Characteristics of attention disorders in children with ADHD. Recommendations for parents raising a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Is this normal behavior or ADHD

Practical recommendations for parents children with child attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

In a home correction program for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the behavioral aspect should prevail:

1. Changing the behavior of an adult and his attitude towards the child:

– show sufficient firmness and consistency in education;

– remember that excessive talkativeness, movement and indiscipline are not intentional;

– control your child’s behavior without imposing strict rules on him;

– do not give your child categorical instructions, avoid the words “no” and “no”;

– build relationships with your child on mutual understanding and trust;

– avoid, on the one hand, excessive softness, and, on the other, excessive demands on the child;

– react to the child’s actions in an unexpected way (make a joke, repeat the child’s actions, take a photo of him, leave him alone in the room, etc.);

– repeat your request in the same words many times;

– do not insist that the child necessarily apologize for the offense;

– listen to what the child has to say;

– Use visual stimulation to reinforce verbal instructions.

2. Changing the psychological microclimate in the family:

– give your child enough attention;

– spend leisure time with the whole family;

– do not allow quarrels in the presence of a child.

3. Organization of the daily routine and place for classes:

– establish a solid daily routine for the child and all family members;

– show your child more often how best to complete a task without distractions;

– reduce the influence of distractions while the child is completing a task;

– protect hyperactive children from prolonged use of the computer and watching television;

– Avoid large crowds of people whenever possible;

– remember that overwork contributes to a decrease in self-control and an increase in hyperactivity;

– Organize support groups consisting of parents with children with similar problems.

4. Special behavioral program:

– come up with a flexible system of rewards for well-done tasks and punishments for bad behavior. You can use points or sign system, keep a self-control diary;

– do not resort to physical punishment! If there is a need to resort to punishment, then it is advisable to use a quiet sitting in a certain place after committing an act;

– Praise your child more often. The threshold of sensitivity to negative stimuli is very low, so hyperactive children do not perceive reprimands and punishments, but are sensitive to rewards;

– make a list of the child’s responsibilities and hang it on the wall, sign an agreement for certain types of work;

– develop anger and aggression management skills in children;

– do not try to prevent the consequences of a child’s forgetfulness;

– gradually expand responsibilities, having previously discussed them with the child;

– do not allow the task to be postponed until another time;

– do not give your child assignments that do not correspond to his level of development, age and abilities;

– help your child begin the task, as this is the most difficult stage;

– Do not give multiple instructions at the same time. The task given to a child with impaired attention should not have a complex structure and consist of several links;

– Explain to the hyperactive child about his problems and teach him to cope with them.

Remember that verbal means of persuasion, appeals, and conversations are rarely effective, since a hyperactive child is not yet ready for this form of work.

Remember that for a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the most effective means of persuasion “through the body” are:

– deprivation of pleasure, delicacy, privileges;

– ban on pleasant activities, telephone conversations;

– reception of “off time” (isolation, corner, penalty box, house arrest, early departure to bed);

– an ink dot on a child's wrist (“black mark”), which can be exchanged for a 10-minute sit in the “penalty bench”;

– holding, or simple holding in an “iron embrace”;

– extraordinary duty in the kitchen, etc.

Don't rush to get involved hyperactive child directives, prohibitions and reprimands. Yu.S. Shevchenko gives the following examples: - if the parents of a primary school student are worried that every morning their child wakes up reluctantly, dresses slowly and is in no hurry to go to kindergarten, then you should not give him endless verbal instructions, rush him and scold him. You can give him the opportunity to learn a “life lesson.” Having been really late for kindergarten, and having gained experience in explaining things to the teacher, the child will be more responsible about getting ready in the morning;

– If a child breaks a neighbor's glass with a soccer ball, then there is no need to rush to take responsibility for solving the problem. Let the child explain himself to the neighbor and offer to atone for his guilt, for example, by washing his car every day for a week. Next time, when choosing a place to play football, the child will know that only he himself is responsible for the decision he makes;

– If money has disappeared from a family, there is no useless demand for confession of theft. You should remove the money and not leave it as a provocation. And the family will be forced to deprive themselves of delicacies, entertainment and promised purchases; this will certainly have an educational effect;

– If a child has abandoned his thing and cannot find it, then you should not rush to his aid. Let him search. Next time he will be more responsible about his things.

Remember that following punishment, positive emotional reinforcement and signs of “acceptance” are necessary. In correcting a child’s behavior, the “positive model” technique plays an important role, which consists in constantly encouraging the child’s desired behavior and ignoring the undesirable. A necessary condition success is the parents' understanding of their child's problems.

Remember that it is impossible to make hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention disappear in a few months or even in a few years. Signs of hyperactivity disappear as people get older, but impulsivity and attention deficits may persist into adulthood.

Remember that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a pathology that requires timely diagnosis and comprehensive correction: psychological, medical, pedagogical. Successful rehabilitation is possible if it is carried out between the ages of 5 and 10 years.

He cannot remain motionless for a minute and does not complete a single task. During lessons, the snake wriggles at his desk, cannot concentrate, constantly quarrels with other children and is not averse to throwing a tantrum.

He is scolded, shamed, curbed and admonished. However, sometimes the child is not so to blame for what happens to him. An increased need for movement and the inability to sit in one place are associated with disruption of the functioning of certain brain structures that regulate movement and attention. There are malfunctions in the functioning of cells that provide inhibition - a process opposite to excitation nervous system.

What should parents do if their child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?

First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the environment that surrounds the child at home, at school, kindergarten. Parents should think about changing their own behavior and character. You need to deeply, with your soul, understand the misfortune that befell the little man. And only then can you really choose the right tone, without breaking into a scream or falling into uncontrollable lisp. Of course, we will name the rules of behavior with a child here, but following them formally, without inner conviction and attitude, is practically useless. And therefore, dear mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, teachers, start with yourself. Develop in yourself wisdom, kindness, patience, reasonable severity and, as the Holy Scripture says: “Let not your heart be troubled.”

What exactly should you do? First of all, remember that children with ADHD have a very high threshold of sensitivity to negative stimuli, and therefore the words “no”, “you can’t”, “don’t touch”, “I forbid” for them, in fact, empty sound They are not susceptible to reprimands and punishment, but they respond very well to praise and approval. Physical punishment should be abandoned altogether.

We recommend that from the very beginning you build your relationship with your child on the foundation of consent and mutual understanding. Of course, children should not be allowed to do whatever they want. Try to explain why it is harmful or dangerous. If it doesn’t work, try to distract it, switch your attention to another object. You need to speak calmly, without unnecessary emotions, best using jokes, humor, or some funny comparisons. In general, try to watch your speech. Screams, anger, and indignation are difficult to control. Even when expressing dissatisfaction, do not manipulate the child’s feelings or humiliate him. Try to restrain violent expressions 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.

Physical contact with the child is also very important. Hugging him in a difficult situation, holding him close, calming him down - in dynamics this gives a pronounced positive effect, but constant shouting and restrictions, on the contrary, widen the gap between parents and their children.

It is also necessary to monitor the general psychological microclimate in the family. Try to protect your child from possible conflicts between adults: even if some kind of quarrel is brewing, the child should not see it, much less be a participant. Parents should spend as much time as possible with the baby, play with him, go out of town together, and come up with common entertainment. Of course, a lot of imagination and patience will be required, but the benefits will be great, and not only for the child, but also for you, since the difficult world of a little person and his interests will become closer and clearer.

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. Hyperactive child He himself is not able to make sure that nothing outside distracts him.

Organizing your entire life should have a calming effect on your child. To do this, create a daily routine with him, following which you show both flexibility and perseverance. Day after day, eating, sleeping, doing homework, and playing should correspond to this schedule. Define a range of responsibilities for your child, and keep their performance under constant supervision and control, but not too harshly. Celebrate and praise his efforts more often, even if the results are far from perfect.

If you give your child some new task, it would be good to show how to complete it, or to support the story with a drawing. Visual stimuli are very important here. You should also not overload the baby’s attention, that is, assign only one task for a certain period of time so that he can complete it. For example: “From 8.30 to 9.00, Igor, you must make your bed.” Some psychologists advise using an alarm clock or kitchen timer for this purpose. First, discuss the task, and then connect the equipment. This, experts believe, will help reduce aggression.

For any type of activity that requires the child to concentrate (reading, playing with blocks, coloring, cleaning the house, etc.), encouragement must follow: a small gift, a kind word... In general, you should not skimp on praise. Which, however, is suitable for any child. Expect only good things from your children, rejoice in their successes. An example of encouragement would be the following: allow your child to watch TV half an hour longer than the allotted time (just don’t get carried away, this can only be a one-time indulgence), treat him to a special dessert, give him the opportunity to participate in games with adults (lotto, chess), allow him to go out one more time for a walk or buy that thing that he has long dreamed of.

If behavior is completely unsatisfactory, you should, of course, punish - lightly, but so that he remembers, and most importantly, immediately. This could be simply verbal disapproval, temporary isolation from other children, or deprivation of “privileges.”

A hyperactive child cannot tolerate large crowds of people. Therefore, it is useful for him to play with one partner, not to visit often, as well as to large stores, markets, cafes, etc. All this extremely excites the fragile nervous system.

But long walks in the fresh air, physical exercise, and running are very useful. They allow you to relieve excess energy. But again, in moderation so that the child does not get tired. In general, it is necessary to monitor and protect children with ADHD from overwork, since overfatigue leads to a decrease in self-control and an increase in hyperactivity. It is very difficult, but also very important, to teach the child to “cool down” and calmly look at happening around. To do this, you can use the following techniques. When in Once again Your hasty offspring will run past, try to stop him. Gently, without raising your voice, invite him to rest. Hug him by the shoulders, gently stroke him on the head, pay attention to the children and toys around him, ask him to tell him what dad or grandma is doing, where his favorite bear is or what’s on the table. Then you can hide some toy and after a while ask what disappeared and what remained.

