How to help a child with attention deficit disorder .

Among primary school students, about 10% of boys and 1% of girls are classified as hyperactive.

At preschool age, these children run, jump, climb, crawl without any visible purpose. They cannot concentrate, sit still, constantly fidget in their chair. Hyperactive children annoy teachers, parents, strangers. Some of these children may be gifted, but they are also difficult to tolerate in the classroom. So. T. Edison and W. Churchill were hyperactive children. As a child, Edison came into conflict with all the adults with whom he had to communicate. He constantly asked questions and did not always wait for answers, poked his nose everywhere and everywhere became the cause of trouble. His mother had to take him out of school and teach him at home. Little Churchill was considered impossible and uncorrected by his first governess. His other teachers were indignant and furious. At school, he was allowed to leave the classroom during lessons and run around the school to get rid of excess energy.

A hyperactive child disrupts the work in the classroom. Such a student cannot wait to be asked, interrupts the teacher and classmates, distracts himself and interferes with others. These children often leave work unfinished, their activities are not purposeful. They do not enjoy the sympathy of their peers, they are not leaders. By adolescence, hyperactivity decreases and may disappear. The prognosis is less optimistic if the child, along with hyperactivity, has attention disorders that are not a consequence of the child's hyperactivity. This state is called attention deficit disorder withhyperactivity. These children are characterized by learning difficulties associated with a delay in the development of school skills and behavioral disorders. Poor adaptation at school causes their low self-esteem. They have few friends, they often complain of physical ailment and emotional problems. The causes of impaired attention and hyperactivity are being intensively studied. For many years, attention deficit has been reasonably associated with multiple adverse pregnancy and childbirth factors associated with minimal brain dysfunction (MBD).

Correction of attention disorders associated with hyperactivity is complex. In addition to drug therapy, children need psychological and pedagogical assistance. In the correction of the child's behavior, a large role is played by the technique of positive reinforcement, which consists in the constant encouragement of the desired behavior of the child. A necessary condition for success isunderstanding of the problems of their child by parents. Depending on the individual needs of the child, he can study in a public school, receiving the necessary psychological support, or in correctional classes.

Parents should look at their lifestyle and relationships in the family from the point of view of the needs of the child. First of all, they need to structure their own behavior and strictly follow the daily routine. If adults in the family suffer from frequent unmotivated mood swings, conflict relations in the family, they are not self-confident, feel guilty, lack of success in their professional activities, strained relationships with colleagues, then they themselves should use the help of a psychotherapist to develop a strategy for further behavior.

Parents who have a child with attention deficit need to explain to other adults who communicate with their child, primarily relatives, educators, teachers, that the child has specific difficulties in completing the task, since his nervous system does not function quite the same as in other children . You should not wait for misunderstanding and hostility towards the child to arise. It is better, without embarrassment, to explain to people significant for the child its features.

First of all, parents should determine what exactly in the behavior of the child especially alarms them. All this is discussed and weighed in the family and with a psychologist. The first step to changing a child's behavior is to develop a communication plan with the child. Even very busy parents must learn to set aside 10 to 15 minutes a day to be with their child, to understand what he is doing, to listen to him and support him. Parents need to learn how to deal with unwanted child behavior not only through punishment, but also through less intervention in his actions. For example, a child left his toy in the rain. Don't rush to pick it up. The child is looking for a misplaced thing, do not rush to help him, let him look. Finally, use the punishment of sitting still in a certain place more often after committing an offense.

The task that is given to a child with impaired attention should not be difficult and consist of several parts. For a child with an attention deficit, remembering long instructions consisting of a chain of short instructions is especially difficult. Therefore, do not give the child more than one instruction.

A difficult task for an attention-deficit child is to make friends with peers. Such children may speak without paying attention to the statements of the interlocutor, they may not support when his friend tries to start the game, intervene in someone else's game, not comply with its conditions, quit the game without bringing it to the end.

Peer problems can lead to loneliness and low self-esteem. At the same time, friendship for a child with attention deficit is an important factor in achieving success. To help him build relationships with peers, you can take the following steps.

Observe your child while interacting with peers. When you notice good things in your relationship with another child, reward him for it.

Organize a joint activity for your child with his friend.

Take breaks with peers if you see that your child's arousal level is excessively high.

Try to reduce aggressive manifestations in the behavior of the child at home.

Please note that participating in play sports presents significant challenges for an attention-deficit child. This is due to the implementation of a number of rules, the observance of the order for a sufficiently long time. However, rigid prohibitive guidelines are not suitable here. If the child is very interested in this particular sport, consult with specialists and a coach on how best to cope with difficulties.

Always be good advocates for your child. Remember that most people don't know anything about attention disorders. Take time at the beginning of the school year to talk to teachers about your child and their needs.

Recently, more and more often you can hear from doctors that your child has hyperactivity, with which something must be done. Such guys differ from their peers with great energy, which almost never dries up. They are constantly on the move, which makes it difficult, for example, to learn new material in the classroom, it is difficult for them to concentrate on the same thing for a long time. The question arises: is this behavior the result of insufficient education or deviation? Let's try to figure out what hyperactivity is in school-age children. Is treatment required or not?

Scale of the problem

Scientists and specialists have been studying this problem for a long time, but the alarm began to sound only when the accumulated data showed its social significance and scale.

According to statistics, hyperactivity occurs almost everywhere in school-age children. Treatment and education play an important role in this problem. We'll talk about this a little further.

It is believed, and it has already been practically proven, that such kids are more difficult to adapt to teams, and in adult life there may also be problems later. Scientists have calculated that almost 80% of criminals suffered from hyperactivity in childhood.

In our country, the study of this pathology was taken up later, and even now one can note some ignorance of teachers and doctors in matters relating to this disease. That is why most children diagnosed with ADHD are left without the necessary treatment.

And this is fraught with some consequences, for example, these children often have trouble at school, their parents yell at them at home for their failures, they do not receive enough parental love, and as a result they seek solace in the company of friends. And they, as you know, are different, so the consequences can be quite deplorable.

