School-based attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. “My son was kicked out of three schools,” Nastya Melnichenko about the education and treatment of a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. What hinders children with ADHD at school?

educational psychologist Smirnova N.A.

At first, the parents are happy - such an active baby! He is constantly on the move, he doesn’t want to lie in a crib or playpen. He doesn’t sit still, he constantly runs around and “explores” something. Over the years, such children become uncontrollable, and all the cute synonyms like “little hurricane” disappear. It’s difficult with them, and parents don’t always know what to do. First of all, the child himself is at risk. Mom is gape - he is already reaching for the socket or pulling out wires, playing with a plug.

Today, among parents and teachers there is an opinion that hyperactivity is a behavioral problem, and sometimes simply “promiscuity” of the child or the result of improper upbringing. Moreover, almost every child who shows excessive mobility and restlessness in the classroom is classified by adults as hyperactive children. Such haste in drawing conclusions is not always justified, since hyperactivity syndrome is a medical diagnosis, the right to which only a specialist has the right to make.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD for short) is a neurological and behavioral developmental disorder that begins in childhood. Symptoms include difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, and poorly controlled impulsivity.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is considered one of the most common forms of behavior disorders among children of primary school age. According to various sources, it occurs in 4 - 9% of children! This means that in every class of 25 people it is very likely that there will be 1-2 hyperactive children. In many cases, such children influence the behavior of the entire class. This type of deviant behavior is a common type encountered in practice. It also causes great difficulties in mastering educational material in teaching, because... The school places high demands on students' discipline, ability to listen to the teacher, focus on the lesson, etc. Every year there is an increase in the number of children who, for various reasons, cannot master the program due to restlessness, disinhibition, lack of concentration, etc. All this leads to the need to look for effective methods and techniques for carrying out preventive work with children of primary schoolchildren with hyperactive behavior.

Hyperactivity is based on an imbalance in the processes of excitation and inhibition in the nervous system. There are different opinions about the causes of hyperactivity: these may be features of the structure and functioning of the brain, genetic factors, birth injuries, infectious diseases suffered by the child in the first months of life, and hyperactivity may also occur as a temporary manifestation against the background of food poisoning.

Currently, experts have shown that the consequence of hyperactivity is the manifestation of a whole complex of disorders observed in such children. The main defect is associated with insufficiency of the mechanisms of attention and inhibitory control. Therefore, such disorders are more accurately classified as “attention deficit disorders.”

Diagnostic criteria

definitions of attention deficit hyperactivity

Hyperactivity:

Restless movements are often observed, he cannot sit quietly in a chair, he spins and turns.

Frequently gets up from his seat in class during lessons or other situations where this is inappropriate.

Shows aimless motor activity: runs, spins, tries to climb somewhere.

Usually cannot play or do anything quietly or quietly.

Often talkative.

Impulsiveness:

Answers questions without thinking, without listening to them completely.

His mood often changes.

Usually has difficulty waiting his turn in various situations.

He likes work that can be done quickly.

When one of the guys shouts at him, he also shouts back.

Often interferes with others, pesters others (for example, interferes in conversations or games).

Performs dangerous actions without thinking about the consequences. At the same time, he does not seek adventure or thrills (for example, he runs out into the street without looking around).

This is a man of action, he does not know how to reason and does not like.

Inattention

He is not able to maintain attention to details, and therefore makes many different mistakes when completing tasks.

Has difficulty maintaining attention when completing tasks or playing games.

Often it seems that the child does not listen to speech addressed to him.

Often cannot adhere to the proposed instructions and completely cope with lessons, homework or duties at the workplace (which has nothing to do with negative or protest behavior, or an inability to understand the task).

Often has difficulty organizing independent completion of tasks and other activities.

Usually avoids involvement in tasks that require long-term mental stress.

It happens that he loses things needed at school and at home.

Often shows forgetfulness in everyday situations.

Frequently moves from one unfinished action to another.

Despite this, the level of intellectual development in children does not depend on the degree of hyperactivity and may exceed the age norm. Due to the characteristic symptoms and hyperactivity, children experience problems in relationships with others and difficulties in learning, which leads to the formation of low self-esteem and a high degree of anxiety.

Attention deficit disorders are considered one of the most common forms of behavior disorders among children of primary school age, and such disorders are recorded in boys much more often than in girls. The emergence of intellectual stress, norms and requirements leads to difficulties in learning.

As soon as a child enters school, the requirements for him increase significantly. He needs to fit into the class collective, and this requires submission to certain conditions. A child in a relationship with one or two partners still somehow manages to follow simple rules, but in a large group of children, for example during a group game, this task turns out to be beyond his strength. Trying to change the rules in his own way, and not seeing support from others, he starts a quarrel. Soon, classmates refuse to follow the demands of their hyperactive peer, especially since they themselves accept the current conditions. As a rule, a child with attention deficit disorder fails to follow the rules. In despair, he begins to cry, for which his comrades ridicule him.

At the moment, schools are characterized by significant contradictions between the capabilities of a hyperactive child, especially in the first stages of education, and the requirements from the teacher. First of all, the educational system itself can be psychologically traumatic for a hyperactive child.

