South Elementary School in Jefferson City hosted its first “Dinner with Doctors” Wednesday. St. Mary’s Health Center pediatricians Brian Conley and Jennifer Krause and psychologist Jackie Henry spoke about issues related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, and grade-school students.
South Elementary School Principal Carey Drehle said the event was Conley’s idea. Drehle said Conley saw it as an opportunity to educate parents about ADHD.“He knows that it is an issue,” Drehle said. “And sometimes it’s challenging as a parent to know, you know, what are my options? What can I do just to learn more about it?”
“One of the things we want to do is try to educate the families a little bit about ADHD,” Conley said, “but also about some of the things they can do to help their child experience academic success. Looking at things like discipline, behavior, making sure the children are getting the proper amount of sleep, nutrition.”
Conley said ADHD is a relatively common disorder. He estimates that between 4 percent and 12 percent of children experience some symptoms.
Carey Drehle said she may be interested in holding similar programs in the future.
