Hyperactive generation or "uncomfortable" children. Hyperactive child: what should parents do? Psychologist's advice and recommendations to parents of hyperactive children Psychology of the causes of a child's hyperactive behavior

One of the most common diseases in children is hyperactivity. According to statistics, 20% of children aged 3 to 5 years have this diagnosis. It is then that the disease is most manifested.

A hyperactive child experiences inconvenience during training, is poorly socialized. It is difficult for him to establish contact with peers, to focus on gaining knowledge. Pathology may be accompanied by other diseases of the nervous system.

In 1970, hyperactivity was included in the international classification of diseases. She was given the name ADHD, or Attention Deficit Disorder. The disease is a violation of the brain, which entails constant nervous tension. Children shock adults with their behavior, which does not correspond to established norms.

Teachers usually complain about too mobile students. They are restless, constantly undermining discipline. Mental and physical activity is increased. Memory and motor skills may remain intact. The disease is most common in boys.

Reasons for the development of pathology

Most often, brain malfunctions are laid in utero. Hyperactivity can lead to:

• finding the uterus in good shape (threat of abortion);
• hypoxia;
• smoking or malnutrition of the mother during pregnancy;
• constant stress experienced by a woman.

Sometimes pathology occurs due to a violation of the birth process:

• swiftness;
• prolonged period of contractions or attempts;
• the use of drugs for stimulation;
• childbirth up to 38 weeks.

Least of all, hyperactivity syndrome appears due to other reasons not related to the process of giving birth to a baby:

• diseases of the nervous system;
• family problems (conflicts, tensions between mom and dad);
• overly strict upbringing;
• chemical poisoning;
• dietary disturbance.

The listed reasons are risk factors. Not necessarily in the process of rapid childbirth, a baby with this syndrome is born. If the pregnant mother was constantly nervous, often lay on the save due to uterine hypertonicity or oligohydramnios, then the risk of ADHD increases.

Symptoms of pathology

It is difficult enough to separate excessive activity and simple mobility. Many parents misdiagnose their children with ADHD when the problem is not there. Some symptoms may indicate neurasthenia, so you can not prescribe treatment yourself. If hyperactivity is suspected, contact a specialist.

Before the age of 1 year, brain disorders manifest themselves as symptoms:

• excessive excitability;
• a violent reaction to daily procedures (crying during bathing, massage, hygiene procedures);
• increased sensitivity to stimuli: sound, light;
• problems with sleep (the crumbs periodically wake up at night, stay awake for a long time during the day, it is difficult to fit);
• lagging behind in psychomotor development (they start crawling, walking, talking, sitting later).

Children under 2-3 years of age may have speech problems. She has been at the babbling stage for a long time, the baby has difficulty forming phrases, complex sentences.

Up to a year, hyperactivity is not diagnosed, since the described symptoms may appear due to the whims of the crumbs, disturbances in the digestive system, or teething.

Psychologists around the world have recognized that there is a crisis of 3 years. With hyperactivity, it passes sharply. At the same time, older family members think about socialization. They begin to drive the crumbs to preschool institutions. This is where ADHD starts to show up:

• restlessness;
• chaotic movements;
• motor disorders (clumsiness, inability to properly hold cutlery or a pencil);
• speech problems;
• inattention;
• disobedience.

Parents may find it difficult to get their preschooler to sleep. In the evening, a three-year-old begins to show severe fatigue. The baby begins to cry for no reason, to show aggression. This is how accumulated fatigue makes itself felt, but despite it, the baby continues to move, actively play, and talk loudly.

Most often, ADHD is diagnosed in children between the ages of 4 and 5. If mom and dad paid little attention to the health of a preschooler, then symptoms will appear in elementary school. They will be visible:

• inability to concentrate;
• restlessness: during the lesson, the student jumps up from his seat;
• problems with the perception of adult speech;
• irascibility;
• frequent nervous tics;
• lack of independence, incorrect assessment of one's strengths;
• severe headaches;
• imbalance;
• enuresis;
• numerous phobias, increased anxiety.

You may notice that a hyperactive student has excellent intelligence, but he has problems with academic performance. As a rule, the syndrome is accompanied by conflicts with peers.

Other children shy away from overly mobile babies, because it is difficult to find a common language with them. Children with ADHD often become the instigators of conflicts. They are overly touchy, impulsive, aggressive, mistakenly assess the consequences of their actions.

Features of the syndrome

For most adults, a diagnosis of ADHD sounds like a death sentence. They consider their children mentally retarded or handicapped. This is a big mistake on their part: due to prevailing myths, parents forget that a hyperactive baby:

1. Creative. He is full of ideas, and his imagination is better developed than that of ordinary children. If the elders help him, then he can become an excellent specialist with a non-standard approach or a creative person with many ideas.
2. The owner of a flexible mind. He finds a solution to a difficult problem, making his work easier.
3. Enthusiast, bright personality. He is interested in many things, he tries to attract attention to himself, seeks to communicate with as many people as possible.
4. Unpredictable, energetic. This quality can be called both positive and negative. On the one hand, he has enough strength for many different things, and on the other hand, it is simply impossible to keep him in place.

It is believed that a baby with hyperactivity is constantly moving randomly. This is a persistent myth. If the lesson completely absorbed the preschooler, he will spend several hours behind him. It is important to encourage such hobbies.

Parents need to understand that hyperactivity in children does not affect intelligence and talent. These are often gifted children, in addition to treatment, they need education aimed at developing the skills given by nature. Usually they sing, dance, construct, recite poems well, perform in public with pleasure.