Causes of ADHD

Hyperactivity in school-age children, treatment and causes of this pathology will be considered in more detail. Let's start by finding out what can trigger the development of hyperactivity. There may be several reasons:

1. Abnormal course of pregnancy:

• Insufficient supply of oxygen to the fetus.
• The threat of miscarriage at different times.
• Frequent stressful situations in an interesting position.
• Failure to follow dietary guidelines.
• Smoking.

2. Unfavorable delivery:

• Too long labor.
• Rapid childbirth.
• If you had to resort to drug induction of labor.
• Prematurity.

3. Other reasons:

If there is a combination of several reasons at once, then the likelihood that hyperactivity will occur in school-age children increases. The doctor must prescribe treatment, but, unfortunately, this can not always be seen. Often even parents do not pay attention to this problem and do not go to see a doctor for help.

Varieties of hyperactivity

If there is hyperactivity in school-age children, treatment will depend on the type of pathology. And they are as follows:

1. Attention deficit without hyperactivity. The child is most often absolutely calm, but lives in some kind of his own world, constantly hovering in the clouds, it is difficult to reach him.
2. Hyperactivity without attention deficit. This pathology is observed much less frequently. The cause is considered individual characteristics or disorders in the development of the nervous system.
3. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the most common case. The child not only suffers from attention disorders, but also shows excessive activity.

Each of the cases needs its own approach to treatment, which is simply necessary.

What is the difference between activity and hyperactivity?

Many parents often ask when to sound the alarm. How to distinguish that the child is not just a very active baby, but there is hyperactivity? To answer these questions, you can use the simple comparison shown in the table.

These signs of comparison will help parents suspect a developmental pathology in their child and make them see a doctor. To make the correct diagnosis (hyperactivity in a child of school age), only a competent specialist can prescribe treatment. Don't hesitate to visit him.

How does hyperactivity manifest itself?

If there is hyperactivity in school-age children, Dr. Komarovsky recommends starting treatment only when it is established that this is a disease, and not a manifestation of the norm. And in order to find out, you need to know the symptoms of the pathology, it can be divided into several groups:

If there is hyperactivity in school-age children, treatment (Komarovsky believes so) may not be needed when the disease manifests itself in a mild form. At the same time, a lot of effort and patience is required, first of all, from the mother in order to help the child learn to cope with their problems.

But often it may be necessary, if there is hyperactivity in schoolchildren, treatment. And symptoms other than those listed , the following are added:

If hyperactivity is manifested in this way in children of school age, Dr. Komarovsky advises to undergo treatment without fail. It should be noted that all these signs do not affect mental abilities, but academic performance often suffers, even if the child is smart, so specialist help is needed.

Establishing diagnosis

If there is hyperactivity in school-age children, treatment, correction of this condition is required. But for this you need to correctly diagnose. This is done by neuropathologists, who are required to visit if there are appropriate symptoms. It is important to identify the cause of the pathology in order to exclude the presence of more dangerous diseases, and only a specialist can do this.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is detected in several stages:

The diagnosis can be delayed for several months, only after all observations, tests and examinations, hyperactivity is detected in school-age children, treatment will depend on the symptoms and severity of the pathology. Parents have to put in a lot of effort and patience.

Hyperactivity Therapy

It will definitely be required if the diagnosis of "hyperactivity" in school-age children is confirmed, treatment. And the signs should reduce their manifestation. But therapy will be long and using many methods and directions.

1. Correct the motor activity of the child. It is undesirable for such kids to engage in sports with competitive elements, as this can provoke an increase in the manifestation of the disease. It is best to give the child to swimming, aerobic training, skiing.
2. Help is psychological. In the arsenal of specialists there are various methods for working with such children.
3. The disease of the child cannot but leave its mark on the parents, especially on the one who spends more time with the baby. They become more irritable, nervous, so the help of a family therapist will not hurt.
4. Relaxation. Special auto-trainings have a positive effect on the condition of children with hyperactivity syndrome.
5. Behavior correction. This applies not only to the child, but also to adults. Children with hyperactivity are very susceptible to negativity, there are no prohibitions for them, but they respond quite positively to positive emotions. Given this, it will be more effective to praise such kids for good deeds than to scold for bad ones. Relationships should be built on complete trust and understanding, and prohibit only what really poses a danger to him. Parents should control their behavior, avoid rudeness towards each other, especially with a child.
6. Medication is also required (if diagnosed with hyperactivity in school-age children) treatment. Drugs, for example in the USA, are often prescribed from the group of psychostimulants, but they have been found to have many side effects that negate all the benefits of their use. In our country, such drugs are not used.

Let us consider in more detail some areas of therapy.

Medical treatment

Most likely, if the diagnosis of "hyperactivity" in school-age children is confirmed, treatment will be prescribed. Drugs should be selected only by a doctor. To get results as soon as possible, stimulants are prescribed, such drugs help the child improve concentration. This group includes the following drugs:

• "Dexedrine".
• "Fokalin".
• "Ritalin".
• "Methylin".
• "Vivans".

Specialists often also prescribe nootropic medications, such as:

• "Cortexin".
• "Gliatilin".
• "Phenibut".
• "Pantogam".

They help improve cerebral circulation, improve memory, the ability to concentrate.

ADHD treatment in Israel

For "hyperactivity" in school-age children, his clinics may offer an alternative to medication. In Israeli medical institutions specializing in the treatment of ADHD, the following alternative treatment method is used.

Or osteopathy. The system of this treatment is based on the fact that the skull is directly connected with the spine and sacrum. Even minor shifts of the skull bones can eliminate or significantly reduce physical ailments and functional disorders. First of all, the physical cause of the pathology is eliminated, especially for birth injuries, and then it is the turn of other specialists to begin treatment.

Most of the children diagnosed with "hyperactivity" after osteopathy sessions are able to study in a regular school with other guys on an equal footing.

One of these clinics is located in Tel Aviv, and is headed by the famous doctor Alexander Kansepolsky. Thus, we see that if there is a diagnosis of "hyperactivity" in children of school age, Israel offers treatment not only with medication.

Traditional medicine against hyperactivity

Therapy of this disease requires great patience from parents. It is necessary to strictly follow the doctor's recommendations if hyperactivity is diagnosed in school-age children. Treatment with folk remedies can also be used, but after consultation with a specialist.

Here are some recipes that will help normalize sleep, the digestive system, and because of this, at least a little, but the baby's behavior will improve:

1. Has calming properties. To prepare, you need to take 1 tablespoon of chopped roots and pour 250 ml of hot water, boil in a water bath for 20 minutes. Cool slightly and strain. Take 2 tablespoons three times a day.
2. Hop. For therapy, the cones of this plant are used. 1 tablespoon is poured into a glass of water and boiled for 2 minutes, then you need to insist a little, strain and take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
3. St. John's wort is also widely used in the treatment of hyperactivity. It normalizes sleep, promotes concentration, improves memory. You need to take 1 tablespoon of chopped grass, pour 0.5 liters of water and boil for 5 minutes. When chilled, give the child 1-2 tablespoons three times before meals.
4. It helps well if there is hyperactivity in school-age children, treatment with folk recipes. Herbal preparations are used quite often. One of them includes the following components: valerian root, lemon balm, mint, lavender flowers, St. John's wort. 2 spoons of this collection brew 0.5 liters of hot water and insist 4 hours. Give the medicine to the child 50 ml in the morning and evening before meals.
5. Lavender flowers help to remove too much activity of the child, as well as nausea, vomiting, headaches. 1 spoon of flowers is poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for 10 minutes. Take a tablespoon twice a day.

It should be noted that in case of a diagnosis of "hyperactivity" in school-age children, treatment with traditional healers can help, but only if drug therapy is carried out, the baby visits a psychologist, his motor activity is corrected.

Psychological help

In the presence of hyperactivity, it is advisable not to refuse the help of a psychologist. The specialist has in his arsenal various techniques that help to remove anxiety, increase the sociability of the child, and reduce his aggressiveness.

By modeling different situations of success, the psychologist will tell parents in which area their baby will feel more confident. He conducts various corrective work, in which the parents of the baby must also be involved. Attention and memory are selected individually for each child.

Do not neglect the help of such narrow specialists, classes for a hyperactive baby will only benefit.

How to communicate with a hyperactive child

Treatment is important in the diagnosis of "hyperactivity" in school-age children. Prevention, meanwhile, is also essential. And it should begin even before the birth of the child. The expectant mother needs to provide all the conditions for the normal course of pregnancy.

To prevent exacerbations, if the baby is already diagnosed with hyperactivity, the following recommendations should be followed:

• Help your child learn techniques that help in the assimilation of school material.
• During class, remove all distracting objects, create a working environment.
• Support the child, increase motivation to continue classes.

In addition, parents should adhere to certain rules when dealing with a hyperactive child:

1. It is necessary to praise the baby even for the slightest success.
2. The child should have his own assignments, albeit small, but he must fulfill them himself and regularly.
3. You can practice keeping a diary in which all successes are recorded.
4. It is necessary to set such tasks that are feasible for the child.
5. It is necessary to clearly define all the boundaries of what is permitted and what is categorically impossible.
6. It is necessary to remove the orderly tone from the appeal.
7. The house must follow the daily routine.
8. Don't let your baby get stressed out.
9. TV viewing time should be kept to a minimum.
10. It is necessary to establish a sleep and wakefulness regimen.
11. Parents themselves must remain calm in any situation.
12. Parents should help the child choose a field of activity where he can show his abilities.

If your child is too hyperactive, then do not panic and put an end to it. With the modern possibilities of medicine, it is possible to cope with not such pathologies, you just need to pay attention to this in time and visit a doctor. Psychological help, drug therapy, psychotherapy sessions will do their job, and your child will be able to learn on an equal basis with other children and show all their talents and abilities.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

- how to help a fidget?

A seven-year-old boy cannot sit still, which drives teachers and parents crazy. His restlessness prevents him from finishing his homework or fulfilling his parents' instructions. This is a typical case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in which the level of concentration decreases and distractibility increases pathologically. Since the early nineties, the incidence of ADHD has increased dramatically. Learn about the main symptoms of ADHD in children and try to understand the disorder.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by hyperactive behavior and an inability to concentrate. Many children have difficulty concentrating, but for some this disorder is accompanied by increased activity. Children with ADHD cannot sit still, they are restless and fidgety, often interrupt others, constantly run and jump.

According to statistics, about 3-5% of school-age children suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Approximately 10%-50% of the syndrome persists into adulthood. By adolescence, motor hyperactivity usually subsides, but learning disabilities, lack of attention, and inability to concentrate persist in most children. The exact causes of ADHD are not known, although one theory is that it is based on an imbalance of chemical transmitters - neurotransmitters - in the child's brain, which makes it impossible for him to control his behavior. Often ADHD has a genetic origin. Boys are three times more likely to develop ADHD than girls. The main symptoms of ADHD:

• Constant restlessness and restlessness
• Excessive noise (child talks or plays too loudly)
• Inability to listen to others (child constantly interrupts)
• Inability to follow directions and follow instructions
• Attention deficit and forgetfulness
• Disorganization and lack of attention to detail
• Uncontrolled movement around the room
• Rapid loss of interest in tasks and games
• Inability to finish work that has been started, such as homework

Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is very important for developing a correct understanding of this disorder. The diagnosis of ADHD should involve teachers, parents, and physicians. Often, the diagnosis of ADHD requires not only a complete medical examination, but also a professional assessment of the child's cognitive abilities and IQ, as well as an analysis of his school performance.

Speech and language abilities are also assessed. ADHD is often accompanied by other behavioral or emotional disorders. Children with ADHD experience difficulties difficulties in the team peers. They are easy to recognize by their behavior - they ride, run, jump during classes. Attention deficit and high levels of hyperactivity make it difficult for a child to communicate normally with others.

Treatment and correction of ADHD

A child with ADHD usually learns with peers, but the teacher should pay attention to his needs, for example, give more time to complete the task, seat the child in a part of the room where he will be less distracted.

A child with ADHD also needs the support of adults and their help in controlling behavior and attention levels. To teach such a child, it is necessary to use modern supportive teaching methods that help to concentrate and learn the educational material. Treatment for ADHD includes behavioral and drug therapies. Not only the family, but also the school should be involved in the treatment.

Parents and teachers must learn to correct the child's behavior, direct his energy and encourage the child's success. This includes developing problem solving skills, open and effective communication skills, anger management and conflict resolution. Drug treatment for ADHD is limited to the use of amphetamine stimulants such as Ritalin and Dexedrine.

These drugs reduce the level of hyperactivity in children and help to concentrate. There is also an improvement in behavior (reduction of aggression, forgetfulness). However, these drugs have a number of side effects, including insomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss, depression, and drowsiness.

ADHD is a polymorphic clinical syndrome, the main manifestation of which is a violation of the child's ability to control and regulate their behavior, which results in motor hyperactivity, impaired attention and impulsivity. I would like to put special emphasis on the word polymorphic, because in reality no two children with ADHD are the same, this syndrome has many faces and a wide range of possible manifestations.

This is a psychiatric disorder - contrary to popular myths, its cause is the features of the structure and functioning of the brain, and not poor education, allergies, etc. The real reason is either genetic factors (in the majority of cases) or perinatal damage to the central nervous system. That is why ADHD is a developmental disorder, and not just "innocent" features of the child's temperament, and its manifestations are present from early childhood, they are "built into" the child's temperament, and are not acquired over time and are not temporary. In this, ADHD differs from "episodic" psychiatric disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and others. We speak of a disorder because traits such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and attention deficits expressed inappropriately for age child, and these traits lead to serious impairment of the child's functioning in the main areas of life.

This point needs additional explanation, since such features as physical activity, inattention, impulsivity are normal (especially in preschool and primary school age). In children with the so-called "active" temperament, these traits are more pronounced. However, if in general they do not create big problems for children and their environment - neither in the family, nor at school, nor among peers and do not lead to violations of behavior, learning, social development, then about ADHD speech is not. ADHD is an extreme manifestation of the "active" temperament spectrum, in which hyperactivity, impulsivity and attention disorders are so pronounced that they significantly impede learning, social adaptation and, in general, the psychological development of the child. This is a specific characteristic of ADHD because, unlike many other disorders with abnormal manifestations (such as hallucinations in schizophrenia), ADHD is more of a spectrum disorder, an overexpression of features that are also characteristic of normal behavior. This creates certain difficulties in diagnosis, especially in mild forms of ADHD, because the border between the norm and pathology is very conditional ... In this, ADHD can be compared with other spectrum medical disorders, in particular, obesity - the borders between normal weight, overweight, and obesity as a disease are rather conditional; however, the reality of obesity as a disease cannot be underestimated or dismissed.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a collective group of conditions that includes several syndromes: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, hyperactivity disorder, and various combinations of both. In the "International Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders" (ICD-10), this group of conditions is included under the heading "Behavioral and emotional disorders with onset characteristic of childhood and adolescence" (F90-F98). Most of the variants of these conditions in the ICD-10 are classified as "Hyperkinetic disorders" and correspond to the code F90.

According to the ICD-iO, hyperkinetic disorder (F90) is diagnosed if at least six symptoms of inattention, three symptoms of hyperactivity are present in various situations, for at least six months, with onset no later than seven years of age, in the absence of developmental disorders or affective episodes and anxiety disorders and at least one symptom of impulsivity.

Symptoms of inattention:
c frequent inability to pay close attention to details or making careless mistakes in the school curriculum, work or other activities;
often fails to maintain attention on tasks or play activities;
it is often noticeable that the child does not listen to what is said to him;
the child is often unable to follow instructions or complete school work, daily activities and duties at the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or inability to understand instructions);
the organization of tasks and activities is often disturbed;
often avoids or strongly dislikes tasks, such as homework that requires constant mental effort;
often loses items needed for certain tasks or activities, such as school supplies, pencils, books, toys, or tools;
often easily distracted by external stimuli;
often forgetful during daily activities.
Symptoms of hyperactivity:
often restlessly moving arms or legs or fidgeting in place;
leaves his seat in a classroom or other situation where it is required to remain seated;
often begins to run or climb somewhere when it is inappropriate (in adolescence or adulthood, there may be only a feeling of anxiety);
often inappropriately noisy when playing games or having difficulty spending leisure time quietly;
the persistent nature of excessive motor activity is found, which is not significantly influenced by social situations and requirements.
Symptoms of impulsivity:
often blurts out answers before questions are completed;
often unable to wait in lines, wait their turn in games or group situations;
often interrupts or interferes with others (for example, in other people's conversations or games);
often talks too much without adequate response to social restrictions.
The classification of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV), published in 1994 and revised textually in 2000, distinguishes between three types of attention deficit or hyperactivity disorders:
314.01-attention deficit / hyperactive disorder, combined type;
314.00 - attention deficit / hyperactive disorder, with a predominance of attention deficit;
314.00 - attention deficit / hyperactive disorder with a predominance of hyperactivity and impulsivity.
The term "hyperactivity" used in the DSM-IV is more accurate than "hyperkinetic disorder" since the latter provokes an erroneous association with hyperkinesias. Such homonymy creates certain inconveniences in diagnosis. More progressive is the strategy of separating syndromes with a predominance of attention deficit and syndromes with a predominance of hyperactivity and impulsivity.
The condition for the diagnosis of ADHD is the presence of specific symptoms that serve as inclusion criteria for this diagnostic rubric. These symptoms must be expressed in different situations (school, family, play/work) and must be observed for a long time (at least six months). They are usually variable and manifest differently in different social situations. For example, in situations of monotonous, monotonous, unattractive activity, they are more pronounced. With frequent changes in activities, effective, attractive reinforcement for the child, during an exciting game, these symptoms are minimal. In addition, when diagnosing these symptoms, it is necessary to take into account the age-related characteristics of behavior. Symptoms can be considered signs of pathology if they go beyond the limits of difficulties acceptable at this age. Signs of maladjustment should appear in two or more social areas (for example, both at home and at school). If a child is maladjusted only at home or only at school, this is not enough for a diagnosis of ADHD. In addition, these symptoms should not be due to autism, anxiety disorders, or mental retardation.
In the ICD-10, the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are grouped into three syndromes: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In turn, the DSM-IV considers three subtypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD):
A) with a predominance of attention deficit (hereinafter - ADHD DV);
B) with a predominance of hyperactivity and impulsivity (hereinafter referred to as ADHD GI);
C) combined subtype.
ADHD with a predominance of attention deficit disorder (ADHD DV). To establish the diagnosis of this syndrome, at least six symptoms from the above list must be present, which persist for six months or more in such a degree of severity that indicates maladjustment and is not consistent with the level of development of the child.
1. Often unable to pay attention to details; due to negligence, frivolity makes mistakes in school assignments, work, and other activities.
2. Usually has difficulty maintaining attention when performing tasks or during games.
3. It often appears that the child does not listen when spoken to.
4. The child is often unable to follow instructions or complete school assignments, daily activities, work duties (not due to reactions of opposition or misunderstanding of instructions).
5. Often has difficulty organizing assignments and other activities.
6. Often avoids, dislikes tasks that require constant mental effort (school assignments, homework).
7. Often loses things needed at school and at home (school supplies, pencils, books, work tools).
8. Often distracted by extraneous things.
9. Often forgetful in daily activities.
ADHD with a predominance of hyperactivity and impulsivity (ADHD GI).
At least three of the symptoms listed persist for six months or more in such a degree of severity that indicates maladjustment and is not consistent with the level of development of the child.
1. Often uneasily moves arms and legs, fidgets in place.
2. Often jumps up from his seat in class or in other situations that require perseverance.
3. Often runs aimlessly around the room, trying to climb somewhere in situations where it is inappropriate.
4. Often inappropriately noisy in games, unable to calmly spend leisure time.
5. Often in constant motion, acting as if he had a motor inside him.
6. Often talkative.
7. Often blurts out the answer without listening to the end of the question.
8. Often unable to wait their turn in games.
9. Frequently interrupts others or interferes with the conversation or games of others.
If a child has six or more symptoms from the ADHD DV list, but less than six from the ADHD GI list, then the first subtype is diagnosed, i.e. ADHD with a predominance of attention deficit. If the child has an inverse ratio, i.e. six or more symptoms from the ADHD GI list, but less than six symptoms from the ADHD DV list, then the second subtype is diagnosed - ADHD with a predominance of hyperactivity and impulsivity. If more than six symptoms are found on both lists, the case is considered a mixed condition, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Speaking about the diagnosis of ADHD, it should be noted that although in practical work with children, specialists often encounter hyperactivity and attention disorders caused specifically by ADHD, these symptoms can be signs of a number of other conditions.
It is important to distinguish between ADHD and a wide range of conditions that are similar to it only in external manifestations, but differ significantly from ADHD both in their causes, internal mechanisms, and therefore correction methods. According to N.N. Zavadenko (2005), these include:
individual characteristics of personality and temperament;
anxiety disorders;
specific developmental disorders of school skills:
dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia;
consequences of a traumatic brain injury, neuroinfection, intoxication;
asthenic syndrome in somatic diseases;
endocrine diseases;
sensorineural hearing loss;
epilepsy;
mental retardation;
hereditary syndromes: Tourette, Williams, Smith-Mazhenis,
fragile X-chromosome and others;
pathological personality development, affective disorders, autism, schizophrenia.
ADHD rarely occurs in isolation - in this syndrome, comorbidity is the rule rather than the exception (Hinshow, La-hey, Hart 1993). Thus, the incidence of depression in children with ADHD is at a high level - approximately 30% of cases. In addition to depressive states, ADHD studies show comorbidity with other psychopathological disorders: bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive syndrome, anxiety and neurotic disorders (American Academy of Pediatrics... 2000). ADHD also co-occurs with oppositional defiant disorder and antisocial conduct disorder (Barkley 2003). Approximately 20-30% of schoolchildren with ADHD, in addition to the characteristic symptoms, have specific disorders of school skills (Seidman 2001).
In connection with the above, it should be noted that when diagnosing ADHD, it is important to rely on clinical observations confirmed by pathopsychological data, anamnestic information, as well as the results of a survey of parents and teachers about the child's behavior.

Recommendations for parents Well, the moment has come when you and your child are no longer faced with the choice of “to go or not to go?”. A school is not a kindergarten, you have to go to it, and it is from here that the real introduction of the child to “adult” life, life with its own responsibilities, the need to do what you don’t like, sacrificing what you like and really want to do.
If your child has gone to kindergarten for at least a year, then much will not be new to him, if not, then the process of adaptation to school may take a little longer.

What can and should be taken into account when sending a child to the first grade, how to reduce the stress that arises when confronted with a new, unusual, not always pleasant and not always comfortable school world.

Before starting to think about what needs to be considered when choosing a school for a hyperactive child, I would like to draw the attention of parents to the fact that the school in no way replaces the parents and does not relieve them of the responsibility to continue to develop and educate their child. At school, a child can only show what you have already laid in him and continued to lay. All the foundations of good manners, good manners, tolerance for people, all the qualities necessary for successful study and just for life: patience, accuracy, diligence, disposition towards people, the ability to think not only about yourself, but also about who is nearby, etc. are brought up and acquired not at school, but only and exclusively in the family.

All this is brought up and acquired not through the constant use of various methods of "educational influence", but only through the child's observation of you, through, regrettably, your personal example. In part, you noticed this when the child learned to speak - he repeated absolutely all your words and statements, even those that you would not like him to repeat. The same applies to actions and the choice of a line of behavior in life.

It seems to us that when choosing a school for a preschooler, two main points should be taken into account:

1. school should be easy to get to;
2. primary school teacher should be kind and love children (if possible).

And that is all. The school can be any - the simplest municipal, located in the courtyard of the house where you live, most importantly, it must meet these requirements.

If the school is located on the other side of the city, then the need to get up early, the indispensable hassle associated with traffic jams, the fear of being late, your connectedness - what to do three or four lessons, you will only get home, you already need to go back, you will not let go of one child in any way - all this will serve as an additional source of nervousness and create additional stress. This is not good for any child, and even more so for a hyperactive one.
A primary school teacher must love children - this is a prerequisite.

In elementary school, the child's interest in learning about the world around him is still very high, but, on the other hand, during this period the child is especially vulnerable and sensitive to negative influences from others. He learns to know the world, to determine how, when and what to respond to. Behavioral stereotypes that develop in elementary school are extremely strong. If at this stage the desire to study is discouraged from the child, then it will be almost impossible to restore it - you will have to wait until your child has an acute need to gain knowledge, that is, in fact, he grows up.

The main "killer" of children's interest in learning is fear. If for some reason attending school and staying in it is associated with fear and you do not notice and solve this problem in time, then it is possible that for many years the school will become the most unloved place in the world.

As for studying in various gymnasiums, additional classes (meaning training sessions - languages, mathematics, etc., and not developing ones - dancing, drawing, gymnastics, etc.), I would like you to just know - physiological The load for a primary school student is a load of three to four lessons a day. Moreover, in the first grade, the duration of the lesson should be no more than thirty minutes, gradually increasing to forty minutes.

In addition, a hyperactive child, by definition, is not able to concentrate on something for more than ten to fifteen minutes at a time. The load exceeding these norms is non-physiological and creates the prerequisites for the possible occurrence of difficulties not only of a psychological nature (caused by stress against the background of constant overload), but also of a physical nature (as you know, stress and constant overload are the cause of many diseases).

So, we have given you the basic requirements for the school, you can decide everything else yourself when you sit down with a “family council” and determine what you expect from the school for your baby. When solving this issue, do not forget to ask the opinion of the child himself, perhaps his attitude to this topic will surprise you very much.

Now a little about what can and should be done to make your child feel as comfortable as possible at school.

Your actions should focus on three main areas:

1. psychological preparation and development of social skills necessary for normal adaptation in the school community;
2. physical training: school is also a great physical activity, first of all, if your child is healthy, physically strong, then it will be much easier for him to move into a new hypostasis;
3. the formation of the necessary learning skills. Let's try to understand in more detail what we can do for our child in each of these areas.

School is already a completely different level of knowledge of the world around the child. This is a complete change in the way of knowing the world around us. If at preschool age the main means of understanding the world was the game, then at school the child must master a new type of activity - educational.

Of course, when attending preparatory classes, in kindergarten, at home with his mother, the child has already encountered learning activities - he had writing, and oral counting, and reading.

However, this was not his main activity. He did all this as if "optional" during the time remaining free from the game.

When a child goes to school, the situation changes exactly the opposite. Now his main “work” is studying, and he can play during the time remaining free from study. It is very difficult and difficult for a child. The child is conservative by nature and extremely disapproving of any global changes in his life - instinctively he perceives them as a threat to his familiar and familiar world. This is especially true for a hyperactive child - the usual and monotonous daily routine, scrupulous following of actions one after another throughout the day is the only salvation for his not yet fully formed and prone to overexcitation psyche.

Therefore, with the school you need to do the same as you did earlier with kindergarten - start getting used to it in advance and gradually. It is extremely important for a hyperactive child to attend preparatory courses - they will help make the transition from play to study smoother, more gradual.

It is very important, especially if you have not attended kindergarten, to work with the child yourself and gradually move on to ensure that your classes resemble lessons in their structural organization - there was a clear beginning and end of the lesson, the rules inherent in the school were developed and consolidated - not to be interrupted and do not leave without permission, learn to control your behavior, learn to sit still and not interfere with your neighbor - you can use an older brother or sister or just your child's friends as a neighbor.

Another psychological problem that a child faces when entering school is a high level of independence. There are no longer any parents, not even a teacher with a nanny, who constantly helped him cope with simple and everyday affairs - serve himself, keep his workplace in order at his desk, go to the dining room, etc. This child also needs to be done in advance and gradually teach. Try to patronize him less, give him the opportunity to make independent decisions and be responsible for them. Entrust him with some household chores so that he learns to do his job without the help of adults.

Teach your child to live in a team, especially if he did not go to kindergarten. It will be very difficult for him to get used to a new type of activity at the same time - to lessons and the need to spend a lot of time and do something together in a large team. Develop at the same time both the ability for productive cooperation and the ability to stand up for yourself, defend your opinion and win your place in the sun.

And, finally, the main thing that can ensure a child's normal psychological adaptation to school is close emotional and psychological contact with you. The child must trust you, he must have the desire and the habit you have developed to constantly talk about what he did today, saw, thought, the habit of speaking frankly about the problems that he encountered during the day. There must be trust between you and your child.

You should be interested in what happened to him, not focusing on what you think is a problem with the child, and he may not yet know how to feel about this, but doing everything possible to solve the problem.

The main thing is to never panic and, even when panicking, do not show your panic to the child. Well, yes, he had a fight and came home with bruises, but this is inevitable, you also need to learn how to fight, so it’s better for you that you just figure out what the reason is in such a situation, suggest possible ways to peacefully resolve such situations in the future and teach the child fight properly (although it’s better if dad does it, mom, by definition, is not able to teach how to fight properly) in case the situation is still not resolved peacefully.

Physical training

Studying is not only emotional stress for a child, but also work that requires a fairly large expenditure of physical strength. Oddly enough, but in order to sit still and do homework or listen to a teacher, a child needs much more physical strength than to rush around the fields and villages all day.

Therefore, you should take care in advance that your child is in good physical shape and is able to withstand the physical stress of sitting quietly for three lessons and then during homework.

In addition, regular physical activity is also a wonderful disciplining tool that develops perseverance and the ability to repeat the same actions. Regular physical activity is also the best “body-strengthening substance” that works no worse than the most modern vitamins.

Regular physical activity is needed by mothers and fathers all the time, not only during the preparation of their child for school, but the preparation of the child for school can be used as a means of stimulating the father to once again do exercises with the child, and the mother to once again walk with the child on foot to the store or to the nearest park. In any case, regular exercise can be a great way to "create a more peaceful atmosphere in the family."

Formation of necessary learning skills

If you and I were now forced to enter the first grade, then it is possible that we simply would not have passed the exam, which is so fashionable now for preschool children, or would not have passed an equally fashionable interview. The requirements for the level of knowledge of first-graders are so high that sometimes you wonder - why do they go to school if they already know everything that can really be useful to them in life?

Nevertheless, we still have to meet the requirements of the modern school, and even if before that you thought that you should not overshadow the child’s childhood with unnecessary activities and restrictions on motor activity, nevertheless, immediately before entering school, the whole family will have to thoroughly sit down again at the textbook and complete the "school program" required to enter the school.

The requirements for different schools are so different - in some schools it is enough just to know the alphabet, have basic writing skills, be able to read simple texts, and in some you need to master almost all arithmetic operations, read aloud with good reading technique, quickly and without errors, be able to retell texts, write short essays and the like. Therefore, in this case, you should do exactly the same as you once did with kindergarten - when you decide on a school, you need to go and find out from primary school teachers or from the school administration what a child who comes to them for the first time should know. Class.

In addition, experienced primary school teachers advise parents to act in two directions - to develop fine motor skills of the hand and instill skills and interest in reading.
The development of fine motor skills of the hand is necessary for the formation of graphic skills, that is, the ability to write letters correctly.

In preschool children, the muscles of the hand are not yet sufficiently developed, therefore, often poor handwriting and incorrectly written letters are not associated with the fact that the child does not want to do a written task well, but with the fact that he simply cannot - the muscles of the hand responsible for accuracy movements are underdeveloped.

Primary school teachers (E.L. Maksimova) are advised to perform such simple and often interesting exercises for children as hatching and tracing. To develop the muscles responsible for fine motor skills, you can teach your child not only to color pictures in coloring books, but to stroke them with even, preferably at the same interval, strokes.

You can invent pictures yourself, use stencils, by the way, circle stencils - this is also a good exercise for developing fine motor skills of the hands. These exercises are easy to turn into a game, however, performed regularly, they will help you avoid problems with calligraphy in the future. It is very important to "put" the child's hand, develop it, prepare it for such difficult work as writing.

As for the skills of expressing thoughts, as a rule, when entering school, a preschooler is required to be able to carefully listen to reading a book or an adult’s story, to understand what is read or told to him, to be able to correctly, competently and consistently express his thoughts. As a rule, in a modern school they also require that the child be able to read at least syllable by syllable.

Reading books, and not just watching cartoons, is necessary for a child, since it is during reading that the child develops the ability to think creatively (the cartoon does not give such an opportunity, it offers ready-made visual images), perceive information by ear, long-term memory is trained, the ability to analysis and creative interpretation of what was heard.

The best way to instill a love of reading is to create another family tradition, the tradition of reading bedtime stories. Moreover, if mom will have to do this before a daytime sleep, then reading a fairy tale by dad before a child’s nighttime sleep will give both a wonderful opportunity to spend a little time together, to establish close emotional contact. Reading fairy tales by dad forms the child's confidence in the protection, good attitude from the father, teaches him to trust dad, forms relationships that will then last throughout his life.

Reading before bed can be used during the day as an additional exercise in the development of speech - while studying with a child, mom can always ask him what dad read to him yesterday. Retelling what he heard, the child learns not only to correctly build sentences and convey his thought, but also to analyze the essence of what he read. In addition, the discussion of the situations and behavior of the characters can be used by parents for educational purposes.

A hyperactive child is an accumulator of uncontrollable energy, which, spreading exponentially in the children's team, can, if the necessary and unconditional measures are not taken in time, turn any lesson and any lesson into chaos in a matter of seconds.

Of course, when a hyperactive child appears in a class or group, the most competent and effective way out would be to gather members of the teaching staff working with this class or group and conduct a kind of training seminar on how to work with this child, how to organize classes in a group or class in which there is a child with ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder),how to make sure that this child does not become the only concern and problem of the entire teaching staff to the detriment of other children. Of course, this seminar or meeting should be conducted by a competent psychologist.

As a rule, almost all modern educational institutions have a full-time psychologist who could carry out such explanatory work. However, unfortunately, the reality is always quite far from ideal - it is not always possible to hold such a seminar-meeting, it is not always possible to remember all the recommendations given by the school psychologist in time, so in this book we provide some recommendations for organizing work with hyperactive children.

Working in a class with a hyperactive child can be a little easier if you try to follow at least some of the rules below.

Organization of the training session:

• to build training sessions according to a clearly planned, stereotypical schedule;
• during the training session, provide opportunities for motor discharge: physical labor, small gymnastics;
• it will be easier for the child to adapt to school and the classroom if you create a list of rules that students must follow. It is important that the rules in the list be formulated in a positive way - it should contain a list of what should be done, and not what should not be done;
• encourage work in groups, periodically changing their composition, promote interaction between students. Mutual assistance and a sense of community in the classroom will create a calmer and more patient atmosphere on the part of children, help them pay less attention to the unrestrained behavior of a child with ADHD, not mock his failures, but, on the contrary, help them cope with the situation;
• Always write instructions on the board for completing assignments. Leave directions on the board until the end of the assignments. There are students who cannot write down or memorize verbal instructions on their own;
• Limit distractions during class to a minimum. This can be facilitated, in particular, by the optimal choice of a place at a desk for a hyperactive child - in the center of the class opposite the blackboard;
• use as many visual teaching aids as possible. The use of additional didactic teaching aids will be useful not only for a hyperactive child, but for the whole class, and will make the lesson more interesting.

Working with a child:

• work with a hyperactive child must be built individually, with the main attention being paid to distractions and poor organization of activities;
• seat your child at the front in the center of the class. So the student's attention will be more directed to the teacher, and the child will be able to see and hear him better;
• it is necessary, if possible, to ignore the defiant behavior of a child with attention deficit disorder and encourage his good behavior;
• provide the child with the opportunity to quickly seek help from the teacher in cases of difficulty;
• teach a hyperactive child to use a special diary or calendar;
• a hyperactive child needs to be given only one task for a certain period of time; if the task is large, then it is better to break it into separate segments and offer the child the next piece of the task only after completing the previous one, periodically monitor the progress of work on each of the parts, making the necessary adjustments;
• do not treat the child as different and unusual. You should give him the same tasks as the rest of the students: educational, practical and social. Create an atmosphere of “equal among equals”. Explain to parents that you need to pay special attention to doing homework;
• working face to face with the child, as far as possible, will help both parties: the teacher to understand the problems of the child, the student to feel that it is important for the teacher that he succeeds;
• if the child loses attention and begins to interfere, it's time to let him read aloud part of the training paragraph or task;
• help children find key words in the educational material and highlight them with bright felt-tip pens;
• encourage your child more. Negative evaluations create an atmosphere of failure and only reinforce problem behavior.

General recommendations:

• always close the classroom door. The less extraneous noise children with ADHD hear, the easier it is for them to focus their attention on the teacher;
• assignments offered in the lesson, write on the board;
• hang a calendar in the classroom and mark important dates, deadlines, and goals in it. Encourage students to keep their calendar and mark the same things on it as on the class calendar;
• contact parents to pass on positive ratings. Create a system with parents that will support the student and serve to advance common goals.

And most importantly, work with a child suffering from ADHD will be effective only if it is comprehensive and not only the school and teachers take part in it, but parents, the child's attending physician, a school psychologist or a psychologist observing the child are necessarily involved in it. . Naturally, the attending physician or psychologist observing the child will not share confidential medical information with the teacher, but the teacher must inform the parents about the need to obtain advice from the relevant specialists and ask about the recommendations given by them regarding the organization of the daily routine and study load.

Successful work with a child with ADHD is impossible without the cooperation of parents. It is necessary that someone explain to them the causes of hyperactivity and develop an individual program to help the child. Practice shows that parents, as a rule, are more inclined to trust a doctor than teachers and psychologists, therefore, the teacher’s function is to gently and unobtrusively explain to parents that consultation with a specialist is necessary, that there is nothing to worry about and this does not mean that their child flawed, that means it's just a little different. No better and no worse than the rest of the children in the class, just different, and parents need information about how exactly he differs from other children and how it is preferable to build relationships with the child so that he can maximize himself in this world .

Therefore, it is desirable that it is the medical specialist who explains to them that the behavioral problems of the child cannot be solved by volitional efforts. The child behaves in this way not because he wants to annoy adults, not to spite them, but because he has physiological problems that he is unable to cope with.

The task of the school psychologist is to carry out, together with the teacher and parents, the psychological correction of the child's emotional sphere and behavior. He can work with a child both individually and in a group of hyperactive children according to a specially designed program. In addition, the psychologist conducts explanatory work with teachers, together with them develops a strategy and tactics of interaction with each hyperactive child, and draws up an individual development program for such a child.

The teacher, taking into account the recommendations of specialists, carries out the process of teaching the child, taking into account his individual characteristics of development and behavior, family environment. Only in the case of such an integrated approach is there a consistent unanimous upbringing and education of a hyperactive child, which helps to realize the child's potential and reduce his emotional stress.

Why regular school and its discipline don't work

From the very first lessons, children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are placed in a rigid framework: to sit quietly, listen to the teacher, and complete assignments. For them, these are complex and unreasonable rules, so the learning motivation immediately disappears. Instead of solving equations, they prefer to fly in the clouds and play with their deskmates.

Sometimes teachers believe that such behavior is a consequence of poor upbringing, and begin to discipline the child even more strictly. Such methods injure the psyche of students with neurological deficits - children become closed and aggressive. To avoid these consequences, early diagnosis of the disease and complex treatment are needed.

ADHD is one of the most common illnesses in children.

More often than not, children with ADHD are prescribed drugs and continue to attend mainstream school without switching to home schooling. But medication alone will not improve the situation, and side effects such as lethargy and hallucinations can make it worse.

However, most children with ADHD do well without drugs unless they go to a traditional school. This conclusion was made by psychology professor at Boston College Peter Gray. He analyzed 28 families with children with neurological deficits. Most of the children with ADHD refused drug treatment after switching to homeschooling.

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Benefits of Homeschooling for Children with ADHD

Children with ADHD are influenced by others - if they are called to play, they will definitely be distracted from their activities. They are effective only in consistency and order, it is difficult for them to get used to changing teachers or rooms. They are active and inquisitive, only when they are doing something themselves, they hate to sit in a chair and do what they have written on the board.

Conditions in a traditional school only prevent them from studying, so their parents transfer them to family education. Benefits of homeschooling for children with ADHD:

• You build a flexible study and leisure schedule for your child.
• Control distractions.
• Adapt the school curriculum and focus on important subjects.
• Teaching takes place according to individual methods: games, creativity.

How to organize the educational process of a child with ADHD

To increase the educational motivation of a child with ADHD, parents should create comfortable conditions for him, taking into account some features.

• Choose an individual training program. Children with this diagnosis like to do something with their hands, and not just listen and watch.
• Create conditions for creativity - study nature in the forest, not from textbooks, come up with math contests and awards together, write with multi-colored pens and try to put everything into practice.
• Pick one place and time to practice. It is difficult for hyperactive children to get used to changes, they need a clear schedule and a familiar environment.
• Do exercise during your breaks. You need to change activities often - make the lessons shorter, but more effective.

Online schools can help organize the educational process. They provide educational content and allow you to individualize the workload. At Foxford Home School, you can view recorded lectures, pause them when your child needs to rest, speed up and slow down their pace if necessary. In addition, each student has a mentor who monitors motivation and academic performance.

Summary

Optimal conditions for teaching a child with ADHD can be created at home on your own. However, parents do not always have enough time to work with such difficult children. You need to independently adapt the school curriculum, come up with homework, build a schedule and choose a workload in subjects.

Online schools help make the learning process more accessible and interesting. They provide lectures from experienced teachers, homework and tutors.

Foxford Home Online School will help you build a flexible schedule and the right intensity of classes for a child with ADHD.