Speaking in detail, in Latin "active" means active, efficient, and the Greek word "hyper" indicates an excess of the norm. Hyperactivity in children is manifested by inattention, distractibility, and impulsivity that are unusual for normal, age-appropriate, child development. < Слайд 1> According to the psychological and pedagogical literature, in the description of such children the following terms are used: “moving”, “impulsive”, “nimble”, “energizer”, “perpetual motion”, “zhivchik”, “volcano”. < Слайд 2 > Some authors also use such phrases as “motor type of development”, “children with increased activity”, “children with increased affectivity”. According to experts, almost half of the children suffer from the so-called hyperactivity. Not only in our country, but throughout the world, the number of such children is steadily increasing. If a child is hyperactive, then not only he himself experiences difficulties, but also his environment: parents, classmates, teachers ... such a child needs timely help, otherwise an antisocial or even psychopathic personality may form in the future: it is known that among juvenile delinquents a significant percentage are hyperactive children.
Helping a hyperactive child is a very complex process and there are many pitfalls on the way to full recovery. Here is what the head teacher of a school near Moscow said about such a first-grader.
A well-prepared boy came to the gymnasium class of an ordinary high school. However, he could not study in this class. The reason is simple: the excessive aggressiveness of a hyperactive child caused constant conflicts with peers. Once a classmate suffered a rather serious injury. The parents rebelled and attacked the head teacher: “Remove this child from our class, we are afraid for our children!” I had to transfer the child to another class. But the same problems arose there. The students in the new class were smarter than the previous ones. The children quickly realized that if yesterday he hit one, today he hit another, then we must unite and act against him together. Well, a normal reaction to constant irritation ... But one day this unequal confrontation ended as follows: a lonely boy, armed with a ski pole (apparently after a skirmish in the classroom), ran around the school in terrible excitement and anger and did not allow anyone to approach him. Teachers and high school students called for help could not approach him and somehow calm the child. Often after this incident, he, being delivered to the threshold of the school by his father, did not rush to his class at all, but hung out along the corridors or sat in the head teacher's office. Did the school try to help the child in any way? How could ... There were also conversations with a psychologist, and teachers tried to find an approach to him, and parents were repeatedly called to school. It turned out that the father is raising the child, the parents divorced. The mother lives separately and, according to her, is not even able to take her son to her place for the weekend: she is very tired of mutual communication with her own child. Well, the father probably allowed excessive rigidity in raising his son, whipping up the aggressiveness of a hyperactive child. A child psychiatrist, after examining the boy, concluded that the child's intelligence level was above average, and recommended home schooling with school teachers with visits to certain subjects in the presence of the father. But until the end school year there was little time left, and the organization home schooling postponed until autumn. In the meantime, they offered to study in a special sanatorium for hyperactive children. However, according to rumors, he was expelled from there two weeks later, and neither at the end of the school year, nor at the beginning of the next, he never appeared at school. This is such a sad story.
What is hyperactivity, and how should we, as adults, adjust our behavior to help the process of socialization of a hyperactive child?
Hyperactivity is commonly understood as excessively restless physical and mental activity in children, when excitation prevails over inhibition. Doctors believe that hyperactivity is the result of very minor brain damage that is not detected by diagnostic tests. In scientific terms, we are dealing with minimal brain dysfunction. Signs of hyperactivity appear in a child already in early childhood. In the future, his emotional instability and aggressiveness often lead to conflicts in the family and school.
How does hyperactivity manifest itself?
Hyperactivity is most pronounced in children of senior preschool and primary school age. During this period, the transition to the leading - educational - activity is carried out and, in connection with this, intellectual loads increase: children are required to have the ability to concentrate on a longer period of time, to bring the work they have started to the end, to achieve a certain result. It is in conditions of prolonged and systematic activity that hyperactivity manifests itself very convincingly. Parents suddenly discover numerous negative consequences of restlessness, disorganization, excessive mobility of their child and, worried about this, seek contacts with a psychologist.
Psychologists identify the following signs, which are diagnostic symptoms of hyperactive children.
1. Restless movements in the hands and feet. Sitting on a chair, writhing, wriggling.
2. Cannot sit still when asked to do so.
3. Easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
4. Has difficulty waiting his turn during games and different situations in a team (in the classroom, during excursions and holidays).
5. Often answers questions without thinking, without listening to them to the end.
6. When performing the proposed tasks, he experiences difficulties (not related to negative behavior or lack of understanding).
7. Difficulty maintaining attention when performing tasks or during games.
8. Often moves from one incomplete action to another.
9. Cannot play quietly, calmly.
10. Chatty.
11. Often interferes with others, sticks to others (for example, interferes with the games of other children).
12. It often seems that the child does not listen to the speech addressed to him.
13. Often loses things needed in kindergarten, school, at home, on the street.
14. Sometimes performs dangerous actions without thinking about the consequences, but does not specifically look for adventures or thrills (for example, runs out into the street without looking around).
All these signs can be grouped into the following areas:
- excessive motor activity;
- impulsiveness;
- distraction-inattention. < Слайд 3 >
The diagnosis is considered valid if at least eight of all symptoms are present. So, having fairly good intellectual abilities, hyperactive children are characterized by insufficient speech development and fine motor skills, reduced interest in acquiring intellectual skills, drawing, and have some other deviations from the average age characteristics, which leads to their lack of interest in systematic, attention-demanding activities, and therefore future or present learning activities.