The hyperactive child’s high need for movement and low mobility in class, and often restrictions in movement during recess (in some schools, children are prohibited from running during recess).

Sitting at a desk for six lessons in a row for 40 minutes is an impossible task even for a healthy child. The lack of change in forms of activity during the lesson and during the day leads to the fact that 10-15 minutes after the start of the lesson, a hyperactive child is no longer able to sit calmly at his desk. He begins to fidget in place, dangle his arms and legs, look around, play with objects that come to hand - in a word, go about “his own business,” seemingly “not paying attention” to the teacher’s comments. This child’s behavior is a consequence of fatigue and, as a result, a decrease in control function. Appeals to the child, calling for concentration, attentiveness, silence, will not affect him; it is useless to punish him. All this is unlikely to be effective; he is tired and cannot fully control his actions. First of all, the child himself suffers. After all, he cannot behave as adults demand, and not because he does not want to, but because his physiological capabilities do not allow him to do this.

This child’s behavior interferes with the teacher’s lesson, attracts the attention of classmates, and violates discipline in the classroom. The child becomes “inconvenient” for the teacher and children. There are situations when the teacher stops paying attention to such a child, sits him away from the children, on the last desk, while solving the problem of maximum isolation, distancing the child as a hindrance to others.

Traditionally, the interaction between teacher and student is structured according to the following scheme: the “teacher’s” question – the “student’s” answer.

The inability to endure and wait pushes a hyperactive child forward, without waiting for a turn or special permission from the teacher; he shakes his hand, shouts from his seat, and often begins to answer without fully listening to the question or task. If the child is not allowed to answer immediately, then his interest disappears. It is extremely difficult for them to keep their attention and focus on anything. If at preschool age they were not able to complete a single figure from a construction set, then at school age they abandon any drawing or craft halfway through. They are very enterprising: they are ready to start everything - but they do not finish anything.

The same applies to doing homework. Since attention is scattered, something new comes to mind all the time. As a result, homework does not progress or is completed very poorly, taking up a lot of time.

Features of a teacher's work in primary school

with hyperactive children

Corrective work should take place gradually starting with one separate function. This is due to the fact that a hyperactive child is physically unable to listen carefully to the teacher for a long time, sit quietly and restrain his impulsiveness.

In addition, the classes themselves should be held in a form that is emotionally attractive to children, for example, in a playful way.

The organization of the educational process should take into account the psychophysiological characteristics of students:

changing types of activities depending on the child’s fatigue;

fulfilling the child’s motor needs (carrying out the teacher’s instructions; those requiring motor activity: handing out paper, erasing from the board); lowering the requirements for accuracy in the first stages of learning;

performing relaxation exercises and removing muscle tension (massage of the hands, finger exercises and others);

The teacher's instructions should be clear and terse;

avoidance of categorical prohibitions.

It is necessary to take into account the specifics of disorders in children with hyperactive behavior and attention deficit. Such a child unintentionally interferes with the lesson, he can hardly regulate his behavior, he is constantly distracted by something, he is always more excited than other children.

Such a child can raise his hand or wait until he is called only from the 5th or 6th grade. Remarks or reprimands are useless; they only excite the child even more. It is recommended to actively involve such a student in participation in the lesson, ignoring his cries during class. If they interfere too much with the lesson, you should quickly approach the offender, touch his shoulder and calm him down with a few calm words (“Stop”, “I think it’s starting again”). The calmer and clearer the teacher’s words are, the faster the child will calm down.

Constant jerking is only annoying. Punishments and imposition of “fines” do not have an educational effect, rather the opposite. The mother of the offender suffers most of all. The problem, growing, is transferred from school to family.

The teacher must begin the conversation with the parents by telling something positive about the child, and only then move on to discussing the difficulties that have arisen.

A child with an attention disorder is helped by such pedagogical techniques as giving clear signals, calm treatment, and constant stimulation not so much of achieving high results, but of the willingness to make an effort and be diligent.

For the student, you need to choose a place in the classroom where there are fewer distractions. It is better for him to sit alone, but this measure should not have the form of punishment. You should also not constantly move the student from place to place. The clearer the rules in force in the lesson, the easier it is for a child with impaired attention.

From the very first days of school, a child needs to rebuild his life and change habits. At every lesson and even during recess, he has to obey new requirements and rules. It is very difficult for a hyperactive child to force himself to do what adults demand; it is especially difficult for him.

The system of rewards and punishments should be flexible enough, but always consistent. And here we have to take into account the characteristics of a hyperactive child: he does not know how to wait for a long time, so rewards should be immediate.

Since a hyperactive child is very impulsive, his unexpected action, which is sometimes even provocative, can cause an overly emotional reaction from an adult. Remain calm in any situation. Remember: no composure - no advantage! Before reacting to an unpleasant situation, stop for a few seconds (for example, count to ten). And then, having avoided an emotional outburst, you will also avoid feelings of guilt for showing your weakness, and you will be able to better understand the child who so needs your support.

If a child has a high need for physical activity, there is no point in suppressing it. It is better to give the child the opportunity to burn off energy, allow him to run, play in the yard or gym.

The individual approach that these children so need is a rather complex matter and requires great effort, flexibility, and patience from teachers.