Types of disease

Hyperactivity syndrome in children can have different symptoms, since this disease has several forms:

1. Attention deficit without excessive activity. Most often this variety occurs in girls. They dream a lot, have a wild imagination, often lie.
2. Increased excitability without attention deficit. This is the rarest pathology, accompanied by damage to the central nervous system.
3. Classic ADHD. The most common form, its flow scenario is individual in each case.

Regardless of how the disease proceeds, it must be treated. To do this, you need to go through several examinations, interact with doctors, psychologists, and teachers. In most cases, children are prescribed sedatives. Consultation of a psychoanalyst is obligatory for parents. They must learn to accept the disease, not to hang "labels" on the baby.

Features of diagnostics

At the first contact with specialists, it is impossible to make a diagnosis. For the final verdict, observation is required, lasting about six months. It is carried out by experts:

• psychologist;
• neurologist;
• psychiatrist.

All family members are often afraid of going to a psychiatrist. Do not hesitate to come to him for a consultation. An experienced specialist will help you correctly assess the condition of a small patient, prescribe treatment. The examination should include:

• conversation or interview;
• observation of behavior;
• neuropsychological testing;
• completion of questionnaires by parents.

Based on these data, doctors receive complete information about the behavior of a small patient, which allows them to distinguish an active baby from one that has disorders. Other pathologies may be hiding behind hyperactivity, so you should be prepared for the passage:

• brain MRI;
• ECHO KG;
• blood tests.

In order to timely identify comorbidities, it is necessary to consult with an endocrinologist, epileptologist, speech therapist, ophthalmologist, otolaryngologist. It is important to wait for the final diagnosis.
If doctors refuse to send for examinations, contact the head of the polyclinic or act through psychologists from educational institutions.

Complex treatment

There is no universal pill for ADHD yet. Children are always prescribed complex treatment. Some tips for helping a hyperactive child:

1. Correction of motor activity. Children are not allowed to play sports with competitive elements. Demonstration of achievements (without marks), static loads are allowed. Suitable sports: swimming, skiing, cycling. Aerobic activities are allowed.
2. Interaction with a psychologist. Methods are used to reduce the level of anxiety of a small patient, to increase his sociability. Success scenarios are modeled, classes are selected that help increase self-esteem. The specialist gives exercises for the development of memory, speech, attention. If the violations are serious, then a speech therapist is involved in corrective classes.
3. Useful change of scenery, environment. If the treatment is beneficial, the attitude towards the baby will be better in the new team.
4. Parents are overreacting to behavioral problems in their children. Mothers are often diagnosed with depression, irritability, impulsiveness, intolerance. Visiting a psychotherapist with the whole family allows you to quickly cope with hyperactivity.
5. Autotraining, classes in sensory relaxation rooms. They improve the activity of the nervous system, stimulate the cerebral cortex.
6. Correction of the behavior of the whole family, changing habits, daily routine.
7. Therapy with medications. In America, psychostimulants are often prescribed for ADHD. In Russia, they are banned for use, since this group of medicines has a lot of side effects. Doctors recommend nootropic drugs and sedatives, which use herbal ingredients.

Drug therapy is used only when other methods of influence have not brought results. The use of nootropics in hyperactivity has no evidence base, they are usually prescribed to improve the blood supply to the brain, normalize metabolic processes in it. The use of these drugs improves memory and concentration.

Parents should be prepared for the fact that the course of treatment will last several months. Medicines give a positive effect in 4-6 months, and you will have to deal with a psychologist for more than one year.

No one can diagnose ADHD without testing. Signs of hyperactivity in children can only be seen by a specialist. You should not self-diagnose and prescribe medications. Do not neglect the recommendations of specialists and regularly conduct examinations. Many are interested in the features of the life of a family with a hyperactive child - what should parents do - the advice of a psychologist in this case is as follows:

1. Organize the day. Incorporate unchanging rituals into it. For example, before going to bed, bathe the baby, change into pajamas and read a fairy tale. Do not change the daily routine, this will save you from tantrums and excitement in the evening.
2. A calm and friendly environment at home will help minimize energy emissions. Unexpected arrivals of guests and noisy parties are not the right atmosphere for children with hyperactivity.
3. Choose a sports section and follow the regularity of attending classes.
4. If the situation allows, do not limit the activity of the crumbs. He will throw out his energy and become calmer.
5. For children with ADHD, punishments in the form of prolonged sitting in place, doing tedious work are not suitable.

Many are interested in how to calm a hyperactive child. To do this, psychotherapists give individual consultations based on a change in the educational process. First of all, keep in mind that with ADHD, children deny any inhibitions.

Using the words "no" and "can't" is sure to provoke a tantrum. Psychologists recommend making sentences without using direct negatives.

Tantrums must be prevented. This can be done through behavior modification.

Another problem with ADHD is the lack of control over time and frequent switching of attention. Gently return the baby to the goal. Make sure that the task takes a certain amount of time to complete. Give directions or run classes in sequence. Don't ask multiple questions at the same time.

Spend a lot of time with overly active children, pay attention to them. Engage in joint activities with them: walk in the forest, pick berries and mushrooms, go on picnics or go hiking.

At the same time, avoid noisy events that stimulate the psyche. Change the background of life. Instead of TV, turn on calm music, limit the time you watch cartoons.

If a hyperactive baby is overexcited, do not yell at him and exclude physical violence. Talk to him in a calm and firm tone, hug him, take him to a quiet place (away from other children and people), find words of comfort, listen.