Who is more likely to have hyperactive behavior: boys or girls?
According to psychologists, hyperactivity among children from 7 to 11 years old averages 16.5%. Among boys - 22%, among girls - about 10%.
Why are there so many more hyperactive boys than girls?
The reasons may be as follows: the greater vulnerability of the brain of male fetuses in relation to various types of pathology of pregnancy and childbirth, in which the developing brain suffers. It is possible that functional and genetic factors play a role. In addition, it is believed that a lower degree of functional asymmetry in girls creates a greater reserve for compensating for violations of certain higher mental functions. Perhaps girls are more dominated by norms social behavior, from childhood, inspiring them with obedience. As a detente, a girl can simply cry, while a boy in a similar situation will rather “run along the ceiling”. < Слайд 4 >
Hyperactive children and their learning problems.
The problems of children with behavioral disorders, the associated learning difficulties are currently particularly relevant. Constantly excited, inattentive, restless and noisy - such children attract the attention of the teacher, who needs to make sure that they sit quietly, complete tasks, and do not interfere with classmates. These schoolchildren are constantly busy with their own affairs at the lesson, it is difficult to keep them in place, to force them to listen to the task and, moreover, to complete it to the end. They “do not hear” the teacher, they lose everything, they forget everything. They are inconvenient for teachers due to their excessive activity and impulsiveness. And since the modern school is a system of norms, rules, requirements that regulate the life of a child, we can talk about the existing education system as not adapted to work with hyperactive children. That is why in recent years the problem of the effectiveness of teaching hyperactive children has become increasingly relevant and discussed among teachers and school psychologists. So, a few years ago in primary school there were one or two hyperactive children in the class, and now about 20-30% of students fall into this group. And this percentage is constantly growing. With all the existing problems of behavior, the intellectual functions of a hyperactive child are not impaired, and such children can successfully master the program of a general education school, provided that the requirements of the school environment correspond to the child's capabilities. However, the education system itself, especially at the first stages of hyperactive children's stay at school, is traumatic for them and leads to the emergence of maladaptive states in these children.
So, hyperactive children (and especially younger schoolchildren) experience an increased need for movement, which contradicts the requirements of school life, since. school rules do not allow them to move freely during the lesson and even during recess. And sitting at a desk for 4-6 lessons in a row for 40 minutes is an impossible task for them. That is why already 15-20 minutes after the start of the lesson, a hyperactive child is not able to sit at a desk calmly. This is facilitated by low mobility in the lesson, the absence of a change in the forms of activity in the lesson and during the day. The next problem is the contradiction between the impulsiveness of the child's behavior and the normativity of relations in the lesson, which manifests itself in the discrepancy between the child's behavior and the established pattern: the teacher's question - the student's answer. hyperactive child, as a rule, does not wait until the teacher allows him to answer. He often begins to answer without listening to the end of the question, and often shouts from his place.
Hyperactive children are characterized by unstable performance, which is the reason for the increase in a large number of errors in answering and performing written tasks when fatigue occurs. And the fixed (standard) system of assessing knowledge, skills and abilities, adopted in the modern school, performs not so much the function of regulation as of authorization for the child, since the increasing number of errors due to fatigue leads to an increase in comments and negative assessments from the teacher which is perceived by the child as a negative assessment of himself as a whole, and not as an assessment of his work. The reading and writing skills of a hyperactive person are significantly lower than those of their peers, and do not correspond to his intellectual abilities. Written work is done sloppily, with errors due to inattention. At the same time, the child is not inclined to listen to the advice of adults. Experts suggest that this is not only a violation of attention. Difficulties in the formation of writing and reading skills often arise due to insufficient development of motor coordination, visual perception, and speech development.
Presentation system educational material at school, it is primarily a pedagogical monologue that requires the child to listen carefully and perform behavior, while hyperactive children need, first of all, visual and tactile supports in obtaining information. Thus, we can also talk about the discrepancy between the methods of presenting educational material (its insufficient diversity) and the multichannel perception of a hyperactive child.
And one more feature of the school environment does not allow hyperactive children to feel comfortable - this is the lack of a play space at school, while for these children it is necessary, because it allows you to organize games to relieve static stress, play with aggressiveness, correct emotional response mechanisms, develop social behavior skills. And since the space for play is not defined at school, hyperactive children do not always build it where it is considered possible, and, therefore, again do not meet the requirements of school life.
The problems of hyperactive children are not solved overnight and by one person. This complex problem requires the attention of both parents and doctors, teachers and psychologists. Moreover, medical, psychological and pedagogical tasks sometimes overlap so much that it is impossible to draw a dividing line between them.
The initial diagnosis by a neuropathologist or psychiatrist and drug therapy is supplemented by psychological and pedagogical correction, which determines a comprehensive approach to the problems of a hyperactive child and can guarantee success in overcoming the negative manifestations of this syndrome.
Correction in the family
Enrich and diversify the emotional experience of a hyperactive child, help him master the elementary actions of self-control and thereby somewhat smooth out the manifestations of increased motor activity means to change his relationship with a close adult, and, above all, with his mother. This will be facilitated by any action, any situation, event aimed at deepening contacts, their emotional enrichment.
