I decided to practise developmental and behavioural paediatrics because...

The children and adolescents I see often have great potential but are misunderstood. My own brother had learning and developmental problems as a child and I know first hand how the families and children I work with deserve some understanding and proper guidance.

One little-known fact about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is...

A high percentage of children with ADHD are not hyperactive and many of them pay attention quite well to some things. It is a very misunderstood diagnosis. Now we feel it has more to do with our brain's ability to regulate focus and memory than it does hyperactivity.

Also, there are many people with ADHD who have successfully taken advantage of their condition, including American Olympics swimmer Michael Phelps.

A typical day for me would be...

Many mornings, my first stop is not the hospital but rather a school where I carry out observations which I feel are very important for my understanding of the challenges children face in their lives.

Then I head to the office. I spend the major part of each day talking to parents and children and evaluating kids on their core developmental abilities and reading skills. I also carry out physical exams. I see seven or eight child patients and their families each day.

When the clinic closes, I often speak to patients who are working on a training programme for which I am the coach. This programme - Cogmed Working Memory Training - helps individuals with working memory and attention difficulties.

If I were to give an analogy for what I do, I'd be a...

Solver of jigsaw puzzles. Each child patient is a mixture of pieces all of which fit together into their unique selves. No two pieces are alike, just like no two children are alike. My job is to put the puzzle together so that I fully understand the child, the parents and the school.

I love patients who are...

Just a little bit stubborn. Being tenacious and being tough are very important if you are a child with learning or developmental challenges. When I see this in a child, I try to help the parent see it as an asset, not an obstacle.

Patients who get my goat are...

My patients are never frustrating to me. They all deserve my compassion. However, because my appointments are very lengthy and people do wait a long time to see me, it is very disappointing if someone cancels at the last minute or fails to show up.

Things that put a smile on my face...

Seeing my patients experience 'normal' successes. For example, one of my patients is a boy who struggles with many things but he was the top maths pupil in his class last year. It is great to see my patients happy at home and in school.

It breaks my heart when...

Children are 'labelled' due to the challenges they face and not given the encouragement and opportunity to develop their strengths.

I wouldn't trade places for the world because...

It is a privilege to advocate for children and their families. Every child is different and I learn from every one of them. Besides, it's very, very stimulating for me to see families and children from around the world.

My best tip...

Love the child in front of you. Remember, no child is intentionally bad at their own development. If it is a challenge to teach or parent that child, it is much harder to be that child.

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times on Nov 6, 2008.