Features of the learning process

Treatment of hyperactivity in school-age children should be carried out in conjunction with teachers. They should be aware of the problems of the student and be able to captivate him in the classroom. Most often, programs with creative elements in classes, facilitated presentation of material, are used for this.

Now, inclusive education is developing throughout the country, which, with the syndrome, allows children to gain knowledge not at home, but in a team. Problems and misunderstandings are not ruled out. The teacher must be able to resolve conflicts in the classroom.

During the lesson, hyperactive children need to be involved in active actions. The teacher should give such students small assignments. They can wash the board, take out the trash, hand out notebooks, go for chalk. A little warm-up during the lesson will allow you to throw out the accumulated energy.

Possible consequences

Do not let pathology take its course. The child is not able to cope with ADHD on their own. He won't outgrow this syndrome.

In advanced cases, hyperactivity leads to manifestations of physical aggression against oneself and others:

• bullying of peers;
• fights;
• attempts to beat parents;
• suicidal tendencies.

Often a hyperactive student with a high IQ graduates with unsatisfactory grades. He cannot get an education at a university or college, he is experiencing problems with employment.

In an unfavorable social atmosphere, a grown-up student leads a marginal lifestyle, takes drugs or abuses alcohol.

In a supportive environment, ADHD can be beneficial. Mozart and Einstein are known to have had this syndrome. However, do not rely only on natural data. Help your child realize their importance and channel their energy in the right direction.

A hyperactive child is not a disease. All children are different, they often differ in the pace of physiological development, inclinations, character and temperament. Some kids can safely spend time on their own, with their toys, books and coloring books, while others cannot be left unattended for even five minutes. There are children who find it difficult to concentrate on something, cannot stay in one place for a long time - for example, sit in a hairdresser's chair, in classes in kindergarten or at school, it is problematic to keep track of them on the playground.

Such kids are not easy to learn - this is hyperactivity. The brain of a hyperactive child has difficulty concentrating and absorbing information. Hyperactive children quickly change their field of activity, they are impulsive and restless, specific in communicating with adults and peers, in the manifestation of their talents. Let's try to understand in detail the essence of the problem and give ways to solve it.

Hyperactive children cannot focus on one task, it is difficult to interest them in a calm matter and calm them down

Causes of hyperactivity

Hyperactivity in children is primarily not a physiological abnormality, but a developmental behavioral disorder. The medical name for hyperactivity is ADHD (). Modern medicine is of the opinion that the syndrome occurs with unfavorable intrauterine development of children and difficult childbirth. So, if the expectant mother had a pronounced and prolonged toxicosis, and the fetus was diagnosed with intrauterine asphyxia, then the risk of having a hyperactive child increases three times. Any surgical intervention during childbirth, finding a newborn in intensive care also contribute to the development of the DHD syndrome.

Symptoms of hyperactivity

What are the signs of a hyperactive child? How to distinguish whether the baby is active and energetic, as befits a healthy toddler, or does he develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?

Characteristic symptoms begin to be determined by 2-3 years. You can make a diagnosis already in the kindergarten, because it is there that the inclinations are most active - in communication with the teacher, with other kids in the group.

How does hyperactivity manifest in children?

• restlessness and anxiety even when there are no serious reasons for this;
• emotional lability, tearfulness, excessive vulnerability and impressionability;
• insomnia, too light sleep, crying and talking in a dream;
• speech problems;
• communication difficulties;
• ignoring prohibitions, norms of behavior in society and rules - to put it simply, the baby is very naughty;
• bouts of aggression;
• rarely, Tourette syndrome is the uncontrollable yelling of inappropriate and offensive words.

All these manifestations and signs in your child should be the reason for contacting a specialist. A neuropathologist and a psychologist will write out recommendations and give advice on how to properly raise a baby, how to calm him down and reduce the likelihood of negative perception by society.

Despite being active and talkative, a hyperactive child often remains misunderstood by other children and experiences significant communication difficulties.

Treatment of a hyperactive baby - is it necessary?

A hyperactive child is often and very tired of uncontrollable emotions, changes his daily routine and plans because of his not always adequate behavior, does not allow parents to lead a normal life. It is difficult for adults to endure this, because there is not always time, physical and moral strength to fight tantrums.

Only very patient and not very busy parents or a nanny can monitor a hyperactive child so that he adequately reacts to the outside world and knows how to behave with other people, and not thoughtlessly splash out energy, cry and laugh for no reason. It is often necessary to resort to correcting the child's behavior - it can include both medication and a visit to a psychologist, speech therapist, soothing massage, sports and visiting various creative circles. The doctor prescribes drug treatment after examinations and examination of the child.

Children with DHD syndrome should definitely do an electroencephalogram of the brain in order to exclude organic causes of hyperactive behavior, measure intracranial pressure (we recommend reading:). If all indicators are normal, the doctor often prescribes homeopathic sedatives. The sedative will help the child sleep better, reduce the number of tantrums and panic attacks.

Some modern doctors believe that hyperactivity cannot be treated before the age of 4, because most of the kids at this age still do not know how to cope with their own feelings, they are full of energy and try to throw it out by any means.

How to deal with a hyperactive child?

How to raise a hyperactive child? Many parents are confused, especially when the baby goes to kindergarten, or at school he faces a lot of problems related to learning and society. A hyperactive child is always on a special account with the educator, teacher and child psychologist. First of all, parents should help him - raising such children requires patience, wisdom, willpower and spirit. Do not allow yourself to break loose, raise your voice at the child or raise your hand to him (we recommend reading:). Only if he did something that hurt other people, you can apply such harsh methods.