When raising a hyperactive child, loved ones should avoid two extremes:
- on the one hand, manifestations of excessive pity and permissiveness;
- on the other hand, setting excessive demands that he is unable to fulfill, combined with excessive punctuality, cruelty and sanctions (punishments). < Слайд 5 >
The frequent change of instructions and fluctuating moods of parents have a much deeper negative impact on such children than on others. Associated violations in behavior can be corrected, but the process of improving the child's condition usually takes a long time and does not occur immediately. Of course, pointing out the importance of the emotionally rich interaction of a child with a close adult and considering the family atmosphere as a condition for fixing, and in some cases even the emergence of hyperactivity as a way of a child's behavior, we do not deny that illness, trauma can also make a negative contribution to the formation of hyperactivity. or their consequences. Recently, some scientists have associated hyperactive behavior with the presence in children of the so-called minimal brain dysfunctions, that is, congenital uneven development of individual brain functions. Others explain the phenomenon of hyperactivity by the consequences of early organic brain lesions caused by pathology of pregnancy, complications during childbirth, alcohol consumption, smoking of parents, etc. However, at present, manifestations of hyperactivity in children are very common and, as physiologists note, are not always associated with pathology. Often some features nervous system children, due to poor upbringing and living conditions, are only a background that facilitates the formation of hyperactivity as a way for children to respond to adverse conditions.
- Try to contain your violent affects as much as possible, especially if you are upset or dissatisfied with the child's behavior. Emotionally support children in all attempts at constructive, positive behavior, no matter how small they may be. Cultivate an interest in yourself in order to know and understand the child more deeply.
- Avoid categorical words and expressions, harsh assessments, reproaches, threats that can create a tense situation and cause conflict in the family. Try to say “no”, “no”, “stop” less often - better try to switch the baby’s attention, and if possible, do it easily, with humor.
- Watch your speech, try to speak in a calm voice. Anger and resentment are hard to control. When expressing dissatisfaction, do not manipulate the child's feelings and do not humiliate him. < Слайд 6 >
- If possible, try to allocate a room or part of it for the child for classes, games, solitude (that is, his own “territory”). In the design, it is desirable to avoid bright colors, complex compositions. There should be no distracting objects on the table and in the immediate environment of the child. A hyperactive child himself is not able to make sure that nothing outside distracts him.
- The organization of all life should have a calming effect on the child. To do this, together with him, draw up a daily routine, following which, be flexible and persevering at the same time.
- Define the scope of duties for the child, and keep their performance under constant supervision and control, but not too hard. Frequently celebrate and praise his efforts, even if the results are far from perfect. < Слайд 7 >
And here the most important activity for children is absolutely indispensable - the game, since it is close and understandable to the child. The use of the emotional influences contained in the intonations of the voice, facial expressions, gestures, the form of the adult's response to his actions and the actions of the child, will give both participants great pleasure. < Слайд 8>
Don't give up. Love your skittish child, help him to be successful, to overcome school difficulties. Remember that “Ridiculous children are like roses - they need special care. And sometimes you hurt yourself on thorns to see their beauty” (Mary S. Kurchinka). < Слайд 9 >
When it gets really hard, remember that by adolescence, and in some children even earlier, hyperactivity disappears. According to the observations of most doctors and psychologists, the general motor activity decreases with age, and the identified neurotic changes are gradually leveled. Connections appear in the child's brain that were not there or they were broken. It is important that the child approaches this age without weight. negative emotions and inferiority complexes. So, if you have a hyperactive child, help him, everything is in your hands. < Слайд10 >
1. Changing the environment:
Study the neuropsychological characteristics of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder;
Work with a hyperactive child build individually. A hyperactive child should always be in front of the teacher's eyes, in the center of the class, right at the blackboard.
The optimal place in the classroom for a hyperactive child is the first desk opposite the teacher's desk or in the middle row;
Change the lesson mode with the inclusion of physical education minutes;
Allow a hyperactive child to get up and walk in the class horse every 20 minutes;
Give your child the opportunity to quickly contact you for help in case of difficulty;
Direct the energy of hyperactive children in a useful direction: wash the board, distribute notebooks, etc.
2 . Creating positive motivation for success:
Enter a sign-based scoring system;
Praise your child more often;
The lesson schedule should be constant;
Avoid over- or under-demanding a student with ADHD;
Introduce problem-based learning;
Use the elements of the game and competition in the lesson;
Give tasks according to the abilities of the child;
Break large tasks into successive parts, controlling each of them;
Create situations in which a hyperactive child can show their smoldering qualities and become an expert in the class in some areas of knowledge;
Teach your child to compensate for impaired functions at the expense of intact ones;
Ignore negative actions and encourage positive ones;
Build the learning process on positive emotions;
Remember that it is necessary to negotiate with the child, and not try to break him!
3. Correction of negative forms of behavior:
Contribute to the removal of aggression;
Teach necessary social norms and communication skills;
Manage his relationship with classmates.
4. Regulating expectations:
Explain to parents and others that positive changes will not come as quickly as we would like;
Explain to parents that the improvement of the child's condition depends not only on special treatment and correction, but also on a calm and consistent attitude.
Remember that touch is a powerful stimulant for shaping behavior and developing learning skills. Touch helps anchor positive experiences. teacher elementary school in Canada, he conducted an experiment with touch in his class, which confirms what was said. The teachers focused on the three children who broke classroom discipline and did not turn in their homework notebooks. Five times a day, the teacher would randomly meet these students and touch them on the shoulder encouragingly, saying in a friendly manner, “I approve of you.” When they violated the rules of conduct, the teachers ignored it, as if not noticing. In all cases, during the first two weeks, all students began to behave well and turn in notebooks with homework.
Remember that hyperactivity is not a behavioral problem, not the result of bad parenting, but a medical and neuropsychological diagnosis that can only be made based on the results of special diagnostics. The problem of hyperactivity cannot be solved by strong-willed efforts, authoritarian instructions and beliefs. A hyperactive child has neurophysiological problems that he cannot cope with on his own. Disciplinary measures of influence in the form of constant punishments, remarks, shouts, lectures will not lead to an improvement in the child's behavior, but rather, on the contrary, worsen it. Effective results in the correction of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are achieved with the optimal combination of drug and non-drug methods, which include psychological and neuropsychological correction programs.
This article is a fragment from the book by I.Yu. Mlodik "School and how to survive in it: the view of a humanistic psychologist". In the book, the author shares with readers his thoughts about what a school should be like and what needs to be done so that students consider education an interesting and important matter, leave the school ready for adult life: self-confident, sociable, active, creative, able to protect their psychological boundaries and respect the boundaries of other people. What is the feature modern school? What can teachers and parents do to keep children interested in learning? You will find answers to these and many other questions in this book. The publication is intended for parents, teachers and all those who care about the future of children.
Now one of the most common problems that almost all teachers note is the hyperactivity of children. Indeed, this is a phenomenon of our time, the sources of which are not only psychological, but also social, political, and environmental. Let's try to consider the psychological ones, I personally had a chance to deal only with them.
First, children who are called hyperactive are very often just anxious children. Their anxiety is so high and constant that they themselves have long been unaware of what and why bothers them. Anxiety, like excessive excitement that cannot find a way out, makes them make many small movements, fuss. They fidget endlessly, drop something, break something, rustle something, tap, shake. It is difficult for them to sit still, sometimes they can jump up in the middle of the lesson. Their attention seems to be distracted. But not all of them are really unable to concentrate. Many students study well, especially in subjects that do not require accuracy, perseverance and the ability to concentrate well.
Children diagnosed with ADHD require more participation and are best served in smaller classes or groups where the teacher has more opportunity to give them personalized attention. In addition, in a large team, such a child is very distracting to other children. On educational tasks, it can be very difficult for a teacher to maintain the concentration of a class in which there are several hyperactive students. Children who are prone to hyperactivity, but without an appropriate diagnosis, can study in any class, but on condition that the teacher does not increase their anxiety and does not constantly upset them. It is better to touch a hyperactive child, seating him in his place, than to point out a hundred times the obligation to be disciplined. It is better to let go for three minutes from the lesson to the toilet and back, or run up the stairs, than to call for attention and calmness. His poorly controlled motor excitation passes much easier when it is expressed in running, jumping, that is, in wide muscle movements, in active efforts. Therefore, a hyperactive child must definitely move well during the break (and sometimes, if possible, during the lesson) in order to remove this disturbing excitement.
It is important to understand that a hyperactive child does not intend to demonstrate such behavior "to spite" the teacher, that the sources of his actions are not at all promiscuity or bad manners. In fact, such a student simply finds it difficult to control his own arousal and anxiety, which usually disappears by adolescence.
A hyperactive child is also hypersensitive, he perceives too many signals at the same time. His abstract appearance, the wandering gaze of many is misleading: it seems that he is absent here and now, does not listen to the lesson, is not involved in the process. Very often this is not the case at all.
I am in class in English and I’m sitting on the last desk with a guy whose hyperactivity the teachers don’t even complain about anymore, it’s so obvious and tiring for them. Thin, very mobile, he instantly turns the desk into a bunch. The lesson has just begun, but he is already impatient, he begins to build something out of pencils and erasers. It seems that he is very passionate about this, but when the teacher asks him a question, he answers without hesitation, correctly and quickly.
At the call of the teacher to open workbooks, he only after a few minutes begins to look for what he needs. Break everything on his desk, he doesn't notice how the notebook falls. Leaning over to the neighbor's desk, he looks for her there, to the indignation of the girls sitting in front, then suddenly jumps up and rushes to his shelf, receiving a strict reprimand from the teacher. When he runs back, he still finds a fallen notebook. During all this time, the teacher gives the task, which, as it seemed, the boy did not hear, because he was fascinated by the search. But, it turns out that he understood everything, because he quickly begins to write in a notebook, inserting the necessary English verbs. Having completed this in six seconds, he begins to play something on the desk, while the rest of the children are diligently and intently doing the exercise in complete silence, broken only by his endless bustle.
Next comes the oral test of the exercise, the children take turns reading sentences with inserted words. At this time, the boy is constantly falling something, is under the desk, then attached somewhere ... He does not follow the check at all and skips his turn. The teacher calls him by name, but my hero does not know what sentence to read. Neighbors tell him, he answers easily and correctly. And then he again plunges into his incredible construction of pencils and pens. It seems that his brain and body cannot stand rest, he just needs to engage in several processes at the same time, at the same time it is very tiring for him. And soon, in the strongest impatience, he jumps up from his seat:
- May I go out?
— No, there are only five minutes until the end of the lesson, sit down.
He sits down, but now he is definitely not here, because the desk is shaking, and he is simply not able to hear and write homework, he frankly suffers frankly, one gets the impression that he is counting the minutes until the call. With the first trills, he breaks off and runs around the corridor like a catechumen throughout the whole change.
It is not so easy to cope with a child's hyperactivity even good psychologist, not like a teacher. Psychologists often work with the problems of anxiety and self-esteem of such a child, teach him to listen, better understand and control the signals of his body. Do a lot with fine motor skills, which often lags behind the rest of development, but by working on which, the child learns better to control his gross motor skills, that is, his larger movements. Hyperactive children are often gifted, capable and talented. They have a lively mind, they quickly process the information received, easily absorb new things. But in school (especially elementary school), such a child will be in a deliberately losing position due to difficulties in calligraphy, accuracy and obedience.
Hyperactive children are often helped by all kinds of modeling with clay and plasticine, playing with water, pebbles, sticks and other natural materials, all types of physical activity, but not sports, because it is important for them to make any muscle movement, and not just the right one. The development of the body and the ability to throw out excess excitement allow such a child to gradually enter his own boundaries, from which he always wanted to jump out before.
It has been noticed that hyperactive children absolutely need space for such a vain manifestation of themselves. If at home it is strictly forbidden, through constant pulling or other educational measures, to behave in this way, then they will be much more hyperactive at school. Conversely, if the school is strict with them, they will become extremely active at home. Therefore, parents and teachers should keep in mind that these children will still find an outlet for their motor excitement and anxiety.
Often the most common cause of hyperactivity in a child is a lack of attention. With his excessive mobility and busyness, he tries to attract parents, peers, teachers to him. Sometimes the reason may be a feature of a person's character. However, many other factors have the greatest influence: at risk are children who were born through a caesarean section, artificial babies, etc. Therefore, it is quite important to understand the root cause.
Judging by the statistics, hyperactivity occurs in almost every twentieth child, by the way, it should be noted that boys are two to three times more likely. It turns out that in the classroom you can meet at least one kid with excessive activity. A hyperactive child is handed out to everyone who is not too lazy, but in fact, you only need to listen to specialists.
Scientists have proven that hyperactivity is a diagnosis
For a long time, this diagnosis was considered only a feature of the child's behavior, but more recently it has been proven that this is a mental disorder that cannot be corrected by simple pedagogical methods. And if there are parents in the family? The advice of a psychologist will help to understand this.
Interestingly, in 1970, studies were conducted that showed that this disease is based on physiological and genetic causes, and the syndrome itself refers not only to pedagogy and psychology, but is also associated with medicine.
The main causes of occurrence
- Lack of necessary hormones in the child's body.
- Past illnesses and injuries.
- Maternal illness during pregnancy.
- Any illness that the child had as an infant. They could affect how the brain works.
And regardless of the fact that medicine has made great strides in this matter, and there are pharmacological methods of treatment and psychological and pedagogical, nevertheless, childhood hyperactivity is considered an incurable syndrome that can be corrected in adolescence. Based on this, we will try to draw conclusions and give recommendations: hyperactive children, what should parents do?
The advice of a psychologist can help the child adapt to society and become a fully developed personality in the future.
Disease in adulthood
In fact, many adults suffer from this disease, but most often they are simply considered too impulsive, active and flighty. This syndrome occurs in childhood, it has not yet been fully investigated, therefore it has not been proven that it remains in a more mature age.
How to recognize a hyperactive child
Parents may encounter the first signs immediately: children do not sleep well, cry a lot, are very irritable during the day, and can react to any noise and change of scenery.
A hyperactive child at the age of one already begins to manifest itself, for example, in speech delay, awkward movements due to impaired motor skills. Nevertheless, he is constantly active, trying to walk, move, he is fussy and mobile. His mood is also constantly changing: at one moment the child is cheerful and joyful, and the next minute he can be sharply capricious. So, before you is a hyperactive child (1 year old). What should parents do? Such children will have to be given much more attention, and efforts must be made to achieve results.
critical age
When it comes to preparatory classes, it is also difficult for the child to concentrate on one task: he cannot sit still, complete at least one thing, or do the exercise carefully and with concentration. The kid does everything carelessly to finish the job and start something new.
Reasonable advice to parents of a hyperactive child can only be given by a specialist, as well as to recognize hyperactivity. But before turning to a professional, the mother and father should observe their child, determine how excessive activity and impulsiveness interfere with his learning and building relationships with his peers. What situations are worrying?
Main symptoms
- it is always difficult to focus on a task or game. Parents constantly have to be reminded of everyday affairs, because the child simply forgets about them, and also constantly breaks or loses his things. In addition, attention is disturbed: the baby never listens to anyone, even when the speech is addressed directly to him. If he does the task on his own, he often cannot properly organize his work, constantly being distracted and not completing the task to the end.
- Impulsiveness. In the classroom, the child, without waiting for his turn, shouts from his place. It is difficult for him to follow the established rules, he constantly interferes in the conversation, etc.
- Hyperactivity. It is difficult for a child to sit still, he constantly fidgets in his chair, talks a lot, constantly runs even where this cannot be done. The kid cannot calmly play or relax, he always asks a lot of questions, but he cannot remember even one answer. Many of the actions and actions of the child are completely thoughtless, he often breaks objects, or breaks dishes. Even during sleep, he is not calm - he constantly wakes up, tossing and turning, sometimes screaming in his sleep.
Hyperactive and active: differences
Often, when parents say about their child that he is hyperactive, they put a positive meaning into this word. But most people simply confuse two different concepts - active and hyperactive. It is really good when a child is inquisitive, shows interest in the world around him, and is drawn to new knowledge. But hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, which are often interrelated, are neurological-behavioral disorders. They most painfully make themselves felt after the age of five, which undoubtedly has a negative effect on the child, preventing him from developing along with other children.
Active children can be mobile at home, on the sports ground with friends, in the kindergarten, but when they come to any new place for them, for example, to visit or see a doctor, they immediately calm down and begin to behave like real quiet ones. With hyperactive children, everything is different regardless of the circumstances, place and people who surround them: they always behave the same way and simply cannot sit still.
An active child can be carried away by an ordinary game, for example, checkers or picking up a puzzle, while a hyperactive child lacks perseverance.
In any case, everything is very individual, therefore, only on the basis of observations, it is possible to give recommendations to parents. Hyperactive children are more difficult to frighten, they have a low pain threshold, they are not afraid of anything, not thinking at all about their safety.
From the foregoing, it follows that if the baby loves outdoor games, he likes to learn something new, and this curiosity does not interfere with his studies and social relationships, then he should not be called hyperactive. The child is developing normally for his age. If the kid cannot sit still, listen to the story to the end or finish the task, constantly demands attention or throws tantrums, then this is a hyperactive child. What should parents do? The advice of a psychologist can help in this difficult matter.
School education
If before the start of classes at school, parents are not particularly worried about this trait of character, then with the beginning of training, seeing the many problems that their child faces, they begin to worry a lot. It is difficult for these children to understand how to behave and how not. The child does not know where the acceptable line is, it is difficult for them to establish relationships with other children and the teacher, and just calmly learn the lesson. Therefore, during the adaptation period, recommendations are necessary for parents of hyperactive children, since this age is the most critical. You can take your child to a psychologist. If you have a hyperactive child, the recommendations of specialists must be followed literally in everything.
It is important to remember that hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder often go hand in hand with other serious problems.
Hyperactive child: what should parents do? Read below for tips from a psychologist to follow.
It is important to carefully approach safety precautions, remove all unsafe and sharp objects, leaving the room, turn off household appliances, since ordinary children often break something, or fall and hit, and with hyperactive children this happens twice or three times more often.
If a hyperactive child has something important to learn, the advice of a psychologist to parents will be useful. You need to make sure he listens. It is not enough just to call out to him - you need to establish contact, remove toys from your field of vision, turn off the TV or computer. And only after making sure that the child really listens to you, you can start a conversation with him.
It is necessary to establish rules in the family that the child would steadily follow. And it is very important that they are always performed every day without exception, regardless of the circumstances. It is important to constantly remind the child about them, repeating that some tasks must always be performed, and doing something is strictly prohibited.
A very important nuance is the mode. The kid needs to be taught to do everything on time, and exceptions cannot be made even on a day off. For example, always get up at the same time, have breakfast, do homework, go for a walk. Perhaps this is too strict, but the most effective. It is this rule that will help in the future and assimilate new material.
These children are very sensitive to mood, so it is very important that the emotions they receive are positive. Praise them for even the smallest achievement. Let them feel that his parents are proud of him. It is necessary to support the child in difficult moments for him, more often speaks of love for him, hug.
You can organize a reward system, for example, if he behaved well all week, then on the weekend he receives a small present or a trip to nature, a movie trip, a museum. Let parents come up with joint games that will captivate the baby. Of course, it will take a lot of time, patience and ingenuity, but the result will not be long in coming.
It is important in general to monitor the atmosphere in the family so that all conflicts pass by the baby, and it is especially impossible for him to participate in them.
If the child behaved badly, then it is possible to punish, but not severely, and it is better to refuse assault at all.
A hyperactive child never runs out of energy, so it is constantly necessary to create conditions for him to put it somewhere. The kid should walk more in the air, go to the sports section, play. But there is also important nuance: the child should be tired, but not too overtired.
When forbidding something to a child, it is extremely important to provide him with an alternative, while explaining in a calm tone why his actions are wrong.
You can’t take your child to places dominated by large crowds of people: his psyche is already too sensitive and weak, and the crowd can lead to overexcitation of the nervous system, so you should avoid mass events, supermarkets during busy hours. But walks in the fresh air, forays into nature have a beneficial effect on the baby. It is better for such a child to play with only one friend.
It would be nice if parents keep an observation diary in which they can note all changes and reactions to the world occurring with a hyperactive child. After this diary can be shown to the teacher (it will be much easier for him to get the big picture).