Be sure to evaluate good behavior and academic success, and praise the child if he has successfully completed even a small task.

Reduce workload compared to other children.

Divide work into shorter but more frequent periods. Use physical education minutes.

Reduce requirements for accuracy at the beginning of work to create a sense of success. Create a situation of success in which the child would have the opportunity to demonstrate his strengths. We need to teach him to use them better in order to compensate for impaired functions at the expense of healthy ones. Let him become an excellent expert in certain areas of knowledge.

Place the child during the lesson, if possible, next to an adult. The optimal place for a hyperactive child is in the center of the class, opposite the blackboard, he should always be in front of the teacher. He should be given the opportunity to quickly turn to the teacher for help in cases of difficulty.

Use physical contact (stroking, touching) as encouragement and stress relief.

Direct the excess energy of hyperactive children in a useful direction: during the lesson, ask them to help - wash the board, hand out paper, etc.

Give only one task for a certain period of time. If there is a large task ahead, then it should be proposed in the form of successive parts, and the progress of work on each part should be periodically monitored, making the necessary adjustments.

Assign assignments in accordance with the work pace and abilities of the student. It is important to avoid making over or understated demands.

Use a flexible system of rewards and punishments.

Encourage your child immediately, without delaying it for the future.

Give your child the opportunity to choose when necessary.

Work with a hyperactive child should be done individually, with the main attention being paid to distractibility and poor organization of activities.

If possible, ignore the child’s challenging behavior.

Provide the child with the opportunity to quickly seek help from the teacher in cases of difficulty.

Touch is a powerful stimulant for shaping behavior and developing learning skills. Touch the child’s shoulder, stroke his head, take his hand...

When talking to a child, go down to his eye level, look into his eyes, take his hands.

Remember, hyperactivity is not a behavioral problem, not the result of poor upbringing, but a medical and neuropsychological diagnosis. The problem of hyperactivity cannot be solved by willful efforts, authoritarian instructions and beliefs.

The above methods do not correct the disorder, but make it possible to cope with its manifestations and help mitigate many consequences, such as educational lag and feelings of inferiority. The better the teacher’s explanatory work is done, the greater the opportunity for timely provision of assistance, the greater the chance for the child to find his own individual path into society.

Without help, the life of a child with hyperactive behavior can turn into misery. Only if teachers and parents join forces can effective assistance be provided in the socialization of these children; they can realize themselves, finding their way to a better, more fulfilling life.

You may be mildly or severely confused if you encounter these children for the first time. They rush around the classroom, answer without raising their hand, cannot sit in one place and disturb others and themselves. So? Partly. But, if you are reading this article, it means that you are a real professional and care about your students. And our job is to try to help you.

First, let's try to figure out whether we correctly understand the phenomena of ADD (attention deficit disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Olya Kashirina. He talks constantly, and talks incessantly, in class and during recess, on-topic and off-topic. She cannot sit still, she constantly fidgets, bites her nails or her pen.
Vasya Zagoretsky. Quiet from the middle row. He has his head in the clouds, is completely detached from what is happening, answers the teacher’s questions inappropriately, and sometimes spontaneously reveals something far from the topic of discussion.

Which of them suffers from these syndromes? Of course, it seems that Olya. But in fact, so does Vasya.

Basic indicators

These three indicators can be combined, and as a result we get children who are not only “reactive”, but also simply inattentive, sometimes even a little inhibited, who nevertheless still fall into the ADHD category.
Perhaps a child with hyperactivity may seem like a real problem for the teacher. Twitchy, preventing others from answering, and sometimes, on the contrary, depressed. But such a child is always “in the know,” isn’t it? He is easily drawn into discussions, extends his hand and shows interest in non-standard formats.
But the most common combination, which simultaneously brings the most diverse set of impressions to both parents and teachers, is children who are impulsive, inattentive, and hyperactive. “Oh, I know such a child!” – those reading our article now exclaimed. We all know such children. It is these students who have “periods” of behavior, ebbs and flows.

And although in this article we were going to talk only about hyperactive children, we cannot do without comments regarding “dreamers” with ADD/ADHD.

The Invisible Apprentice

You know those too. Each class has its quiet one, the quiet dreamer by the window or the girl drawing something in the margins of her notebook. Unfortunately, those children whose ADHD is more “inattentive” (the second indicator on our list) become invisible. It was as if Harry Potter had lent them his robe. They do not show signs of violent behavior, so teachers treat them calmly or even not at all. What is the result? As a result, the child becomes withdrawn and “absent.”
Parents scold him for bad grades, teachers for inattention, peers tease him, labeling him “not of this world.” But what if the child is not to blame?

It should be noted that boring or repetitive tasks lead to the transition of such children from the “on” state. to the "off" state. And it’s not a matter of “absence”, absent-mindedness or inattention, because you yourself know: such guys turn on when they have a favorite activity. They are able to concentrate on what interests them. That is, the teacher will have to experiment with methods of presenting information and work to include a larger percentage of the class (we often write about these methods in our group in in social networks).

For such children to successfully adapt, they may need the help of a psychologist or mentor who will “talk” the child and help him find himself. Learn more at the 2017 GlobalMentori Fall Mentoring Conference.

