A PRESTON mother is calling for wider understanding of a rare condition which led to her son being excluded from school, and made her believe she was the worst mum in the world.

Barbara Martin's son Daniel, now aged nine, was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - a chemical imbalance in the brain which makes it hard for the child to concentrate - 18 months ago.

Before that, Barbara had been led to believe that Daniel was just a naughty little boy.

He was regularly suspended from school and eventually expelled.

His aggressiveness and bad behaviour drove Barbara to the brink of a nervous breakdown, and she started to take Prozac to help lift her spirits.

Things got so bad, she asked her doctor to take Daniel away.

"I couldn't cope," said Barbara, from Preston. "Everyone thought my divorce was the reason for his bad behaviour. People told me he needed more discipline."

That was nearly two years ago. Shortly before Daniel was excluded from school, Barbara heard of ADHD - a condition many doctors say doesn't exist, but is understood to affect three per cent of children - and attended a support group meeting in Bamber Bridge. Daniel was taken to a specialist and put on Ritalin, an amphetamine which calms children down.

"Shortly after he started taking the medicine, Daniel was excluded from school," said Barbara. "No-one was prepared to believe he had a medical condition. They thought he was naughty.

"The head refused to let him back in, as did the governors, despite my explanations. The only way I got him back into school was through an county council tribunal.

"He had been excluded for nearly a year. If he hadn't received help when he did, I think the family would have fallen apart."

Barbara is now a member of a local support group which helps parents cope with the problem.

Barbara added: "The establishment needs to realise this is an illness, one which is treatable and shouldn't be such a drama."

The group next meets on April 12 at Saul Street Clinic, Preston.

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