Experts have also developed a system of a kind of “first aid” when working with a hyperactive child. Here are its main postulates.

Distract your child from his whims.
- Maintain a clear daily routine at home.
- Offer a choice (another currently possible activity).
- Ask an unexpected question.
- React in a way that is unexpected for the child (make a joke, repeat the child’s actions).
- Do not categorically prohibit the child’s actions.
- Don’t order, but ask (but don’t curry favor).
- Listen to what the child wants to say (otherwise he will not hear you).
- Automatically repeat your request many times in the same words (in a neutral tone).
- Take a photo of the child or bring him to the mirror at the moment when he is capricious.
- Leave him alone in the room (if it is safe for his health).
- Do not insist that the child apologize at all costs.
- Do not read notations (the child still does not hear them).

It’s good if parents record in a special diary all changes in the child’s behavior, how he copes with tasks, how he reacts to encouragement and punishment, what he likes to do most, how he studies, etc.

Since children with ADHD experience the greatest difficulties at school, in addition to home, school program psychological correction. It helps the child integrate into the team, study more successfully, and also gives teachers the opportunity to normalize relationships with a “difficult” student.

First of all, the teacher must have all the information about the nature and causes of ADHD, understand how children behave with this disease, know that they are often distracted and difficult to general organization etc., which means they require a special, individual approach. Such a child must be constantly under the control of the teacher, that is, sit in the center of the class, opposite the board. And in case of any difficulties, be able to immediately turn to the teacher for help.

Classes for him should be built according to a clearly planned schedule. In this case, a hyperactive student is recommended to use a diary or calendar. The teacher should write the tasks offered during the lessons on the board. Only one task is given for a certain period of time, and if there is a large task to complete, it is divided into parts, and the teacher periodically monitors the progress of work on each part and makes adjustments.

A hyperactive child is physically unable to listen carefully to a caregiver or teacher for a long time, sit quietly and restrain his impulses. At first it is advisable to train only one function. For example, if you want him to be attentive while performing a task, try not to notice that he fidgets and jumps up from his seat. Having received a reprimand, the child will behave “good” for some time, but will no longer be able to concentrate on the task. Another time, in a suitable situation, you can train the skill of perseverance and reward the child only for calm behavior, without requiring active attention from him at that moment.

If a child has a high need for physical activity, there is no point in suppressing it. It is better to give the child the opportunity to burn off energy, allow him to run, play in the yard or gym. Or another thing: during the learning process, especially at first, it is very difficult for a hyperactive child to simultaneously complete the task and monitor accuracy. Therefore, at the beginning of work, the teacher can reduce his demands for accuracy. This will create a sense of success in the child (and, as a result, increase learning motivation). Children need to enjoy completing a task and their self-esteem should increase.

The school programs in which our children study are becoming more complex from year to year. The load on children is growing, the intensity of classes is increasing. Sometimes, in a 45-minute lesson, students have to change their activity 8-10 times. For children without deviations, this has a positive meaning, since monotonous, monotonous work gets boring. But it is more difficult for hyperactive children to switch from one type of activity to another, even if the teacher or educator requires it. Therefore, an adult needs to negotiate with the child in advance, preparing him for a change in occupation. A teacher at school, a few minutes before the end of the time for completing any task, can warn: “Three minutes left.”
In general, the individual approach that these children so need is a rather complex matter and requires great effort, flexibility, and patience from teachers. It happens that teachers try what seems like a hundred options, but the child still remains “difficult.” This means we need to look for the one hundred and first option.

Teachers face many problems with the appearance of a hyperactive child in kindergarten. Here, as in school, much depends on the behavior of adults, the strategies and tactics developed by teachers.

The system of prohibitions must necessarily be accompanied by alternative proposals. For example, a child begins to tear wallpaper (a fairly common manifestation). Of course, you should stop him and give him some unnecessary piece of paper instead: “Try to tear this, and when you stop, collect all the scraps in a bag...”. Or he starts throwing toys, and the teacher responds: “In our group, you can’t throw toys. If you want to throw something, I’ll give you a foam ball.”

Many children with ADHD have difficulty with quiet time in kindergarten. But if you try to be close to them, not just close to them: “You sleep, and I’ll control you,” but sit down, stroke them, saying affectionate words, good words, then the child’s muscle restlessness and emotional tension will decrease. Gradually he will get used to resting at this time of day. And then he will get up rested, less impulsive, and sometimes even sleepy. Emotional and tactile contact will do their good work.

Medical nutrition

A lot depends on nutrition. In some cases, it can even cause the development of the syndrome, and in others it can aggravate the course of the disease. However, one cannot rely entirely on diet treatment, as scientists from the Institute for Nutrition at the University Clinical Hospital in Giessen write: “Diet helps many children to lead normal life, but not everyone. This is certainly due to the complex of reasons that could lead to the development of hyperkinetic syndrome." In particular, if the disease is caused by the use of salicylates and food additives, such as preservatives and dyes, then excluding them from the diet leads to a significant improvement in the child’s health. Especially The red artificial dye erythrosine and the orange color tartracine are considered dangerous. They are found in some types of juices, sauces, carbonated drinks. We believe that in any case they should be excluded from the diet of a child with ADHD, even if the cause of the disease has nothing to do with nutrition (for example , for birth injuries, etc.), as well as to exclude preservatives, flavorings, and foods rich in carbohydrates.

Particular attention to nutrition should be paid to those patients whose hyperactivity is a consequence of allergies. Here, of course, there should be no general recommendations, since different children may not tolerate different foods. But when it is possible to identify specific “pathogens” and exclude them from the diet, then things quickly improve. Intolerance to certain foods is determined in allergy centers using special techniques and tests. Even if a specific product cannot be determined, but at least a group is identified, for example, carbohydrates or animal proteins, then one can already hope for a good result. Of course, you shouldn’t suddenly exclude the entire group of these products, but you can reduce them gradually, changing, selecting, and looking for replacements for them.

In general, the diet of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder should consist mainly of vegetables and salads prepared with cold-pressed vegetable oils, cultured butter or margarine and consumed mainly raw. White wheat flour must be replaced with wholemeal flour with bran. Try to prepare delicious dishes from these products and distract children from chocolates, cola, and chips.

Vegetables - peas, carrots, soybeans, cauliflower, kohlrabi, red cabbage, white cabbage, broccoli, spinach, beans, long cucumbers;
- lettuce;
- fruits - apples, pears, bananas;
- side dish - potatoes, wholemeal noodles, unpolished rice;
- grains - wheat, rye, barley, millet, flaxseed;
- bread - wheat and rye bread, prepared without milk;
- fats - fermented milk butter, margarines that do not include yogurt, cold-pressed vegetable oil;
- meat - beef, veal, poultry, fish, lamb (1-2 times a week);
- drinks - unsweetened tea, still water with a sodium content of about 50 mg/kg;
- seasonings - iodized salt.

Life is in motion

It is well known, and not only to doctors, that physical exercise improves a person’s health, and often even relieves him of various diseases. Physical exercise improves the functioning of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, improves metabolism, strengthens muscles and tissues, increases oxygen metabolism, removes toxins, relieves muscle fatigue, and saturates a person with additional energy.

But what about children who have or are suspected (at an early age) of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? After all, they are already moving beyond all measure. Will the additional physical activity become a “heavy burden” for them? Research by domestic and foreign experts shows that it will not. Moreover, treatment for children with ADHD must include
physical rehabilitation. Systematic gymnastics classes help the child become calmer. He develops correct coordination of movements, behavioral reactions are restored, sleep is normalized, and the musculoskeletal system develops. In addition, gymnastics has a general strengthening effect on the entire body, which is also extremely important. Of course, not all physical education activities are beneficial for such children.

Firstly, they must be carried out under the supervision of a pediatrician, neurologist and exercise therapy doctor. This, of course, does not mean that you need to do gymnastics only in special halls, strictly according to the clock. Of course, at home or at the dacha with your mother it will be even more useful. After all, physical therapy exercises give the desired results only if they are carried out for a long time, regularly (it’s even good to divide them into separate cycles and do them several times during the day), with a gradual increase in load. But they must be shown to the mother by a physical therapy doctor, who must be constantly informed about the results. You need to discuss with your doctor which exercises are more useful and what the child likes, which ones are not, what to add, and what to exclude.

Secondly, it is necessary to keep in mind that hyperactive children should not participate in games where emotions are strongly expressed: competitions, team games (football, basketball), exhibition performances.

Thirdly, before starting classes, the child must undergo a medical examination to know whether the additional load will be harmful to other organs and systems.

Fourthly, it is worth remembering that this is still physical therapy and it has a specific focus. It’s a good idea to combine it with swimming or individual sports (if the child is interested in them).

Autogenic training

This independent method of psychotherapy has been popular for decades. And not by chance. Having no side effects, it allows you to restore some functions of the central and peripheral nervous system, stabilizes the reserve capabilities of the cerebral cortex, restores vascular patency, and relieves muscle and emotional tension. The latter is especially important for hyperactive children, who are often tense and internally withdrawn.

What is autogenic training? This is a method by which a person consciously controls the physical and mental functions of the body. Based on maximum muscle relaxation combined with self-hypnosis.

A person learns autogenic training techniques during sessions conducted by a psychotherapist. After this, you can use them yourself at any convenient time. If a child learns to relax correctly, he can do it at school, at home, anywhere he feels the need for it. This does not require any special conditions - just a few minutes of peace. By the way, the tricks
autogenic training very often gives excited children the opportunity to relax, concentrate on classes or fall asleep in the evening.