Let's talk about the positive sides

Your hyperactive fidgets have some unique characteristics, try using them in your classes.

1. Flexible thinking
Yes, these dreamers and visionaries can simultaneously consider 3-4 options for an answer or solution to a certain problem. In the natural sciences, offer them more “qualitative problems” aimed at finding the causes of phenomena. In Russian or literature, allow the use of atypical forms of answer. Let the essay be in verse, we are not on the Unified State Exam. Get them interested.
2. Personal opinion
Yes, when we ask in history class about the date of the baptism of Rus', we want to hear a clear year in response. But, if the question suggests multiple options, ask a hyperactive child. There were definitely more than 5 reasons for the revolution of 1917. I, as a historian, can name 15. What if your student finds even more?
3. Comments
Yes, with their comments, inappropriate jokes or gestures, such children can disrupt the overall serious mood. But this is your way to get the engagement you want. Is the class silent? Ask your hyperactive dreamer. The eloquence of a fiery child will definitely awaken a sleeping class.

And yes, dear colleagues, such children keep us teachers on our toes. Such children will never do the same task twice.

Tips for working with children with hyperactivity, ADD and ADHD

If it is a medical diagnosis, please do not rely on this article alone, you will need a curriculum and a school counselor.

Stay in dialogue with your parents or start one. Necessarily! They will only be grateful to you for your simple human attitude. Sometimes parents can suggest techniques that can be safely put into practice.

Don't try to change the child, yes, you can raise him, but you don't need to correct his personality.

Ask the children themselves what they like. Take information from the source, he knows exactly HOW he likes to study.

Talk to the class. It can be difficult for both the quiet one and the forced upstart to adapt among “normal” children, and it is better for you to unobtrusively monitor the situation in order to avoid bullying in the future.

To get a child with hyperactivity back to work, do not use a raised tone, but use personal appeal and eye contact.

Students with ADHD may have difficulty organizing information and concentrating. They need a system. Use infographics (you will find them in ours), step-by-step instructions, tips - both educational and life.

Present any demands on your child in different ways. Write on the board, speak, put the printed assignment on the table. For younger grades, task cards and reference pictures are very good.

Try not to let your child with ADHD out of your sight. Quiet people often sit in the back desks, as do overly active guys. It's better to seat them closer to your table. If we are talking about younger schoolchildren, give the child a piece of paper or a notebook; ordinary scribbles will help him concentrate. And get toys to relieve stress. An ordinary cube or soft ball with semolina that you can fiddle with will greatly help calm “restless hands.”

Your main task as a teacher is to ensure that the child comprehends the material received. And you can always comprehend in different ways, so use different methods of recording information. Sticky notes, boards with cards, colored pencils, markers, pen and paper, filling out tables - anything can be used, try it.

Break any task into parts. Better less and gradually. And don’t forget to repeat the task again and again.

Don't forget about the game format. Yes, “we are at school, not at the circus,” but healthy humor and high-quality involvement in the educational process have never bothered anyone.

Children with attention deficit disorder, as the name itself may suggest, need feedback from you. Comment on their work and praise them, only then will they try harder. It is important for them not only to understand the requirements, but also to get an assessment of their results. With the right praise, you can create motivation in the child himself, which will help him control himself.

What's happened? The boy Sasha is in 1st grade and started school at the age of 7. By the age of 7, he could read, write and count perfectly. He is very active, inquisitive, and has a bright, expressive speech. Parents assumed that school would be easy for the child, and that first grade would be a place where he could show his abilities, but in reality something else happened.
In a class of 30 people, Sasha is completely unable to concentrate on any process. He is very active in class, but this activity is of a different order than what is expected of a student. He jumps up, he interrupts the teacher, he butts into his explanations. At some point, the teacher, tired of this child’s behavior, puts the boy in the back desk. But even in the back desk the child did not stop his activity. At the same time, due to the distance, he stopped listening to the teacher; the teacher no longer fell into Sasha’s attention zone. He went about his business, scattered papers, bullied his neighbors, communicated with them, talked. As a result, Sasha was separated from his classmates by desks so that he could have his own free space in which he would not disturb anyone. But since Sasha still remained active, and this activity had to go somewhere, he began, unnoticed by the teacher, to quietly slide under his desk, waiting for the teacher to turn away, crawl out to the door and go wander around the school, trying to slip out and beyond its borders too. The school lasted for about six months, after which the mother was given the condition that either she would take the child out of school, or the school would make some other effort to transfer the child to a school for children with deviant behavior.

How to help? Let's try to look for the reasons for the failure of an active and inquisitive boy with a well-developed intellect. What often surprises parents is that the child at this moment has a large stock of not academic, but so-called educational skills. These are active, nimble children who go to school already reading, writing, and counting almost within 100.
Parents have a feeling that school, at least first grade, will be an easy pastime for them. But that doesn't always happen.

I think most of you are familiar with the situation with mosaic development. Psychologists often say about our adopted children that their overall development is very uneven. In some parameters, for example, in memory development, in the development of the cognitive sphere, they reach the norm, but some parameters fall below the norm. It depends on what problems and what situations the child had in early childhood.

