupid or did not work hard.

So what has changed ?

Well, contrary to some views, school has changed. Children are not ruled with an iron fist anymore. Schooling has shifted and is more fun. 

The result is that children can be more of who they really are.

This means that all the wrigglers and jigglers and wanderers are spotted and lots of dreamers are spotted too.

The shift in our schools to a more safe and free environment has not been the only change.

ADHD itself has had massive discoveries and studies done over the last 20 years. We know more about it than ever before. With the Internet and information available, people are more educated about ADHD. 

The quantity and quality  of work that is required of the high functioning schools in our country  means that the ADHD kid who might have slipped through the radar previously and made it through undiagnosed till adulthood, just can not anymore. 

 The result of all of this is more kids are being diagnosed.

To diagnose a child ADHD is actually not that easy. A professional who knows what he or she is looking at needs to be on board. Medication is a schedule 6 drug in SA and so a new script needs to be written each month by a doctor. It is not as simply as made out by some.

ADHD is genetically passed on. The stats are that if one parent is ADHD then there is a 50% chance of a child being ADHD. other causes of ADHD are many, many hours of TV as a young child and trauma and extreme stress as in war. 

Perhaps there are more ADHD children today. There are more people in the world too. Perhaps we just know what we are looking at and so are actually able to diagnose children earlier and thus help. 

All good stuff I think.