Please note that this useful method should in no case replace other forms of treatment. But combining them is quite realistic and useful.

There are several models of autogenic training. Let's give two: for children 4-9 years old, developed by Schultz, the founder of the method, and for children 8-12 years old, proposed by A.V. Alekseev.

Schultz's model (conducted on behalf of a psychotherapist)

Introduction

Today we are going to do some exercises called relaxation exercises. They will help you learn to relax when you feel stiff and will help you get rid of many unpleasant sensations in your body. These exercises are quite short and simple - you can do them quietly, for example in a classroom.

But there are some rules that you must follow for these exercises to be beneficial. First, you must do exactly what I say, even if it seems wrong to you. Secondly, you must do it very diligently, making every effort. Thirdly, you must listen to the sensations in your body. Throughout the exercises, pay attention to how your muscles feel, when they are tense and when they are relaxed. And finally, fourthly, you must practice. The more you repeat these exercises, the better you will learn to relax. Does anyone have any questions?

Are you ready to start? Fine. To begin, make yourself as comfortable as possible in your seat. Lean back in your chair, place your feet on the floor, and let both of your arms hang freely. Wonderful. Now close your eyes and don't open them until I ask you to. Remember that you must follow my instructions very precisely, apply all your strength, listen to your body. So, let's begin.

Hands

Imagine that there is a whole lemon in your left hand. Squeeze it as hard as possible. Try to squeeze out all the juice from it. Do you feel how tense your arm and hand are when you squeeze it? Now drop it. Pay attention to how you feel when your hand is relaxed. Now take another lemon and squeeze it. Try to squeeze it even harder than the first. Wonderful. You are doing your best. Now drop that lemon and relax. Isn't it true how much better your arm and hand feel when they are relaxed? Again, take the lemon with your left hand and try to squeeze out every drop of juice. Don't leave a single drop. Squeeze harder and harder. Wonderful. Now relax and let the lemon fall out of your hand. (Repeat the entire process for the right hand.)

Arms and shoulders

Imagine that you are lazy fluffy cats and kitties. Imagine that you want to stretch. Extend your arms forward. Raise them high above your head. Now lean back. Feel your shoulders tense. Stretch as hard as possible. Now drop your arms to your sides. Well done, kittens, let's stretch ourselves some more. Stretch your arms in front of you, raise them up, above your head, throw them back as far as possible. Stretch harder. Now quickly drop your hands. Fine. Notice how much more relaxed your arms and shoulders feel. Now let's stretch like real cats. Let's try to reach the ceiling. Extend your arms straight out in front of you. Pull them as high as possible, lifting them above your head. Now throw them back, pull them back. Do you feel your arms and shoulders tense? Stretch, stretch. Tension in the muscles increases. Wonderful! Now quickly lower your hands and let them fall on their own. Isn't it so good to feel relaxed? You feel good, cozy, warm and lazy, like kittens.

Shoulders and neck

Now imagine that you are little turtles. You sit on a pebble, on the shore of a nice, peaceful pond and bask, relax, in the sun. You are so pleased, so warm, so calm. But what is it? You sensed danger. Turtles quickly hide their heads under their shells. Try to raise your shoulders up to your ears and pull your head into your shoulders. Pull harder. It's not so easy to be a turtle and pull your head under your shell. But finally the danger was over. You can pull your head out, relax again and bliss out in the warm sun. But beware, even greater danger is approaching. Hurry up, quickly hide in your house, pull your head in harder. Try to pull it in as much as possible, otherwise they might eat you... But now the danger has passed, and you can relax again. Stretch your neck, lower your shoulders, relax. Feel how much better this wonderful feeling of relaxation is than when you are all clenched. But again there is danger. Retract your head, lift your shoulders straight towards your ears and hold them tightly. Not a single millimeter of your head should appear from under the shell. Pull the head in harder. Feel how tense your shoulders and neck are. Fine. The danger has passed again, and you can stick your head out again. Relax, you are now completely safe. No one else will appear, there is nothing to worry about and there is no one to fear now. You feel good and calm.

Jaws

Now imagine that you are trying to chew a very sticky piece of gum. It is very difficult for you to chew it, your jaws move with difficulty, but you try to bite through it. Press harder. You try so hard to squeeze it with your teeth that even your neck tenses. Now stop, relax. Feel how freely your lower jaw hangs, how pleasant it is to relax. But let's get back to this chewing gum. Move your jaws, try to chew it. Squeeze it harder so that it is squeezed out through your teeth. Fine! You managed to push it through your teeth. Now relax, open your mouth slightly, let your jaws rest. How nice it is to relax like this and not have to fight with this chewing gum. But it's time to end it. This time we'll chew it up. Move your jaws, squeeze it as hard as possible. You try your best. Well, that's it, you've finally dealt with it! You can rest. Relax, let your whole body rest. Feel how all your muscles relax.

Face

But an annoying fly arrived. It lands right on your nose. Try to drive it away without using your hands. That's right, wrinkle your nose, make as many wrinkles on your nose as you can. Rotate your nose - up, to the sides. Fine! You drove away the fly! Now you can relax your face. Notice that when you twisted your nose, your cheeks, your mouth, and even your eyes helped you, and they also tensed. And now that you have relaxed your nose, your whole face has relaxed - this is such a pleasant feeling. Ooh, that annoying fly is back again, but now it lands on your forehead. Wrinkle it well, try to just squeeze this fly between the wrinkles. Wrinkle your forehead even more. Finally! The fly flew out of the room completely. Now you can calm down and relax. The face relaxes, becomes smooth, every single wrinkle disappears. You feel how smooth, calm, and relaxed your face is. What a pleasant feeling!

Stomach

Wow! A cute little elephant is approaching us. But he doesn’t look at his feet and doesn’t see that you are lying in the tall grass in his way. It's about to step on your stomach, don't move, there's no time to crawl to the side. Just prepare yourself: make your stomach very hard, tense all your muscles as much as possible. Stay there. But it seems that he is turning aside... now you can relax. Let your stomach become soft like dough, relax it properly. How much better it is, right?.. But the baby elephant turned in your direction again. Beware! Tighten your stomach. Stronger. If a baby elephant steps on a hard belly, you will not feel pain. Turn your stomach to stone. Phew, he turned again, you can relax. Calm down, sit back, relax. Do you notice the difference between a tense and relaxed stomach? How nice it is when your stomach is relaxed. But then the baby elephant stopped spinning and headed straight towards you! It's definitely coming now! Tighten your stomach as much as possible. Now he’s already raising his leg over you, he’s about to step on you!.. Phew, he stepped over you and is already leaving here. You can relax. Everything is fine, you are relaxed and feel good and calm.

Now imagine that you need to squeeze through a very narrow gap in the fence, between two boards that have so many splinters on them. You have to become very thin to squeeze through without getting splintered. Pull your stomach in and try to keep it stuck to your spine. Become thinner, even thinner, because you really need to get through the fence. Now take a break, there is no need to become thinner. Relax and feel how your stomach “unfolds” and becomes warm. But now it's time to get through the fence again. Pull your stomach in. Pull it towards your spine. Become very thin, tense up. You really need to squeeze through, and the gap is so narrow... Well, that’s it, you made it through, and not a single splinter! You can completely relax. Lie back, relax your stomach, let it become soft and warm. How good are you feeling? You did everything wonderful.

Legs

Now imagine that you are standing barefoot in a large puddle with a muddy bottom. Try to press your toes deep into the mud. Try to reach the very bottom where the silt ends. Tighten your legs to press your feet into the mud better. Spread your toes, feel the silt being pressed upward between them. Now get out of the puddle. Give your feet a rest and warm up in the sun. Let your toes relax... Isn't it true, what a pleasant feeling it is?.. Step into the puddle again. Press your toes into the mud. Tighten your leg muscles to enhance this movement. Press your feet into the mud more and more, try to squeeze all the mud out. Fine! Now get out of the puddle. Relax your legs, feet and toes. How nice it is to feel the dryness and warmth of the sun. That's it, the tension is gone. You feel a slight pleasant tingling in your legs. You feel the warmth spreading through them.

Conclusion

Stay relaxed. Let your whole body become weak and limp, feel how every muscle “unfolds”. In a few minutes I will ask you to open your eyes and that will be the end of the session. Throughout the day, remember how pleasant this feeling of relaxation is. Sometimes, of course, you need to strain yourself a little before you relax - we just did this in the exercises. By the way, try to repeat these exercises yourself, while learning to relax more and more. It is best, of course, to do this in the evening, when you have already gone to bed, the light has already been turned off and no one is going to bother you anymore. This will help you fall asleep faster. And then, when you learn to relax properly, you can practice this elsewhere, even at school. Remember, for example, a baby elephant, or chewing gum, or a muddy puddle - these exercises can be performed without anyone noticing.

Today was a good day, and now, rested and relaxed, you can return to normal activities. You've worked really hard here, well done. Now slowly, very slowly open your eyes, slightly tense your muscles. Wonderful. You did a very good job today. Now you can master these exercises perfectly.

Model A.V. Alekseeva

It is based on four components.

1. The ability to relax muscles.
2. The ability to present the content of self-hypnosis formulas as clearly as possible, but without tension.
3. The ability to keep attention on the chosen object.
4. The ability to influence oneself with the necessary verbal formulas.

For the convenience of learning psychomuscular training, all muscles of the body are divided into five groups: muscles of the arms, legs, torso, neck, face.

You need to imagine that you are in a room where five large lamps hang, and a small night light glows in the corner. Lamps are muscle groups, and a night light is the control of a calm, focused mind.

