From the author: This short note is a continuation of the conversation about neuropsychological approaches in child psychology.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is by far the most common neurological disorder in children. Much has been said and written about him everywhere. We would like to dwell on this problem because of the rather successful use of neuropsychological correction methods in working with this disorder.

What questions does a concerned parent ask the specialist?

Here they are:

– why a child can calmly draw or watch TV, but cannot sit for five minutes at homework;

– why it is possible to coexist with a child at home, but at school or away he is completely uncontrollable;

– doing homework, he understands the task and solves it correctly, but the same task on the control is a disaster, he “forgets” it …;

– handwriting is terrible, mistakes are “stupid”, reading is with omissions of letters and syllables, in addition, often the child cannot answer elementary questions about what he has read;

– we get lost in educational measures – you scold, he laughs, you praise – he doesn’t care. He has no friends, out of interests – a computer, well, a TV, sometimes. Does not walk, does not play;

– is there a chance that all this will “grow”, “will pass with age”, “can be healed with pills”;

What awaits us in adolescence;

Will he be able to finish school?

We are ready to discuss these and other questions with you, dear parents, personally, and now briefly.

ADHD is possible in children between the ages of 3 and 15, but is most common in preschool and primary school age. and by the age of 14-15 it gradually decreases, but does not completely disappear: if the manifestations of hyperactivity and impulsivity decrease with age, then attention disorders only increase.

Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder include:

– violations of attention;

-impulsiveness;

-hyperactivity;

-social maladjustment.

   It is essential that the child’s intellect is generally preserved, but the features that characterize ADHD: anxiety, restlessness, lack of focus and impulsiveness of actions, increased excitability are often combined with difficulties in acquiring learning skills (reading, counting, writing), and this, in turn, leads to severe school maladaptation.

The specificity of the intellectual activity of a hyperactive child is cyclicality: 5-15 minutes of arbitrary productive work, after which there is a loss of control over mental activity, and then within 3-7 minutes the brain accumulates energy and strength for the next work cycle. The longer the child works, the shorter the productive periods become and the longer the rest time – until complete exhaustion sets in.

Two important notes:

– detected violations are interpreted as a reflection of immaturity, and not as damage to the brain tissue;

– hyperactivity is not a consequence of an overabundance, but rather a significant lack of energy!

Paradoxical, but true!

Optimal control of the behavior of the cerebral cortex is provided by activating impulses “from below” from the stem and subcortical structures of the brain. In a child with ADHD, there are not enough impulses from below for a uniform long and productive work of the cortex , and the higher structures of the brain begin to sharply reduce their activity.

And now, in order to accumulate energy for further work, the brain has only two ways: to rest or switch to another active activity, primarily motor.

And if a child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, he simply turns off from work until his “batteries” are recharged. And a hyperactive child begins to cheer himself up by screaming, jumping, fidgeting in place, or in other ways that teachers react so badly to.

And what to do? A very effective way is a specialized course of neuropsychological correction. In the course of classes, the optimal functioning of the stem and subcortical structures of the brain is launched, and they “learn” to activate the cortex correctly and in a timely manner for long-term and stable work.

If your child fits one or more of the following definitions: “special”, “too mobile” or “very slow”; relatives, kindergarten teachers or teachers at school often complain about his behavior; he brings you with his disorganization, excessive activity, inattention to what you say or ask to do, forgetfulness (“he doesn’t remember what he was told five minutes ago”), clumsiness (“he always spills everything, hurts”), etc. ., then it makes sense for you to think very much.