In the situation with Sasha, whom I talked about, the mosaic nature of development is expressed in the fact that despite his excellent physical development and good development of the intellectual sphere, Sasha’s emotional-volitional sphere has sunk. That is, his volitional regulation is much lower than normal, so the child is not able to make long-term efforts and is completely incapable of doing what is not interesting to him or seems unimportant at that moment. Often, weakness of the emotional-volitional sphere is associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They later mature in certain parts of the brain that are responsible for self-regulation. Therefore, it is very difficult for such children to meet the demands of school life; they do not fit into school due to their behavioral characteristics. Of course, in a class of 30 people, such a child with behavior that violates the norm is immediately regarded as a very inconvenient child.

We consider such children to be at risk because they are rarely brought to us and are not considered to be in need of help. Typically, such children are punished, this is the phenomenon when parents and teachers say that the child is “misbehaving.” If a child behaves badly, it means that he needs to be disciplined and brought under control. The more measures of this punitive nature are taken, the more the child’s tension increases, and the ability to concentrate and make efforts automatically decreases.
When we adults are under stress, when we have a difficult emotional situation, our thinking abilities do not function effectively, what can we expect from small child with such problems?

How to help a child and what should parents pay attention to when they have such a child? If you see from your child’s preschool childhood that he: has trouble concentrating, is not assiduous, is easily distracted, quits his studies halfway through, is not able to listen to your instructions and carry them out, then this should worry you about going to school.
Parents often think that in kindergarten the child was restless, nimble, and few could cope with him, but he will go to school and everything will work out. Unfortunately, it will not settle down; moreover, the situation at school can only get worse as we get used to the new environment. Any child who comes to school experiences stress, and for such children stress is especially destructive; they have low resistance to stress.

It would be good for such a child to get into a class with a small number of students, but, unfortunately, both in Moscow and in the regions, there are very few schools where there are up to 10 students in a class. Optimization is underway in Moscow; many schools have been enlarged. Due to increased distractibility and a weak ability to concentrate on one thing, in a large class of 30 children, the environment for a hyperactive child is simply unbearable; his attention constantly disappears.

If it is not possible to attend a class with a small number of people, then you must definitely agree with the teacher so that he sits this child right in front of him on the front desk, so that during the lesson he gives him individual attention, comes up and looks through his notebook, once again tells him how to do some exercise. Sometimes a few manifestations of the teacher’s attention during a lesson are enough for the child to become more or less stable.

For children with hyperactivity, it is also important not to remain completely still for 40 minutes, but to move somehow. It would be good to agree with the teacher so that in the middle of the lesson he gives the child the task of going to wet a rag, or wipe the board, or do something else so that physical activity is legitimate and accepted in the class. This way the child will not disturb the peace and quiet of other children. For some children, positive teachers ask them to stand up and walk down a row in the middle of the lesson. If a child is not able to concentrate in order to pass without hitting someone, then a small 7-8 year old child can be taken by the hand and walked around this class with him. For such children, movement becomes a release.

If you organize the educational regime taking into account these features, children will disturb others much less and will learn much more themselves. Such children also need a gentle regimen, and it would be good to take a break in the middle of the work week. It is advisable to take him home immediately after school, and in no case leave him for after school, so that school does not turn into a permanent, everyday, long stay in which the child loses any opportunity to concentrate on anything.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of children with weak emotional-volitional regulation among adopted children. The reason for this is clear; the problem lies in early childhood, because the development of our will begins with the development of the emotional sphere. If a child grew up in an asocial family or in an institution and no one paid attention to his emotions, and he was not taught to distinguish these emotions, to understand what another person is thinking or feeling, the child himself will never learn this.
It is imperative to learn to express emotions - especially negative ones - in some acceptable way. Otherwise, he will feel any emotion, be it joy, irritation or resentment, as some kind of internal excitement. And this internal excitement is looking for a way out, and no matter how much the child restrains himself, at some point it will break through.

As a rule, it breaks through with chaotic motor activity and bodily contacts; such children are often called pugnacious. This is not always associated with aggression, often it is due to the fact that they simply do not know what to do with this excitement, especially boys - bumping around, fighting - this is a way to relieve these bodily pressures, relieve excitement.

How well we can recognize and express our emotions determines how well we can manage our actions. Here the connection is direct and it is not for nothing that this sphere is called emotional-volitional. It is useless for such children to make increased demands, thinking that they are behaving badly. They are simply not capable of this yet. And in such cases, correction of the psycho-emotional sphere is very important. It would be good if there was some kind of specialist next to you who could help organize exercises for the child. There are many different methods of working with the emotional sphere, behavioral correction, which is related specifically to this area. And here the prospects are also very good.

Usually, with proper support and special work, such children also level out, and it is very important not to knock them down, not to label them as a bad student, not to present them as an attacker, not to make them a scapegoat at school. Because otherwise, the child very quickly becomes a bad student, and he will no longer have the desire to learn and make efforts. And against a negative emotional background, he thinks less intellectually than he could.