You relaxed one of the groups, turned off the tension in the arm muscles (as if you extinguished one of the lamps) - it became somewhat darker. Then they turned off the leg muscles - the second lamp went out, it became even darker. Slowly, consistently relaxing the muscles of the torso, neck, face, we seem to extinguish lamp after lamp and plunge into pleasant darkness - drowsiness, controlled by a calm consciousness - a small, undying night light.

From the very first lesson, muscle relaxation training should be combined with exercises aimed at inducing heat. In the latter case, it is recommended to use figurative representations of warm water flowing over the hands.

After mastering the exercises for the arms, you should move on to the muscles of the legs, neck, face, and torso.

The exercises follow a similar principle. Subsequently, training is carried out to achieve general relaxation: “I relax and calm down.” In this case, when pronouncing “I”, you need to inhale with tension in all muscles and hold your breath for 2-3 seconds, then exhale and say “relax-la-ya”, on the next short inhalation - “and”, on exhalation - “us-po-ka-i-va-yu”.

All psychomuscular training consists of 12 formulas.

1. I relax and calm down...
2. My hands relax and warm up...
3. My hands are completely relaxed... warm... motionless...
4. My legs relax and warm up...
5. My legs are completely relaxed... warm... motionless...
6. My torso relaxes and becomes warmer...
7. My torso is completely relaxed... warm... motionless...
8. My neck becomes completely relaxed and warm...
9. My neck is completely relaxed... warm... motionless...
10. My face relaxes and warms up...
11. My face is completely relaxed... warm... motionless...
12. A state of pleasant (complete, deep) peace...

Of all psychotherapeutic techniques, autogenic training is the most accessible and can be used independently. It has no contraindications for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Play therapy

“Game” and “therapy” - what seems to connect these two words? Game is: entertainment, relaxation; therapy - on the contrary, treatment, stress. And yet they are united, firmly united by many years of practice, which in many cases gives very good results. According to psychologists, specially selected games are the most effective, and sometimes the only method of correctional work with young children. For the first time, play therapy was used by 3. Freud. Developing his method, M. Klein began to use special material for treating children: small toys that the child could identify with family members. She argued that “in free play the child symbolically expresses his unconscious hopes, fears, pleasures, concerns and conflicts.”

In addition, an adult, while playing with a child, can discover the completely unfamiliar world of the baby, establish a more trusting relationship with him and understand what kind of help he needs most. It is in play that the child reflects what is happening to him in real life. Here his conflicts with the outside world, problems with contacts with peers, his reactions and feelings immediately become noticeable. You need to play a lot with a hyperactive child: at home, in kindergarten, but it is best to start with special classes in a psychologist’s office, where parents and the child can learn how to do this correctly. Some centers have now even opened so-called lekoteks - libraries of toys for children with special needs, which also employ psychologists, teachers, and music therapists. Children play here, relax and get treatment at the same time, and there are always adults nearby (preferably not just one mother, but also a grandmother, an older brother or sister) so that they can repeat and consolidate it at home later. Here is one example of such an activity (it is carried out in a circle on mats).

The adult sits behind the child. Calm music sounds. Participants in the exercise greet each other as follows. The adult takes the child's arms and legs alternately and performs any smooth movements with them, imitating greeting gestures. Then the circle becomes denser (participants move). A ball or any other toy is passed around in a circle. The parent sitting behind the child can pass the ball along with the child, holding his hands in his own. Since the circle is very small, the ball very soon returns to the baby, and he learns to give it away without regret. Moreover, behind his back he feels the support of an adult who can comment on everything the child does, while stroking the baby on the back and head.

Then the parents and their children lie down on the carpet and continue to move to the music (rolling, crawling, wrestling). If the children are small, then parents can put them on their stomachs and perform voluntary movements and strokes. As a rule, children quickly calm down, feel safe, relax, and trust themselves to an adult.

However, everyone’s opportunities are different, and not every family has access to regular visits to such centers (both in terms of time and finances). Then play at home. It is known that in any game there are rules that each participant must obey. And even throwing a ball to each other, if it is not done just like that, but according to the conditions you have come up with and taking into account some commands, can serve the intended purpose. The first step to overcoming difficulties will be for the child to assimilate the program of action that the adult will offer him. The latter’s task is to monitor the baby’s actions, prevent chaotic movements and subordinate them to some kind of sequence. Once you get past this stage, encourage your child to plan the game themselves and come up with some rules. However, don't insist too much. Wait until the baby “ripens” to this on his own. The main thing is that the game captivates him. Then he will definitely learn to plan it and come up with simple rules. Don't forget: when your baby learns to regulate his own activity, it will be much easier for him to communicate with his peers. After all, if children do not know how to follow the rules and constantly break them, there will be few people who want to play with them.

Try to create a positive emotional mood at the beginning of the game and maintain it throughout the entire interaction with the child. Sit next to each other, do not forget to look into each other’s eyes, be sincerely surprised, rejoice, and use gentle touches. What should the content of games be?

First of all, these are games directly aimed at enriching emotional sensations, designed to make you laugh, surprise, calm, etc.

For example, you can use the game “Tell Poems with Your Hands,” when mother and child take turns and together try to show the content of the poem with various hand movements using facial expressions. Or games for the coordination of joint movements - “Sawing Wood”, “Pump”, “Forge”. You can use game exercises like “Try to show, try to guess,” the main content of which is the image of various objects and actions with them (for example, eating a sour lemon, melting ice cream, lifting a heavy suitcase, etc.).

These exercises will not only enrich the child with a variety of emotional sensations, but will also contribute to the development of imagination. It is also very useful to write fairy tales, poems, and stories together.
Since hyperactive children are also characterized by disturbances in attention and self-control, it is important to play simple games with them to develop these functions, for example, “Labyrinth”, “What has changed”, “What is similar, what is different”, “Find the odd one out”, etc.

To order reactions Games like "Get on Time" are suitable. The content of the game boils down to the fact that the adult agrees with the child that he will name different numbers, except for one, for example, seven, and the child must follow and say “Stop” if it is pronounced. You can complicate the rules: say “Stop” only if the number “6” was mentioned before the number “7”. You can maintain your child’s interest in this game by replacing auditory material with visual material. The games “Don’t Imitate”, “Don’t Say Yes” and “No”, “Floor, Nose, Ceiling” are built on the same principle, which provide rules for limiting certain actions of the child.

All these recommendations are very important, as they help relieve tension in both the child and the adult, bring them closer to each other, feel each other’s desires and needs - in other words, establish a normal, emotionally rich life for the child in the family.

For hyperactive children, working with sand, cereals, water, clay, and drawing with their fingers is extremely useful. All this helps relieve tension. In general, according to psychologists, work here should be built in several directions: relieve tension and excessive motor activity, train attention and follow the interests of the child, that is, try to penetrate his world and analyze it together. For example, if a child is looking at something on the street, an adult must follow his gaze and find this object, then try to keep the child’s attention on it, ask what interests him, and ask him to describe in detail the details of the object, and together somehow comment on them. As V. Oaklander wrote: “When such children are given attention, listened to, and begin to feel that they are being taken seriously, they are able to somehow minimize the symptoms of their hyperactivity.”

Family psychotherapy

For attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, it is probably not worth limiting yourself to treating only the child. After all, no matter how much a specialist works with a child, if the situation does not change, the world- the result will still not be achieved. That is why modern medicine for the rehabilitation of children with ADHD provides for mandatory family psychotherapy, during sessions of which parents begin to understand that the health of their child largely depends on the kind, calm and consistent attitude of adults towards him.

Parents are taught to avoid two extremes:

On the one hand, manifestations of excessive pity and permissiveness;
- on the other hand, setting excessive demands that the child is unable to fulfill, combined with excessive punctuality, cruelty and sanctions (punishments).

Parents are explained that frequent changes in instructions and fluctuations in their moods have a much deeper negative impact on such children than on others, and they are taught how to cope with this.

It has been noticed that family psychotherapy sessions are useful not only for parents who feel helpless or guilty for their “bad” child, for the shortcomings of his upbringing, etc., but also for the children themselves. Together they are trying to solve a problem that the child himself is not aware of. After all, in classes they don’t just say what needs to be done, how to behave, but a situation is created that highlights the conflict from the inside and they look at it with different eyes. New opportunities are opening up that make it possible to solve this task, which has now become not so difficult.

Let us emphasize once again that for no disease there is a universal treatment method suitable for any category of patients. Even the most impeccable method still needs to be “tailored” to a specific person. After all, as poets write, even snowflakes are not the same, and then what can we say about such the most complex system like the human body.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder all the more requires individual treatment. In this case we are talking about impaired brain function, neurological problems. Naturally, it is better not to rely on any one method, but to select, with the help of a specialist, a set of measures, which should include psychological correction, rehabilitation with the help of special physical education, a properly selected diet, and pedagogical techniques. The main thing is to see a doctor in time. Remember that ADHD, unlike many other neurological diseases, is quite treatable and has more optimistic prognoses, but only if therapy and rehabilitation are carried out in a timely manner: at the age of 5-10 years. Don't waste this time.

RELATED MATERIALS

First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the environment that surrounds the child at home, at school, in kindergarten. Parents should think about changing their own behavior and character. You need to deeply, with your soul, understand the misfortune that befell the little man. And only then can you really choose the right tone, without breaking into a scream or falling into uncontrollable lisp. Of course, we will name the rules of behavior with a child here, but following them formally, without inner conviction and attitude, is practically useless. And therefore, dear mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, teachers, start with yourself. Develop in yourself wisdom, kindness, patience, reasonable severity and, as the Holy Scripture says: “Let not your heart be troubled.”

