Our inattentive hyperactive. "our inattentive hyperactive children" - what is ADHD. Dr. Komarovsky about a hyperactive child

ADHD- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Anyone who has ever observed its manifestations must have noticed the impulsiveness and unpredictability of such children. Living in a family with is like sitting on a barrel of gunpowder: you never know when it will explode. And it will definitely explode! So loud that even the deaf can hear!

No one argues, raising ADHD is not easy. And sometimes it's very hard. However, it is interesting that the same, exhausted parents, sending their restless child to their grandmother for a week, unexpectedly for themselves, the very next day begin to desperately yearn for him. Our ADHDs are indeed restless. But how direct and sweet!

No wonder the characters in many famous books and films have all the signs of hyperactivity.

Take, for example, O. Henry's book "Leader of the Redskins". As my daughter put it: “The child has clear signs of ADHD.” And what about the characters in Astrid Lindgren's books Emil of Lenneberg and Pippi Longstocking? This is exactly the same - our favorite ADHD-shki!

Parents against ADHD

So, in order to be “in the same coordinate system”, we immediately agree:

1. We love and accept our children with ADHD for who they are.
2. We are not looking for the guilty, but we decide what to do.
3. Whatever others say, we do not go on about public opinion and let no one manipulate us.
4. We don't compare our ADHD children to other children, and we don't envy parents who are "smarter, better-mannered, and more talented."
5. We live in a real, not a fantasy world. Let's face it, accept the situation as it really is. Only under these conditions is it possible to correct or change something for the better.

By the way, do not believe those who prophesy us and our children "a nightmare life." I declare with full responsibility that both a child with ADHD and the whole family can and should live interesting, bright and joyful lives.

Blog for ADHD parents

This blog about ADHD is created by parents and for parents of hyperactive children. Here you will not find articles reprinted from other sites. All information is obtained from reliable sources, processed by me personally and verified in practice.

In my posts, I share with you not only theory, but also practical ways improve life. Some will be surprised, but when raising a child with ADHD, facts that we often do not take into account at all can be important, and sometimes decisive.

So, living side by side with ADHD, sometimes you suddenly find that your grandmother's favorite vase on the chest of drawers comes so inopportunely to hand. And this large chandelier made of Czech glass in a strange way “attracts” the ball to itself. Yes, and the water from the aquarium is trying to "overflow the banks." Such misunderstandings happen in any family, but so often ...

If you knew where you would fall, you would have spread straws. Here we will "lay". Although unpredictable, ADHD has its own patterns. And I will talk about them in my blog.

ADHD has many faces. It may manifest itself in different ways. Therefore, we do not diagnose ADHD on our own. And we do not hang "labels" on children and their parents. Let's give doctors the opportunity to treat, teachers to teach. And our task as parents is to educate our ADHD-shek, develop their abilities and help them get comfortable in society. There are many possibilities for this. And for this, my website about ADHD was created.

In every little child
Both boy and girl
There are two hundred grams of explosives
Or even half a kilo!
He must run and jump
Grab everything, kick your feet,
Otherwise it will explode:
Fuck-bang! And there is none!
Every new baby
Coming out of diapers
And gets lost everywhere
And it's everywhere!
He's always running somewhere
He will be terribly upset
If anything in the world
Suddenly happen without it!

Song from m / f "Monkeys, forward!"

There are children who were born to immediately jump out of the cradle and rush off. They can't sit still even for five minutes, they scream the loudest and most often tear their pants. They always forget their notebooks and every day they write "homework" with new mistakes. They interrupt adults, they sit under the desk, they don't walk by the hand. These are kids with ADHD. Inattentive, restless and impulsive,” such words can be read on the main page of the site interregional organization parents of children with ADHD ≪Impulse≫.

Raising a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not easy. Parents of such children hear almost every day: “I have been working for so many years, but I have never seen such a disgrace”, “Yes, he has a bad manners syndrome!”, “You need to beat more! Completely spoiled the child!
Unfortunately, even today, many professionals working with children do not know anything about ADHD (or know only by hearsay and therefore are skeptical about this information). In fact, sometimes it is easier to refer to pedagogical neglect, bad manners and spoiledness than to try to find an approach to a non-standard child.
There are also back side medals: sometimes the word “hyperactivity” is understood as impressionability, normal curiosity and mobility, protest behavior, the child’s reaction to a chronic psycho-traumatic situation. The question is acute differential diagnosis, because most of the childhood neurological diseases can be accompanied by impaired attention and disinhibition. However, the presence of these symptoms does not always give grounds to say that a child has ADHD.
So what exactly is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? What is an ADHD child? And how can you tell a healthy "shilopop" from a hyperactive child? Let's try to figure it out.

What is ADHD

Definition and statistics
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a developmental behavioral disorder that begins at childhood.
Manifested by symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity and poorly controlled impulsivity.
Synonyms: hyperdynamic syndrome, hyperkinetic disorder. Also in Russia, in the medical record, a neurologist can write to such a child: CNS PEP (perinatal damage to the central nervous system), MMD (minimal cerebral dysfunction), ICP (increased intracranial pressure).
First the description of the disease, characterized by motor disinhibition, attention deficit and impulsivity, appeared about 150 years ago, since then the terminology of the syndrome has changed many times.
According to statistics, ADHD is more common in boys than girls (almost 5 times). Some foreign studies indicate that this syndrome is more common among Europeans, fair-haired and blue-eyed children. American and Canadian specialists use the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) classification in diagnosing ADHD, in Europe the International Classification of Diseases ICD (International Classification of Diseases) is adopted. ) with more stringent criteria. In Russia, the diagnosis is based on the criteria of the tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), they are also based on the DSM-IV classification (WHO, 1994, recommendations for practical application as criteria for the diagnosis of ADHD).