If parents break down and turn to shouting, threatening or physical showdown, this only aggravates the situation. The child withdraws into himself and becomes even more uncontrollable

How to educate a "fidget"?

Psychologist's advice:

1. Prohibit properly. Formulate the prohibitions so that the sentence does not contain the words “no”, “it is impossible”. It's much more effective to say, "Get on the path" than to say, "Don't run on the wet grass." Always motivate your prohibitions, justify them. For example, if the child does not want to leave the playground in the evening, say: “I wanted to read you an interesting story about your favorite cartoon character before bed, but if you take a long walk, I won’t have time to do it.”
2. Clearly set tasks. Such children do not perceive well the information that is conveyed with the help of long sentences. Speak concisely.
3. Be consistent in your actions and words. For example, it's unwise to say, "Go get a cup from grandma, then bring me a magazine, wash your hands, and have dinner." Follow the sequence.
4. Control time. A child with ADHD has poor time management if he is passionate about something, can do it for a long time and forget about other things.
5. Follow the routine. The daily routine is a very important aspect of the life of a hyperactive baby, it will help calm the baby, teach it to order (we recommend reading:).
6. Raising a baby means behaving loyally and adhering to a positive note in communicating with him, setting yourself, him and those around him to be positive. Smooth out conflict situations, praise for victories, emphasize when the baby behaved especially well by listening to you.
7. Keep your child busy with useful things. Children must have a positive channel for splashing out energy - it can be a creative or sports club, cycling and scootering, modeling from polymer clay or plasticine at home.
8. Create comfortable conditions at home. The kid should not only watch TV and play computer games less, but also see how others do it. The workplace should be without unnecessary items, posters.
9. If necessary, give a hyperactive child a homeopathic sedative, but do not overuse drugs.

When a child attends classes that are interesting to him - sports, creative, he can throw out the accumulated energy there and come home much more calm

How to help if a tantrum starts?

How to calm a hyperactive child? At the moment when the children are hysterical and they do not obey, you can act by choosing one of the options:

1. Leave to another room. Deprived of the attention of the audience, the baby may stop crying.
2. Switch your attention. Offer a candy, show a toy, turn on a cartoon or play a game on your tablet or phone. Loudly invite him not to cry, but to do something interesting - for example, go out into the yard and play there, run around on the street.
3. Give water, sweet tea, or an infusion of soothing herbs.

In the daily life of children, support their nervous system. A soothing herbal collection helps well when added to a bath if the child is small, and to tea if it is a schoolchild (we recommend reading:). Read books before going to bed, walk in the fresh air. Try to make the child see less aggression and negativity. Study nature, look more at trees, sky and flowers.

Hyperactive schoolboy

A particularly difficult situation with a hyperactive child develops in an educational institution. Restlessness, emotionality, difficulty in concentrating and perceiving the flow of information can contribute to the fact that the child will lag behind in school, it will be difficult to find a common language with peers.

Here we need constant consultations with a psychologist, patience and understanding on the part of teachers, and support from parents. Remember that it is not your offspring's fault for having a certain behavioral disorder.

Want to better understand your children? A video will help you, where the famous domestic pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky gives advice, for whom a hyperactive child is a full-fledged member of society with its own mental development. You need to be patient and calm in dealing with him, highlight and develop talents, creative inclinations. Let the baby not close, but progress, because hyperactivity should not slow down human development. It is not a serious deviation, but a specific individuality.

Clinical and perinatal psychologist, graduated from the Moscow Institute of Perinatal and Reproductive Psychology and Volgograd State Medical University with a degree in clinical psychology

Recently, there are more and more children about whom it can be said that they are “hyperactive”. Activity is, of course, good, but when activity is replaced by hyperactivity, it becomes a problem for both the child himself and his parents.

Igorek was restlessly active from the very first days. At 9 months old, he already learned to walk, then run, but he did not learn to sit and stand even at his five years old. If you need to sit on a chair, he will fidget, play with his hands, pull clothes, kick his legs. Igor is interested in everything, and at the same time, nothing. He grabs one toy, throws it, then grabs another, a third ... He often breaks toys. Among the children, Igor is the noisiest and most active, he always comes up with something and always tries to be the very first. If he needs something, he will not endure and wait, and without hesitation will push other children and take possession of the desired object. But only to throw it away in a minute. Igor is fearless, he does not recognize any restrictions (immediately offended or angry) and does not want to adhere to the rules of conduct. Doesn't listen! Can't calm down! And he can't control himself! He has difficulty concentrating on tasks, his attention is scattered and can hardly be kept on one subject.

Such excessive mobility and activity of the child gives rise to many problems: motor, speech, educational, social, neuropsychiatric.

This may be accompanied by somatic ailments: headaches, abdominal pain, increased fatigue. Such symptoms usually appear in a child already in the preschool period, more often at the age of 2-3 years.

The problems associated with hyperactivity appear and become aggravated when the child begins attending kindergarten and especially school, as hyperdynamic children do not adapt well to the new environment, and neurotic reactions become aggravated.

What are the causes of hyperactivity? Will it pass with time? Will this syndrome affect the mental abilities of the child? How to behave with such a child? Does it need to be treated? We will try to answer all these questions in our article.

The main causes of hyperactivity

The problem of hyperactivity has long been studied by pediatric neurologists and psychiatrists. At the moment, the following causes of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) are distinguished:

- Hereditary predisposition (in a hyperactive child, one of the parents is hyperactive).

- Chronic diseases of the mother (allergies, asthma, eczema, kidney disease, pressure, etc.).

