North Bellmore SEPTA Hosts Last Meeting of School Year

There were only about a dozen people in the Martin Avenue Café for the North Bellmore SEPTA's last meeting of the 2009/2010 school year, but the useful information and mutual support was overflowing.

Sharron Rossi, LMSW, vice president and educational director of CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders) was the featured speaker. Rossi is a parent-to-parent trainer, a key piece of CHADD's outreach to the community. 

"Everyone wants their child to be happy and succeed," Rossi said. "Kids with AD/HD are not problem children, they are children with problems. CHADD is there to help the entire family. Clinical professionals run support groups for the kids as well as marriage and family therapy groups. Parent training and education is vital. You need all the help you can get."

Pat Boyle-Egland, co-president of North Bellmore's SEPTA, agreed.

"We strive to provide as many resources as we can to the community," she said. "We created a SEPTA section at the North Bellmore Public Library. We will offer a therapeutic yoga program to summer school students. We just raised $9,000 for St. Jude's. We have a Facebook page and welcome everyone to join and support us."

Rossi and the attendees shared strategies and techniques for how to cope with the daily struggle of living with AD/HD. A few of the parents have older children, and they described how the challenges change. One woman revealed that her 29-year-old son just recently moved out of the house. Other attendees had an 18-year-old, a 22-year-old and a 14-year-old with AD/HD. A woman with a 3-year-old with special needs was at a SEPTA meeting for the first time; Rossi called her a "hungry mom."

"That's what I love to see," Rossi said. "Hungry moms want the truth, the guidance and the support."

"This is not a gender issue, though," Rossi said. "This is a genetic issue, and it is so important for men to get involved and the dads to be on the same page."

Rossi explained how AD/HD can come with a whole host of other issues – comorbid or coexisting conditions, such as learning disabilities, poor self-esteem and anxiety.

"CHADD promotes multimodal treatment based on a proper diagnosis and with support, education and treatments that are relevant to the child," said Rossi.

Parent Grace Bolic, who is also vice president of North Bellmore's SEPTA, described how she joined SEPTA for her kindergartner who is gifted. Now she belongs for her son who has attention deficit issues.

"You never know what will happen," she said. "Parents have to stay informed and know their rights."

Rossi shared several resources CHADD makes available, including the National Resource Center on AD/HD and the ADD Warehouse for books and other materials.

The Nassau County Chapter (516-932-0903; nassau-county@chadd.net; www.chadd.net/template.cfm?affid=105&p=about) meets monthly.