Advice to parents on how to work with emotions if you don’t have a specialist nearby: first, you need to teach your child to recognize his emotions. If you see that a child is angry, upset, offended, or, on the contrary, very happy about something, tell him about it so that he knows the name of the state in which he is now. We say to the child, “I see that you are very upset,” “You are very upset that we did not go to the cinema today.” When we feel that the child is starting to get angry, anger is growing in him, we also tell him about this: “I see that you are angry. When we tell a child this, he understands that any condition he has has a name and a reason. In addition, the child sees that you accept him in this state and that means there is no shame in experiencing it.
And the third important aspect: after you teach the child to recognize feelings, then you need to teach the child to somehow express them, primarily negative ones. What can I do if I am very angry? This is exactly the question the child asks his parents, not with words, but with behavior. Your family should have common ways of relieving this tension. What do you allow your child to do, how can he get angry?

Our adoptive families themselves offer a lot of ways, they come up with them, adopt them from each other, and we offer them some. Since tension often builds up in the body, a common way to release it is through muscular effort. Nowadays there are a lot of large soft poufs and pillows that you can throw on the floor and invite your child to hit these pillows and lie on them. Some children do something with large soft toys and take out their anger on them. If you allow this, this is also a good way, the child does not harm anyone at this moment. There are families who, for example, allow screaming in the bathroom. It is important for most children to release their anger and frustration through sound.

A wonderful mother recently told us about this method for a 5-year-old boy: when he gets really angry, he goes to his room and hits LEGO pieces on an iron tray. Mom was at our consultation, I talked to her and said, “It’s probably very loud?” She replies, “Yes, of course it’s loud, but I understand that he needs it to be loud now, so I allow it.”

I am sure that if you are concerned about this topic, you will come up with many ways to relax your child that will not disturb the peace of other family members and will reduce the risk of unforeseen explosions and scandals. We cannot prevent a child from being angry, we cannot prevent a child from experiencing negative emotions, this does not depend on our will.
We, adults, also experience all these feelings and it must be said that there is nothing good if we suppress them. The child often cannot suppress them, hide them inside himself, but even if he succeeds, negative emotions will always find a way to come out in some other way, including through somatic illnesses.
Nobody wants a child to be sick, so it is better to teach him to be angry correctly. You need to agree with your child on how, from your point of view, it is acceptable to express your anger. You can give him some small objects at school that would calm him down. For example, some of our children carry small balls to school, which they hide in their hands, and when the child feels that he can no longer sit still, he begins to crush this ball. You can agree with the teacher that the child is allowed to do this.

Our adoptive parents told us that in kindergarten and in the senior group they placed a stack of red cardboard on one of the tables. And a child, when he is angry with someone or experiences unpleasant feelings, comes to this table, there is a trash can nearby, he tears/crushes/tramples this cardboard, and then throws it into this trash can. This is what the teacher taught the children, and the children use it. The boy who was at our consultation said that it helped him a lot. We believe that this is a very good teacher who has brought a lot of benefit to all children. This will help them in their school life.

The article was prepared based on materials from Natalya Stepina’s webinar “School problems for adopted children.” You can watch the full webinar

ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - this is the “diagnosis” of hyperactive children. Strictly speaking, a syndrome is a condition, a set of symptoms, but not yet a disease. That’s why we write the diagnosis in quotation marks.

How do children with hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder differ from others who are not so active? First of all, impulsivity uncharacteristic of age, inability to focus and concentrate. They cannot sit still, are very emotional, and easily flare up, get irritated or angry. Nothing can attract their attention for a long time, but they can be distracted “at once.” “Zhivchiki”, “nimbles”, even “energizers” - that’s what their family calls them. But doctors and psychologists use different terms when describing children with ADHD. For example, they mention the motor type of development, about affectivity.

Hyperactive children also have more troubling problems than the inability to cope with their own nervous system. So, they have an unstable appetite, they are familiar with insomnia, they can be absent-minded and clumsy (which increases the risk of falls). Their self-esteem often suffers, they find it difficult to communicate with peers, and they do not know how to build relationships. According to statistics, there are more such children in the world every year. According to the Russian Psychological Center for the Study and Correction of Behavioral Reactions, in Russia, ADHD is diagnosed in every fifth child aged 7-11 years. And some psychologists are inclined to believe that from 16.5% to almost half of all children suffer from hyperactivity to one degree or another.

How to recognize ADHD?

Experts identify the following signs of hyperactivity.

• The baby cannot remain calm: he constantly twists his arms and legs, writhes, wriggles if he sits on a chair.
• It is difficult for him to sit still, even if the situation requires it (for example, in class).
• Instantly distracted by extraneous noises and other slightest irritants.
• Can't wait. At all. The “wait your turn” rule is a concept that is very difficult for a child with ADHD to come to terms with.
• He answers the question without even having time to listen to it and think about it.
• Experiences difficulties in completing the proposed tasks.
• Playing games according to the rules is difficult for him; he cannot maintain concentration.
• Having not finished one thing, he rushes to do another.
• He is noisy: quiet time, quiet games - not for a hyperactive baby.
• He talks incessantly.
• He interferes: he pesters others, tries to distract them from classes, interferes with other children’s games.
• There is a feeling that often the child does not hear when he is addressed.
• Absent-minded and “confused”: children with ADHD most often lose their hats, shirts, and mittens; they forget their pencil case at home and their briefcase on the street.
• He does not think about the consequences, which makes his actions dangerous: he can run out onto the road without looking around, and commits other similar “thoughtless” acts.

