Hyperactivity and attention deficits in children
Symptoms of hyperactivity and treatment
Hyperactivity and attention deficits (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD) is a common behavioral disorder that is typical for children. According to statistics, in the United States suffer from this disorder 10% of boys and 4% of girls. This article discusses the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment methods for ADHD.
The three main symptoms ADHD - hyperactivity, inattentiveness and impulsiveness. The presence of at least one of these symptoms prevents normal development of the child and keeping his normal way of life and require professional intervention.
Under the guidance of American psychiatrists (DSM IV), diagnosis is based on multiple parameters.
Diagnosis «Attention deficits» put upon occurrence for at least six months at least six of the following signs:
* The child is not able to focus on details - for example, does not pay attention to the change in guidance in the assignment;
* Child can not focus on tasks that require prolonged concentration of attention - such as homework, though, by the fact that he likes, the child may be more attentive);
* The child listens, but does not hear, that is, skips past all ears;
* The child does not comply with the instructions and did not bring jobs to the end;
* The child has difficulties with organization of its activities - he can do the job with one instruction, but with a few instructions in succession fail;
* The child tries to avoid tasks that require mental stress;
* A child often loses things necessary for tasks and daily activities;
* Child is easily distracted to extraneous stimuli;
* The child often has a forgetfulness in everyday situations.
If you have a child has serious problems with behavior therapy should begin at home.
Diagnosis «hyperactivity and impulsiveness» put upon occurrence for at least six months at least six of the following nine features:
The child is constantly on the vertical face with a chair or stool;
Child arises when should sit - for example, goes to class during a lesson;
The child is constantly running and trying to get to a place in inappropriate situations;
The child is not able to play quietly;
Child behaves overly active;
Child is talkative;
Child begins to answer the question, without waiting for an answer before the end of;
Child can not wait for their turn when the situation so requires;
Child prevents others interfering in their conversation or a game.
If there are six or more symptoms of attention deficit diagnosed «ADHD c priority attention disorder». If there is a child of six or more major signs of hyperactivity and impulsiveness diagnosed «ADHD with predominant hyperactivity disorder». If there are violations of the six symptoms of attention and hyperactivity six traits diagnosed «integrated ADHD in violation of attention and hyperactivity». It should be noted that these or other symptoms, like all parents can attest, manifested in every child - the same violation is determined depending on the strength and duration of these symptoms. For the diagnosis of conduct violations must be pronounced in the six months or more.
Importantly also, whether the behavioural problems seen in a different environment - home, school, nursery school, while classes in circles - and to what extent. If your child has all of the signs, but they are pronounced is not, then the existence of ADHD can not speak, and the need for treatment of this syndrome is not.
The main complaints that led the parents or teachers to send a child to a specialist - it's poor performance, misconduct during a lesson, inattention during lessons and problems with communication or behavior. Determine the child's hyperactivity and impulsiveness tutors and teachers are at an early age, because children with these disorders are often hampered in the classroom, and the deficit of attention is often accompanied by a decrease in performance.
However, AHDH is not only the above features - all much more complicated. Research has shown that in 30-80% of children with ADHD, there are other problems. Often, such children have difficulty with study, they observed a violation reading, writing and numeracy. So for more effective treatment should be aimed at correcting the violations and attention, and problem solving with learning.
All other accompanying ADHD problems in one way or another connected with the conduct. Very often, children with hyperactivity syndrome show disobedience, and aggression - they are too often the flash of anger, they are constantly arguing with adults and refuse to follow the instructions of the senior, they tend to dump their guilt on each other and are very sensitive to comments.
A more serious violation shall be considered conduct disorder (conduct disorder) with signs of criminal tendencies. The more serious behavioral problems, the more difficult to cope with the whole spectrum of symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity, and the less optimistic outlook for the future.
Often children with this syndrome, anxiety, there is often a bad mood, they experience depression.