We recommend that from the very beginning you build your relationship with your child on the foundation of consent and mutual understanding. Of course, children should not be allowed to do whatever they want. Try to explain why it is harmful or dangerous. If it doesn’t work, try to distract it, switch your attention to another object. You need to speak calmly, without unnecessary emotions, best using jokes, humor, or some funny comparisons. In general, try to watch your speech. Screams, anger, and indignation are difficult to control. Even when expressing dissatisfaction, do not manipulate the child’s feelings or humiliate him. Try to restrain violent expressions 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.

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, create a daily routine with him, following which you show both flexibility and perseverance. Day after day, eating, sleeping, doing homework, and playing should correspond to this schedule. 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.

Any type of activity that requires the child to concentrate (reading, playing with blocks, coloring, cleaning the house, etc.) must be followed by encouragement: a small gift, a kind word... In general, you should not skimp on praise. Which, however, is suitable for any child. Expect only good things from your children, rejoice in their successes. An example of encouragement would be the following: allow your child to watch TV half an hour longer than the allotted time (just don’t get carried away, this can only be a one-time indulgence), treat him to a special dessert, give him the opportunity to participate in games with adults (lotto, chess), allow him to go out one more time for a walk or buy that thing that he has long dreamed of.

If a child behaves well during the week, he should receive an additional reward at the end of the week. This could be some kind of trip with you out of town, an excursion to the zoo, to the theater, etc.
If behavior is completely unsatisfactory, you should, of course, punish - lightly, but so that he remembers, and most importantly, immediately. This could be simply verbal disapproval, temporary isolation from other children, or deprivation of “privileges.”

But long walks in the fresh air, physical exercise, and running are very useful. They allow you to relieve excess energy. But again in moderation so that the child does not get tired. In general, it is necessary to monitor and protect children with ADHD from overwork, since overfatigue leads to a decrease in self-control and an increase in hyperactivity. It is very difficult, but also very important, to teach a child to “cool down” and calmly look at what is happening around him. To do this, you can use the following techniques. The next time your hasty offspring runs past, try to stop him. Gently, without raising your voice, invite him to rest. Hug him by the shoulders, gently stroke him on the head, pay attention to the children and toys around him, ask him to tell him what dad or grandma is doing, where his favorite bear is or what’s on the table. Then you can hide some toy and after a while ask what disappeared and what remained.

Experts have also developed a system of a kind of “first aid” when working with a hyperactive child. Here are its main postulates.

Since children with ADHD experience the greatest difficulties at school, in addition to the home program, a school psychological correction program has been developed. It helps the child integrate into the team, study more successfully, and also gives teachers the opportunity to normalize relationships with a “difficult” student.

First of all, the teacher must have all the information about the nature and causes of ADHD, understand how children behave with this disease, know that they are often distracted, difficult to organize, etc., and therefore require a special, individual approach. Such a child must be constantly under the control of the teacher, that is, sit in the center of the class, opposite the board. And in case of any difficulties, be able to immediately turn to the teacher for help.

Here is one example.

A hyperactive boy tortured his teachers. They gathered at the teachers' meeting and began to think about what to do. And then the music teacher came to the rescue. She noted that the boy had perfect pitch and a very rare voice for his age. She invited him to join the school choir, and advised his parents to send him to a music school. The child began to study music with pleasure and finally felt that he was doing something well. The parents, who were used to their son being scolded wherever he appeared, also perked up. It turns out that there is something to be proud of and something to praise for. But hyperactive children are much more sensitive to praise than others. The boy “opened up”, found his “I”, and, albeit not immediately, both adults and peers began to notice the changes taking place in him. And the teachers, together with the psychologist, continued to observe the child and develop a new strategy for interacting with him. The number of shouts and comments decreased and behavior improved accordingly.

Teachers face many problems with the appearance of a hyperactive child in kindergarten. Here, as in school, much depends on the behavior of adults, the strategies and tactics developed by teachers.

Many children with ADHD have difficulty with quiet time in kindergarten. But if you try to be close to them, not just close to them: “You sleep, and I’ll control you,” but sit down, stroke them, saying gentle, kind words, then the child’s muscular restlessness and emotional tension will decrease. Gradually he will get used to resting at this time of day. And then he will get up rested, less impulsive, and sometimes even sleepy. Emotional and tactile contact will do their good work.

Medical nutrition

A lot depends on nutrition. In some cases, it can even cause the development of the syndrome, and in others it can aggravate the course of the disease. However, one cannot rely entirely on diet treatment, as scientists from the Institute for Nutrition at the University Clinical Hospital in Giessen write: “Diet helps many children lead a normal life, but not all. This is, of course, due to the complex of reasons that could lead to the development of hyperkinetic syndrome". In particular, if the disease is caused by the use of salicylates and food additives, such as preservatives and dyes, then eliminating them from the diet leads to a significant improvement in the child’s health. The red artificial dye erythrosine and the orange dye tartracine are considered especially dangerous. They are found in some types of juices, sauces, and carbonated drinks. We believe that in any case they should be excluded from the diet of a child with ADHD, even if the cause of the disease has nothing to do with nutrition (for example, with birth injuries, etc.), just as preservatives, flavorings, and foods rich in carbohydrates should be excluded .

Particular attention to nutrition should be paid to those patients whose hyperactivity is a consequence of allergies. Here, of course, there should be no general recommendations, since different children may not tolerate different foods. But when it is possible to identify specific “pathogens” and exclude them from the diet, then things quickly improve. Intolerance to certain foods is determined in allergy centers using special techniques and tests. Quite often, bioelectronic techniques are used (in particular, electropuncture according to Dr. Voll), muscle resistance tests, etc. Even in cases where a specific product cannot be determined, but at least a group is identified, for example, carbohydrates or animal proteins, then You can already hope for a good result. Of course, you shouldn’t suddenly exclude the entire group of these products, but you can reduce them gradually, changing, selecting, and looking for replacements for them.

Life is in motion

But what about children who have or are suspected (at an early age) of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? After all, they are already moving beyond all measure. Will the additional physical activity become a “heavy burden” for them? Research by domestic and foreign experts shows that it will not. Moreover, treatment of children with ADHD must necessarily include physical rehabilitation. Systematic gymnastics classes help the child become calmer. He develops correct coordination of movements, behavioral reactions are restored, sleep is normalized, and the musculoskeletal system develops. In addition, gymnastics has a general strengthening effect on the entire body, which is also extremely important. Of course, not all physical education activities are beneficial for such children.

Thirdly, before starting classes, the child must undergo a medical examination to know whether the additional load will be harmful to other organs and systems.

or ADHD is the most common cause of behavior problems and learning problems in children before school age and schoolchildren.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child– a developmental disorder manifested in behavioral disturbances. A child with ADHD is restless, displays “stupid” activity, cannot sit through classes at school or kindergarten, and will not do anything that is not interesting to him. He interrupts his elders, plays in class, minds his own business, and can crawl under the desk. At the same time, the child correctly perceives his surroundings. He hears and understands all the instructions of his elders, but cannot follow their instructions due to impulsiveness. Despite the fact that the child understands the task, he cannot complete what he started and is unable to plan and foresee the consequences of his actions. This is associated with a high risk of getting injured at home and getting lost.

Neurologists consider attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child as a neurological disease. Its manifestations are not the result of improper upbringing, neglect or permissiveness, they are a consequence of the special functioning of the brain.

Prevalence. ADHD is found in 3-5% of children. Of these, 30% “outgrow” the disease after 14 years, another 40% adapt to it and learn to smooth out its manifestations. Among adults, this syndrome is found in only 1%.

Boys are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 3-5 times more often than girls. Moreover, in boys the syndrome is more often manifested by destructive behavior (disobedience and aggression), and in girls by inattention. According to some studies, fair-haired and blue-eyed Europeans are more susceptible to the disease. It's interesting that in different countries incidence rates vary significantly. Thus, studies conducted in London and Tennessee found ADHD in 17% of children.

Types of ADHD

Attention deficit and hyperactivity are expressed equally;
Attention deficit predominates, and impulsivity and hyperactivity are minor;
Hyperactivity and impulsiveness predominate, attention is slightly impaired.

Treatment. The main methods are pedagogical measures and psychological correction. Drug treatment is used in cases where other methods have been ineffective because the drugs used have side effects.
If you leave your child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Without treatment, the risk of developing:

dependence on alcohol, drugs, psychotropic drugs;
difficulties with assimilation of information that disrupt the learning process;
high anxiety, which replaces physical activity;
Tics – repeated muscle twitching.
headaches;
antisocial changes - a tendency to hooliganism, theft.

Controversial points. A number of leading experts in the field of medicine and public organizations, including the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, deny the existence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. From their point of view, manifestations of ADHD are considered a feature of temperament and character, and therefore cannot be treated. They can be a manifestation of the natural mobility and curiosity of an active child, or protest behavior that occurs in response to a traumatic situation - abuse, loneliness, divorce of parents.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child, causes

The cause of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child cannot be installed. Scientists are convinced that the disease is provoked by a combination of several factors that disrupt the functioning of the nervous system.

Factors that disrupt the formation of the nervous system in the fetus which can lead to oxygen starvation or hemorrhage in the brain tissue:

pollution environment, high content of harmful substances in air, water, food;
taking medications by a woman during pregnancy;
exposure to alcohol, drugs, nicotine;
infections suffered by the mother during pregnancy;
Rh factor conflict – immunological incompatibility;
risk of miscarriage ;
fetal asphyxia;
umbilical cord entanglement;
complicated or rapid labor leading to injury to the head or spine of the fetus.

Factors that disrupt brain function in infancy

diseases accompanied by a temperature above 39-40 degrees;
taking certain medications that have a neurotoxic effect;
bronchial asthma, pneumonia;
severe kidney disease;
heart failure, heart disease.