- Problems that arose during pregnancy (late toxicosis, stress, lack of vitamins and amino acids, medication).

- Complicated childbirth (protracted, rapid, caesarean section, birth trauma, etc.).

- Socio-psychological problems (unfavorable microclimate in the family, absence of one of the parents, parents' alcoholism, poor living conditions, wrong line of education (excessive exactingness and severity, or, conversely, excessive guardianship)).

- Polluted environment (ecological trouble contributes to the growth of neuropsychiatric diseases, including ADHD).

Signs of hyperactivity

A child with ADHD may have the following characteristic behaviors:

Active Attention Deficit

1. inconsistent;

2. not able to hold attention for a long time, cannot concentrate;

3. inattentive to details;

4. when performing a task, makes a large number of errors as a result of negligence;

5. does not listen well when spoken to;

6. takes on a task with great enthusiasm, but never finishes it;

7. has difficulty organizing;

8. avoids tasks that require a lot of mental effort;

9. easily distracted;

10. often changes activities;

11. often forgetful;

12. Loses things easily.

Motor disinhibition

1. Constantly fidgeting;

2. shows signs of anxiety (drumming with fingers, moving around in a chair, fingering hair, clothes, etc.);

3. often makes sudden movements;

4. very talkative;

5. fast speech.

Impulsivity, increased nervous excitability

1. Begins to answer without listening to the question;

2. not able to wait for his turn, often interferes, interrupts;

3. cannot wait for reward (if there is a pause between actions and reward);

4. when performing tasks, he behaves differently and shows very different results (in some classes the child is calm, in others he is not, but he is successful in some lessons, in others he is not);

5. sleeps much less than other children, even in infancy.

If at least six of the above signs appear before the age of 7 years, it can be assumed that the child is hyperactive.

But the diagnosis of "hyperactivity" or "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder" (ADHD) can only be made by a neurologist on the basis of a special diagnosis and only after the conclusion of other specialists!!!

After all, the manifestation of hyperactivity is possible or with the manifestation of various diseases.

As a rule, the hyperactivity syndrome is based on minimal brain dysfunction (MMD) and neurological disorders.

What parents of hyperactive children need to know

If your child is still diagnosed with "hyperdynamic" (or ADHD) and done this at preschool age, then with the appropriate recommendations of specialists, the manifestations of hyperactivity will decrease over time.

The child's brain is very plastic and maximally receptive, which, with proper correction, will lead to the completion of the developmental deficit. Often, with appropriate correction, children do well in school.

For the best result, a set of measures should be followed. A neuropathologist can choose medication and / or neuropsychological (if necessary) treatment, a psychologist -
determine the course of individual correctional work and give advice on proper upbringing in the family, taking into account the characteristics of hyperactive children.

It is necessary to observe the daily routine, choose a diet, give the child a massage, take him to physiotherapy exercises. You may need the help of an osteopath, since in some cases the manifestations of hyperdynamic syndrome are associated with impaired cerebral circulation due to displacement of the vertebrae.

Many parents hope that with age everything will go away by itself.

It is possible, but often, without the necessary comprehensive measures, the manifestations of hyperactivity at school only intensify, depression, headaches and other somatic conditions appear.

Very often there are problems with discipline and in relationships with peers, as the child behaves inappropriately (unbalance, conflict, aggressiveness), problems with learning begin due to insufficient concentration of attention, restlessness, inability to control their behavior.

The most important thing you can do to help your child with ADHD is who he is, to maintain close emotional contact with him, help him master the basic techniques of self-control and teach him to adhere to the rules of behavior so that his behavior does not create problems for other people.

General advice for parents of hyperactive children

Restrictions

Don't let your child sit in front of the TV. In some families, it is customary to leave a constantly working TV, even if no one is watching it at the moment, in this case the child's nervous system is greatly overloaded from the constant noise and light background. Try to turn off the TV in the room where the baby is.

Do not allow your child to play computer games.

A hyperactive child is overexcited by a large crowd of people. If possible, avoid crowded places (large shops, markets, theaters) - they have an excessively strong effect on the child's nervous system.

A hyperactive child should be sent to kindergarten as late as possible, when he has already learned to more or less control his behavior. And be sure to warn educators about its features.

Environment

Organize a personal space for your child: your own room (if possible), a play area, a table for classes, a sports corner. This space should be well thought out and planned; for all personal belongings, the child should have convenient storage systems for the child’s things, there should be places: in order for him to learn not to lose things and put them in their place, since the observance of the general principle of order in the room and in things when raising a hyperactive child is especially important.

The child's room should be subject to the principle of "minimalism": calm colors of wallpaper, curtains, a small amount of furniture. Toys, except for the most beloved ones, should be put away in closed cabinets and containers so that foreign objects do not distract the baby from his activities.

Family atmosphere

To help a child, a favorable environment in the family is necessary - good, trusting relationships and mutual understanding between parents and the child, reasonable requirements of parents, a single, consistent line of education.

It is necessary to treat the problem of the child with understanding and provide him with all possible support. The child needs your sincere, kind, interested and attentive attitude, an open manifestation of love.

An impulsive and unrestrained parent "infects" and provokes a hyperactive child to inappropriate behavior. However, it is clear that the mother of a hyperactive child is not able to restrain herself all the time (and this is not necessary). Nevertheless, try in most cases to set an example for your son / daughter in a calm, friendly, restrained, positive and gentle communication. Talk to your child quietly and calmly.