Hyperactive child: what should parents do? The advice of a psychologist listed above will help solve many problems.
School work
First of all, the child should sit as close as possible to the teacher - so it will be much easier for the latter to control discipline. It is also important that the baby has the opportunity at any time to ask all the necessary questions.
The teacher should write down all tasks on the blackboard and give only one task for a certain period of time. If the task is too large, then it must be divided into several parts, to limit the execution of time and constantly monitor their execution.
It is difficult for a hyperactive child to sit in one place for a long time and still memorize the material presented. Therefore, it is necessary to teach him consistently, to involve him in the lesson, even if the baby is spinning, shouting, fidgeting in a chair. Next time, let the baby focus only on being calm.
He just needs to move, so it’s better not to follow his behavior in the classroom, let him run around on the school playground or gym.
Also, children often fall into a vicious circle: praise is simply necessary for them, but studying well costs them incredible efforts. Due to the fact that they are inattentive and cannot concentrate properly, they make many mistakes and their work is sloppy. Therefore, initially, you should treat them less strictly.
During a lesson, activities can change several times, and if this is beneficial for ordinary children, it is much more difficult for a hyperactive one to switch. Therefore, they need to be warned in advance, given the opportunity to prepare.
It is very difficult for a teacher to work with such children, but still, if you find the right approach, the result will be excellent. Hyperactive children are well developed intellectually, as evidenced by many tests, but they find it difficult to cope with their temperament.
Article.
Hyperactive child at school: Problems and solutions.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common form of behavioral disorder in childhood. ADHD is manifested directly by distraction of attention, physical activity (hyperactivity) and clarity of behavior. Hyperactivity in children is characterized by the fact that children are extremely mobile. After children enter school, the problem of hyperactivity increases. Their behavior is not appropriate for their age, so they cannot achieve any learning outcomes in school. But at the same time, many of these children have high level intellectual development. Reading or writing skills are much lower than those of ordinary children. Written work contains many errors that are characteristic of the inattention of the child. Such children also periodically experience exacerbations in relationships with their peers, with teachers, as well as with family members. Since fluctuations in time and situations are typical for all manifestations of the syndrome, the child's behavior is not predictable.
Hyperactivity is a disease that is partly genetic (inherited), such data have been presented in several studies. Family surveys also support this hypothesis.
Domestic researchers, in turn, conducted their investigations, in which they came to the following conclusion: the disease develops as a result of a change in the structure of the X chromosome. Studies conducted many years ago, and today they say only one thing, genes have a direct influence on the development of the disease.
For the first time, the German neuropsychiatrist Heinrich Huffman described the syndromes of a hyperactive child who could not sit quietly in a chair for a minute.
MM. Chistyakova in the book "Psycho-gymnastics" says that for such children, psycho-gymnastics is necessary. He also proved that the lessons of visual and musical arts are the means that help to establish contact with children with such disorders.
A.D. Stolyarenko in the book "Children's Psychodiagnostics and Career Guidance" in the section "Hyperactivity" talks about what is at the heart of ADHD syndrome lie minor, but still lesions of brain areas resulting from complications during pregnancy and childbirth, debilitating diseases early age(severe diathesis, dyspepsia), physical, mental trauma.
But domestic neurologists paid attention to the problem of hyperactivity much later. In 1972, the famous pediatrician Yu.F. Dombrovskaya singled out a group of “difficult-to-educate” children who cause much more problems for parents and teachers. When talking about children with this disorder, most researchers (Z.Trzhesoglava, V.M. Troshin, A.M. Radaev, Yu.S. Shevchenko, L.A. Yasyukova) mean children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Today, this disease is beginning to take on huge proportions in all countries, including ours. This is evidenced by the huge number of publications both in newspapers and in books and magazines on this topic. If in 1957-1960. there were 31 of them, then in 1960-2000, and in 19977-1980. - 7000. Currently, 2000 or more articles and books are published annually on this issue.
Purpose of the article - to study the features of the external and internal development of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
"Active" - from the Latin "aktivus"(active, active). "Hyper" - from the Greek "hyper"- above, above - indicates an excess of the norm. Hyperactivity in children manifests itself in the early stages, does not correspond to age, the development of inattention in a child, is characterized by distractibility, impulsivity[ 11, p.20] .
Hyperactivity is a complex behavioral disorder that manifests itself in inappropriate excessive motor activity, defects in concentration, inability to organize, purposeful activities.
Causes of hyperactivity in children in primary school age:
Genes - hyperactivity is more inherent in boys, and predominantly most of these children have blond hair and blue eyes;
Health of genetic parents - often hyperactive children are born to mothers with allergic diseases (asthma, eczema;
Absence or deficiency fatty acids and nutrients (especiallyZn? mg, vitamin AB-12) symptoms in this case are a constant feeling of thirst, dry skin, dry hair;
Improper nutrition - sweet foods (chocolate, sugar, etc.), dairy products, white bread, tomatoes, oranges, eggs predominate in the child's diet:
Improper upbringing - permissiveness, instability in the behavior of adults (punishment and encouragement from parents for the same act).