Genetic factors. According to this theory, 80% of cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are associated with disorders in the gene that regulates the release of dopamine and the functioning of dopamine receptors. The result is a disruption in the transmission of bioelectrical impulses between brain cells. Moreover, the disease manifests itself if, in addition to genetic abnormalities, there are unfavorable environmental factors.

Neurologists believe that these factors can cause damage in limited areas of the brain. In this regard, some mental functions (for example, volitional control over impulses and emotions) develop inconsistently, with a delay, which causes manifestations of the disease. This confirms the fact that children with ADHD showed disturbances in metabolic processes and bioelectrical activity in the anterior parts of the frontal lobes of the brain.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child, symptoms

A child with ADHD equally exhibits hyperactivity and inattention at home, in kindergarten, and when visiting strangers. There are no situations in which the baby would behave calmly. This differs him from an ordinary active child.

Signs of ADHD at an early age

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child, symptoms which most clearly manifests itself at 5-12 years of age, can be recognized at an earlier age.

They begin to hold their heads up, sit, crawl, and walk early.
They experience problems falling asleep and sleep less than normal.
If they get tired, do not engage in a calm activity, do not fall asleep on their own, but become hysterical.
Very sensitive to loud sounds, bright lights, strangers, change of situation. These factors cause them to cry loudly.
They throw away toys before they even have time to look at them.

Such signs may indicate a tendency towards ADHD, but they are also present in many restless children under 3 years of age.
ADHD also affects the functioning of the body. The child often experiences digestive problems. Diarrhea is the result of excessive stimulation of the intestines by the autonomic nervous system. Allergic reactions and skin rashes appear more often than among peers.

Main symptoms

Attention disorder

R The child has difficulty concentrating on one subject or activity. He does not pay attention to details, unable to distinguish the main from the secondary. The child tries to do all the things at the same time: he colors all the details without completing them, reads the text, skipping over a line. This happens because he does not know how to plan. When doing tasks together, explain: “First we’ll do one thing, then the other.”
The child tries to avoid routine tasks under any pretext., lessons, creativity. This could be a quiet protest when the child runs away and hides, or a hysteria with screaming and tears.
The cyclical nature of attention is pronounced. A preschooler can do one thing for 3-5 minutes, a child of primary school age for up to 10 minutes. Then, over the same period, the nervous system restores the resource. Often at this time it seems that the child does not hear the speech addressed to him. Then the cycle repeats.
Attention can only be concentrated if you are left alone with the child. The child is more attentive and obedient if the room is quiet and there are no irritants, toys, or other people.

Hyperactivity

The child commits a large number of inappropriate movements, most of which he doesn't notice. A distinctive feature of motor activity in ADHD is its aimlessness. This could be spinning the hands and feet, running, jumping, or tapping on the table or floor. The child runs, not walks. Climbing on furniture . Breaks toys.
Talks too loudly and fast. He answers without listening to the question. Shouts out the answer, interrupting the person answering. He speaks in unfinished sentences, jumping from one thought to another. Swallows the endings of words and sentences. Constantly asks again. His statements are often thoughtless, they provoke and offend others.
Facial expressions are very expressive. The face expresses emotions that quickly appear and disappear - anger, surprise, joy. Sometimes he grimaces for no apparent reason.

It has been found that in children with ADHD, physical activity stimulates the brain structures responsible for thinking and self-control. That is, while the child runs, knocks and takes things apart, his brain is improving. New neural connections are established in the cortex, which will further improve the functioning of the nervous system and relieve the child from the manifestations of the disease.

Impulsiveness

Guided solely by his own desires and carries them out immediately. Acts on the first impulse, without thinking through the consequences and without planning. There are no situations for a child in which he must sit still. During classes in kindergarten or at school, he jumps up and runs to the window, into the corridor, makes noise, shouts from his seat. Takes the thing he likes from his peers.
Cannot follow instructions, especially those consisting of several points. The child constantly has new desires (impulses), which prevent him from completing the work he has started (doing homework, collect toys).
Unable to wait or endure. He must immediately get or do what he wants. If this does not happen, he makes a scandal, switches to other things, or performs aimless actions. This is clearly noticeable in class or while waiting for your turn.
Mood swings happen every few minutes. The child goes from laughing to crying. Hot temper is especially common in children with ADHD. When angry, the child throws objects, can start a fight or ruin the offender’s things. He will do it right away, without thinking or hatching a plan for revenge.
The child does not feel danger. He can do things that are dangerous to health and life: climb to a height, walk through abandoned buildings, go out on thin ice because he wanted to do it. This property leads to high rates of injury in children with ADHD.

Manifestations of the disease are due to the fact that the nervous system of a child with ADHD is too vulnerable. She is unable to process the large amount of information coming from outside world. Excessive activity and lack of attention is an attempt to protect yourself from the unbearable load on the nervous system.

Additional symptoms

Learning difficulties with normal level intelligence. The child may have difficulty writing and reading. At the same time, he does not perceive individual letters and sounds or does not fully master this skill. The inability to learn arithmetic can be an independent disorder or accompany problems with reading and writing.
Communication disorders. A child with ADHD may be obsessive towards peers and unfamiliar adults. He may be too emotional or even aggressive, which makes it difficult to communicate and establish friendly contacts.
Lag in emotional development. The child behaves excessively capriciously and emotionally. He does not tolerate criticism, failures, and behaves unbalanced and “childish.” A pattern has been established that with ADHD there is a 30% lag in emotional development. For example, a 10-year-old child behaves like a 7-year-old, although he is intellectually developed no worse than his peers.
Negative self-esteem. A child hears a huge number of comments per day. If at the same time he is also compared with his peers: “Look how well Masha behaves!” this makes the situation worse. Criticism and complaints convince the child that he is worse than others, bad, stupid, restless. This makes the child unhappy, distant, aggressive, and instills hatred towards others.

Manifestations of attention deficit disorder are associated with the fact that the child’s nervous system is too vulnerable. She is unable to cope with the large amount of information coming from the outside world. Excessive activity and lack of attention is an attempt to protect yourself from the unbearable load on the nervous system.

Positive qualities of children with ADHD

Active, active;
Easily read the mood of the interlocutor;
Willing to sacrifice themselves for the people they like;
Not vindictive, unable to harbor a grudge;
They are fearless and do not have most childhood fears.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child, diagnosis

Diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may include several stages:

Collection of information - interview with the child, conversation with parents, diagnostic questionnaires.
Neuropsychological examination.
Pediatrician consultation.

As a rule, a neurologist or psychiatrist makes a diagnosis based on a conversation with the child, analyzing information from parents, caregivers and teachers.

Collection of information

Most The specialist receives information during a conversation with the child and observing his behavior. The conversation with children takes place orally. When working with adolescents, the doctor may ask you to fill out a questionnaire that resembles a test. Information received from parents and teachers helps complete the picture.

Diagnostic questionnaire is a list of questions compiled in such a way as to collect the maximum amount of information about the behavior and mental state of the child. It usually takes the form of a multiple-choice test. To identify ADHD, the following are used:

Vanderbilt Adolescent ADHD Diagnostic Questionnaire. There are versions for parents and teachers.
Parental Symptom Questionnaire for ADHD Manifestations;
Conners Structured Questionnaire.

According to international classification diseases ICD-10 diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child diagnosed when the following symptoms are detected:

Adaptation disorder. Expressed as non-compliance with characteristics that are normal for this age;
Attention impairment, when the child cannot focus his attention on one object;
Impulsivity and hyperactivity;
Development of first symptoms before the age of 7 years;
Adaptation disorder manifests itself in different situations(in kindergarten, school, at home), while the child’s intellectual development corresponds to his age;
These symptoms persist for 6 months or more.

A doctor has the right to make a diagnosis of “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” if at least 6 symptoms of inattention and at least 6 symptoms of impulsivity and hyperactivity are detected and followed for 6 months or more. These signs appear constantly, not from time to time. They are so pronounced that they interfere with the child’s learning and daily activities.

Signs of inattention

Doesn't pay attention to details. In his work he makes a large number of mistakes due to negligence and frivolity.
Easily distracted.
Has difficulty concentrating when playing and completing tasks.
Does not listen to speech addressed to him.
Unable to complete a task, do homework. Cannot follow instructions.
Has difficulty performing independent work. Needs guidance and supervision from an adult.
Resists completing tasks that require prolonged mental effort: homework, tasks from a teacher or psychologist. Avoids such work for various reasons and shows dissatisfaction.
Often loses things.
In everyday activities, he shows forgetfulness and absent-mindedness.

Signs of impulsivity and hyperactivity

Makes a large number of unnecessary movements. Cannot sit quietly in a chair. Spins, makes movements, feet, hands, head.
Cannot sit or remain still in situations where this is necessary - in class, at a concert, in transport.
Shows rash motor activity in situations where this is unacceptable. He gets up, runs, spins, takes things without asking, tries to climb somewhere.
Can't play calmly.
Excessively mobile.
Too talkative.
He answers without listening to the end of the question. Doesn't think before giving an answer.
Impatient. Has difficulty waiting his turn.
Disturbs others, pesters people. Interferes with play or conversation.

Strictly speaking, the diagnosis of ADHD is based on the subjective opinion of a specialist and his personal experience. Therefore, if the parents do not agree with the diagnosis, then it makes sense to contact another neurologist or psychiatrist who specializes in this problem.