Hyperactive children especially need a familiar environment - it calms them. Therefore, try to adhere to a clear daily routine, daytime sleep is required (or at least rest in bed) (it will give the child the opportunity to sleep and have time to restore their strength). Follow the diet and food intake.

Raising a child with ADHD

Hyperactive children often have low self-esteem. Build your child's self-confidence. Praise, encourage, celebrate what went well, support the slightest attempts to restrain your violent manifestations. Give him a variety of tasks and ask for help.

Rely on the positive aspects of your child: kindness, quick-wittedness, sociability, generosity, activity, optimism, easiness, etc.

Don't compare your child's progress to the development of other children. Everything is very individual. And separate the assessment of the actions of the child from the assessment of his personality. Judge the actions, not the child.

The feelings of a hyperdynamic child are most often superficial. In appropriate situations, tell him about what other people are experiencing, so you will teach your child to analyze and look into the depths of events.

A hyperactive child has a hard time accepting criticism, reprimands, and punishments. He starts to protest and defend himself, behaving even worse. He often responds to aggression with aggression. Therefore, use direct prohibitions and orders as rarely as possible. It’s better to distract or voice your expectations: “We’ll put the toys away and go to bed now” (instead of “No, I said no more games! Put the toys away and go to bed!”).

In no case do not suppress the activity of the child. On the contrary, give the baby the opportunity to expend excess energy, because physical activity (especially in the fresh air) has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, having a calming and relaxing effect on it: active games, walking, hiking, running, cycling, skating, rollerblading , skiing, swimming Just do not bring "to the point of absurdity", the child should be allowed to rest.

In order for the child's play to be longer and more consistent, it is desirable that the child has the opportunity to play with one partner, and not with several children. (And let this partner be calm and balanced).

Development and activities with a child with ADHD

If the child has, then the function of the corresponding part of the brain is impaired, therefore, this area cannot be overused. Therefore, during classes with the baby, avoid overloading his attention. To compensate for this violation, teachers and psychologists recommend developing the child as well, that is, stimulating the development of unaffected brain functions.

When working with your baby, keep tasks short and clear. Provide visual clues. Make sure the task is understood by the child.

Teach them to plan and achieve consistency in their actions, offer tasks “in doses”: first one thing, and when done, another.

Limit the time for completing the task (it should be minimal) so that the child does not overwork, since overexcitation leads to a decrease in self-control and an increase in excessive activity and aggressiveness.

Alternate calm and active games. The kid needs to "restore" the work of the brain. If the baby is too noisy, try to direct his energy in a more "peaceful" direction or switch him to a more calm game.

Try to identify the ability of your child to a certain kind of activity - to music, drawing, designing, etc. Give your child the opportunity to do what they love. The more skills he will have, the clearer the result of his work, the more confident he will feel.

Work on the "weak" sides of the child as well - for example, many hyperactive children have "problems" with the development of fine motor skills. Offer, for example, origami classes or beadwork.

Once again, I would like to give advice: form various physical skills in the baby, because. this is a universal tool that helps the development of all functions and processes of the brain: thinking, memory, attention, coordination of movements, fine motor skills, orientation in space (I am in space, objects are relative to me and relative to each other).

Signs of hyperactivity occur to varying degrees in all children. Which of the parents has not encountered the behavior of their baby, in which there is excessive mobility, disobedience, screaming, uncontrolled behavior, inattention, painful stubbornness, outbursts of impulsive aggression? In this case, the child may be insecure, fearful and notorious.

Our task is to figure out what causes such a state, when it remains within the normal range, and when it reaches the level of the disease. We will also try to give some recommendations on what parents should do if they have a hyperactive child.

Is every excitable child sick?

In the 1980s, this condition in children received a separate name - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In the classification of nervous and mental diseases, it was classified as a hyperkinetic disorder. The main behavioral symptom of the syndrome is the inability to concentrate and self-control.

Not every kid who behaves like a prankster belongs to the category of hyperkinetics. For some, disobedience, stubbornness, increased mobility with overflowing energy is a consequence of character. With such children, you just need to learn how to behave correctly, and not constantly pull them up, this can cause a negative response.

Signs of a hyperactive child

Signs of increased activity in a child do not appear immediately. Up to 2-3 years old, a child can behave normally and even be excessively calm. The symptoms of ADHD in children develop gradually. Often parents do not pay due attention to them and seek help when the child enters an educational institution with obvious problems.

Note:the later painful manifestations are noted, the harder it is to deal with the growing signs of the disease.

Developing hyperactivity in children can be suspected if it develops:

• - prolonged and restless falling asleep, screaming and moving in bed, talking, frequent waking up, crying, lack of sleep;
• during the day, increased fussiness, restlessness, inability to complete the work begun, excessive anxiety;
• instability (lability) of the emotional sphere, flashes of impulsivity;
• ignoring the requests of parents, inappropriate behavior;
• painful forgetfulness, inattention, lack of concentration on activities, a tendency to scatter things;

Any kind of activity causes problems for the child.

Causes of Hyperactivity and Attention Deficit Disorder

Increased excitability is often observed in children whose parents themselves have a choleric character and temperament. Children often simply copy the behavior of adults in their family, in a more exaggerated and strong form.

If we are talking about ADHD, then there is a genetic predisposition for the transmission of this disease.

Note: about 30% of parents of hyperactive children themselves suffered from this pathology in childhood.

Factors provoking the development of hyperactivity can be:

Definition of Hyperactivity Syndrome in Children

Only a specialist - a child psychiatrist, a psychologist - can identify the disease in a child.

