Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), defined as a neurobehavioral disorder, is often confused with mischief or laziness. Attention deficit disorder should be suspected when a child has trouble concentrating in class, gets bored easily and takes too long to finish homework. Stating that it is important to focus on the positive aspects of children diagnosed with ADHD, not the negative ones, experts emphasize that positive behaviors should be appreciated.
October is known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) awareness month all over the world. It is aimed to raise awareness about ADHD, which is widely seen in society.
NPISTANBUL Hospital Child - Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Assoc. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said that Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder.
Attention if he gets bored quickly in lessons!
Noting that Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has three different components, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said, "This condition has three different symptom groups. First of all, attention deficit. Attention deficit is the child's difficulty in concentrating on their lessons or maintaining that concentration. These children are usually the ones who get bored quickly in lessons and are interested in other things. Since they get bored quickly while doing their homework, they can either finish a very short assignment in a very long time and with the support of their families, or they do a very sloppy homework full of deficiencies in a very short time.
They cannot stand still and want to move all the time
Noting that the second component or symptom is hyperactivity, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said, "Hyperactivity means that the child is very active. Generally, these children have difficulty sitting still, and even if they sit, they are constantly fidgeting. Even in an environment where they need to sit, they want to get up and move around. In some children, there is not much mobility, but the desire to talk a lot is evident.
Acts without thinking about the consequences
Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten emphasized that the third component is impulsivity and said, "Impulsivity is a child's tendency to act without thinking about the outcome. These children are usually impatient children. They have difficulty waiting. They have serious problems when they have to stand in line and wait.
Underlining that attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsivity occur at different severities and together or sometimes alone, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said, "For example, a child who has attention problems and has difficulty maintaining attention may not be very active and hyperactive."
ADHD is a disorder with genetic transmission
Stating that ADHD is a disorder with a very high rate of genetic transmission, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said, "Children with this condition have similar symptoms in their parents or first-degree relatives. ADHD is not caused by the wrong attitude of the parents to the child, but the wrong attitudes of the parents cause the severity of the symptoms in the child to increase and some emotional and behavioral problems are added to these symptoms. For example, if such a child is not given sufficient and consistent limits, he/she may develop disobedience, defiance or serious behavioral problems (such as violence, stealing, etc.) with age."
Medication and psychotherapeutic interventions are used
Noting that ADHD is a treatable disorder, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said, "For children who show severe ADHD symptoms and whose academic success, social and emotional development is hindered due to this, methods such as medication, psychotherapeutic studies with the child and family, and if necessary, ensuring the cooperation of teachers and schools in treatment are used."
Focus on the positive aspects of the child
Emphasizing that children with ADHD symptoms should not be labeled with some negative labels (such as lazy, unhelpful, negligent), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said: "The child has difficulty in controlling the majority of the symptoms, and sometimes they control it for a certain period of time but cannot maintain it. For this reason, it is important to focus on the positive aspects of children diagnosed with ADHD, not the negative ones, and to appreciate their positive behaviors. Because children do not correct their behaviors by being criticized or labeled. On the contrary, the child repeats the praised behavior more often."
Consistent and organized family environment is important
Noting that children with ADHD symptoms should be raised from an early age in family environments where rules and boundaries are more regular, rules and boundaries are clear, parents act together on boundaries and behave consistently, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten said, "Children with these characteristics develop fewer behavioral problems when raised in families with these characteristics."
Listen to these warnings
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Sarı Gökten listed her recommendations for parents as follows
Starting from pre-school education, these children should start their academic life with teachers who have fewer children, who can control the teacher more easily and who have a sweet and firm approach.
Attention to the classroom environment
In order to support them with their attention, a parent should accompany them while they are studying, guide them and support them in terms of time use. It is useful to ensure that the environment in which they study is free of distracting stimuli. When studying, it is recommended that they break up their study time with small breaks, and break up long assignments into smaller pieces.
Assign tasks in class
In order to prevent problems in the classroom environment for those who are very active, the teacher should assign them tasks that they can move around (distributing lesson papers, wiping the board, etc.), and families should definitely direct them to a suitable sport.
If attention problems persist as the academic years increase, it is important to support the weak points in the child's lessons with one-to-one lessons.