If a child exhibits several of the above signs, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder most likely exists, and it is better to show the child to a specialist: a neurologist, psychologist, psychotherapist.

Causes of hyperactivity in a child

Doctors believe that this syndrome is a consequence of microscopic organic damage to the brain, which cannot be detected during diagnosis (the so-called minimal brain dysfunction). It could have arisen because something went wrong even during pregnancy: intrauterine hypoxia (oxygen starvation) was observed, the expectant mother had a disease, chronic or acute, or perhaps genetic factors were involved, or the birth was not very simple. Boys are approximately twice as likely to suffer from ADHD, and doctors believe the reason is that at an early stage of development, the male fetus is more vulnerable to various pathologies of pregnancy and childbirth.

What problems arise with adaptation to school?

Parents of a hyperactive child have a difficult time: not only is the little “volcano” capable of causing mischief at home, but not everyone around them is ready to put up with his proximity. For a teacher, a first-grader with ADHD is also not an easy task: to help him adapt to school, he will have to put in much more effort and spend more time than helping other children adapt.

What difficulties can a child encounter in first grade?

• The intellectual abilities of hyperactive children are usually above average, but the following is often observed:
• Lack of speech development
• Imperfect fine motor skills (such children write and draw worse)
• Reduced interest in knowledge and in acquiring intellectual skills
• Lack of systematicity in activities that require attention and concentration.

All this can become a hindrance in educational activities.

A child with ADHD is quick-tempered and angry, which means it’s not easy for him to get along with his classmates. Conflicts are almost inevitable, and those who do not enter into them try to stay away from the child - this, you see, does not contribute to friendly communication.

Complaints from other parents about a child with ADHD are also quite common.

Senior preschool and junior school age This is the time when hyperactivity is most acute in children. The reason is that it is at this age that the child is forced to move from the leading play activity (which gave a splash of his energy) to the leading educational one. Intellectual loads increase, the baby is required to have other skills that are unusual for him: the ability to concentrate, endure, sit in a motionless position for a long time, bring the matter to a result, do tasks one after another. School is a system of rules, norms, requirements and regulations for a child’s life. But how to squeeze a child into the rules and regulations who simply cannot be organized, still and quiet?

This is why the problem of school maladjustment in such hyperactive children manifests itself to the greatest extent. And only an educational system that takes into account the individual needs of each child, is capable of adapting to his uniqueness, and can make it as easy as possible for these children to enter the educational process. A system such as the “Primary School of the 21st Century” is a program designed for children with different levels of school preparation and different psychophysical characteristics. Thanks to an individual approach to each child, learning in this program can be comfortable and correct even for restless, impulsive and absent-minded children. This is how the educational system makes the school environment appropriate to the capabilities of each child.

Just a few years ago there could only be 1-2 students with hyperactivity in a class. Nowadays, according to the observations of teachers, up to 20-30% of first-grade students are hyperactive children.

Hyperactivity is characterized by an increased need for movement. Therefore, sitting at a desk for 30-45 minutes is an impossible task for a child with hyperactivity. But they’re not even allowed to run during recess! A play area where the baby can relieve tension and cope with aggressiveness through active games is very important for such a child.

Since a hyperactive child cannot wait for the teacher’s question to finish and answers without permission, often shouting the answer from his seat, dissonance is possible between school rules and the child’s behavior. It is important to warn the teacher about the baby’s characteristics and jointly develop a method of interaction with him.

If a child with ADHD gets tired (and he gets tired quickly), he will lose focus even more. The result is a lot of errors and negligence while performing tasks. At the same time, he knows everything, but the standard system of assessing knowledge, skills and abilities adopted at school is simply not designed for the characteristics of a hyperactive child. Fortunately, grades are not given in the first grade, but this problem will have to be solved - also together with the teacher and with the active participation of parents in the development and upbringing of the child.

Demanding calligraphic (or at least understandable) handwriting from a restless first-grader is an empty task. The reading and writing skills of a child with ADHD are impaired not only due to problems with attention, but also due to insufficient development of fine motor skills, motor coordination, speech development, and visual perception. It is worth considering that visual teaching aids and tactile support (counting material, infographics, cards, anti-stress toys, etc.) contribute to the assimilation of information by a hyperactive child.

The tasks that will be encountered during the period of preparation for school and adaptation to first grade are solved comprehensively with the participation of parents, teachers, psychologists and doctors (neurologists, psychiatrists). Pedagogical and psychological correction may be combined with drug therapy. But the most important thing is the participation of parents, their patient and systematic approach to raising hyperactive children.

Pros of hyperactivity

Yes, they exist too, and it is very important for both parents and teachers to know about them.

Hyperactive children are always more creative, think outside the box, and are able to think in several directions at the same time - their thinking is very flexible, and their answers amaze with originality.

They "always have a plan." Or rather, several different options for one answer. Moreover, they never answer the same question twice, even to the same question! If the answer requires accuracy - for example, the teacher wants to hear the result of solving an equation - the hyperactive student becomes bored and slows down. But if you need to demonstrate several ways to solve the same problem, then the “little guys” are on top.

You won't get bored with them. Yes, if you treat their constant desire to get involved in everything at once as a hindrance, difficulties arise. But in organizing events that require the involvement of all participants, there is no one better than hyperactive kids who manage to disturb everyone at once.

