As a single parent with five children, life was challenging enough for Celia Wallace before her middle child Carl was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at the age of nine. Now a teenager, Carl has a history of anti-social behaviour, ranging from verbal abuse to pulling a knife on a child.
At home, admits Celia, it was no better. "He would smash the place if I told him off," she recalls. The constant arguments rubbed off on the other children, who came to resent Carl for putting their mum in a permanent bad mood.
Celia's attempts to seek professional help all ended in failure. Eventually, she heard of Parentline Plus, the largest independent provider of parent support in England, and seized the opportunity to try something new. "They were offering courses in different subjects such as how to prevent disagreements in the house, and I opted for as many as I could get," explains Celia.
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