A mother’s perspective on a child with ADHD Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au
Totem poles are among the hand-crafted items at Somers Primary School art fair on Sunday (28 October). Contributors to the show are Lily (with hammer and chisel), Angus and Mark. Picture: Yanni
‘Wealth of talent’ behind art fundraiser VISITORS to Somers Arts Fair on Sunday 28 October can participate in of hands-on creative workshops, or relax and be entertained by musicians Reilly Stapleton, Franjapan and Manorism. The arts fair, established in 2003, is Somers Primary School’s main annual fundraising event. It highlights the “wealth of talented artists on the peninsula and brings the community together for a
wonderful family-orientated day”, organisers say. At 2pm the main event – the auction – will put the artists’ works up for sale. Gourmet foods and homemade cakes will be on offer as well as Mornington Peninsula wine, beer and cider. Country fair activities will include children’s games and a range of craft market stalls.
A CRIB Point woman whose now-adult son was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at age seven has written a book about her experiences. “We had many years of behavioral issues that left me wondering what I was doing wrong as a parent,” Elsie Bourke said. “I was often told he was ‘just naughty’, but knew in my heart that this wasn’t true and there had to be an underlying issue. “With the diagnosis, I made it my mission to find out all I could about ADHD and began to keep my own notebook of what worked and what didn’t. These notes became my roadmap and formed the basis of my book.” Ms Bourke, who said ADHD Not Just Naughty was written to help other parents navigate their ADHD parenting road, describes it as “an uplifting self-help guide, with a strong focus on emotional support”. “It offers practical help and strategies, intertwined with my own experiences: the good, bad and ugly, used as examples with a little humour thrown in.” It aims to assist in changing problem behaviours and to give parents a “more positive mental attitude”, she said. “Topics discussed include understanding ADHD from a child’s perspective, parents’ self-esteem, staying positive and controlling anger.” Other topics include a children’s self- esteem, friendships, problem situations, schooling, and working together as a family unit. “I hope to encourage better awareness and understanding of ADHD and show that the diagnosis can be seen as a new beginning to a better
Delving deep: Author Elsie Bourke’s book deals with her own understanding and experiences in dealing with a child affected by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
relationship,” Ms Bourke said. The neurodevelopmental condition is said to affect about seven per cent of children, and is more often diagnosed in boys. Its main symptoms are hyperactivity: difficulty sitting still or standing in line, being fidgety and “always on the go”; impulsivity: Acting and speaking without considering the consequences; can’t help touching/grabbing, and inattention. Stimulant medication, like as Ritalin and Adderall, can help those affected maintain better focus and control activity levels, leading to improved social and educational outcomes, Ms Bourke said. “There are many strategies for parents, such as implementing consistent routines, praising effort and not just the end result, and encouraging hobbies and activities to burn off energy.” This month’s launch of ADHD - Not Just Naughty coincides with ADHD Awareness month. It is published through Plunge Publishing and for sale through Petersen's Bookstore Hastings and Farrell’s Bookstore Mornington.
Supply concerns drive gas import ‘urgency’ By Kelly Parkinson
AGL’S Crib Point gas import jetty aims to help bring more affordable gas to Victoria, in a safe and environmentally responsible way. From the start, we’ve been clear. We will follow all assessment requirements that are asked of us by the Victorian government and all regulatory bodies. AGL has always been comfortable being held to these standards. Our sense of urgency on this project has always been driven by concern for security of supply of gas for the years ahead. As with all AGL projects, we take community consultation seriously. Since announcing Crib Point as the preferred site we’ve undertaken extensive consultation with the local community, which has included 26 public meetings. We know from these meetings that one over-
riding concern is about the potential marine impacts from the regasification process – using seawater to warm the very cold LNG. During this process the ship’s system, like a filtration system in a salt water swimming pool, produces a small amount of chlorine, being approximately 0.1 of a milligram a litre at the release point, from the seawater to keep the system clean. Expert reports have demonstrated that when the water returns to Western Port it will break down to an undetectable level within 20 seconds. In other words, the level of chlorine in the water that’s returned to the port would be significantly less than that allowed in our drinking water. The seawater would also return to Western Port at about seven degrees cooler. The expert reports also show that this will quickly mix back to within 0.3 degrees of the
environment by the time it reaches the seabed. It will fully mix with the movements of the tide and is in line with daily temperature variations within Western Port. What we have set out to do here is develop a project which has as little impact on the environment as possible. However, we understand that many in the community don’t consider that this is good enough. While the expert reports show the chlorine breaks down very rapidly and the temperature differences quickly dissipate, we recognise this still concerns the community. We fully recognise these concerns and the strongly held views about the unique environmental significance of Western Port. The community have also made their concerns known to the government and they have been successful in making sure they are now assessed independently through an environmental effects
statement (EES) process. There is also the possibility of using the ship’s cargo to warm the gas and not use any seawater, but this would increase the greenhouse gas emissions, which are also an environmental concern. We believe this project is particularly important for Australian businesses, which need affordable and secure energy supply. Already, we’ve seen support from ten large commercial and industrial customers who have signed MoUs (memorandum of understanding) regarding offtake agreements. If approved, the Crib Point LNG import jetty will be a safe and environmentally responsible project, making gas supply for Victorians more secure and bringing much needed competition to place downward pressure on gas prices. Kelly Parkinson is AGL’s senior manager, project engagement
Bamboo Cottage CHINESE RESTAURANT Lunch Special $16.50 (Tues-Fri, 11.30am-12.30pm) Vegetarian
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options Soup: Chicken & sweet corn available Entree: Spring roll or 1 steamed dim sim Main: Choose chicken, steak or pork with your choice of sauce: garlic, curry, chilli, satay, plum, sweet & sour, black bean, or oyster. or Lemon or Honey Chicken in batter, or chicken or pork in sweet and sour sauce or plum sauce, in batter, Rice: Steamed or Fried Rice Drink: Free coca cola can (375ml) per special
PHONE ORDERS: 5979 2173 93 HIGH STREET, HASTINGS Western Port News
24 October 2018
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