ADHD and Guyanese Children: Recognising Ability, Supporting Learning

Oct 18, 2026 Features / Columnists, News

(Kaieteur News) – A child may understand complex ideas, hold deep philosophical conversations, and think critically, yet struggle to finish an exercise, stay seated, or remember instructions. Read Part 1 of last week and all preceding parts for a comprehensive, clinical understanding of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children, women and perimenopause, men and relationships, professionals, and entrepreneurs. It is an umbrella term describing any individual whose brain develops, learns, or processes information differently from the standard or “neurotypical” baseline. It was coined by sociologist Judy Singer and includes conditions like autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia.

In Guyanese homes and classrooms, teachers remark on report cards, for example, that a named child “has the potential but is distractible, talks too much or makes careless mistakes,” “too troublesome,” or “always dreaming”. These remarks should prompt curiosity about a child’s needs. Based on provisional research results, which I am now widening, the Guyanese school-age population is between 15-20% neurodivergent, of a total of 57-67,000 school children aged 5 to 18. 13-14% have ADHD. That’s about 5 children in a class of 25-30 who are neurodivergent, or 3 in the same class have ADHD. Around 51 – 48% of the top 1% at NGSA and CSEC, respectively, are neurodivergent. In addition, with reference to neurodivergence, ADHD means Autism, Specific Learning Disabilities (Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia).