Hyperactivity and increased excitability are a common problem

Nowadays, children are increasingly talking about hyperactivity. Many people do not fully understand what this term means and apply it to all mobile and active children. However, hyperactivity is not just increased activity of the baby, it is a violation of the child’s behavioral reactions associated with impaired brain function. What kind of hyperactive child is he? What should the parents of such a child do? After all, they will have to face a lot of problems, learn to correct their child’s behavior, and help him adapt to school, and this is usually very difficult.

What is hyperactivity

The term “hyperactivity” itself means greatly increased activity and excitability of a person. Hyperactivity is most common in children, as they have less control over their emotions.

With hyperactivity, the nervous system is usually unbalanced. The child develops behavioral disorders that require correction. In the modern world, more and more children suffer from this disorder.

Typically, a hyperactive child has the following disorders:

• Cannot concentrate attention on any action for a long time. This especially often causes problems at school.

After all, it is difficult for a child to sit through a lesson, listen to the teacher, and complete assignments. Such children are forgetful and absent-minded. Even sitting in front of the TV for a long time is problematic for such children.

• Increased emotionality and impulsiveness.

Hyperactive children often cannot control their emotions, splashing them out on others, and commit unexpected impulsive actions.

• Motor activity beyond measure.

Many children, especially at preschool and primary school age, are quite active. However, hyperactive children stand out even against their background. They cannot sit still, they literally dance if they are seated. Their hands and legs are in motion, their eyes dart, their facial expressions change.

If a child has one or two of the above disorders, then most likely these are simply age-related behavioral characteristics. With age, the child will learn to better control his emotions, and his behavior will level out. However, if the baby has all of the listed disorders, then this is a reason to consult a specialist.

It is important to suspect and diagnose this disorder in time, rather than later reap the fruits of misunderstanding your child.

From a medical point of view, hyperactivity - hyperdynamic syndrome - is a diagnosis. It can be installed by a neurologist or neurologist. Most often, this diagnosis is associated with minimal brain dysfunction and dysfunction of the central nervous system.

In the next video, Dr. Komarovsky will tell you what hyperactivity is:

What to do if your child has hyperactivity

ADHD is most often diagnosed in childhood. Most often, parents of restless babies or teaching staff of children's educational institutions turn to specialists. The child understands others well. He hears and fulfills the requests of adults, but is too impulsive to accurately carry out the instructions received.

Adults often try to justify all the child’s pranks with this diagnosis. In reality, it is confirmed in no more than 3-5% of babies. Most of them are boys. The course of the disease differs:

• boys show a tendency to aggression and are characterized by hypertrophied disobedience;
• girls suffer from inattention, which can lead to learning problems.

In a third of children, ADHD goes away on its own during adolescence, without the use of specialized medical practices and medications.

Parents hold two polar points of view on the treatment of ADHD. About half consider the possibility of such a pathology to be far-fetched and refuse therapy, believing that the disorder will go away on its own with age. On the contrary, many parents exaggerate the danger of this disease for the development of the child. Hyperactivity requires mandatory monitoring by doctors and appropriate adjustment; in most cases, the pathology is successfully cured. Parents need:

• undergo a comprehensive examination to accurately establish a diagnosis;
• follow the specialist’s recommendations to create the most comfortable conditions for the child, carefully monitor the baby’s condition;
• fulfill all requirements, go through all necessary procedures;
• attend a consultation with a family psychologist.

A child with ADHD is characterized by an increased level of emotionality. He needs to be praised often, increasing self-esteem and self-confidence. In games, it is recommended to exclude competitive aspects that can lead to negative effects on the psyche. It is imperative to set boundaries for the child’s behavior. For example, give simple and executable instructions (take out the trash, wash your cup after yourself and other small tasks). The baby should grow up in the most favorable conditions, but clearly understand the boundaries of behavior so as not to become overly spoiled.

It is advisable to carry out diagnostics in a specialized medical center. Only in such a situation can a neurological disorder be confirmed, excluding simple increased activity or poor upbringing. A preliminary assessment of the condition can be carried out at a local clinic.

When it appears

It is believed that hyperdynamic activity syndrome manifests itself most clearly in preschool (4-5 years) and primary school age (6-8 years). The child ends up in a children's group and cannot withstand the modern pace of learning.

All the signs of his hyperactivity immediately appear: the teacher or educator cannot cope with the child, he does not master the curriculum and other problems of his behavioral disorders.

However, the first signs of hyperdynamic syndrome can be detected in infancy. Such babies are very active and emotional: they get unstuck from their diapers, fall, if you just turn away for a moment, they sleep poorly, their sleep is superficial, restless, and they can scream all night for no reason.

As they grow older, the behavior of hyperactive children continues to “delight” their parents: they get out of playpens and strollers, often fall, get into everything, and knock over everything.

Babies are already 1-2 years old and active and overly mobile; mothers can barely keep up with them. They are not interested in games where you need to think, add, build. It is difficult for a hyperactive child to finish listening to a fairy tale or watching a cartoon; he cannot sit still.

What should parents do if they suspect their child has hyperactivity disorder?

Hyperactivity in adults

For a long time, ADHD was considered a disease that occurs only in young patients and goes away as they grow older towards adolescence. Research in recent years has confirmed that hyperactivity can occur at any age. As a rule, diagnosis in adults is associated with an error in determining the causes of hyperactive behavior in early years. This caused errors in treatment. Sometimes the disease was simply not diagnosed.

Adult patients experience symptoms similar to those of the disease in childhood. Due to adaptation, most adult patients are characterized by increased excitability and hyperactivity. This leads to symptoms:

• difficulties when working according to instructions;
• patients are unable to maintain attention when performing monotonous and tedious actions;
• have weak organizational abilities;
• execute several processes simultaneously without completing the action;
• are forgetful when performing daily duties, may forget objects and goals;
• unable to control the volume of the voice or remain patient, for example, when standing in line;
• interrupting the interlocutors' statements;
• swiftness and variability of behavior;
• increased irritability.

Experts note other factors as well. A positive feature of ADHD in adult patients is high performance. They often successfully build a career, reaching significant career heights. The disadvantages include the occurrence of problems in interpersonal communication, which often interfere with maintaining a high quality of life. Including destructive interpersonal connections with low adaptation. Treatment for hyperactivity can begin at any age. Patients are prescribed corrective medications and undergo individual and collective psychological training.

Norm or pathology. False hyperactivity

Very often, hyperactivity is confused with normal child behavior, because most children aged 3-7 years are quite active and impulsive, and have difficulty controlling emotions. If a child is restless and often distracted, then they say that he is hyperactive. However, for elementary school children, a lack of concentration and the inability to sit still for a long time is usually the norm. Therefore, hyperdynamic syndrome can be difficult to diagnose.

If a child, in addition to attention deficit and increased activity, has problems establishing relationships with peers, is inattentive to the feelings of others, does not learn from his mistakes, and does not know how to adapt to the environment, then these signs indicate a pathology - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

From a neurological point of view, this diagnosis is quite serious and the child needs treatment, the sooner the better.

Treatment of hyperactivity

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder necessarily requires complex treatment. Today you can often hear that over time the child will outgrow his increased excitability and his condition will return to normal, so there is no need to do anything. Grandparents are especially often guilty of such statements. In reality, in the absence of competent correction, the problem will not go away, but will only transform.

As the child grows older, without treatment, one can only count on the elimination of excessive mobility. But since the disturbance in the functioning of the nervous system persists, it will be replaced by fussiness and constant internal restlessness. Adults with ADHD who are unaware of their diagnosis are characterized by irresponsibility, conflict, and a tendency to take unnecessary risks. It is also difficult for them to independently organize and plan their activities, as well as follow the developed plan.

Therefore, when receiving a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, you should not panic, but strictly follow the recommendations of a neurologist and psychologist in order to properly organize the rehabilitation process. This will significantly improve the child’s condition and help him avoid many problems.

Since ADHD is a multifactorial disorder and can manifest itself in different ways, treatment for each child is selected strictly individually. This may include:

• drug therapy;
• lifestyle correction;
• change in diet;
• manual therapy with elements of osteopathy.

To effectively treat increased excitability, parents and their children are recommended to work with a psychologist. This will help create a favorable atmosphere in the family and improve interpersonal relationships. Working with a psychologist will help create compensatory mechanisms that will help the child better control his own behavior, teach him to get along with peers and learn better. It is also recommended to obtain consultations from a defectologist who will help build the right program for correcting existing disorders.

Conflicts between parents aggravate ADHD.

Parents of children with officially diagnosed hyperactivity should talk with their kindergarten teacher, school teachers, and others who work with them. The purpose of this conversation is to convey information about the child’s characteristics and how best to organize the educational process so that it is as comfortable as possible for him and the teacher, and does not provoke difficulties in communication.

Drug therapy

Medicines are not always prescribed to children. Most often, the need for them arises when lifestyle corrections are ineffective. Drug therapy is mainly aimed at eliminating the symptoms of ADHD and alleviating the child's condition. This may include:

• sedatives;
• nootropics;
• mild sleeping pills;
• psychostimulants;
• neuroleptics;
• antidepressants (in severe cases).

Lifestyle correction

Children with increased excitability just need to be loved. They need to be praised for the slightest successes and encouraged to continue. Parents should focus on the positive aspects of the child’s personality and talk with him in a calm, friendly tone about accepted norms and rules of behavior in society.

Hyperactive children need a clear daily routine more than others. Therefore, if there is none, it should be developed. The child should wake up, walk, eat, and go to bed at the same time. This will allow you to better control the course of ADHD.

It is important to try to allocate personal space for the child. If it is not possible to give him a separate room, you need to arrange at least his own corner where he can isolate himself from adults. But since it is difficult for children with increased excitability to clean up and maintain order on their own, you need to be prepared for a mess and a long process of instilling the skill of cleaning up after yourself.

As mentioned earlier, children with ADHD can be forgetful. Therefore, parents, together with them, can create special temporary or permanent checklists, which should help the child not to forget anything important. It would be a good idea to leave stickers and various reminders as needed.

Sports activities have a very good effect on the condition of hyperactive children. But these should not be team sports, but martial arts, swimming, equestrian sports, etc.

Changing food

If there is increased excitability, it is recommended to reduce the amount of sweets in the child’s diet and other sources of simple carbohydrates. At the same time, nutrition should fully cover the body’s needs for proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Manual therapy with elements of osteopathy

Manual therapy can work real miracles with children who are highly excitable. Using special, absolutely safe manual techniques, the doctor can effectively influence the consequences of hypoxia and other biological disorders, creating conditions for normalizing the activity of the nervous system. Manual therapy sessions allow you to influence the cause of ADHD, which no other treatment method can do. As a result, the child becomes significantly calmer, his ability to perceive and process information improves, as well as his success in school.

Thus, hyperactivity cannot be called a dangerous disease. But such a condition can significantly reduce the quality of life of the child and his loved ones, and subsequently move with him into adulthood. But there is no need to panic when receiving such a diagnosis. Today, ADHD can and should be fought, but in order for the fight to be effective, the help of qualified specialists is required. ADHD symptoms may worsen with changing seasons, illness and other factors, but this does not mean giving up, but is an inevitable phenomenon that must be accepted and continued treatment. As a result, your adult child will be able to live a full life, not experience difficulties in communication, and achieve any goal.

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Diagnostics

If parents suspect that their child has ADHD, they should consult a pediatric neurologist. The doctor will prescribe the appropriate examination that needs to be completed. Indeed, more serious pathologies may be hidden under the symptoms of hyperdynamic syndrome. Diagnostics includes three stages:

1. The doctor collects data on the child’s behavior and reactions , the characteristics of pregnancy and childbirth, previous diseases, and hereditary pathologies of family members.
2. Conducts special tests and evaluates the results and the amount of time spent, as well as the reaction and behavioral characteristics of the child. Usually such tests are carried out for children 5-6 years old.
3. Electroencephalogram . This examination assesses the condition of the child's brain. It is painless and harmless.

After receiving all the results, the neurologist makes a diagnosis and gives his conclusion.

Hyperactivity in preschool children

ADHD in children who have not yet reached school age has certain characteristics. Hyperactivity in patients is observed from a very early age, which indicates an innate predisposition to potential disorders. However, doctors do not recommend making a diagnosis confirming a neurological disorder before the age of 5-12 years.

This is due to the peculiarities of the formation of the psyche of a small child. Many children are characterized by increased emotionality, which does not indicate the presence of pathology. Additionally, behavior is affected by the first crises of adolescence, which a person experiences with varying degrees of severity during the period of approximately three and seven years. At this time, every child becomes capricious and begins to attract the attention of adults, becoming either too passive or hyperexcitable.

In preschool age, parents or teachers can only pay attention to a certain predisposition of the child to the future development of pathology. If symptoms persist for months and years, parents should carefully monitor the child’s behavior, pay attention to his communication with peers, and educational progress. Confirmation of the diagnosis is carried out only after a minimum of five years of age.

Hyperactivity syndrome is a pathology that, without proper treatment, can significantly worsen the patient’s quality of life at any age. This neurological diagnosis will be monitored by experienced specialists. The help of doctors and relatives ensures proper adjustment of the behavior of people suffering from ADHD.

Signs

The main signs that help recognize a child’s hyperactivity:

1. The child has increased causeless motor activity . He spins all the time, jumps, runs, climbs everywhere, even if he knows that he shouldn’t. It lacks the process of inhibition in the central nervous system. He just can't contain himself.
2. He cannot sit still ; if you sit him down, he spins, gets up, fidgets, and cannot sit still.
3. During a conversation, he often interrupts the interlocutor, does not listen to the question to the end, speaks off topic, and does not think about it.
4. Can't sit quietly . Even when playing, he makes noise, squeaks, and makes unconscious movements.
5. He can’t stand in line, he’s capricious and nervous.
6. Has problems communicating with peers . Interferes in other people's games, pesters children, and does not know how to make friends.
7. Does not take into account the feelings and needs of other people.
8. The child is very emotional and has no ability to control either positive or negative emotions . Often causes scandals and hysterics.
9. The child's sleep is restless and often does not sleep at all during the day. In his sleep he tosses and turns, curls up into a ball.
10. Quickly loses interest in classes , jumping from one to another and not finishing them.
11. The child is absent-minded and inattentive , cannot concentrate, and often makes mistakes because of this.

Parents of hyperactive children face difficulties from an early age. The child does not obey his parents, it is necessary to control him all the time, constantly being nearby.

You can learn more about the signs of this syndrome by watching the video:

Sometimes defiant behavior can be caused by age-related changes, for example, often two-year-old children stop obeying their parents, and three-year-olds throw tantrums for any reason.

Diagnosis of hyperactivity

Such a diagnosis can only be made by a specialist after conducting a series of studies. In recent years, this neurological disorder has been identified as a separate pathology. The diagnosis is officially accepted in international medical practice.

Confirmation of the diagnosis indicates the presence of a chronic neurological disorder. Without the necessary treatment, it can last a lifetime. Without therapy, the disease develops in three directions:

• the child stops believing in himself and withdraws;
• he may experience serious mental disorders, he will begin to live in an imaginary world;
• cope with the pathology on their own, but with great difficulties.

Timely initiation of therapy will help correct the course of the pathology and make the prognosis favorable.

Causes

Experts consider the following situations to be the main reasons that can cause dysfunction of the child’s nervous system, and, consequently, hyperactivity syndrome:

• Heredity (genetic predisposition)
• Damage to brain cells in the prenatal period or during labor.

This may be fetal hypoxia, infections, birth injuries.

• Disorders caused by an unfavorable family environment, abnormal living conditions, improper educational process, illnesses and injuries after birth.

According to statistical data, male children are more likely to suffer from hyperactivity. For every five boys, only one girl is diagnosed with this condition.

Symptoms of hyperactivity

Doctors recommend conducting studies to confirm the diagnosis at the age of 5-12 years. The child has already gone through the first transitional periods and his character has been formed. But the first signs of this neurological disease appear much earlier. Parents are advised to pay attention to:

• the baby begins to hold his head up, crawl, walk, and sit earlier than his peers;
• sleeps less than normal and has difficulty falling asleep;
• They are highly sensitive to sharp sounds, bright light and other unexpected factors.

Children with ADHD often experience autonomic disturbances. There may be frequent stomach upsets and diarrhea. Allergic reactions often occur.

Among the neurological symptoms, the main one is impaired concentration. The baby has difficulty concentrating on one activity or subject. He avoids cyclical affairs. A child can become attentive only during one-on-one lessons with a teacher. Movements are chaotic. The baby's facial expressions are expressive. He speaks quickly, often slurring his words and jumping from one topic to another. The baby is impulsive and, when choosing a course of action, is guided only by his own desires. Indicative symptoms include frequent mood swings and a tendency to take risks.

All manifestations are associated with the vulnerability of the nervous system of a child with ADHD, which finds it difficult to process a large amount of information coming from the outside world.

Additional symptoms include:

• impaired communication with peers;
• the occurrence of problems in learning with a normal level of intelligence;
• delay in emotional development;
• low self-esteem that develops at an early age.

Hyperactivity also has its positive sides. Children are active, they are mobile and active. They perfectly “read” the mood of the interlocutor and for the sake of people

Classification of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

There are the following types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD):

1. Hyperdynamic syndrome without attention deficit.
2. Attention deficit disorder is present, but without hyperactivity (it usually occurs in female children - these are calm, absent-minded, quiet girls).
3. Combination of attention deficit disorder and hyperdynamism.

ADHD can be primary, occurring in utero, or secondary (acquired), acquired after birth as a result of injury or disease.

There is also a distinction between a simple form of the disease and a complicated one. In the complicated form of ADHD, other signs are added to the symptoms: nervous tics, stuttering, enuresis, headaches.

How does hyperactivity syndrome manifest?

The disease can first appear at any age, starting in infancy. It may be accompanied by:

• anxiety;
• restlessness;
• irritability, tearfulness;
• sleep disorders;
• decreased level of attention, constant distractibility;
• impulsiveness;
• stubbornness;
• delayed speech development.

For each age, separate standards have been developed, non-compliance with which makes one think about the occurrence of disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. For example, very quickly switching to other surrounding objects, voicing random thoughts and memories is called distractibility, which is one of the most striking signs of attention deficit.

Another term often heard when diagnosing ADHD is “impulsivity.” This means that when a child receives a task, he does not listen to the end of the recommendation or instruction and begins to complete it prematurely. As a result, he usually underestimates the complexity of the task or handles it incorrectly because he ignored the requirements. At the same time, impulsive children are not able to think about the consequences of their actions, so they often get injured, become victims of accidents of varying severity and find themselves in unpleasant situations.

Hyperactivity or not

As already mentioned, very often healthy children's activity and spontaneity are confused with such a disorder of the functioning of the nervous system as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Parents may suspect the presence of ADHD by the presence of the following signs:

• the child is much more active than his peers (sometimes parents say that he is “running on the ceiling”);
• increased excitability, which is manifested by the presence of unnecessary movements (the child constantly twirls, dangles his legs, swings on a chair, plays with his hands, etc.) or speech incontinence (the child talks without stopping);
• absent-mindedness - with ADHD, children constantly lose and forget personal belongings, do not listen to instructions received from adults, even short ones, and are distracted;
• rapid onset of fatigue when it is necessary to complete tasks that require perseverance and concentration on the process - parents of schoolchildren are sometimes forced to constantly sit next to the child while doing homework and control them;
• increased emotionality, manifested by absolute incontinence and splashing out any emotions on others;
• the inability to bring the work started to its logical conclusion - the child loses interest in the activity and quickly moves on to another type of activity;
• lack of self-control, manifested by constant interruption of other people, difficulties when it is necessary to wait for one’s turn or where, a tendency to quarrels and fights;
• lack of coordination, as a result of which the child can often be injured.

Signs of ADHD always appear before the age of 7, but they most often begin to attract attention in the late preschool and school periods of a child’s life.

In addition, with ADHD in children over 4 years of age, parents may lose control over their behavior. Such children often not only do not listen to adults, but are incapable of negotiating and seeking compromise and generally following established rules. But such “symptoms” can appear together or separately in healthy children during a difficult psychological period, experiencing a crisis of 3, 6-7 years, etc. Therefore, parents should sound the alarm only if the child has several of the above-described violations, moreover, for longer than six months, and they prevent him from adapting to society.

Hyperactivity is a permanent condition. Therefore, children with this syndrome behave the same everywhere: at home, in kindergarten, at school, on a walk.

Treatment

Treatment of ADHD requires a comprehensive approach. Some procedures, medications, and diets are used, but the main emphasis is on psychological correction and the right approach to raising a hyperactive child.

Only a doctor can prescribe medications! The medication is taken under the supervision of a specialist. In addition, it is possible to use procedures involving stimulation of the brain with weak pulses of electric current.

The child’s nutrition is also important. So, with an unbalanced diet, children’s metabolism is disrupted, which can provoke irritability and moodiness. A growing body requires protein, vitamins and minerals. The diet should contain foods with high levels of Omega 3 fats, which have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system. But it is better to reduce the amount of sweets and carbohydrates. It is better to give your child berries and fruits. You can leave a little dark chocolate in your diet.

Psychological correction of the child’s behavior is mandatory during treatment. The psychologist helps the child better understand his actions, and will also give advice to parents on building relationships with such a child and methods of raising and teaching him.

Most children “outgrow” this disease if they have no complications and receive timely treatment. In some cases, ADHD continues into adulthood, especially if timely and adequate assistance is not provided to the child.

Correction of hyperactivity

It is important for parents to monitor their baby’s development from the first days of life. Especially in the case of the presence of negative factors that accompanied the bearing of a child and its birth.

A careful attitude towards the baby in the family will help eliminate ADHD. The home should have a calm and favorable environment. Parents are not recommended to raise their voice to the child or be overly demanding of him.

It is important to form adequate self-esteem in a child from a very early age, praising small actions successfully performed and calmly paying attention to possible mistakes made. They are inevitable, but you should not put too much emphasis on them, causing the child to feel guilty. The support of elders in all endeavors is important for a child. He should have a calm daily routine with the obligatory presence of daily walks with active games, the formation of habits in the field of proper nutrition helps in controlling hyperactivity.

Such careful attitude is required for any child, but the implementation of such corrective rules is mandatory in families with a hyperactive child. It is important for parents to regularly consult a doctor for behavioral diagnosis. In case of acute conditions, the doctor prescribes a set of corrective medications. Only specialists can prescribe any medications. Independent therapy in choosing a course of treatment is prohibited.

Features of communication with such children

Raising a hyperactive child can be difficult. Even with strong love for their child, parents cannot always withstand all his tricks; they often break down and scream. And it happens that they stop raising him altogether, deciding “what he grows up, he grows up.”

It is not uncommon for parents to try to instill strict discipline in such a child, brutally suppressing all his antics and disobedience. The child is punished for the slightest offense. However, such upbringing only aggravates the child's behavior problems. He becomes more withdrawn, insecure, and disobedient.

You should not go too far in relation to children with ADHD, so as not to add new problems to existing disorders (stuttering, urinary incontinence, etc.). It is necessary to find a different approach to each child with ADHD, taking into account his neurological characteristics.

What is the difference between activity and hyperactivity?

A healthy preschool child is an active child. He loves to run, jump, play outdoor games, sing and dance, asks a lot of questions about everything in the world, throws toys around, and so on. How to distinguish a high level of activity from hyperactivity and overexcitability? An active child does not behave this way always and not everywhere. If the baby is interested in something (for example, a book or a game), he can calmly go about his business. In the presence of unfamiliar people or in a new environment, the child is usually not as restless as at home. Excessive activity can also be a consequence of stress, fatigue or boredom, as well as a desire to attract attention, so when the stimulus disappears, the level of activity soon returns to normal.

A hyperactive child, on the contrary, behaves equally actively in all situations: at home, in kindergarten, at a party, and even at a doctor’s appointment. Moreover, obsessive mobility does not have any purpose. Persuasion, requests, punishments and other educational measures do not work on a hyperactive child, since a hyperactive child simply cannot control his behavior.

Hyperactivity is often considered solely as a characteristic of a child’s behavior, but one must understand that external manifestations are a consequence of overexcitation of the baby’s nervous system. Only a doctor can diagnose ADHD.

What should parents, educators and teachers do?

A child with hyperdynamic syndrome requires a lot of parental attention. It is necessary to try to listen to him, help him complete tasks, develop his perseverance and interaction with the outside world. He needs praise and rewards, approval and support, more parental love. Before punishing a child, parents should take into account that he is quite normal in intelligence, but he has problems regulating his motor activity. Therefore, he does not deliberately do what he was forbidden, but simply cannot stop himself.

It is necessary to properly organize your daily routine. Come up with your own rituals. Walk outside more. It is advisable to enroll your child in a sports section. Swimming, gymnastics, running, horse riding, and sports dancing are good options. It is also necessary to set up a sports corner at home so that the child has a place to splash out his energy.

When sending your child to kindergarten, you need to choose a suitable one in advance, where there are groups with the opportunity to play, children actively move, complete tasks and answer as desired. Talk to the teacher about the baby's special needs.

If a child’s behavior causes a conflict in the kindergarten, then it is better to take him out of there. You can’t blame the baby that he’s to blame for this, say that this group just didn’t suit him.

Studying at school also has its difficulties. Discuss what a teacher should do so as not to traumatize a hyperactive child and help him adapt in the classroom. When doing homework, you should prepare in advance and avoid distractions. Classes should be short but effective so that the child does not lose attention. IN

It is important to do your homework regularly, at the same time. It is necessary to observe the child and determine the most appropriate time: after meals or after physical activity. When punishing a hyperactive child, you should not choose those that do not allow him to move: put him in a corner, sit him on a special chair.

In this situation, you will also find the following materials useful: why a child is nervous and aggressive, how to punish bad behavior. And please note that the reasons for “disobedience” at different ages can be different - at 2, 3, and 4 years old, significant changes occur in the child’s development and he may become more capricious.

Diagnosis of ADHD

No matter what kindergarten teachers, teachers, other parents or acquaintances say, only a doctor can accurately assess the child’s condition, and only a neurologist or child psychologist can diagnose hyperactivity syndrome with or without attention impairment. Teachers or other people communicating with the child can only draw the parents’ attention to certain personality traits of the child, the existing difficulties when working with him, and suggest the need to obtain specialist advice.

When diagnosing ADHD, the doctor must exclude other pathologies of the nervous system and developmental disorders. Therefore, consultations with both specialists – a neurologist and a psychologist – are often required. This will allow you to accurately differentiate ADHD from:

• consequences of psychological trauma, anxiety disorders;
• autism spectrum disorders (may be combined with hyperactivity);
• certain types of schizophrenia, epilepsy;
• endocrine pathologies.

Therefore, the diagnosis cannot be made at the first consultation with a doctor. To do this, in addition to a detailed conversation with the child and his parents, it is necessary to observe his behavior, as well as conduct neuropsychological testing. To exclude other pathologies, the following are prescribed:

• general and biochemical blood test;
• EEG;
• MRI of the brain;
• ECG and other studies.

Positive qualities of hyperactive children

Despite all the unpleasant behavioral characteristics of children with hyperdynamic syndrome, they also have many positive qualities, the development of which parents should pay special attention to.

• A hyperactive child has creative, creative thinking.

He can come up with a lot of interesting ideas, and if you have enough patience, he can be creative. Such a child is easily distracted, but has a unique view of the world around him.

• Hyperactive children are usually enthusiastic. They are never boring.

They are interested in many things and are, as a rule, bright personalities.

• Such children are energetic and active, but often unpredictable.

If they have a motive, then they do everything faster than ordinary children.

• A child with ADHD is very flexible, resourceful, and can find a way out where others would not notice, and solve a problem in an unusual way.

The intelligence of children with ADHD is not impaired in any way. Very often they have high artistic and intellectual abilities.

Specific ways to communicate and interact with such children are given in the following video:

Games with hyperactive children

1. Games for developing attention

• "Catch - don't catch." The most famous game in this category is “Edible - Inedible”. The presenter throws the ball to the child and says the word. If this word means an edible object, the baby must catch the ball, and if it is inedible, then return it. By analogy with this, you can come up with many different games that will be interesting specifically for your child (for example, “Transport is not transport”, “Living - inanimate”, “Dangerous - not dangerous” and so on).
• "Pathfinders". Choose a small toy and hide it in the room, but so that it can be seen. To find the right item, the baby needs to be attentive and not be distracted by other things.
• “Ears on the Top of the Head” is a game aimed at developing auditory attention. Its essence is to hear which of the named words have a certain sound. For example, agree that you will say words, and the child should clap his hands every time he hears the sound “r”.

1. Games to develop self-control

• “Freeze.” Turn on dynamic, fun music and invite your baby to dance. As soon as you press pause, the child should freeze in place.
• "Wait for the signal." This is a word conversation game. Its essence lies in the fact that the adult asks the baby various questions, and the child can begin to answer them only after a certain signal (for example, when you touch your ear with your hand or fold your arms over your chest).
• “I’m silent - I whisper - I scream.” The child’s task in this game is to perform all actions, focusing on the sign that the adult shows him. Agree with the baby on the conventions: for example, a sleep gesture - the baby should be silent and not move, a finger at the lips - speak quietly and move slowly, hands up - you can scream, run and jump.

1. Games to relieve emotional and muscle tension

• “We draw with our fingers.” Ask your child to take a relaxed position and close their eyes. On his back or palm you can “draw” various figures, numbers, letters and other schematic images with your finger. The child must guess what you drew.
• "The wind is a breeze." Together with your baby, draw a strong wind and a weak breeze with your hands. This can be done to classical music, depending on its tempo.
• "Soap bubble". In this game, the adult pretends to be blowing a soap bubble, and the child “flies” around the room like a bubble. After the command “burst”, the baby must lie on the floor.

Advice from psychologists

Psychologists note that if a child has signs of hyperactivity, then they should begin to eliminate them, the sooner the better. This approach helps to avoid difficulties arising from the child’s behavioral disorders, stress and disappointment on the part of his parents and surrounding people, and even the baby himself. Therefore, when a diagnosis of ADHD is established, you should not neglect the help of a specialist doctor and psychologist, so as not to waste time.

Psychologists note that a properly organized daily routine and a favorable family environment helps a child in the treatment of ADHD. In addition, the psychologist’s advice is as follows:

1. Provide your child with a calm, stable, non-stimulating environment. This will help reduce the accumulation and release of strong emotions.
2. He must develop the necessary reflexes that will help him strictly adhere to the daily routine. For example, go to bed after mom reads a fairy tale or sings a song.
3. To relieve excess physical activity, it is necessary to organize classes for the child in sports sections.
4. Do not force a hyperactive child to do tedious work for a long time or sit in one place. Periodically allow active activities to release excess energy.

Eliminating problems associated with hyperactivity in children is a completely feasible task. The main thing is to give the child the opportunity to throw out excess energy, to interest him in the learning process, to develop creative abilities, and most importantly to take into account the child’s characteristics when assessing his actions.

Causes of hyperactivity

Among the causes of the violation:

• unfavorable course of the mother's pregnancy, including smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy;
• neurological disorders during intrauterine development, for example, fetal hypoxia, asphyxia at the time of birth, premature birth;
• the influence of the family atmosphere on the development of the child in the first months of life, frequent scandals of parents, malnutrition and other unfavorable factors.

The likelihood of hyperexcitability increases as the number of these factors that appear together increases.

Cartoons for the prevention of hyperactivity.

The following cartoons will help your child understand more about his condition; by discussing the plot and characters with your child, you can help him fight this problem.

Here's a list of cartoons:

• "Fidget, Myakish and Netak"
• “Masha is no longer lazy”
• “He’s so absent-minded”
• "Wings, Legs, and Tails"
• "Petya Pyatochkin"
• "Monkeys"
• "Naughty Bear"
• "I don't want to"
• "Octopuses"
• "Naughty Kitten"
• "Fidget"

Hyperactivity in schoolchildren

During school years, ADHD causes problems with mastering the educational program. A low level of ability to maintain attention during lessons and a lack of willingness to concentrate while doing homework causes a significant decline in academic performance. Lack of control on the part of doctors leads to increased anxiety.

Schoolchildren suffering from hyperactivity fall into the category of unsuccessful students, despite the ideal state of intellectual abilities. The child becomes nervous and hot-tempered. His self-esteem decreases.

Causes of ADHD

The causes of ADHD have not yet been established. Everyone who deals with this problem recognizes the multifactorial nature of their occurrence.

There are 3 main groups of factors that influence the appearance of hyperactivity in children:

Biological factors

These are cerebral-organic factors, i.e., damage to the nervous system. Risk factors include:

• fetal hypoxia during pregnancy and childbirth;
• disturbances during pregnancy and childbirth;
• prematurity and postmaturity;
• intrauterine hypotrophy;
• pregnancy before 20 years and after 40;
• maternal use of alcohol, medications during pregnancy, smoking.

Genetic factors

The heredity of ADHD is confirmed in 50% of people with this syndrome.

Psychosocial factors

• Low social status of the family
• Alcoholism of parents
• Severe disagreements between parents

Environmental factors (they rather aggravate the condition, but are not decisive)

Ecology and nutritional balance also affect the general health of children and the development of their nervous system.

Children at risk for ADHD are those who:

• lack of protein in the diet;
• excess of easily digestible carbohydrates, especially in the morning;
• deficiency of vitamins and microelements (for example, according to studies, 70% of hyperactive children had a deficiency of magnesium).

How “Where are my children” helps with childhood hyperactivity

It makes sense to install the “Where are my kids” application in order to exercise parental control over a hyperactive child without intruding too much into his boundaries. With its help you can always:

• control your child’s movements and his route (this is especially true for schoolchildren);
• understand what is happening in the child’s environment now, if he does not answer phone calls by sending a loud sound signal - maybe he has found himself in a situation that is dangerous for himself or has contacted a bad company?
• turn on the sound around and find out how things are going at school, sections, how the child communicates with strangers, adapts and behaves in society. In addition, if you suspect that he has any problems that the child is silent about, recording the sound can be extremely useful;
• receive an SOS signal from a child in an emergency;
• send a voice or text message, or call your child at any time;
• track statistics on the use of mobile applications;
• understand whether the child comes to school, section or home on time; how much time he spends in one place or another (for example, does he run away from class) and where does he go most often?

If you know what's going on, you'll be more likely to help. Unobtrusive but vigilant control will provide indispensable assistance to parents of hyperactive children.

Hyperactive behavior in children. Correction methods

Hyperactive behavior in children. Correction methods

INTRODUCTION

Working in schools, psychologists encounter a variety of needs. Very often, the reason for turning to a psychologist is the child’s excessive physical activity, restlessness, impulsiveness, and inability to concentrate on doing one thing. All these signs characterize hyperactive behavior. Children with hyperactive behavior often cause criticism from teachers at school, because in class, not knowing how to wait their turn, they shout; without listening to the question, or give the first answer that comes to mind; are unable to concentrate on completing a task.

Often such children become the initiators of quarrels and fights, because they are not only very active, but also often awkward and even clumsy, so they often touch, push, or drop surrounding objects, and due to their impulsiveness, they cannot always resolve the situation constructively.

With their behavior, hyperactive, disinhibited children excite the class, making it difficult to carry out educational activities. According to various authors, hyperactive behavior occurs quite often: from 2 to 20% of students are characterized by excessive mobility and disinhibition. Among children with conduct disorder, doctors identify a special group of children suffering from minor functional disorders of the central nervous system. These children are not much different from healthy ones, except that they are more active. However, gradually deviations of individual mental functions increase, which leads to pathology, which is most often called “mild brain dysfunction.” There are other designations: “hyperkinetic syndrome”, “motor disinhibition” and so on. A disease characterized by these indicators is called “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD). And the most important thing is not that a hyperactive child creates problems for surrounding children and adults, but the possible consequences of this disease for the child himself. Two features of ADHD should be emphasized. Firstly, it manifests itself most clearly in children aged 6 to 12 years and, secondly, it occurs 7-9 times more often in boys than in girls.

Very often, children with hyperactive behavior have difficulties in mastering educational material, and many teachers tend to attribute this to insufficient intelligence. A psychological examination of children makes it possible to determine the level of intellectual development of the child, and in addition, possible disturbances in perception, visual-motor coordination, and attention. Typically, the results of psychological research prove that the level of intelligence of such children corresponds to the age norm.

In addition to mild brain dysfunction and minimal brain dysfunction, some researchers (I.P. Bryazgunov, E.V. Kasatikova, A.D. Kosheleva, L.S. Alekseeva) also call the causes of hyperactive behavior also features of temperament, as well as defects in family upbringing . Interest in this problem does not decrease, because if 8-10 years ago there were one or two such children in a class, now there are up to five or more. I.P. Bryazgunov notes that if at the end of the 50s there were about 30 publications on this topic, then in 1990 their number increased to 7,000.

Chapter 1. Hyperactive behavior in children

1.1 History of the study of childhood hyperactivity

What is hyperactivity?

“Hyper...” - (from the Greek Hyper - above, from above) - an integral part of complex

words indicating excess of the norm. The word “active” came into Russian from the Latin “activus” and means “effective, active.”

Hyperactive behavior in children is characterized by the following signs [4, p.32]:

• 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 he must remain seated.
• Shows aimless motor activity: runs, spins, tries to climb somewhere, and in situations where this is unacceptable.
• Usually cannot play quietly or quietly or do leisure activities.
• He is in constant motion and behaves “as if he had a motor attached to him.”
• Often talkative.
• Often answers questions without thinking, without listening to them completely.
• Usually has difficulty waiting his turn in various situations.
• Often interferes with others, pesters others (for example, interferes in conversations or games).

To identify hyperactive children, it is necessary to draw up a portrait

hyperactive child.

Probably in every class there are children who find it difficult for a long time

sit in one place, be silent, obey instructions. They create

additional difficulties in the work of educators and teachers, because they are very active, hot-tempered, irritable and irresponsible. Hyperactive children often touch and drop various objects, push peers, creating conflict situations. They are often offended, but quickly forget about their grievances. The famous American psychologist V. Oaklander characterizes these children as follows: “It is difficult for a hyperactive child to sit, he is fussy, moves a lot, spins around, is sometimes excessively talkative, and can be annoying in his manner of behavior. Often he has poor coordination or lack of muscle control. He is clumsy, drops or breaks things, and 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.

Probably, the teacher and psychologist are familiar with the portrait of such a child.

How to identify a hyperactive child?

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

Speaking about hyperactive children, most researchers

(Z. Trzhesoglava, V.M. Troshin, A.M. Radaev, Yu.S. Shevchenko, L.A. Yasyukova) mean children with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity.

The history of the study of this disease is a short, but fact-filled period of about 150 years. For the first time, the German psychoneurologist Heinrich Hoffman described an extremely active child who could not sit quietly in a chair for a second. He gave him the nickname Fidget Phil.

Despite the fact that the study of neurotic behavior disorders and

Many scientists have studied learning difficulties; for a long time there was no scientific definition of such conditions. There were periods of decline and increased attention to this problem. In 1947, pediatricians tried to provide a clear clinical rationale for so-called hyperactive children, who often had problems with learning. However, the question of the terminology of this condition remained unresolved.

Until now, there has been no consensus on the name of this disease. Sometimes authors put very different content into the same term.

There are few diseases that have so many

titles. Here are just a few: “mild brain dysfunction”,

“hyperkinetic chronic brain syndrome”, “mild brain damage”, “mild childhood encephalopathy”, “hyperkinesis”, “hyperactivity”, “hyperkinetic impulsive disorder”, “minimal brain dysfunction” and many others.

The transition to mass schooling forced us to carefully

consider this issue. Special categories of children were identified, poorly

coping with educational activities. Traditional forms of education and training turned out to be ineffective here, so such students began to be called exceptional (in a negative aspect), emphasizing the painful nature of their mind and character.

After many changes in the terminology of the disease, experts

finally settled on a name that was somewhat difficult to understand

reader, but more accurately reflecting its essence: “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).” It is under this name that this pathology was included in the American classification of diseases [3, p.11].

1.2 Age dynamics of hyperactive behavior

An analysis of age dynamics showed that the signs of the disorder are most pronounced in preschool and primary school age: the largest percentage of children with the syndrome is observed at 5-10 years of age, which differs from the age of 11-12 years. Thus, the peak manifestation of the syndrome occurs during the period of preparation for school and the beginning of education [3, p.29].

This is due to the dynamics of the development of higher nervous activity. 5.5-7 and 9-10 years are critical periods for the formation of brain systems responsible for mental activity, attention, and memory. By the age of 7, as D.A. writes. Farber [1991], a change in the stages of intellectual development occurs, conditions for the formation of abstract thinking and voluntary regulation of activity are formed.

At 6-7 years old, children with the syndrome are not ready to study at school due to

slowing down the rate of functional maturation of the cortex and subcortical structures. Systematic school stress can lead to disruption of the compensatory mechanisms of the central nervous system and the development of maladaptive school syndrome, aggravated by educational difficulties. Therefore, the question of readiness for school for hyperactive children should be decided on a case-by-case basis by a psychologist and the doctor observing the child.

A surge in hyperactivity at 12-15 years of age is in the risk group, and in the group with

syndrome at 14 years of age coincides with puberty. The hormonal “boom” is reflected in behavioral characteristics and attitude towards learning. A “difficult” teenager (namely, the majority of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder belong to this category) may decide to leave school [2, p. 313].

By the end of puberty, hyperactivity and emotional impulsivity practically disappear or are masked by other personality traits, self-control and behavior regulation increases, and attention deficit persists. Impaired attention is the main symptom of the disease, therefore it is it that determines the further dynamics and prognosis of the disease (attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome). The issue may also be addressed here:

leaving school [3, p.30]

By the end of puberty, hyperactivity and emotional impulsivity practically disappear or are masked by other personality traits, self-control and regulation of behavior increases, and attention deficit remains (O.V. Khaletskaya, V.M. Troshin). Impaired attention is the main symptom of the disease, therefore it determines the further dynamics and prognosis of the disease.

Among boys aged 7–12 years, signs of the syndrome are diagnosed 2–3 times more often than among girls. Among teenagers this ratio is 1:1, and among 20-25 year olds it is 1:2 with a predominance of girls [1, p.7].

The predominance of boys is not only a consequence of the subjective opinion of respondents answering the questionnaire. Although teachers most often see boys as troublemakers. The high frequency of symptoms of the disease in boys may be due to the influence of hereditary factors, as well as the higher vulnerability of the male fetus to pathogenetic influences during pregnancy and childbirth. In girls, the cerebral hemispheres are less specialized, so they have a greater reserve of compensatory functions compared to boys when the central nervous system is damaged [Kornev A.N., 1986].

1.3 Reasons for the formation and manifestation of hyperactive behavior

The authors of the psychological dictionary refer to external manifestations

hyperactivity, inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, increased motor activity [5, C.103]. More often, hyperactivity is accompanied by problems in relationships with others, learning difficulties, and low self-esteem. At the same time, the level of intellectual development in children does not depend on the degree of hyperactivity and can exceed the age norm.

The first manifestations of hyperactivity are observed before the age of 7 years and are more common in boys than in girls.

When talking about hyperactivity, we do not mean pronounced pathology or criminal behavior, but cases that fit well into the population distribution of normal traits and, therefore, into the idea of ​​wide variability in the forms of individual behavior and development. The majority of children of any age, designated by teachers as a “difficult” student, by parents as a “difficult” child, and by sociologists as a minor from a “risk group,” belong precisely to this category.

There are different opinions about the causes of hyperactivity:

• Heredity.

In 10-25% of hyperactive children, according to Z. Trzhesoglava (1986)

there is a hereditary predisposition to hyperactivity.

As a rule, hyperactive children had one of their parents

hyperactive, so one of the reasons is considered to be heredity. But no specific hyperactivity gene has yet been discovered. Hyperactivity is more common in boys (five boys to one girl).

• Mother's health.

Hyperactive children are often born to mothers suffering from

allergic diseases such as hay fever, asthma, eczema or migraines.

• Pregnancy and childbirth.

Problems associated with pregnancy (stress, allergies), complicated childbirth can also lead to hyperactivity in the child.

• Deficiency of fatty acids in the body.

Research has shown that many hyperactive children suffer from

lack of essential fatty acids in the body. Symptoms of this deficiency are a constant feeling of thirst, dry skin, dry hair, frequent urination, cases of allergic diseases in the family (asthma and eczema).

• Environment.

It can be assumed that the environmental distress that all countries are currently experiencing makes a certain contribution to the increase in the number of neuropsychiatric diseases, including ADHD.

For example, dioxins are super-toxic substances that arise when

production, processing and combustion of chlorinated hydrocarbons. They are often used in industry and households and can lead to carcinogenic and psychotropic effects, as well as severe congenital anomalies in children. Pollution of the environment with salts of heavy metals, such as molybdenum, cadmium, leads to a disorder of the central nervous system. Zinc and chromium compounds play the role of carcinogens.

Increased levels of lead, a powerful neurotoxin, in the environment may cause behavioral disorders in children. It is known that the lead content in the atmosphere is currently 2000 times higher than before the start of the industrial revolution [2, p.47].

• Nutrient deficiency.

Many hyperactive children lack zinc, magnesium and

vitamin B12 [4, p. 15].

• Nutrition.

All kinds of additives, food colors, preservatives, chocolate, sugar, dairy products, white bread, tomatoes, nitrates, oranges, eggs and other foods, when consumed in large quantities, are considered a possible cause of hyperactivity. "This hypothesis was popular in the mid-70s. Reports by Dr. BFFeingold [1975] that 35-50% of hyperactive children showed significant improvement in behavior after eliminating foods containing food additives from their diet aroused great interest. But these data were not confirmed by subsequent studies.” [3, p.46]

• Relationships within the family.

Research conducted by Bryazgunov I.P., Kasatikova E.V. showed that two thirds of children characterized as hyperactive are children from families of high social risk. These include families:

• with an unfavorable economic situation (one or both parents are unemployed, unsatisfactory material and living conditions, lack of permanent residence);
• with an unfavorable demographic situation (single-parent and large families, absence of both parents);
• families with a high level of psychological tension (constant quarrels and conflicts between parents, difficulties in the relationship between parents and children, harsh treatment of the child);
• families leading an antisocial lifestyle (parents suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, lead an immoral lifestyle, and commit crimes).

Diagnosis of hyperactive children

Hyperactivity manifests itself most clearly in children of senior preschool and primary school age. During this period, there is a transition to leading educational activities and, in connection with this, intellectual loads increase: children are required to be able to concentrate attention for a longer period of time, complete the work they have started, and achieve a certain result. It is in conditions of prolonged and systematic activity that hyperactivity manifests itself very convincingly. Parents suddenly discover numerous negative consequences of restlessness, disorganization, and excessive mobility of their child and, concerned about this, seek contact with a psychologist. Psychologists identify the following signs

, which are
diagnostic symptoms of
hyperactive children.

• Restless movements in the hands and feet. Sitting on a chair, he writhes and squirms.
• He cannot sit still quietly when this is required of him.
• Easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
• Has difficulty waiting his turn during games and in various situations in a group (in classes, during excursions and holidays).
• He often answers questions without thinking, without listening to them completely.
• When completing the proposed tasks, he experiences difficulties (not related to negative behavior or lack of understanding).
• Has difficulty maintaining attention when completing tasks or playing games.
• Frequently moves from one unfinished action to another.
• Cannot play quietly or calmly.
• Talkative.
• Often interferes with others, pesters others (for example, interferes with the games of other children).
• Often it seems that the child does not listen to speech addressed to him.
• Often loses things needed in kindergarten, school, at home, on the street.
• Sometimes he commits dangerous actions without thinking about the consequences, but does not specifically seek adventure or thrills (for example, he runs out into the street without looking around).

All these signs can be grouped into the following areas

:

• excessive physical activity;

• impulsiveness;
• distractibility - inattention.

The diagnosis is considered valid if at least eight of all symptoms are present. Thus, having fairly good intellectual abilities, hyperactive children are characterized by insufficient speech development and fine motor skills, decreased interest in acquiring intellectual skills, drawing, and have some other deviations from the average age characteristics, which leads to their lack of interest in systematic activities that require attention, and therefore, future or present educational activities. In everyday behavior they are characterized by inconsistency, impulsiveness, and unpredictability. All this makes them undesirable members of the children's team, complicates interaction with peers, and at home with brothers, sisters, and parents. (6, p.74)

Chapter 2. Correction of the behavior of hyperactive children

2.1. Correction in the family

To enrich and diversify the emotional experience of a hyperactive child, to help him master the basic actions of self-control and thereby somewhat smooth out the manifestations of increased motor activity means to change his relationship with a close adult, and above all with his mother. This will be facilitated by any action, any situation, or event aimed at deepening contacts and their emotional enrichment.

The task of psychologists and teachers is to change the attitude of close relatives and, above all, the mother towards the child, in order to better understand him and relieve unnecessary tensions that are forming around him.

The mother needs to be explained that improvement in the child’s condition depends not only on the special treatment prescribed, even if it is necessary (directed - compensatory neuropsychological or medicinal, replacing the defect in the development of mental functions at the expense of other areas of the brain), but to a large extent on a kind, calm and consistent relationship to him.

When raising a hyperactive child, the mother (and other loved ones) must avoid two extremes: on the one hand, manifestations of excessive pity and permissiveness; on the other hand, setting excessive demands that he is unable to fulfill, combined with excessive punctuality, cruelty and sanctions (punishments).

Frequent changes in instructions and fluctuations in parents' moods have a much more profound negative impact on these children than on others. In conversations with parents, it is important to emphasize that concomitant behavioral disorders can be corrected, but the process of improving the child’s condition usually takes a long time and does not occur immediately.

Of course, pointing out the importance of an emotionally rich interaction between a child and a close adult and considering the family atmosphere as a condition for consolidation, and in some cases even the emergence of hyperactivity as a way of behavior in a child, we do not deny that illness and injury can also make a negative contribution to the formation of hyperactivity or their consequences.

Recently, some scientists have associated hyperactive behavior with the presence in children of so-called minimal brain dysfunctions, that is, congenital uneven development of individual brain functions. Others explain the phenomenon of hyperactivity as the consequences of early organic brain damage caused by pregnancy pathology, complications during childbirth, alcohol consumption, parental smoking, etc.

However, at present, manifestations of hyperactivity in children are significantly common and are not always, as physiologists note, associated with pathology. Often, some features of the nervous system of children, due to unsatisfactory upbringing and living conditions, are only a background that facilitates the formation of hyperactivity as a way of children responding to unfavorable conditions (which we showed with the examples above).

2.2. The role of teachers in correcting child behavior

In organizing assistance for hyperactive children and their parents, the participation of educators – educators, teachers – is also necessary. And here the role of a psychological center or school psychologist is invaluable. Following a number of his recommendations allows you to normalize the relationship between the teacher and the “difficult” child and his parents, and helps the child achieve better results in classes and studies. First of all, the psychologist provides the teacher or educator with detailed information about the nature of hyperactivity, the nature of the behavior of children with hyperactivity in kindergarten or school. Emphasizes that work with such children should be built on an individual basis, and special attention should be paid to their distractibility, poor self-regulation and self-organization. It is advisable, if possible, to ignore challenging behavior and reward the child’s good behavior. During classes or lessons, it is important to limit distractions to a minimum. This, in particular, can be facilitated by the optimal choice of place for a hyperactive student in a group or in a classroom at a desk - in the center of the room opposite the teacher’s desk or chalkboard. In cases of difficulty, the child should be given the opportunity to quickly seek help from the teacher. His classes must be built according to a clearly planned, stereotypical routine, using a special calendar or diary for this. The tasks offered in class should be explained to the child separately or, if at school, written on the board, in no case accompanied by an ironic explanation that this is being done specifically for “our special boy” (girl, child’s name). The child is given only one task for a certain period of time. If there is a large task to be completed, it is presented in the form of successive parts, and the teacher periodically monitors the progress of work on each part, making the necessary adjustments. During the school day, opportunities are provided for motor “release”: physical labor, sports exercises. (6, p. 33) 2.3. Role of the family

It is typical what and how hyperactive children convey in their family drawings. Understanding what a family is, having listed all its members, including themselves, they first of all draw objects, houses, trees, clouds, grass, only gradually moving on to people. And having depicted family members: dad, mom, aunt, grandmother, very often they “forget” to find a place for themselves in this circle of people. To the psychologist’s question: “Why aren’t you in the picture?” - the child usually answers: “And I’m in the kitchen,” “And I’m in kindergarten,” “And I’m on the street.” That is, through the drawing of the family, the absence of warm, close contact of the child with close adults, feelings of others and oneself among these others are conveyed; distance and separation from them, and above all from the mother, is manifested. And indeed, having heard the psychologist’s offer to sit next to the child, some mothers are surprised: “How is it so close? We never sit like that!” In other words, they are always “above” the child, “opposite” - in the position of a judge and controller. But being close together, together, so that both of you are warm and comfortable, is difficult and unusual. So, the role of the family, and above all the emotional connection of the child with the mother, in consolidating, and sometimes even in the emergence of hyperactivity as a certain way of interaction of the child with the world, is extremely high. It is the child’s dissatisfaction with communication with close adults that is often the reason for this behavior, because for a preschooler an adult is the center of his emotional life: relationships, contacts with other people, attachments. So, mothers of hyperactive children very often cannot withstand the stormy temperament, sensitivity and emotionality of their children and resort to threats of “deprivation of love,” thus influencing the child’s fragile feelings, manipulating them and creating the basis for the emergence of anxiety, worry and fear. You can add some more features to the picture of the relationship between a hyperactive child and a close adult. In many families, hyperactive children are under the unremitting control of the mother, but that is why they do not develop a sense of independence and self-sufficiency well. Mothers, being controlling, give more instructions, but are less affectionate towards their children, giving them little encouragement and praise. The result of this is most often an immoderate tightening of the upbringing regime, sometimes pity, apathy from a feeling of hopelessness or, conversely, a feeling of guilt for improper upbringing. A situation is created when, in the process of upbringing, a child receives significantly more negative than positive influences. He is often punished, people begin to doubt his abilities, constantly point out his mistakes, and sometimes begin to consider him inferior. In some cases, children with hyperactivity can provoke parents to sharply aggressive reactions, especially if the parents themselves are unbalanced and inexperienced. That is, on the one hand, hyperactivity in children can be strongly expressed due to insufficient or inadequate upbringing, and on the other hand, a child with hyperactivity himself creates conditions that cause difficulties in relationships in the family, up to its collapse. Hyperactive children have a huge deficit of physical and emotional contact with their mother. Due to their increased activity, they seem to “leave” themselves, distance themselves from such contacts with their mother, but in fact they deeply need them. Due to the lack of these important contacts, disturbances in the emotional sphere most often arise: anxiety, uncertainty, excitability, negativism. And they, in turn, affect the child’s ability to control himself, restrain himself, be attentive, and switch to something else. 2.4

.
Recommendations for parents
What recommendations can be given to the parents of a hyperactive child and thereby help them in the process of raising him? First group

recommendations refer to the external side of the behavior of adults close to the child. Try to restrain your violent emotions as much as possible, especially if you are upset or dissatisfied with your child’s behavior. Emotionally support children in all attempts at constructive, positive behavior, no matter how small. Cultivate an interest in getting to know and understand your child more deeply. Avoid categorical words and expressions, harsh assessments, reproaches, threats that can create a tense environment and cause conflict in the family. Try to say “no”, “you can’t”, “stop” less often - it’s better to try to switch the baby’s attention, and if you succeed, do it lightly, with humor. Watch your speech, try to speak in a calm voice. Anger and indignation are difficult to control. When expressing dissatisfaction, do not manipulate the child’s feelings or humiliate him.

Second group

recommendations concern the organization of the environment and environment in the family. If possible, try to allocate a room or part of it for the child for activities, games, privacy (that is, his own “territory”). When designing, it is advisable to avoid bright colors and complex compositions. There should be no distracting objects on the table or in the child’s immediate environment. A hyperactive child himself is not able to make sure that nothing outside distracts him. The organization of the whole life should have a calming effect on the child. To do this, together with him, create a daily routine, following which, show both flexibility and perseverance. Determine the range of responsibilities for the child, and keep their performance under constant supervision and control, but not too strictly. Recognize and praise his efforts often, even if the results are less than perfect.

Third group

recommendations are aimed
at the active interaction of a child with a close adult, at developing the ability of both an adult and a child to feel each other, to get closer emotionally.
And here the most important activity for children – play – is absolutely irreplaceable, since it is close and understandable to the child. The use of emotional influences contained in voice intonations, facial expressions, gestures, the form of an adult’s response to his actions and the actions of a child will give both participants great pleasure. (5, p.7-8)

CONCLUSION

The problem of hyperactivity in children has been of interest to researchers for a long time, but it has not lost its relevance; on the contrary, at present this problem is becoming more and more significant, because According to research, the number of hyperactive children is growing. When researching the causes of hyperactivity, different versions are cited, but all researchers agree that each child has his own causes of hyperactivity. Therefore, before developing a correction program, it is necessary to diagnose the manifestations and causes of hyperactive behavior.

Analyzing the literary sources, we can say that researchers pay a lot of attention to the problems of correcting hyperactivity. They offer various methods and techniques depending on the cause, degree and stage of hyperactivity.

In the selection of exercises and games, all factors identified during diagnosis are taken into account. A psychologist, a teacher and the hyperactive child and his parents should immediately participate in correctional work on the problem of hyperactivity, because only comprehensive treatment can save the child and his family from this illness.

LITERATURE

1. Breslav G.M. Levels of activity in schoolchildren’s learning and stages of personality formation //Formation of activity of pupils and students in a team. - Riga, 1989.
2. Bryazgunov I.P., Kasatikova E.V. Attention deficit with hyperactivity in children. Honey. Practice. – M.: PER SE, 2002.
3. 4. Bryazgunov I.P., Kasatikova E.V. A restless child, or everything about hyperactive children. - M.: Publishing House of the Institute of Psychotherapy, 2001.
4. Burmenskaya G.A., Karabanova O.A., Leaders A.G. Age-related psychological counseling: Problems of psychological development of children. - M.: Moscow State University Publishing House, 1990.
5. Monina G., Lyutova E. Working with a “special” child // First of September. - 2000. - No. 10.
6. Workbook of a school psychologist / Ed. I.V. Dubrovina. - M.: Education, 1991

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Scale of the problem

How many children like this are there in the world?

According to epidemiological studies in different countries, the incidence of this disorder ranges from 1-3% to 24-28%.

By age, this is approximately 5% among children under 18 years of age, 6% among school-age children, 3% among adolescents.

According to statistics, the leaders in the number of children with ADHD are the USA (4 - 20%) and Russia (7 - 16%). Then come China (1 – 13%) and Italy (3 – 10%).

*Data from “Hyperkinetic disorders” (ADHD) Koren E.V., Kupriyatnova T.A – Federal Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology named after V.P. Serbian Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow, 2015.

The dispersion in statistics is due to the fact that different countries have different criteria and diagnostic methods.

Features of treatment

There is no magic pill for attention deficit disorder. For children and school-age children, treatment for hyperactivity is always prescribed in a complex manner.

With the right choice of medication, treatment results are achieved in 95% of cases. But you will have to undergo treatment for more than one year; drug adjustments will probably be necessary at an older age.

Drug therapy involves the use of sedatives, drugs that stimulate psychological development, and also improve metabolism in the brain. For this, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, nootropics and psychostimulants are most often prescribed. In certain situations, antipsychotics and antidepressants are prescribed.

But you should not attach primary importance to drug treatment, since it only relieves symptoms and does not get rid of the cause. Also, it cannot replace the most important thing - love for the child. It is she who can cure him and subsequently give him a full life.

The most relevant recommendations for correction:

1. It is not advisable for children with hyperactivity to engage in sports where competitions are held. Aerobic exercise, cycling, swimming, and skiing are acceptable.
2. Communication with a psychologist. A professional will select a system to reduce anxiety and increase sociability of a young patient. Conversations will help improve self-esteem, develop speech, memory and attention. If there are serious speech disorders, classes will be held with the participation of a speech therapist.
3. A visit to a psychotherapist with the whole family will help cope with the condition much faster.
4. Correcting the actions of all family members, getting rid of unhealthy habits of parents, normalizing the daily routine. It is also necessary to identify possible irritating factors and reduce them as much as possible or completely eliminate them. It should be understood that a tense relationship between father and mother has a detrimental effect on the development of their children.
5. Drug treatment. Doctors most often prescribe nootropic drugs and sedatives with herbal composition. However, you should treat your baby with pills only if other methods have proven ineffective. Nootropics are used to improve blood circulation in the brain and normalize metabolic processes. Taking these medications will help improve memory and attention. The course of treatment can last for a long time, since the medications have an effect no earlier than after 4-6 months.

If necessary, you can ask your doctor to recommend soothing herbs that you can drink in pure form or add to tea.

Most adults note an improvement in their children's well-being while following a gluten-free diet. Some people also benefit from eliminating starch and sucrose from their daily menu. For children with high activity, all foods that are required for brain tissue are useful: lots of legumes, nuts, protein, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, fatty fish.

You need to exclude snacks and sweets with dyes, flavor enhancers, and preservatives. Experts recommend that parents select foods to which their children do not have a personal intolerance. Why should you rotate foods and make a food diary? You should take turns removing one product from the daily menu and monitoring the child’s condition.

Content

• ADD and hyperactivity: what is it Types of hyperactivity

Scale of the problem

Causes of ADHD

Biological factors

Genetic factors

Psychosocial factors

Environmental factors

Diagnosis of ADHD

Symptoms

Hyperactivity

Attention deficit

Impulsiveness

How to distinguish hyperactivity from activity: signs

ADHD or not?

Hyperactive child: what to do

Tips for parents of hyperactive children

How “Where are my children” helps with childhood hyperactivity

Psychologist's recommendation

Advice for parents of a hyperactive child

Self-care

Take care of your own resources and ways to recuperate. A hyperactive child requires a lot of attention and patience. Parents of hyperactive children often experience increased anxiety, irritability and a tendency to self-blame.

When you're exhausted, ADHD can be difficult to cope with, so it's important to develop a series of activities and activities to help you recover. Meet with friends, undergo psychotherapy, take care of proper sleep and rest.

Specialist support

Get advice from specialists working with ADHD: a doctor, psychologist, speech pathologist, speech therapist (if necessary). Agree on remedial classes for your child.

It is almost impossible to cope with ADHD without the help of specialists.

Host environment

Explain to close relatives and teachers who work with your child about his or her characteristics. Ask them to help with correction and explain how to better communicate with the child and how you can help him.

Microclimate in the family

Conflicts between adults and family dysfunction usually increase symptoms and aggravate the condition of a child with ADHD.

The number of divorces in families with an ADHD child is 2 times higher than the statistical one. Therefore, it is important for parents to support each other in their efforts to overcome the child’s difficulties, rather than quarrel over parenting methods.

Environmental friendliness in education

Avoid yelling and physical punishment when raising a hyperactive child (however, this applies to all children).

It is important to understand that a child does not listen and is distracted not because he does not want to do the right thing, but because he cannot.

By making excessive demands on your child, you risk causing him to have a nervous breakdown, causing emotional difficulties and other illnesses. Screaming, punishment and aggression will definitely not improve the situation, but they may well worsen the condition.

Praise your child often for his efforts, especially when the activity requires concentration.

"Hugs"

Physical contact is very important for such children. Hug your child, hold him close to you in difficult situations when he cannot cope with emotions or excitement.

Maintaining a daily routine

The clearer your daily routine, the easier it is to manage your ADHD symptoms.

Nutritious food

Limit sweets in your child’s diet, make sure there is enough protein (meat, fish) and microelements in the food.

Organization of space

Help your child structure and conveniently organize the space in which he lives.

Hyperactive children find it difficult to put everything away and put things in order on their own. It makes sense to buy a lot of multi-colored containers, label them (for preschoolers you can stick the corresponding pictures), teach them to classify and put things in their places (otherwise, such children’s rooms are usually a mess).

Markings and stickers

Since hyperactive children are often distracted and forget things, make lists together (permanent and temporary), label things if possible, and leave reminder stickers.

Taking care of your health

Take care of maintaining the general health of the child, carry out preventive health measures.

The fact is that a sick child will be more disinhibited and inattentive. In some cases, even a change in season can cause an exacerbation of ADHD symptoms.

If you observe an exacerbation of ADHD symptoms, it makes sense to consult a doctor and, in difficult conditions, agree to treatment on an outpatient basis, in a day hospital or in a hospital in order to select drug therapy.

Sport

Choose a sports section for your child. Competitive sports are usually contraindicated for children with ADHD, and sports that require team play are also difficult for them (due to impulsiveness and communication problems).

Swimming, skiing, tennis, wushu, horse riding, and rhythmics are perfect.

Train your attention

Play games with your child that promote the development and training of attention. Such games and exercises can be found on the Internet or buy a book.

Development of communication skills

Try to develop your child's communication skills. Discuss failures in communication, explain the rules in communications. You can read corrective fairy tales and stories with preschoolers.

Caring for the psyche

Protect your child with ADHD from overwork, large crowds of people, and public events. All this leads to an increase in hyperactivity.

Relax

Teach your child to relax and relieve tension. These can be specially selected games and exercises or art therapy methods.

Children with ADHD are encouraged to work with paints, clay, and be creative.

Use useful apps

For example, the “Where are my children” service.

Why is this a problem

Adults usually do not pay attention to the child’s behavior, believing that he will “outgrow” with age. And they turn to a doctor only when the problem simply cannot be ignored.

In kindergarten, the problem is just beginning to develop. But when the child goes to school, the signs begin to be expressed more clearly. The educational process requires organization of classes, that is, this is exactly what the baby is not prepared for. Poor concentration, active mobility and inappropriate behavior in class make a full-fledged educational process impossible.

Children with increased activity constantly need the supervision of a teacher, since it is very difficult to focus the child’s attention on the educational process, he is constantly engaged in extraneous matters, is distracted, and lacks attention. The teacher's patience and experience are often not enough to correct destructive behavior. A reverse reaction begins to form—aggression.

The development of such children lags behind their classmates. Teachers cannot adapt to the developing pathology, this leads to conflicts. A hyperactive child at school is often subject to bullying by peers, and he develops problems with communication. They don’t want to be friends with him; this causes resentment, attacks of assault, and aggression.

The tendency to lead due to the impossibility of being one begins to give rise to the development of low self-esteem. After a certain time, isolation develops. Psychological problems appear more pronounced.

Many parents are frightened by this diagnosis. They may believe that their child is developmentally delayed. This is a wrong opinion, because in fact a hyperactive baby:

1. Creative. He has many interesting ideas, and his imagination is very rich. If mom and dad help the child, in the future he will be able to become a wonderful specialist with a creative approach to business or a representative of a creative profession with multifaceted interests.
2. He has a flexible mind, is distinguished by enthusiasm and the ability to find solutions to complex problems. He is versatile, has many interests, and strives to be the center of attention.
3. Energetic and unpredictable. This property can be both beneficial and negative. The baby has a lot of strength for different activities, but it can be almost impossible to keep him in place.

There is an opinion that a hyperactive baby is always on the move and moves chaotically. This is not entirely true. If any activity absorbs all the attention of a preschooler, he may forget about everything else. It is important for parents to encourage hobbies by allowing them to choose what to do.

The symptoms of hyperactivity in a child and his intellectual abilities are in no way connected. Very often these guys are very talented. In addition to treatment, they need to be educated, kept within clear boundaries, trying to develop their natural abilities. They often dance, sing, and perform in public wonderfully.

Hyperactive child: what to do?

If a diagnosis of ADHD has been made, then parents need to:

1. Don't panic. With lifestyle adjustments and treatment, the baby’s condition can be significantly improved.
2. Involve relatives and the child’s immediate environment in the rehabilitation process.
3. Follow your doctor's recommendations. In evidence-based medicine, unfortunately, there is no single protocol for the treatment of ADHD. But symptoms can be alleviated with medication.
4. Work with specialists. Depending on the symptoms and age of the hyperactive child (2, 3, 4 years), psychologists and speech therapists-defectologists develop programs for correcting disorders.
5. Take specialized courses. For example, a course of neuropsychological correction. His program includes massages, stretching, and exercises to develop the speech apparatus and motor skills. All this is necessary to restructure the functions of the brain.

It is also important not to have too high demands on your offspring, especially if you have a hyperactive child, you should not humiliate and express constant dissatisfaction with his achievements, as this can cause ADHD or aggravate its symptoms.

Symptoms

Hyperactivity

Hyperactivity is a condition in which a child’s activity and excitability exceeds generally accepted norms and becomes not just a manifestation of temperament, but a problem for the child himself and those around him.

You need to understand that a child is overly active not because he was poorly raised, but because he has a weak nervous system and fatigue easily, so he cannot regulate his behavior on his own.

Attention deficit

Attention deficit is a core symptom of ADHD. Usually most problems at home, in the garden and at school are related to it.

Attention itself has many aspects: focusing, maintaining attention, switching attention, etc. For each age, there are certain norms for maintaining attention over time. In ADHD, these values ​​are not age-appropriate and are referred to as Distractibility.

Distractibility is a disorder of attention in which there is a rapid switching to new objects in the external environment or to internal processes: random associations, thoughts, memories, etc.

Impulsiveness

Impulsivity is a lack of control over one's behavior under certain environmental demands. As expressed in children with ADHD:

• when completing tasks, it is difficult for them to wait until the instructions are completed and they begin to do everything ahead of time, incorrectly assess the complexity, and do not delve into the requirements for the task;
• cannot foresee the consequences of their actions, as a result they often find themselves in unpleasant or dangerous situations;
• often expose themselves to unnecessary risks in order to impress or attract the attention of peers, for example. This results in increased trauma (they often fall, get hurt, break arms and legs), and accidents are common.

Impulsive children are often called careless, careless, frivolous.

Types of hyperactivity in ADD

How do hyperactive children behave? There is no clear answer. It depends on the type of disease. The most common types of hyperactivity in ADD:

· attention disorder, excessive mobility;

attention deficit, lack of hyperactivity;

· impulsiveness, bad behavior, inability to concentrate and perform important tasks;

· mixed type.

It is important that only a specialist can diagnose ADHD and determine the type and signs of the disorder in hyperactive children.