The controversy surrounding ADHD
Disputes of scientists about what ADHD is, how to diagnose it, what kind of therapy to carry out - drug therapy or manage with pedagogical and psychological measures - have been going on for more than a decade. The very fact of the presence of this syndrome is also called into question: until now, no one can say for sure to what extent ADHD is the result of brain dysfunction, and to what extent it is the result of improper upbringing and incorrect psychological climate reigning in the family.
The so-called ADHD controversy has been going on since at least the 1970s. In the West (particularly in the USA), where the medical treatment of ADHD with the help of potent drugs containing psychotropic substances (methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine) is accepted, the public is alarmed that a large number of "difficult" children are diagnosed with ADHD and unnecessarily often prescribed drugs that have big amount side effects. In Russia and most countries of the former CIS, another problem is more common - many teachers and parents are unaware that some children have features that lead to impaired concentration and control. The lack of tolerance for the individual characteristics of children with ADHD leads to the fact that all the problems of the child are attributed to the lack of education, pedagogical neglect and parental laziness. The need to regularly make excuses for the actions of your child (≪yes, we explain to him all the time≫ —≪that means you explain poorly, since he doesn’t understand≫) often leads to the fact that moms and dads experience helplessness and guilt, starting to consider themselves worthless parents.

Sometimes the opposite happens - motor disinhibition and talkativeness, impulsiveness and inability to comply with discipline and the rules of the group are considered by adults (more often parents) as a sign of the child's outstanding abilities, and sometimes even encouraged in every possible way. “We have a wonderful child! He is not hyperactive at all, but simply alive and active. He is not interested in these classes of yours, so he rebels! At home, carried away, he can do the same thing for a long time. And irascibility is a character, what can you do with it, - other parents say not without pride. On the one hand, these moms and dads are not so wrong - a child with ADHD, carried away an interesting activity(assembling puzzles, role-playing, watching an interesting cartoon - to each his own), he can really do this for a long time. However, you should know that ADHD primarily suffers voluntary attention- This is a more complex function, peculiar only to a person and formed in the learning process. Most seven-year-olds understand that during the lesson you need to sit quietly and listen to the teacher (even if they are not very interested). A child with ADHD understands all this too, but, unable to control himself, can get up and walk around the classroom, pull a neighbor's pigtail, interrupt the teacher.

It is important to know that ADHD children are not "spoiled", "ill-mannered" or "educational neglect" (although such children, of course, also occur). This should be remembered by those teachers and parents who recommend treating such children with vitamin P (or simply a belt). ADHD children disrupt classes, misbehave at breaks, be bold and disobey adults, even if they know how to behave, because of the objective personality traits inherent in ADHD. This must be understood by those adults who object to the fact that "a child is molded with diagnoses", arguing that these children "just have such a character."

How does ADHD manifest?
Main manifestations of ADHD
G.R. Lomakin in his book "Hyperactive child. How to find a common language with a fidget ≫ describes the main symptoms of ADHD: hyperactivity, impaired attention, impulsivity.
HYPERACTIVITY manifests itself in excessive and, most importantly, stupid motor activity, restlessness, fussiness, numerous movements that the child often does not notice. As a rule, such children speak a lot and often inconsistently, not finishing sentences and jumping from thought to thought. Sleep deprivation often exacerbates manifestations of hyperactivity—an already vulnerable nervous system the child, not having time to rest, cannot cope with the flow of information coming from the outside world, and defends itself in a very peculiar way. In addition, such children often have violations of praxis - the ability to coordinate and control their actions.
ATTENTION DISORDERS manifested in the fact that it is difficult for a child to concentrate on the same thing for a long time. He has insufficiently formed abilities of selective concentration of attention - he cannot distinguish the main from the secondary. A child with ADHD constantly "jumps" from one to another: "loses" lines in the text, solves all the examples at the same time, drawing the tail of a rooster, paints all the feathers at once and all the colors at once. Such children are forgetful, unable to listen and concentrate. Instinctively, they try to avoid tasks that require prolonged mental effort (it is common for any person to subconsciously avoid activities, the failure of which he foresees in advance). However, the above does not mean that children with ADHD are not able to keep their attention on anything. They cannot focus only on what they are not interested in. If something fascinated them, they can do it for hours. The trouble is that our life is full of activities that still have to be done, despite the fact that it is far from always exciting.
IMPULSITY is expressed in the fact that often the child's action is ahead of thought. Before the teacher has time to ask a question, the ADHD child is already stretching his hand, the task is not yet fully formulated, and he is already doing it, and then without permission he gets up and runs to the window - simply because he became interested in watching how the wind blows off birch last foliage. Such children do not know how to regulate their actions, obey the rules, wait. Their mood changes faster than the direction of the wind in autumn.
It is known that no two people are exactly the same, and therefore the symptoms of ADHD in different children manifest themselves in different ways. Sometimes the main complaint of parents and teachers will be impulsivity and hyperactivity, the other child has the most pronounced attention deficit. Depending on the severity of symptoms, ADHD is divided into three main types: mixed, with a pronounced attention deficit, or with a predominance of hyperactivity and impulsivity. At the same time, G.R. Lomakina notes that each of the above criteria can be expressed in the same child at different times and to varying degrees: “That is, in Russian, the same child today can be distracted and inattentive, tomorrow - resemble an electric broom with battery Energizer, the day after tomorrow - all day to move from laughter to crying and vice versa, and in a couple of days - to fit in one day and inattention, and mood swings, and indefatigable and stupid energy.

