Attention deficit disorder (ADHD): symptoms and correction

What is it?

Experts call the term "ADHD" a neurological disorder of conduct, which begins in early childhood and manifests itself in the form of problems with concentration, increased activity and impulsivity. Hyperactivity disorder is where arousal always prevails over inhibition.

Causes

Educational scientists and medical professionals suggest that the appearance of ADHD symptoms depends on the influence of various factors. Thus, biological factors are divided into prenatal and postnatal periods.

The causes of organic lesions can be:

drinking in large quantities during pregnancy, alcohol and smoking;
toxicosis and immune incompatibility;
premature, prolonged childbirth, the threat of miscarriage and an attempt to terminate a pregnancy;
the consequence of anesthesia and cesarean section;
entanglement with the umbilical cord or abnormal presentation of the fetus;
stress and psychological trauma of the mother during pregnancy, unwillingness to have a child;
any diseases of a child during infancy, accompanied by a high temperature, can also affect the formation and development of the brain;
adverse psychosocial environment and hereditary predisposition;
emotional disorders, increased anxiety, trauma.

There are also social reasons - these are the peculiarities of upbringing in a family or pedagogical neglect - upbringing as a "family idol".

Signs

How can parents tell if their child is hyperactive? I think it's very easy to do this at the initial stage of the definition. It is enough to note those symptoms that have been present in your child for a certain time.

Signs of inattention:

does not like noisy rooms;
it is difficult for him to concentrate;
he is distracted from the task, reacts to external stimuli;
with great pleasure he grabs onto the case, but often moves from one unfinished action to another;
hears poorly and does not perceive instructions;
has difficulties in self-organization, often loses his belongings in the kindergarten or at home.

Signs of hyperactivity:

climbs on a table, cabinets, cabinets, on the street on trees, fences;
runs more often, turns and turns in place;
walks around the room during classes;
restless movements of arms and legs are observed, as if twitching;
if he does something, then with a noise and a cry;
he constantly needs to do something (play, tinker and draw) and does not know how to rest.

Signs of impulsivity:

extremely talkative;
does not know how to wait for a reward, he needs “here” and “now”;
distracts other children in class;
it is difficult to bear the time when it is waiting for its turn;
has difficulty in controlling his behavior, does not know how to follow the rules;
mood often changes, cocky.

You can only talk about ADHD syndrome when your child has had almost all of the above symptoms for a very long time.

The mental activity of children with ADHD is cyclical. A child can work well actively for 5-10 minutes, then there comes a period when the brain rests, accumulates energy for the next cycle. At this moment, the child is distracted, does not hear anyone. Then the mental activity is restored, and the child is ready to work again within 5-15 minutes. Children with ADHD have “flickering attention”, lack of concentration without additional motor stimulation. They need to move, spin, and constantly turn their heads to stay "conscious."

In order to maintain concentration of attention, children activate the centers of balance with the help of physical activity. For example, they lean back on a chair so that the back legs do not touch the floor. If their head is motionless, their activity will decrease.

How to tell ADHD from spoiled?

First of all, let's remember that all children are born with a temperament already laid by mother nature. And how it will manifest itself depends on the development of the baby and on the upbringing of the parents.

Temperament is directly dependent on nervous processes such as excitement and inhibition. At the moment there are four types of temperament - these are sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and melancholic. The main thing that parents should know is that there are no pure temperaments, just one of them prevails more than others.

If your child is mobile when you talk to friends on the street, or he throws tantrums in the store, and at this time you are busy choosing products, then this is a normal, healthy, active child.

But you can talk about hyperactivity only when the child is constantly running, it is impossible to distract him, in the kindergarten and at home the behavior is the same. That is, sometimes the symptoms of temperament can indeed overlap with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Parents share their experiences of raising children with ADHD in the following video.

ADHD classification

The International Psychiatric Classification (DSM) identifies the following types of ADHD:

mixed - a combination of hyperactivity with impaired attention - occurs most often, especially in boys;
inattentive - attention deficit prevails, it is more common in girls with violent imagination;
hyperactive - hyperactivity dominates. It may be a consequence of both the individual characteristics of the temperament of children and some disorders of the central nervous system.