Neuropsychological assessment for ADHD

In order to study the features of the brain, the child is given electroencephalographic examination (EEG). This is a measurement of the bioelectrical activity of the brain at rest or while performing tasks. To do this, the electrical activity of the brain is measured through the scalp. The procedure is painless and harmless.
For ADHD the beta rhythm is reduced and the theta rhythm is increased. The ratio of theta rhythm and beta rhythm several times higher than normal. This suggests that the bioelectrical activity of the brain is reduced, that is, a smaller number of electrical impulses are generated and transmitted through neurons compared to the norm.

Pediatrician consultation

Manifestations similar to ADHD can be caused by anemia, hyperthyroidism and other somatic diseases. A pediatrician can confirm or exclude them after a blood test for hormones and hemoglobin.
Note! As a rule, in addition to the diagnosis of ADHD, the neurologist indicates a number of diagnoses in the child’s medical record:

Minimal brain dysfunction(MMD) – mild neurological disorders that cause impairment motor functions, speech, behavior;
Increased intracranial pressure(ICP) - increased pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is located in the ventricles of the brain, around it and in the spinal canal.
Perinatal CNS damage– damage to the nervous system that occurs during pregnancy, childbirth or in the first days of life.

All these disorders have similar manifestations, which is why they are often written together. Such an entry on the card does not mean that the child has a large number of neurological diseases. On the contrary, the changes are minimal and can be corrected.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child, treatment

Medication treatment for ADHD

Medications are prescribed according to individual indications only if the child’s behavior cannot be improved without them.

Group of drugs	Representatives	The effect of taking medications
Psychostimulants	Levamphetamine, Dexamphetamine, Dexmethylphenidate	The production of neurotransmitters increases, due to which the bioelectrical activity of the brain is normalized. Improves behavior, reduces impulsivity, aggressiveness, and symptoms of depression.
Antidepressants, norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors	Atomoxetine. Desipramine, Bupropion	Reduce the reuptake of neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin). Their accumulation in synapses improves the transmission of signals between brain cells. Increase attention and reduce impulsiveness.
Nootropic drugs	Cerebrolysin, Piracetam, Instenon, Gamma-aminobutyric acid	They improve metabolic processes in brain tissue, its nutrition and oxygen supply, and the absorption of glucose by the brain. Increases the tone of the cerebral cortex. The effectiveness of these drugs has not been proven.
Sympathomimetics	Clonidine, Atomoxetine, Desipramine	Increases cerebral vascular tone, improving blood circulation. Helps normalize intracranial pressure.

Treatment is carried out with low doses of drugs to minimize the risk of developing side effects and addiction. It has been proven that improvement occurs only while taking the drugs. After their withdrawal, symptoms reappear.

Physiotherapy and massage for ADHD

This set of procedures is aimed at treating birth injuries of the head, cervical spine, and relieving neck muscle spasms. This is necessary to normalize cerebral circulation and intracranial pressure. For ADHD the following are used:

Physiotherapy, aimed at strengthening the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle. Must be performed daily.
Neck massage courses of 10 procedures 2-3 times a year.
Physiotherapy. Infrared irradiation (warming) of spasming muscles is used using infrared rays. Paraffin heating is also used. 15-20 procedures 2 times a year. These procedures go well with massage of the collar area.

Please note that these procedures can only be started after consultation with a neurologist and orthopedist.
You should not resort to the services of chiropractors. Treatment by an unqualified specialist, without prior x-raying of the spine, can cause serious injury.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child, behavior correction

Biofeedback therapy (biofeedback method)

Biofeedback therapy – modern technique treatment that normalizes the bioelectrical activity of the brain, eliminating the cause of ADHD. It has been effectively used to treat the syndrome for more than 40 years.

The human brain generates electrical impulses. They are divided depending on the frequency of vibrations per second and the amplitude of vibrations. The main ones are: alpha, beta, gamma, delta and theta waves. In ADHD, the activity of beta waves (beta rhythm), which are associated with focusing attention, memory, and information processing, is reduced. At the same time, the activity of theta waves (theta rhythm) increases, which indicate emotional stress, fatigue, aggressiveness and imbalance. There is a version that the theta rhythm promotes the rapid assimilation of information and the development of creative potential.

The goal of biofeedback therapy is to normalize the bioelectrical oscillations of the brain - to stimulate the beta rhythm and reduce the theta rhythm to normal. For this purpose, a specially developed software and hardware complex “BOS-LAB” is used.
Sensors are attached to certain places on the child's body. On the monitor, the child sees how his biorhythms behave and tries to change them at will. Also, biorhythms change during computer exercises. If the task is done correctly, a sound signal is heard or a picture appears, which are an element of feedback. The procedure is painless, interesting and well tolerated by the child.
The effect of the procedure is increased attention, decreased impulsivity and hyperactivity. Academic performance and relationships with others improve.

The course consists of 15-25 sessions. Progress is noticeable after 3-4 procedures. The effectiveness of treatment reaches 95%. The effect lasts for a long time, for 10 years or more. In some patients, biofeedback therapy completely eliminates the manifestations of the disease. Has no side effects.

Psychotherapeutic techniques

The effectiveness of psychotherapy is significant, but progress may take from 2 months to several years. The result can be improved by combining various psychotherapeutic techniques, pedagogical measures of parents and teachers, physiotherapeutic methods and adherence to a daily routine.

Cognitive-behavioral methods

The child, under the guidance of a psychologist, and then independently, forms various behavior patterns. In the future, the most constructive, “correct” ones are selected from them. At the same time, the psychologist helps the child understand his inner world, emotions and desires.
Classes are conducted in the form of a conversation or a game, where the child is offered various roles - a student, a buyer, a friend or an opponent in a dispute with peers. Children act out the situation. Then the child is asked to determine how each participant feels. Did he do the right thing?

Skills in managing anger and expressing your emotions in an acceptable manner. What do you feel? What do you want? Now say it politely. What we can do?
Constructive conflict resolution. The child is taught to negotiate, look for compromise, avoid quarrels or get out of them in a civilized manner. (If you don’t want to share, offer another toy. If you are not accepted into the game, come up with an interesting activity and offer it to others). It is important to teach a child to speak calmly, listen to the interlocutor, and clearly formulate what he wants.
Adequate ways of communicating with the teacher and with peers. As a rule, the child knows the rules of behavior, but does not comply with them due to impulsiveness. Under the guidance of a psychologist, the child improves communication skills through play.
Correct behavior in in public places– in kindergarten, at a lesson, in a store, at a doctor’s appointment, etc. are mastered in the form of “theater”.

The effectiveness of the method is significant. The result appears after 2-4 months.

Play therapy

In the form of a game that is pleasant for the child, perseverance and attentiveness are formed, learning to control hyperactivity and increased emotionality.
The psychologist individually selects a set of games taking into account the symptoms of ADHD. At the same time, he can change their rules if it is too easy or difficult for the child.
At first, play therapy is carried out individually, then it can become group or family. Games can also be “homework”, or given by the teacher during a five-minute lesson.

Games to develop attention. Find 5 differences in the picture. Identify the smell. Identify the object by touch with your eyes closed. Broken phone.
Games to develop perseverance and combat disinhibition. Hide and seek. Silent. Sort items by color/size/shape.
Games to control motor activity. Throwing the ball at a given pace, which gradually increases. Siamese twins, when children in a pair, hugging each other around the waist, must perform tasks - clap their hands, run.
Games to relieve muscle tension and emotional tension. Aimed at the physical and emotional relaxation of the child. “Humpty Dumpty” for alternate relaxation of different muscle groups.
Games to develop memory and overcome impulsiveness."Speak!" - the presenter asks simple questions. But he can answer them only after the command “Speak!”, before which he pauses for a few seconds.
Computer games, which simultaneously develop perseverance, attention and restraint.

Art therapy

Practicing various types of art reduces fatigue and anxiety, relieves negative emotions, improves adaptation, allows you to realize talents and raise the child’s self-esteem. Helps develop internal control and perseverance, improves the relationship between the child and the parent or psychologist.

By interpreting the results of a child’s work, the psychologist gets an idea of his inner world, mental conflicts and problems.

Drawing colored pencils, finger paints or watercolors. Sheets of paper of different sizes are used. The child can choose the subject of the drawing himself or the psychologist can suggest a topic - “At school”, “My family”.
Sand therapy. You need a sandbox with clean, moistened sand and a set of various molds, including human figures, vehicles, houses, etc. The child decides for himself what exactly he wants to reproduce. Often he plays out plots that unconsciously bother him, but he cannot convey this to adults.
Modeling from clay or plasticine. The child makes figures from plasticine on a given topic - funny animals, my friend, my pet. classes contribute to development fine motor skills and brain functions.
Listening to music and playing musical instruments. Rhythmic dance music is recommended for girls, and marching music for boys. Music relieves emotional stress, increases perseverance and attention.

The effectiveness of art therapy is average. It is an auxiliary method. Can be used to establish contact with a child or for relaxation.

Family therapy and work with teachers.

A psychologist informs adults about the developmental characteristics of a child with ADHD. Talks about effective methods work, forms of influence on the child, how to create a system of rewards and sanctions, how to convey to the child the need to fulfill responsibilities and observe prohibitions. This allows you to reduce the number of conflicts and make training and education easier for all participants.
When working with a child, a psychologist draws up a psychocorrection program designed for several months. In the first sessions, he establishes contact with the child and conducts diagnostics to determine the extent of inattention, impulsiveness and aggressiveness. Taking into account individual characteristics he draws up a correction program, gradually introducing various psychotherapeutic techniques and complicating the tasks. Therefore, parents should not expect drastic changes after the first meetings.

Pedagogical measures

Parents and teachers need to consider the cyclical nature of the brain in children with ADHD. On average, a child takes 7-10 minutes to absorb information, then the brain needs 3-7 minutes to recover and rest. This feature must be used in the learning process, doing homework and in any other activity. For example, give your child tasks that he can complete in 5-7 minutes.