Additional Symptoms Common to Children with ADHD
Coordination disorders found in about half of ADHD cases. These can be fine movement disorders (tying shoelaces, using scissors, coloring, writing), balance (difficulty for children to ride a skateboard and a two-wheeled bicycle), visual-spatial coordination (inability to play sports, especially with a ball).
Emotional disorders often seen in ADHD. The emotional development of the child, as a rule, is delayed, which is manifested by imbalance, irascibility, intolerance for failures. It is sometimes said that the emotional-volitional sphere of a child with ADHD is in the ratio of 0.3 to his biological age (for example, a 12-year-old child behaves like an eight-year-old).
Violations social relations . A child with ADHD often has difficulties in relationships not only with peers, but also with adults. The behavior of such children is often characterized by impulsiveness, obsession, excessiveness, disorganization, aggressiveness, impressionability and emotionality. Thus, a child with ADHD is often a disruptor to the smooth flow of social relationships, interaction and cooperation.
Partial developmental delays, including school skills, are known as the discrepancy between actual performance and what can be expected based on the child's IQ. In particular, difficulties with reading, writing, counting (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia) are not uncommon. Many children with ADHD in preschool age have specific difficulty understanding certain sounds or words and/or difficulty expressing their opinions in words.

Myths about ADHD
ADHD is not a perceptual disorder! Children with ADHD hear, see, perceive reality just like everyone else. This distinguishes ADHD from autism, in which motor disinhibition is also common. However, in autism, these phenomena are due to a violation of the perception of information. Therefore, the same child cannot be diagnosed with ADHD and autism at the same time. One excludes the other.
At the heart of ADHD is a violation of the ability to perform an understood task, the inability to plan, execute, and complete the work begun. Children with ADHD feel, understand, perceive the world in the same way as everyone else, but they react to it differently.
ADHD is not a disorder in understanding and processing the information received! A child with ADHD in most cases is able to analyze and draw the same conclusions as everyone else. These children perfectly know, understand and can even easily repeat all those rules that they are endlessly reminded day after day: “do not run”, “sit still”, “do not turn around”, “be silent during the lesson”, “lead yourself just like everyone else≫, "clean up your toys after you." However, children with ADHD cannot follow these rules.
It is worth remembering that ADHD is a syndrome, that is, a stable, single combination of certain symptoms. From this we can conclude that at the root of ADHD lies one unique feature that always forms a slightly different, but essentially similar behavior. Generally speaking, ADHD is a disorder of motor function, as well as planning and control, and not the function of perception and understanding.

Portrait of a hyperactive child
At what age can ADHD be suspected?
"Hurricane", "thump in the ass", "perpetual motion machine" - what kind of definitions parents of children with ADHD do not give their children! When teachers and educators talk about such a child, the main thing in their description will be the adverb “too much”. The author of the book about hyperactive children, G.R. Lomakina, notes with humor that “there are too many such children everywhere and always, they are too active, they can be heard too well and far away, they are too often seen absolutely everywhere. Not only do these kids always get into stories for some reason, but these kids always get into all the stories that happen within ten blocks of the school.”
Although today there is no clear understanding of when and at what age it is safe to say that a child has ADHD, most experts agree that that it is impossible to make this diagnosis before five years. Many researchers argue that the signs of ADHD are most pronounced at 5-12 years old and during puberty (from about 14 years old).
Although the diagnosis of ADHD is rarely made in early childhood, some experts believe that there are a number of signs that suggest the likelihood of a baby having this syndrome. According to some researchers, the first manifestations of ADHD coincide with the peaks of the child's psychoverbal development, that is, they are most pronounced at 1-2 years, 3 years and 6-7 years.
Children prone to ADHD often have increased muscle tone even in infancy, experience problems with sleep, especially with falling asleep, and are extremely sensitive to any stimuli (light, noise, presence of a large number strangers, a new, unfamiliar situation or environment), while awake, are often overly mobile and agitated.