Symptoms in children of different ages

Symptoms of hyperactivity can appear even before the baby is born. These babies can be very active in the womb. An overly mobile child is a very dangerous phenomenon, because his activity can provoke an umbilical cord entanglement, and this is fraught with hypoxia.

In babies under 1 year old

Very active motor response to various actions.
Excessive loudness and hyperexcitability.
Delay in speech development is possible.
Sleep disturbances (rarely relaxed).
High sensitivity to bright light or noise.
It should be remembered that the moodiness of a baby at this age can be caused by malnutrition, growing teeth, colic.

Children 2-3 years old

Restlessness.
Fine motor disorders.
Chaotic movements of the baby, as well as their redundancy.
At this age, the signs of ADHD become more active.

For preschoolers

They are incapable of concentrating on business (listening to the fairy tale, finishing the game).
In the classroom, he confuses tasks, quickly forgets the question.
It's hard to go to bed.
Disobedience and whims.
Babies at 3 years old are very stubborn, wayward, since this age is accompanied by a crisis. But with ADHD, these traits increase.

Schoolchildren

There is no preservation of attention in the classroom.
Answers quickly, without hesitation, interrupts adults.
Feels self-doubt, low self-esteem.
Fears and anxiety.
Imbalance and unpredictability, changes in mood;
Enuresis, complaints of headache.
Tics appear.
Not able to wait quietly for a long time.

What specialists should I contact for help?

To confirm this diagnosis, parents should first of all see a neurologist. It is he who, having collected the entire anamnesis, after the examinations and tests, can confirm the presence of ADHD.

The child psychologist conducts psychological diagnostics using various questionnaires and methods of examining mental functions (memory, attention, thinking), as well as the emotional state of the child. Children of this type are often overexcited and stressed.

If you look at their drawings, you can see superficial images, lack of color schemes or the presence of sharp strokes and pressures. When raising such a baby, you should adhere to a single parenting style.

To clarify the diagnosis of a hyperactive child, additional tests are prescribed, since various diseases can be hidden behind a similar syndrome.

Correction and treatment

Rehabilitation of a child with ADHD includes both individual support and psychological, pedagogical and medication correction.

At the first stage, a child psychologist and a neurologist conduct consultations, individual examinations, use biofeedback technologies, where the child is taught to breathe correctly.

In the correction of ADHD, the entire social and related environment of a hyperactive child must interact: parents, educators and educators.

Medication is an adjunct and sometimes the main method for correcting ADHD. In medicine, children are prescribed nootropic drugs (cortexin, encephabol), they have a beneficial effect on the activity of the brain and are effective in cases of inattention. If, on the contrary, hyperactive symptoms prevail, then drugs that contain gamma-aminobutyric acid, pantogam, phenibut are used, they are responsible for inhibiting processes in the brain. It must be remembered that all of the above medications can only be taken as prescribed by a neurologist.

It is important for parents to monitor their child's nutrition.

It is mandatory to take 1000 mg of calcium, which is necessary for the development of a growing organism.
The need for magnesium ranges from 180 mg to 400 mg per day. It is found in buckwheat, wheat, peanuts, potatoes, and spinach.
Omega 3 is a special type of fatty acids which ensures the passage of impulses to the cells of the heart, brain, therefore, it is also important in the treatment of ADHD.

The main thing is that such vitamins as "choline" and "lecithin" are still present in the baby's nutrition - they are the protectors and builders of the nervous system. Foods that contain these substances are very useful (eggs, liver, milk, fish).

A very good effect is observed after the use of kinesiotherapy - these are breathing exercises, stretching, oculomotor exercises. Timely massage courses (SHOP) of the cervical spine, starting from an early age, will also be useful.

Sand therapy, work with clay, cereals and water will also be useful, but these games must be conducted under strict adult supervision. Especially if the child is small. Now on the shelves of children's stores you can find ready-made sets for such games, for example, "Kinesthetic sand", a table for games with water and sand. The best result can be achieved if the parents promptly begin treatment and correction at an early age, when symptoms are just beginning to appear.