Analyzing complaints and examining the child, the doctor asks the parents:

• features of the course of pregnancy;
• possible existing diseases, both of the mother herself, the father, and the baby;
• options for the behavior of a small patient at home, in public places.

Then the doctor examines the child, talks with him, evaluates his reactions, level of development, behavioral subtleties. The signs of the disorder are summarized, and a preliminary judgment is made about the possible presence of the disease.

The examination is supplemented by special diagnostic methods, as well as consultations of other specialists (psychologist, neuropathologist, endocrinologist, therapist).

Older children (5-6 years old) are offered psychological tests that assess the ability to pay attention, perseverance, logical thinking, etc.

Additional studies include safe in terms of health - magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, rheography.

After passing a complete examination, the doctor determines the presence or absence of the disease. Then a treatment plan is drawn up.

How does Hyperactivity Syndrome work?

Parents in most cases do not focus on the painful behavior of the baby, believing that he will “outgrow” over time. They seek help when the disease is already in an advanced stage and its manifestations cannot be overlooked.

In collectives of kindergartens, pathology is just beginning to assert its “rights”. But when the child enters school, the hyperactivity syndrome manifests itself in all its strength. Educational activity requires a certain organization of classes, just what a small student is not ready for.

Inadequate behavior in the classroom, hypermobility and inability to concentrate make the learning process impossible. Children with hyperactivity constantly require control by the teacher, since it is impossible to focus the student's attention on the topic, he is constantly distracted and goes about his business, a painful attention deficit affects. The qualifications and patience of a teacher are not always enough to cope with a destructive behavior. A response is formed - the aggressiveness of the child.

Note:the education system is not adapted to the activities of children with ADHD. The development of hyperactive children always lags behind their peers. Teachers cannot adapt to the student's developing illness, and this leads to the development of a conflict situation.

A hyperactive child at school is often ridiculed and bullied by classmates, has communication problems. They do not want to play and be friends with him. This causes increased resentment, oncoming outbursts of aggression, assault. The tendency of such children to leadership because of the inability to be such gives rise to a decrease in self-esteem. Over time, closure may develop. More and more pronounced psychopathic complaints develop. Parents have no choice but to finally take the little student to a specialist.

At home, you need to remember the main thing: children often mirror the model of adult behavior. Therefore, if the baby has a hyperactivity syndrome, a calm and friendly atmosphere should prevail in the house. You should not shout loudly and find out the relationship between each other in raised tones.

The child needs to be given enough attention. Walking with him a lot in the fresh air, the forest, picking mushrooms, fishing, family hiking trips are especially useful. You should not attend noisy events that will overexcite the painful psyche. It is necessary to correctly form the background of life. Soothing music should sound at home, the TV should not scream. You should not arrange noisy holidays, especially those accompanied by drinking alcohol.

Important:in case of an overexcited state, one should not shout at suffering children, beat them. How to calm the child? You should find words of consolation, hug him, pity him, listen in silence, take him to another place. Each parent must find an individual approach. Better than a father and mother, no one will cope with this task.

Each little patient who is brought to a consultation with a specialist is individual, so there can be no strict rules for correcting his behavior. It is necessary to take into account all the subtleties of the nature and conditions surrounding the patient. Nevertheless, there are general provisions from which it is necessary to build on the educational and medical process.

1. About creating bans. Attention deficit and hyperactivity of children is manifested in categorical denial and rejection of prohibitions. In this case, the main rule that forms the correct attitude to understanding the prohibition is the absence of the use of the word “no” and “impossible”. Instead, you need to build a phrase in such a way that it suggests an active action, and not a prohibitive wording. For example, in order not to say "Don't jump on the bed", you should say "Let's jump together" and take the child to the floor, then switch him to another activity, gradually calming him down.
2. Time control. Children with ADHD are often unable to sense time on their own. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that they perform tasks within the standards. It is necessary to correctly notice and correct cases of excessive shifting of attention. To return the child to the goal without violence.
3. Job sequence. Hyperactivity provokes inattention, absent-mindedness in children. It is important to remember that data for several tasks at a time may simply not be perceived by the child. Educators should independently control the dynamics of the process and the receipt of new tasks.
4. Implementation specifics. Painful changes in hyperactivity do not allow small patients to follow logical thought chains, and abstract thinking also suffers. To facilitate understanding, one should not overload the sentences and phrases from which the task is formed with semantic overloads.

About children's games

The games of hyperactive preschool children should start from two important ideas.

First, playing time should serve as a normal emotional and physical release. To do this, the child needs sufficient play space. The game should be unobtrusively directed in a constructive direction.

The second idea involves the creation of a calm phase, during which it is necessary to rethink the game activity, then, after a short pause, continue it. It is important, before the end, to take advantage of the moment of physical fatigue and try to switch the baby to constructive activities, but without a shadow of coercion.

For older children, sports are very beneficial. It is necessary to correctly determine which one. Some are more suitable for game types, others for individual ones. In both cases, the problem of using excessive excitation, directing it into a constructive direction and teaching the skills of sports discipline should be solved.

Treatment of hyperactivity syndrome

As we can see, raising a child with hyperactivity is a very time-consuming and complex process. That is why many parents do not want to deal with it on their own and take the child to the doctor.

It is important at this stage to get to a competent specialist who, in addition to the prescribed treatment, will help the family deal with awareness problems and the need for joint efforts in treatment. How to do it is written above.

In the case of a far advanced illness, it should be recommended to transfer a school-age child suffering from ADHD to a specialized school, in which it will be determined on the spot in the class with what bias the patient needs to study further. It may be necessary to correct the development of skills. If a student is lagging behind in his studies, then he will be sent to the class of catching up children.