What is important to know about a child with ADHD
1) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is considered to be one of the so-called borderline states of the psyche. That is, in a normal, calm state, this is one of the extreme variants of the norm, however, the slightest catalyst is enough to bring the psyche out of the normal state and the extreme version of the norm has already turned into some deviation. A catalyst for ADHD is any activity that requires the child to pay more attention, focus on the same type of work, as well as any hormonal changes that occur in the body.
2) Diagnosis of ADHD does not imply a lag in the intellectual development of the child. On the contrary, as a rule, children with ADHD are very smart and have fairly high intellectual abilities (sometimes above average).
3) The mental activity of a hyperactive child is characterized by cyclicity. Children can work productively for 5-10 minutes, then for 3-7 minutes the brain rests, accumulating energy for the next cycle. At this moment, the student is distracted, does not respond to the teacher. Then mental activity is restored and the child is ready for work within the next 5-15 minutes. Psychologists say that children with ADHD have a so-called. flickering consciousness: that is, they can periodically “fall out” during activity, especially in the absence of physical activity.
4) Scientists have found that motor stimulation of the corpus callosum, cerebellum and vestibular apparatus of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder leads to the development of the function of consciousness, self-control and self-regulation. When hyperactive child thinks he needs to make some kind of movement - for example, swinging in a chair, tapping a pencil on the table, muttering something under his breath. If he stops moving, he "falls into a stupor" and loses the ability to think.
5) Hyperactive children are characterized superficiality of feelings and emotions. They they cannot hold a grudge for a long time and are unforgiving.
6) A hyperactive child is characterized by frequent mood swings- from stormy delight to unbridled anger.
7) A consequence of impulsivity in ADHD children is irascibility. In a fit of anger, such a child can tear up the notebook of the neighbor who offended him, throw all his things on the floor, shake out the contents of the briefcase on the floor.
8) Children with ADHD often develop negative self-esteem- the child begins to think that he is bad, not like everyone else. Therefore, it is very important that adults treat him kindly, understanding that his behavior is caused by objective control difficulties (that he does not want to, and cannot behave well).
9) Common in ADHD children lowered pain threshold. Also, they are practically devoid of a sense of fear. This can be dangerous to the health and life of the child, as it can lead to unpredictable fun.

How to recognize ADHD
Basic diagnostic methods
So, what to do if parents or educators suspect a child has ADHD? How to understand what determines the child's behavior: pedagogical neglect, lack of education or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? Or maybe just character? In order to answer these questions, you need to contact a specialist.
It should be said right away that, unlike other neurological disorders, for which there are clear methods of laboratory or instrumental confirmation, there is no single objective diagnostic method for ADHD. According to modern recommendations of experts and diagnostic protocols, mandatory instrumental examinations for children with ADHD (in particular, electroencephalograms, computed tomography, etc.) are not indicated. There are many works that describe certain changes in the EEG (or the use of other methods of functional diagnostics) in children with ADHD, however, these changes are nonspecific - that is, they can be observed both in children with ADHD and in children without this disorder. On the other hand, it often happens that functional diagnostics do not reveal any abnormalities, but the child has ADHD. Therefore, from a clinical point of view the basic method for diagnosing ADHD is interviews with parents and the child and the use of diagnostic questionnaires.
Due to the fact that in this violation the boundary between normal behavior and disorder is very arbitrary, it is up to the specialist to establish it in each case at his own discretion.(unlike other disorders, where there are still landmarks). Thus, due to the need to make a subjective decision, the risk of error is quite high: both not detecting ADHD (this is especially true for milder, "borderline" forms), and detecting the syndrome where it actually does not exist. Moreover, the subjectivity doubles: after all, the specialist focuses on the data of the anamnesis, which reflect Subjective opinion parents. Meanwhile, parental ideas about what behavior is considered normal and what is not can be very different and are determined by many factors. Nevertheless, the timeliness of the diagnosis depends on how attentive and, if possible, objective people from the child’s immediate environment (teachers, parents or pediatricians) will be. After all, the sooner you understand the characteristics of the child, the more time for the correction of ADHD.

Stages of diagnosing ADHD
1) Clinical interview with a specialist (children's neurologist, pathopsychologist, psychiatrist).
2) Application of diagnostic questionnaires. It is desirable to obtain information about the child "from various sources": from parents, teachers, psychologist educational institution that the baby attends. The golden rule in diagnosing ADHD is to confirm the presence of the disorder from at least two independent sources.
3) In doubtful, “borderline” cases, when the opinions of parents and specialists about the presence of ADHD in a child differ, it makes sense video filming and its analysis ( recording the child's behavior in the lesson, etc.). However, help is also important in cases of behavioral problems without a diagnosis of ADHD - the point, after all, is not in the label.
4) If possible - neuropsychological examination a child whose goal is to establish the level of intellectual development, as well as to identify often associated violations of school skills (reading, writing, counting). The identification of these disorders is also important in terms of differential diagnosis, because, given the presence of reduced intellectual capabilities or specific learning difficulties, attention disorders in the classroom can be caused by a program that does not match the child's ability level, and not ADHD.
5) Additional examinations (if necessary)): consultation of a pediatrician, neurologist, other specialists, instrumental and laboratory research for the purpose of differential diagnosis and detection of concomitant diseases. A basic pediatric and neurological examination is reasonable in connection with the need to exclude an "ADHD-like" syndrome caused by somatic and neurological disorders.
It is important to remember that behavioral and attentional disorders in children can be caused by any general somatic diseases (such as anemia, hyperthyroidism), as well as all disorders that cause chronic pain, itching, physical discomfort. The cause of "pseudo-ADHD" may be side effects certain medicines(e.g. diphenyl, phenobarbital), as well as a number of neurological disorders(epilepsy with absences, chorea, tics and many others). The problems of the child may also be due to the presence sensory disorders, and here a basic pediatric examination is important to identify visual or hearing impairments that, if mild, may be misdiagnosed. A pediatric examination is also advisable in connection with the need to assess the general somatic condition of the child, to identify possible contraindications regarding the use of certain groups of medications that can be prescribed to children with ADHD.