• Be restrained and patient. Sometimes you want to punish a child for his “antics,” yell at him, or react violently in some other way. But you shouldn’t give vent to your own emotions, especially negative ones. There is no need to aggravate the tense situation around an emotionally labile child.
• Support your child in every attempt to behave “correctly”, that is, constructively, positively and obeying the rules. Believe me, this is not easy for him!
• Make peace with your loved ones. Conflicts in a family in which a hyperactive child is growing up provoke a worsening of his condition. Therefore, in everyday communication, try to avoid reproaches, insults, categorical assessments, shouting, threats - in a word, any provoking factors, even if your emotions are directed not at the child, but at other family members.
• Don't scold, but switch your attention. Do it with humor and lightness. Try to understand your child in order to negotiate with him without manipulation, and not to forbid him (it is difficult for a child with ADHD to follow prohibitions), but to interact on the basis of mutual respect and love.
• Organize your daily routine. For a hyperactive child, adherence to the regime is especially important. He must have his own duties, in the performance of which he deserves sincere praise.
• Organize your child's life so that he has the opportunity to be alone. This could be a separate room or corner where he can truly relax. Do not use bright colors in the design - red, orange, yellow excite nervous system, and not only distract, but also irritate the child.
• Play with your child more often. Outdoor games will allow you to “blow off steam”; theater games and acting out scenes from books you have read will allow you to experience and broadcast emotions through your voice, facial expressions, and gestures. Very often, the “little ones” have acting talent, so don’t be shy about giving your little fidget a standing ovation.
• Stay in touch with the teacher, interact with him. The atmosphere in the classroom largely depends on the first teacher, and of course, he must be warned about the characteristics of your child so that the hyperactivity of the first grader does not become a surprise for the teacher. Think about how to direct your child's excessive impulsiveness and activity in a productive, positive direction.
• Support, reassure, and praise the child so as not to aggravate his condition with an inferiority complex or negative experiences. It is very important that the child lives the difficult first year of life at school without stress, makes new friends at school and gains knowledge in a comfortable environment.

It's been just over a month since the start of the school year, and teachers in many classrooms are faced with similar problems: children, usually boys, don't listen in class, do as they please and have difficulty controlling themselves. Today, such children are commonly called hyperactive. Can such a diagnosis be made at school? How can parents improve their child's school life?

“My son went to school this year. From birth he was a very active and nervous boy, and at school his problems worsened: the teacher complains that he talks loudly in class, fidgets and disturbs the whole class. Yes, he is a difficult child. The school psychologist says he has hyperactivity disorder. What it is?"

The full diagnosis is: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - ADHD. Children with this syndrome are not only very active, talkative and fussy; they have problems concentrating, focusing. On average, there are about three percent of children in the world with ADHD, therefore, in a class of thirty students, it is quite possible to have such a child.

When do ADHD symptoms appear? It is believed that this occurs before the age of seven, although sometimes they can first appear at the age of ten or eleven. Most often, parents of first-graders turn to the doctor: “Everyone is sitting calmly, but mine can’t!” However, some clarify: “Actually, it was very difficult with him from birth.”

Pointed temperament

In general, attentiveness and activity are properties of temperament, and in this sense, all people are divided into those who can be concentrated for a long time, can do painstaking work, and those who cannot stand such work. A diagnosis of ADHD means that these temperamental properties are extremely sharpened, so that a person cannot fit into normal life, is unable to carry out the tasks that others and himself set for him, and this greatly interferes with meaningful relationships with parents and friends.

Nowadays, any impulsive, very active child is often called hyperactive without hesitation. However, only a doctor can diagnose ADHD. It is impossible to determine by eye whether a child has ADHD or is just throwing a tantrum. To make a diagnosis, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the child’s life and development, to monitor how and in what situations his problems of attentiveness and activity manifest themselves.

The level of activity can be determined using special scales that parents fill out, and the doctor compares how the indicators of a particular child differ from the standard ones. These scales are based on significant research conducted in the United States and Europe. The norms in them, however, are American and European. In my work I rely on them, although with caution.

Not a personality disorder

The first thing parents need to know is that ADHD is not a mental illness, but a developmental disorder. It’s just that the child’s self-control function is initially impaired. Most often, he does not get sick with this - he is already born this way. Parents often ask me: “Did we overlook something or didn’t do something on time?” No. Parents are not to blame here. If we could look into such a child’s brain, we would see that those areas that are responsible for self-control, for managing behavior, work differently for him than for others.

The paradox is that these children look absolutely normal. So he asks for forgiveness and promises to improve, but over and over again he breaks his promises - and they begin to consider him spoiled... I ask one boy: “What are you talking about in class?” And he replies: “Yes, I forget that it’s impossible.” Children with ADHD forget the rules and behave on impulse. Parents who know about this are easier to forgive such a child, do not put all sorts of labels on him and, I hope, do not blame themselves in vain.

ADHD can have several causes. For example, heredity. Research suggests that approximately half of children with this diagnosis have at least one parent who also has ADHD. It is also known that children with low weight or low Apgar scores immediately after birth are more likely to develop ADHD.