Drug treatment of hyperkinetic disorder

With the right selection of the drug, it has a very significant positive effect. Its efficiency reaches 80%. It should be treated for years, perhaps drug correction will be required at a later age.

Drug treatment consists of the use of drugs that stimulate mental development, affecting the improvement of metabolic processes in the brain. Tranquilizers, sleeping pills, psychostimulants and nootropics do a good job with these tasks. In some cases, antidepressants and antipsychotics are used.

However, drug treatment should not be given excessive importance, since it is only symptomatic and does not eliminate the main cause of the disease. Also, it will never replace the main thing - love for your child. It is she who can heal the baby and in the future give him the opportunity to live a full life.

Hyperactive children are children who find it difficult to sit in one place for a long time, to be silent, to obey instructions. They create additional difficulties in the work of educators and teachers, because they are very mobile, quick-tempered, irritable and irresponsible.

Hyperactive children often touch and drop various objects, push their peers, creating conflict situations. They are often offended, but they quickly forget about their grievances. The well-known American psychologists W. Oaklander characterize these children as follows: “It is difficult for a hyperactive child to sit, he is fidgety, moves a lot, spins in place, sometimes overly talkative, can be annoying with his behavior. Often he has poor coordination or insufficient muscle control. He is clumsy, drops or breaks things, spills milk. It is difficult for such a child to concentrate his attention, he is easily distracted, often asks many questions, but rarely waits for answers ".

Hyperactive children are not able to focus even for a short time on a particular object. They seem to be constantly “scared” by irritants, among which they cannot single out the main and essential ones. They stop their attention on side effects, concentrate on them and can no longer respond to the main ones.

The memory of these children is characterized by certain features, which in many respects are associated with impaired attention, increased fatigue, immaturity of the central nervous system and other deviations that primarily affect the fixation of events and objects in memory.

The motor skills of a hyperactive child also have specific features. These children stand out for their awkwardness, clumsiness. The most frequently impaired are fine motor skills (which manifests itself in uneven handwriting, stretching of letters) and sensorimotor coordination (clumsiness in hand movements). Excessive muscle tension, increased muscle tone are often observed.

Hyperactive behavior in children is characterized by the following features:

Neurotic habits in the form of thumb sucking;

Restless movements in the hands and feet are often observed; sitting on a chair, spinning, spinning.

Gets up from his seat in the classroom during lessons or in other situations where you need to stay in place.

Shows aimless motor activity: runs, spins, tries to climb somewhere, and in situations where this is unacceptable.

Usually unable to play quietly, quietly, or engage in leisure activities.

It is in constant motion and behaves "as if a motor was attached to it."

Often talkative.

Often answers questions without thinking, without listening to them to the end.

Usually with difficulty waiting for his turn in various situations.

Often interferes with others, sticks to others (for example, interferes in conversations or games).

Increased fatigue, especially mental. A hyperactive child cannot concentrate during planned work, is often pale and sleepy;

Violation of sleep and appetite;

Obsessive tics;

The high incidence in boys is due to the higher vulnerability of the male fetus to pathogenic influences during pregnancy and childbirth. In girls, the cerebral hemispheres are less specialized due to the large number of interhemispheric connections, so they have a greater reserve of compensatory mechanisms compared to boys with CNS damage.

Children with ADHD have difficulties not only in behavior, but also in learning. They are not able to fully meet school requirements, despite their often good general level of intellectual development. In the classroom, it is difficult for such children to cope with the proposed tasks, since they cannot organize and complete the work themselves. The reading and writing skills of a hyperactive person are significantly lower than those of their peers, and do not correspond to his intellectual abilities. Written work is done sloppily, with errors due to inattention. At the same time, the child is not inclined to listen to the advice of adults. Experts suggest that this is not only a violation of attention. Difficulties in the formation of writing and reading skills often arise due to insufficient development of motor coordination, visual perception, and speech development.

How to identify a hyperactive child?

The behavior of hyperactive children may be outwardly similar to the behavior of children with increased anxiety, so it is important for the teacher and parents to know the main differences in the behavior of one category of children from another. Table 1 below will help you with this. In addition, the behavior of an anxious child is not socially destructive, and a hyperactive child is often a source of various conflicts, fights, and simply misunderstandings.

Hyperactivity Criteria (Child Observation Scheme)

Active Attention Deficit

Inconsistent, it is difficult for him to hold attention for a long time.

Doesn't listen when spoken to.

With great enthusiasm, he takes on the task, but never finishes it.

Experiencing organizational difficulties.

Often loses things.

Avoids boring and mentally demanding tasks.

Often forgetful.

Motor disinhibition

Constantly fidgeting.

Shows signs of restlessness (drumming fingers, moving in chair, running, climbing).

Sleeps much less than other children, even in infancy.

Very talkative.

Impulsiveness

1. Begins to answer without listening to the question.

2. Unable to wait for his turn, often interferes, interrupts.

3. Poor concentration.

Cannot wait for reward (if there is a pause between actions and reward).

When performing tasks, it behaves differently and shows very different results. (in some classes the child is calm, in others he is not, but in some lessons he is successful, in others he is not).

If at least six of the listed signs appear before the age of 7, the teacher, parents can assume that the child he is watching is hyperactive (see Table 1).

Table 1

Criteria for the initial assessment of the manifestation of hyperactivity and anxiety in a child

The main manifestations of hyperactivity can be divided into three blocks:

lack of active attention

motor disinhibition,

impulsivity.