Diagnostic questionnaires
DSM-IV criteria for ADHD
Attention disorder
a) often fails to pay attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork or other activities;
b) there are often problems keeping attention on the task or game;
c) often there are problems with the organization of activities and tasks;
d) is often reluctant or avoids engaging in activities that require sustained concentration (such as completing in-class assignments or homework);
e) often loses or forgets items needed for tasks or other activities (eg diary, books, pens, tools, toys);
f) is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli;
g) often does not listen when spoken to;
h) often does not follow instructions, does not carry out orders to the end or in the appropriate amount, homework or other work (but not out of protest, stubbornness or inability to understand the instruction / task);
i) forgetful in daily activities.

Hyperactivity - impulsivity(at least six of the following symptoms must be present):
Hyperactivity:
a) cannot sit still, is constantly moving;
b) often leaves his seat in situations where he should be sitting (for example, in a lesson);
c) runs a lot and “turns everything upside down” where it shouldn’t be done (in adolescents and adults, the equivalent may be the feeling internal stress and a constant need to move).
d) is unable to play quietly, calmly or rest;
e) acts "as if wound up" - like a toy with a motor running;
f) talks too much.

Impulsiveness:
g) often speaks prematurely, without listening to the end of the question;
h) impatient, often cannot wait for his turn;
i) frequently interrupts others and interferes with their activity/conversation. The above symptoms must have been present for at least six months, occur in at least two different environments (school, home, playground, etc.) and not be caused by another disorder.

Diagnostic criteria used by Russian specialists

Attention disorder(diagnosed when 4 out of 7 signs are present):
1) needs a calm, quiet environment, otherwise he is not able to work and concentrate;
2) often asks again;
3) easily distracted by external stimuli;
4) confuses details;
5) does not finish what he starts;
6) listens, but does not seem to hear;
7) has difficulty concentrating unless a one-on-one situation is created.

Impulsiveness
1) shouts out in the classroom, makes noise during the lesson;
2) extremely excitable;
3) it is difficult for him to wait for his turn;
4) overly talkative;
5) offends other children.

Hyperactivity(diagnosed when 3 out of 5 signs are present):
1) climbs on cabinets and furniture;
2) always ready to go; runs more often than walks;
3) fussy, writhing and writhing;
4) if he does something, then with noise;
5) must always do something.

Characteristic behavioral problems should be of early onset (before six years) and persistence over time (manifest for at least six months). However, prior to school entry, hyperactivity is difficult to recognize due to the wide range of normal variations.

And what will grow out of it?
What will grow out of it? This question worries all parents, and if fate decreed that you became a mom or dad of ADHD, then you are especially worried. What is the prognosis for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Scholars answer this question in different ways. Today they talk about the three most options development of ADHD.
1. Over time symptoms disappear, and children become teenagers, adults without deviations from the norm. Analysis of the results of most studies indicates that 25 to 50 percent of children "outgrow" this syndrome.
2. Symptoms to varying degrees continue to be present, but without evidence of psychopathology. Such people are the majority (from 50% or more). They have some problems with Everyday life. According to surveys, they are constantly accompanied by a feeling of "impatient and restless", impulsiveness, social inadequacy, low self-esteem throughout their lives. There are reports of a higher frequency of accidents, divorces, job changes among this group of people.
3. Develop severe complications in adults in the form of personality or antisocial changes, alcoholism and even psychotic states.

What is the path for these children? A lot of it depends on us adults. Psychologist Margarita Zhamkochyan characterizes hyperactive children as follows: ≪Everyone knows that restless children grow up as explorers, adventurers, travelers and founders of companies. And this is not just a coincidence. There are quite extensive observations: children who elementary school tormented teachers with their hyperactivity, having become older, they are already addicted to something specific - and by the age of fifteen they become real docks in this matter. They have attention, concentration, and perseverance. Such a child can learn everything else without much diligence, and the subject of his passion - thoroughly. Therefore, when they say that the syndrome usually disappears by the senior school age, this is not true. It is not compensated, but results in some kind of talent, in a unique skill.
The creator of the famous airline "JetBlue" David Niliman tells with pleasure that in his childhood they not only found such a syndrome, but also described it as "luxuriantly blooming" (flamboyant). And the presentation of his work biography and management methods suggests that this syndrome did not leave him in his adult years, moreover, that he owes his dizzying career to him.
And this is not the only example. If we analyze the biographies of some famous people, it becomes clear that in childhood they had all the symptoms characteristic of hyperactive children: explosive nature, problems with learning at school, a tendency to risky and adventurous enterprises. It is enough to take a closer look around, recall two or three good friends who have succeeded in life, their childhood years, in order to draw a conclusion: Golden medal and a red diploma very rarely turn into a successful career and a well-paid job.
Of course, a hyperactive child is difficult in everyday hostel life. But understanding the reasons for his behavior can make it easier for adults to accept the "difficult child." Psychologists say that children are especially in dire need of love and understanding when they least deserve it. This is especially true of a child with ADHD who wears down parents and educators with his constant "antics". The love and attention of parents, the patience and professionalism of teachers, and the timely help of specialists can become a springboard for a child with ADHD into a successful adult life.