Tips for parents

Learn to follow the daily routine, for a child with ADHD this is very important, do all the routine moments at the same time.
Create a comfortable environment for your child where he can be active for his own good. Enroll in sports clubs, clubs and swimming. Protect from overwork, try to get him enough sleep.
When forbidding one thing, always offer an alternative instead. For example, you can't play with a ball at home, but you can on the street, offer to play together.
If possible, parents can attend behavioral programs that are held at the centers. There they will be taught how to interact with children correctly, and will share the secrets of raising and developing such children. Also, such classes are held with children, both individually and in group.
Use visual stimulation and action pictures to reinforce verbal instructions.
Children are very fond of stroking, massage each other, draw on the back with your hands.
Listen to music. It has long been proven that classical music helps children focus and focus.
V. Beethoven "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5-6" controls all parts of your child's brain at the same time, stimulates speech and motor skills.
A. Mozart: "Symphony No. 40 in G Minor" trains the muscles in the ear, sound activates motor and auditory functions.
Parents in the home environment can correct their children themselves with the help of games aimed at training one function.

Useful games

Mindfulness games

"Catch - don't catch." This analogue on everyone's favorite game "Edible - Inedible". That is, one leading player throws the ball and says a word, for example, referring to animals, and the second participant catches or throws it away.

You can also play Find the Difference; "Prohibited traffic"; "Listen to the command."

Emotional stress relief games

"Touch". Through play, you teach your child to relax, relieve anxiety and develop his tactile sensitivity. For this, use different objects and materials, scraps of fabric, fur, glass and wood bottles, cotton wool, paper. Spread out on the table in front of the baby or put in a bag. When he carefully examines them, invite him with closed eyes to try to guess what object he took or touches it. The games "Affectionate paws" are also interesting; "Talking with hands."
"Cake". Invite your child to bake their favorite cake, play with his imagination. Let the child be a test, depict the preparation of the test using massage, stroking, tapping. Ask what to cook, what to add. This fun game is relaxing and stress relieving.

Games to control physical activity

"One, two, three freeze." Give him some fun dance music. While it sounds, the kid can jump, run and imitate animals, but as soon as it is over he must stop in the position in which he found him, the game teaches him to concentrate his attention.
Family game "Fruit Salad". Each family member draws himself as a fruit, then shows the drawings and talks about his characteristics. Then all the fruits are cut out and glued to the salad bowl.
"Commander". The rules of the game are explained to the child. One of the family members plays the commander, and the child plays the role of a fighter who clearly follows the adult's instructions. For example, "We will build the tower, I will lead the construction, and you will build." Then everyone swaps places. This game teaches children and parents to hear and understand each other.
"Describe and Draw." The purpose of the exercise is cohesion and mutual understanding. A kid draws a drawing on any topic, then describes it in great detail, and an adult, according to his description, must recreate the drawing.

How can you help your baby when he is overexcited?

Your child flared up - then take his hand and, for example, go with the baby to another room. Offer to wash up, and if that doesn't work, turn his attention to something interesting.

When he is angry, touch him, pat him gently on the back, hug him, because emotional contact is very necessary for children with ADHD.

An excellent way to restore balance and harmony in children is to take a soothing bath at night with various herbs, such as chamomile or lavender. Before going to bed, you can read your favorite fairy tale together or watch a calm cartoon.

If your child already has a well-developed imagination, try using meditation techniques. For example, ask to close your eyes. Let him imagine a clearing or forest. He will pay attention to the singing of birds or the sound of a stream, let him feel the wind on his face, all this can be accompanied by musical accompaniment.

Prevention

To prevent the appearance of ADHD syndrome, every mother, even before the birth of a child, must provide herself with favorable conditions for the normal course of pregnancy and childbirth, as well as create a positive microclimate in her home.

But if, nevertheless, a hyperactive baby appeared in your family, remember, the main thing is to start complex therapy on time, which will teach the child to competently build relationships with adults and children, to control his behavior and emotions.