Proper parenting is the main way to combat the symptoms of ADHD. Whether the child will “outgrow” this problem and how successful he or she will be in adulthood depends on the behavior of the parents.

Be patient, maintain self-control. Avoid criticism. The peculiarities in the child’s behavior are not his fault and not yours. Insults and physical violence are unacceptable.
Communicate expressively with your child. Showing emotions in facial expressions and voice will help keep his attention. For the same reason, it is important to look into the child's eyes.
Use physical contact. Hold hands, stroke, hug, use elements of massage when communicating with your child. It has a calming effect and helps you concentrate.
Ensure clear control over task completion. The child does not have sufficient willpower to complete what he started; he is very tempted to stop halfway. Knowing that an adult will supervise the completion of a task will help him complete the task. Will ensure discipline and self-control in the future.
Set feasible tasks for your child. If he doesn't cope with the task you set for him, then next time make it easier. If yesterday he didn’t have the patience to put away all the toys, then today you just ask him to put the blocks in a box.
Give your child a task in the form of short instructions.. Give one task at a time: “Brush your teeth.” When this is completed, ask to wash your face.
Take breaks of a few minutes between each activity. I collected my toys, rested for 5 minutes, and went to wash myself.
Do not forbid your child to be physically active during classes. If he waves his legs, twirls various objects in his hands, and shifts around the table, this improves his thought process. If you limit this small activity, the child’s brain will fall into a stupor and will not be able to perceive information.
Praise for every success. Do this one on one and with your family. The child has low self-esteem. He often hears how bad he is. Therefore, praise is vital for him. It encourages the child to be disciplined, to put even more effort and perseverance in completing tasks. It's good if the praise is visual. These could be chips, tokens, stickers, cards that the child can count at the end of the day. Change the “rewards” from time to time. Withdrawal of a reward is an effective method of punishment. It must follow immediately after the offense.
Be consistent in your demands. If you can’t watch TV for a long time, then don’t make an exception when you have guests or your mother is tired.
Warn your child what will happen next. It is difficult for him to interrupt activities that are interesting. Therefore, 5-10 minutes before the end of the game, warn him that he will soon finish playing and will collect toys.
Learn to plan. Together, make a list of things you need to do today, and then cross off what you do.
Create a daily routine and stick to it. This will teach the child to plan, manage his time and anticipate what will happen in the near future. This develops the functioning of the frontal lobes and creates a feeling of security.
Encourage your child to play sports. Will be especially useful martial arts, swimming, athletics, cycling. They will direct the child’s activity in the right useful direction. Team sports (soccer, volleyball) can be challenging. Traumatic sports (judo, boxing) can increase the level of aggressiveness.
Try it different kinds classes. The more you offer your child, the higher the chance that he will find his own hobby, which will help him become more diligent and attentive. This will build his self-esteem and improve his relationships with peers.
Protect from prolonged viewing TV and sitting at the computer. The approximate norm is 10 minutes for every year of life. So a 6-year-old child should not watch TV for more than an hour.

Remember, just because your child has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, this does not mean that he is behind his peers in intellectual development. The diagnosis only indicates a borderline state between normality and deviation. Parents will have to put in more effort, show a lot of patience in their upbringing, and in most cases, after 14 years of age, the child will “outgrow” this condition.

Often children with ADHD have high level IQ and they are called “indigo children”. If a child becomes interested in something specific during adolescence, he will direct all his energy to it and bring it to perfection. If this hobby develops into a profession, then success is guaranteed. This is proven by the fact that most major businessmen and prominent scientists suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood.

When you find a medicine that really works, make sure your child takes it regularly, every day. Children do not need to take any breaks from taking their medications and can confidently take them every day. Some parents give the medicine only before school, and the child does not take it in the evenings, on weekends and holidays. In fact, it harms him greatly: he needs medication while he needs to do homework, engage in extracurricular activities, do housework, interact with siblings and peers, and even enjoy leisure time.

Set a clear schedule. Create a daily and weekly schedule for your child and hang it on the wall. Everything should be scheduled: from the moment the child gets up until he goes to bed. Children with ADHD behave much better when they know what they will do and why.

Set up a reward system for good behavior. For children with ADHD, good behavior is hard work. Some people believe that good behavior should not be rewarded and should be taken for granted, but for children with ADHD this is one of the hardest things to do. If a child does not receive any reward for good behavior, he will decide that it is not worth behaving that way. Don't forget that a child with ADHD doesn't just want attention, but needs it. As a rule, getting attention for bad behavior is very easy and quick, but attention for a good reason is more difficult to earn, and there are much fewer guarantees that you will receive it. You need to make sure that rewards for good behavior are much easier to obtain than punishments for disobedience.

Make sure your reward system is appropriate for your child with ADHD. He won't be able to behave well all week in hopes of getting rewarded on Friday. Rewards should be given to him immediately and as often as possible. Set up a points system and reward your child with them regularly (frequently and every day) for good behavior, for example, when he starts doing homework or chores, while doing a task, when he has finished doing it, playing well with a brother or sister, calmly getting ready to go to bed and, essentially, any other behavior you want to develop and improve.

Establish not only a point system, but also the rewards that the child will receive in exchange for points. He can exchange a small number of points for a small reward, for example, special time to play with his father, an extra 10 minutes of watching TV, a special treat after dinner. Your child can also save points so they can later exchange them for a larger reward, such as a sleepover with a friend, a day out, etc. Let you have big variety rewards to keep the child interested. As you age, your rewards should also change.

If rewards don't work, you need to know what to do. If the reward system does not work, then the child already has too many privileges and the rewards are not an incentive for him. You need to provide your child with everything he needs, such as food, clothing, etc., but you don't need to give him many privileges (like allowing him to watch TV) if he hasn't earned them.

Once your child has earned points or rewards, never take them away for bad behavior. Separate rewards from discipline. If a child with ADHD has worked hard to get points and then loses them, they may stop seeking rewards and feel like it is worthless.

When you need to talk to your child, make sure he has his full attention on you. Call your child's name and wait until he reacts and looks at you. Don't give him instructions when he's doing something, like watching TV. Wait until your child looks away from the screen, or turn it off for a minute. You need to talk to your child close, at a short distance. If you shout something at him while he is playing in the pool, it will not work. First take him aside, then speak.

When talking to your child, use as few words as possible. Children with ADHD cannot concentrate their attention for a long time - for this they need to make a lot of effort. The less you say, the more they will hear. Give them instructions in one sentence at most.

If your child is misbehaving, do the three things below. It is very important to always use the same system. If you do different things every time, your child will constantly test you to see how you will behave. Always use the same sequence of actions so that they become predictable and the child always knows what will happen if he does not obey. This way, your child won't be constantly testing you.

The first step is noticing. Use this step when your child begins to misbehave. You just need to reprimand him. Typically, a child with ADHD either has no idea what he is doing or thinks that no one cares or notices. If you don't like your child's behavior, tell him so. First you need to get his attention, then tell him to do something rather than stop behaving that way. For example: “Sasha, take your hands off.” At this stage, there is no need to threaten the child: tell him what behavior you expect from him.
The second step is a warning. If your child does not stop misbehaving immediately, move on to step two and warn him what will happen if he continues to disobey. Always give only one warning.
The third step is consequences. The most effective consequence for bad behavior for a child with ADHD is to stop him from playing for a while. This punishment is immediate and quick, which is essentially what a child with ADHD needs. He will immediately become bored and will not want to sit quietly in one place, so for children with this diagnosis this is a much more severe punishment than for ordinary children. This method can be used repeatedly, anywhere.

Set clear boundaries within which the child will serve his sentence. Choose a place in the house and come up with a name for it. Make sure that it is a boring corner where the child will not be able to have fun, play and get someone's attention. Tell your child specifically where he needs to go to serve his sentence. If a child with ADHD does not understand what he needs to do, he will tend to show his disobedience.

Don't expect the system to work right away. It will need to be secured again and again until the child finally understands what's what. Imagine that he is in a fenced area. An ordinary child will look around him, try to break down the gate and realize that he cannot get out. Then the child will calm down. Children with ADHD will fight against the gate, try to climb over the fence, dig a passage under the fence, look for some kind of loophole, try to jump over the fence and will repeat all over again before they realize that they cannot get out of the boundaries. They will test your patience and you will have to be strict.

Learn to talk to your child. Children with ADHD literally have “no brakes.” If you want them to change their behavior, tell them what they need to do, not what they should stop. For example, instead of saying “don't run,” say “walk more slowly.” It is very difficult for them to stop doing something and replace their behavior with something else. Instead, tell them which activity to focus on.

Never ignore bad behavior. The child will not correct himself if you do not pay attention to his bad behavior. It will get worse and worse until the child becomes completely uncontrollable. Fix the problem at the very beginning.

Avoid junk and fatty foods. If a child with ADHD consumes these foods, most approaches to influence his behavior will be unsuccessful. Very often such food contains chemical substances, which negatively affect the functioning of that part of the brain that is problematic in children with ADHD. Because of this, junk food can cause healthy people to develop ADHD child, as well as worsen the condition of children with this diagnosis. Do not give your child foods with flavor enhancers, dyes, preservatives, chemical additives, and also avoid fatty and junk foods. Often the effects of consuming such products take up to three days to appear. Now children eat them in such quantities that for many these consequences appear constantly.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child, causes

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child, symptoms

Main symptoms

Additional symptoms

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child, diagnosis

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child, treatment

Medication treatment for ADHD

Physiotherapy and massage for ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a child, behavior correction

Biofeedback therapy (biofeedback method)

Psychotherapeutic techniques

Pedagogical measures