Oksana Berkovskaya | editor of the magazine "Seventh petal"

Portrait of a hyperdynamic child
The first thing that catches the eye when meeting a hyperdynamic child is his excessive in relation to the calendar age and some kind of "stupid" mobility.
Being a baby, such a child in the most incredible way gets out of the diaper. ... It is impossible to leave such a baby on the changing table or on the couch even for a minute from the very first days and weeks of his life. One has only to gape a little, as he will somehow dodge and fall to the floor with a dull thud. However, as a rule, all the consequences will be limited to a loud, but short scream.
Not always, but quite often, hyperdynamic children have some kind of sleep disturbance. ...Sometimes the presence of hyperdynamic syndrome can be assumed in an infant by observing its activity in relation to toys and other objects (although this can only be done by a specialist who knows well how ordinary children of this age manipulate objects). The study of objects in a hyperdynamic infant is intense, but extremely undirected. That is, the child discards the toy before exploring its properties, immediately grabs another (or several at once) only to discard it a few seconds later.
... As a rule, motor skills in hyperdynamic children develop in accordance with age, often even ahead of age. Hyperdynamic children earlier than others begin to hold their heads, roll over on their stomachs, sit, stand up, walk, etc. ... It is these children who stick their heads between the bars of the crib, get stuck in the playpen, get tangled in duvet covers and quickly and dexterously learn to shoot everything that caring parents put on them.
As soon as a hyperdynamic child is on the floor, a new, extremely important stage begins in the life of the family, the purpose and meaning of which is to protect the life and health of the child, as well as family property from possible damage. The activity of the hyperdynamic infant is unstoppable and crushing. Sometimes relatives get the impression that he acts around the clock, almost without a break. Hyperdynamic children from the very beginning do not walk, but run.
... It is these children, aged from one to two - two and a half years old, who drag tablecloths with tableware to the floor, drop TV sets and New Year trees, fall asleep on the shelves of empty wardrobes, endlessly, despite prohibitions, turn on gas and water, and also overturn pots with contents of different temperatures and consistency.
As a rule, no attempts at admonition work on hyperdynamic children. They are fine with memory and understanding of speech. They just can't resist. Having committed another trick or a destructive act, the hyperdynamic child himself is sincerely upset and does not understand at all how it happened: “She fell herself!”, “I walked, walked, climbed, and then I don’t know”, “I didn’t touch it at all !"
...Quite often, hyperdynamic children have various speech development disorders. Some begin to speak later than their peers, some - on time or even earlier, but the trouble is that no one understands them, because they do not pronounce two-thirds of the sounds of the Russian language. ... When they speak, they wave their arms a lot and stupidly, shift from foot to foot or jump on the spot.
Another feature of hyperdynamic children is that they do not learn not only from others, but even from their own mistakes. Yesterday, a child was walking with his grandmother on the playground, climbed a high ladder, could not get down. I had to ask the teenage guys to take him out of there. The child was clearly frightened, to the question: “Well, are you going to climb this ladder now?” - earnestly replies: "I will not!" The next day, on the same playground, he first of all runs to the same ladder ...

It is the hyperdynamic children who are the children who get lost. And there is absolutely no strength to scold the found child, and he himself does not really understand what happened. “You left!”, “I just went to look!”, “And you were looking for me ?!” - all this discourages, angers, makes you doubt the mental and emotional capabilities of the child.
...Hyperdynamic children are usually not evil. They are not able to harbor resentment or plans for revenge for a long time, they are not prone to targeted aggression. They quickly forget all grievances, yesterday's offender or offended today is their best friend. But in the heat of a fight, when the already weak inhibitory mechanisms fail, these children can be aggressive.

The real problems of the hyperdynamic child (and his family) begin with schooling. “Yes, he can do anything if he wants to! He only has to concentrate - and all these tasks are for him in one tooth! nine out of ten parents say this or something like this. The whole trouble is that a hyperdynamic child categorically cannot concentrate. Seated for lessons, in five minutes he draws in a notebook, rolls a typewriter on the table, or simply looks out the window, behind which the older guys play football or clean the feathers of a crow. Ten minutes later, he will be very thirsty, then eat, then, of course, go to the toilet.
The same thing happens in the classroom. A hyperdynamic child for a teacher is like a mote to the eye. He endlessly spins in place, gets distracted and chats with his desk mate. ... In the work at the lesson, he is either absent and then, when asked, answers inappropriately, or accepts Active participation, jumps on the desk with his hand up to the sky, runs out into the aisle, shouts: “Me! I! Ask me!” - or simply, unable to resist, shouts out an answer from a place.
Notebooks of a hyperdynamic child (especially in primary school) are a pitiful sight. The amount of bugs in them rivals the amount of dirt and fixes. The notebooks themselves are almost always wrinkled, with bent and soiled corners, with torn covers, with spots of some unintelligible dirt, as if someone had recently eaten pies on them. The lines in the notebooks are uneven, the letters crawl up and down, letters are omitted or replaced in words, words in sentences. The punctuation marks seem to be in a completely arbitrary order - the author's punctuation in the worst sense of the word. It is the hyperdynamic child who can make four mistakes in the word "more".
Reading problems also occur. Some hyperdynamic children read very slowly, stuttering over every word, but they read the words correctly. Others read quickly, but change endings and "swallow" words and whole sentences. In the third case, the child reads normally in terms of pace and quality of pronunciation, but does not understand what he read at all and cannot remember or retell anything.
Problems with mathematics are even rarer and are associated, as a rule, with the total inattention of the child. He can correctly solve a complex problem, and then write down the wrong answer. He easily confuses meters with kilograms, apples with boxes, and the resulting two diggers and two-thirds do not bother him at all. If there is a “+” sign in the example, the hyperdynamic child will easily and correctly perform subtraction, if the division sign will perform multiplication, and so on. and so on.

The hyperdynamic child constantly loses everything. He forgets his hat and mittens in the locker room, his briefcase in the square near the school, sneakers in the gym, a pen and textbook in the classroom, and a diary with grades somewhere in the garbage heap. Books, notebooks, boots, apple cores and half-eaten candies coexist calmly and closely in his satchel.
At recess, a hyperdynamic child is a "hostile whirlwind." The accumulated energy urgently demands an exit and finds it. There is no such brawl in which our child would not get involved, there is no prank that he will refuse. Clueless, crazy running around at recess or at the "extension", ending somewhere in the area of ​​​​the solar plexus of one of the members of the teaching staff, and suggestion and repression appropriate to the occasion - the inevitable end of almost everyone school day our child.

Ekaterina Murashova | From the book: "Children are "mattresses" and children are" disasters ""

ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - causes a lot of problems not only to its owner, but also to the people around him - parents, teachers, educators. The modern view of this problem considers the possibility of effective correction of this disease with the help of training those mental processes which it limits.

Such a child is immediately noticeable in a group of other children. He, like a spinning top, does not sit still for a minute, turns his head in all directions, responds to any noise. He does not complete any task and is already taken to the second. He does not listen to adults and peers, it seems that everything flies past his ears. In everyday life, such children are given the nicknames “difficult”, “uncontrollable”. Their medical record lists ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

For many parents, this abbreviation is not an empty phrase. Problems begin from the moment their child enters kindergarten. With a large number of children in groups, even in modern kindergartens, the teacher simply does not have enough patience for a child with ADHD. At school, troubles only increase, and if you do not start psychodiagnostic and corrective work, then it will be difficult for him in later life.

Ten Key Rules for Raising a Child with ADHD:

1. Respond to the child's actions immediately.
2. React always or as often as possible.
3. Your reaction should be strong enough and meaningful.
4. Not only punish, but also encourage.
5. Be consistent.
6. Act, don't talk!
7. Think ahead of problem situations.
8. Do not forget that some aspects of the child's behavior are due to his condition.
9. Don't think of your child's problems as your personal problems.
10. Be lenient.

Do you find yourself constantly asking your child in annoyance, “Have you done your homework yet?” Change the grumbling to a positive statement like, "Once you've done your homework, you can go play with your friends (watch your favorite TV show or any other incentive)." To avoid wars, establish an order in which homework is done every day at the same time.

Learn self-soothing. You can't calm your child if you can't calm yourself.

Be organized. You cannot get order from a child if you do not keep order yourself.

Learn to manage irritation; Recognize the first signs of irritation.

Learn not to shout, but to use alternative methods.

Learn to anticipate the time and topic of conflict and plan ways to resolve it.

When you help your child with homework, you can use the "think aloud" method, ie. verbalize each sequential step required to solve a problem or complete a task. The child not only learns that it is okay to talk to himself while working; he also explores the process by asking questions about what the next step should be and saying to himself, "Next I have to do..." Such dialogue can help a child who tends to rush homework. The self-talk technique is especially useful for math tasks and writing.

Children with ADHD find it difficult to make friends with other children.

If you want to invite a child's friend to your house for the children to play together:

Plan your first visit short (about an hour). Gradually increase the time of subsequent visits.

Before a friend arrives, discuss with your child what they can do together. Limit solo activities, such as video games.

If your child does not want to be touched by any of his toys, then these toys are best removed.

Discuss the rules for hosting friends at home: what they can and cannot do.

Teach your child the rules of behavior in relation to the guest: "Let the guest choose the first lesson", "Play in turn."

When preparing the material, the books “Neuropsychological and psychophysiological support of learning” (2003), Harland S. “Hyperactive or over gifted? How to help non-standard children” (2004).

Teacher-defectologist MBOU TsPMSS "Family" Islamgulova A.A.

Dear Sirs.

We parents children with attention deficit disorder (and hyperactivity), united by an Internet site and a forum " Our inattentive hyperactive children”, we appeal to you in the hope that the Ministry of Education and Science will pay attention to the typical problems of our and other children like them. The main problem is that the methods and approaches adopted by our school do not take into account individual characteristics children and lead to academic failure, and effective ways There is no correction for school failure either.

Attention Deficit Disorder (and Hyperactivity)- a condition that is not in the strict sense of the word a disease. It is characterized by the fact that a child with normal (often high) intelligence gets tired quickly, is easily distracted, and is extremely mobile and impulsive. Therefore, almost all children with ADHD have serious learning difficulties. The objectivity of the existence of this phenomenon is confirmed by both Russian and foreign studies. In Russia, the terminology has not yet settled down, doctors use the terms MMD (minimal brain dysfunction), ADHD, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), etc. Abroad, it is classified as ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder).