Parents should remember that no one knows better than their child: neither doctors, nor teachers, nor acquaintances. After all, only parents can assess the "normality" of their child. Well, when evaluating, you should also not forget that each child is individual and has the right to be a person who is not like the others.
Hyperactivity in a child can be manifested even in preschool age. At home, such children are often compared with their older brothers, sisters, peers, who have good academic performance and exemplary behavior, which, in fact, children suffer from. They do not want to be like others and often behave this way on purpose. The first manifestations of restlessness can be observed at the age of 7 years. Usually such a child does not sleep during the day even when he is still a baby, but his nighttime sleep is restless. Such children constantly attract attention, being at home or in public places, because all the time they touch, grab, do not listen to their parents.
Features of working with hyperactive children.
The system for providing school material in educational institution The failure is primarily a pedagogical monologue, which requires children to listen carefully and behave satisfactorily, while hyperactive children need visual and tactile supports in obtaining information. First of all, parents and teachers should be patient. Also, be sure to follow the daily routine.
So, hyperactive children (and especially junior schoolchildren) have a huge need for movement, which is contrary to the school charter.
Thus, we can say that our schools are not quite ready to teach hyperactive children. The hyperactive child himself is not able to structure his time, therefore, at the first stages of his education, adults should help him to usefully distribute the time given to him, and homework has been completed. It is even possible in some cases to give responsibility for their implementation to the child himself, but the parents control the process themselves.
Another problem in teaching hyperactive children is the lack of playgrounds at school. After all, it is vital for hyperactive children, as it allows them to relieve themselves of some tension received as a result of acquiring new knowledge. And since schools do not have this space, children can arrange it wherever they want.
This problem is not one-sided, it requires great attention, both parents and doctors, both teachers and psychologists.
Rules for working with hyperactive children:
Work with the child at the beginning of the day, not in the evening:
Reduce the child's workload;
Divide work into shorter but more frequent periods. Use physical education minutes;
Be a dramatic, expressive teacher;
Reduce the requirements for accuracy at the beginning of work in order to create a sense of success;
Seat the child during classes next to an adult;
Use tactile contact (elements of massage, touching, stroking);
Negotiate with the child about certain actions in advance;
Give short, clear and specific instructions;
Use a flexible system of rewards and punishments;
Encourage the child immediately, without postponing but the future;
Give the child the opportunity to choose;
Keep calm. No composure - no advantage!
Conclusions. After analyzing the literature, we can say that there can be several reasons for the occurrence of the syndrome of attention deficit and hyperactivity in a child: psychophysiological immaturity, brain disorders, socio-psychologically unfavorable family environment.
We can also safely say that hyperactive children do not adapt very well to an unusual environment and a new team. A hyperactive child needs to be given more attention and given the opportunity for physical relaxation during class, this, of course, does not mean that it is necessary to work only with this child or not pay attention to him at all, it is just that such children need to develop individual plan and individual approach: ask more often, ask to bring something or give it to the teacher, help collect works, drawings, distribute materials for classes, i.e. keep the child useful community service, and then he will feel that he is useful, he will strive for the ideal. This will help the child to sit out all 35 minutes of the lesson with pleasure without violating discipline. An attentive teacher can provide many such techniques. Of course, these tips will never replace consultations with a neurologist and a psychologist. A hyperactive child needs constant supervision from specialists. Of course, the main role in the fight against such a deviation is given to the family. It is up to parents to take action to combat hyperactivity. It is often said that even ordinary quarrels in the family can affect the development of ADHD, so parents should try to maintain a calm environment in the home with children.
Also, parents and teachers should remember that this diagnosis is not fatal. Children can live with this and there is nothing wrong with that, if, of course, parents pay attention to the problem of attention. For most children, increased activity is absolutely normal, for that he is a child. It is only necessary that in the process of this activity the child is not seriously injured, i.e. you need to carefully monitor his activities and at the same time teach caution both in physical movements and in verbal, and over time, meaningfulness in actions.
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Bezrukikh M.M. Fidget child \ M.M. Bezrukikh.-M .: Ventana-Count, 2001.
Bryazgunov I.P. Restless child \ I.P. Bryazgunov, E.V. Kasatikova.-M.: The Art of Psychotherapy, 2001.-289p.
Raising a healthy child: a guide. For practitioners of children's preschool institutions\ comp.: M.D. Makhaneva.-M., 1997.-295s.
Gorpinich Zh.O. Hyperactivity in younger children school age [Electronic resource] . J.O. Gorpinich.
Is Your Child Ready for School?: A Guide for Parents/Composed by L.A. Wenger, A.L. Wenger.-M., 1994.-288p.
Efremova O.N. About hyperactive children \ O.N. Efremova\\ Preschool education.-2010.-№10.-33p.
Kovikova E.P. ADHD in children of primary school age [Electronic resource].
Makarova N.V. ADHD.\N.V. Makarova\\Educational work at school.-2010.-№6.-144p.
Pedagogical encyclopedic dictionary \ comp.: B.M. Bim-Bad.-M.: RAGS, 2003.-126s.
Psychological Dictionary \ ed. B.G. Meshcheryakova, V.P. Zinchenko.-M.: RAGS, 2003.-627p.
Shakhova N.S. Psychological features school readiness for hyperactive children [Electronic resource]