The only mention of ADHD in the normative documents related to the regular school, we found in Appendices 13-16 to methodological recommendations"Assessment of the physical development and health status of children and adolescents, the study of medical and social reasons for the formation of deviations in health", approved by the State Committee for Epidemiological Supervision in 1996. These recommendations are not quite accurate and complete, however, they are practically not taken into account in the work of schools.

The syndrome is extremely widespread among children of younger and middle age. school age. According to various estimates, from 5 to 20% of students in the class suffer from attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity. In addition, in each class there are children with other disorders that require correction: first of all, various problems caused by difficulties in processing information of one kind or another (including dyslexia and dysgraphia), neuropsychiatric diseases, and so on.

The school is now not engaged in recognizing and correcting problems - partly because of incompetence, partly on principle, believing that this is the business of parents. But parents, moreover, do not have special knowledge in the field of psychology and correctional pedagogy and are not qualified to help their child. Most often, they do not understand the causes of difficulties and do not know where to turn for help.

As a result, ignoring the problem leads to the formation of persistent school maladaptation: they do not want to study, fall into the underachievers, avoid everything related to school, etc. According to a study by Zavadenko, Petrukhin, Manelis, and others published in the Neurological Journal (No. 6, 1998), a third of students suffer from various forms of school maladaptation. elementary school. In 7.6% of the 537 children examined in Moscow schools, this group of scientists identified ADHD, which is one of the main factors in the development of maladaptation.

Neither medicine nor pedagogy doubts the existence of ADHD.. Experts do not yet have a consensus on the causes and methods of treatment (adjustment) of this condition. However, timely diagnosis, pedagogical and psychological help are able to correct a number of problems in a timely manner.

For children with ADHD, the urgent needs are frequent rest, the alternation of various types of activities, the use of interactive techniques, experiments, experiments, creative tasks etc. As a rule, they do not cope with tasks where time is strictly limited, they cannot endure long monotonous lessons (they should be allowed to be distracted for a while), they cannot concentrate on numerous small details for a long time. They often have difficulty with math and study foreign language in addition, ADHD is often accompanied by dysgraphia, dyslexia, etc. In order to cope with each of these problems, methods and techniques have been developed that are practically not used in our school. Children can handle curriculum in an ordinary class, there is not even an urgent need to collect them in a separate remedial class - for them to be successful, often the teacher's understanding and desire to help is enough.

Even when parents inform teachers about the problem in the hope of help, teachers refuse to cooperate: “You made up everything, it’s just that he is lazy and you don’t study with him”, “We have read all kinds of Internet”, “I can’t babysit your child , I have 25 of them, and everyone needs to be taught.”

Thus, our children very quickly fall into the lagging behind and problematic. And the school wants to get rid of such children in any possible way: weed out, demand a transfer to another school, not take them to the 5th (10th) grade, etc. We also know egregious cases when the diagnosis of ADHD was considered as the presence of a mental illness, disability, mental retardation, denied admission to the first grade or demanded that the child be transferred to a correctional school, to home schooling, etc.

We realistically assess reality and understand that Russian school is in an extremely difficult position. However, we also see the position in which our children are. Helping them does not require large investments. In itself, the recognition of the phenomenon of attention deficit by teachers will be a big shift.

Therefore, we appeal to the Ministry of Education and Science with a request:

We understand that it will take a long time for our children to receive the full amount of exactly the help they need within the framework of the state education system.

However, even now it is quite possible to facilitate their existence at school and prevent the development of school maladjustment, due to which more and more children become disinterested in learning, unmotivated, unable and unwilling to learn.

We hope for the understanding of the Ministry and assistance. We, in turn, are ready to help in any way we can, and we will be happy to cooperate with everyone who will undertake to really help our and similar children in Russian schools.

ATTENTION! Russian parents - a letter to the Ministry of Education.

Here is a forum for parents of children with ADHD
the authors of which plan to apply to the Ministry of Education of Russia with this letter.

More on this topic:

• Tests by Vladimir Pugach for ADD, ADHD, ambidexterity
• New quality of express diagnostics and effective correction of ADHD

Russian doctors prescribing treatment for children with ADHD recommend not focusing solely on medication methods of correction, but using the help of psychologists, neuropsychologists and social educators. A neuropsychologist analyzes the child's behavior, identifies problem areas and offers a course of activities that help develop different parts of the brain. A set of neuropsychological exercises at first glance may seem like a meaningless exercise to parents: children are encouraged to crawl on the floor, somersault and wave their arms. In fact, such simple physical education helps children feel their body, learn how to manage it. And not all children exercise easily. The main condition for success is the regularity of classes. If within six months children study at home or under the supervision of a teacher in a specialized center, they will become calmer, more self-confident and even more attentive. Neuropsychologists and other educators working with difficult children provide assistance in urban medical-psychological-pedagogical centers, branches of which are located in every district of the city of Moscow. Here you can apply for free and paid assistance. In order to get to classes, you need to sign up for an examination at the central psychological, medical and pedagogical commission and come on the appointed day with a referral from the clinic, a child's birth certificate, a passport of one of the parents, and a student's characteristics. Full list documents can be found