ADHD is a common mental illness of children, with normal intelligence, but they have the characteristics of inattention, excessive activity, impulsiveness, poor self-control and so on, which are not in line with their actual age, thus affecting their study. The incidence of ADHD is about 3%, and the incidence of boys is about 4-9 times that of girls.
The manifestations of ADHD
Its core is poor self-control ability, which is mainly manifested in the following four aspects.
1, too much activity.
No matter what the occasion, these children are in a state of non-stop activities, such as doing little tricks in class, knocking on the table, shaking chairs, singing pencils, sharpening erasers, tearing paper ends, pulling classmates' hair and clothes, etc. I usually walk in a hurry, love to run, and I can't wait for the wheel to flow. I often run aimlessly, and my hands and feet don't listen to dissuasion.
Because of their poor self-control, such children often say some irritating words, so that interrupting and interfering with adults' activities often causes adults' boredom.
Such children are bold and reckless, especially when they are emotional, and may have bad behaviors, such as lying, stealing, fighting, playing truant, playing with fire and so on. Dare to climb over the wall, like to quarrel and abuse, and often dominate.
It's hard to concentrate.
This kind of child is difficult to concentrate, or the concentration time is short, which is not in line with the actual age characteristics. In class, they often look around, absent-minded, or seemingly quiet, but in fact they are "distracted" and "wandering" and don't listen. When doing homework, playing while doing it, casually altering and scribbling, there are many mistakes. If you can't concentrate on one thing, you often have a beginning and no end, and you are anticlimactic.
2, impulsive and willful
Such children often make trouble because of their poor self-control and easy impulsiveness. When I have fun, I will mumble, shout, sing and dance. I can't help myself and get carried away. When something happens, it's easy to get angry and lose your temper. This kind of moodiness, impulsiveness and willfulness often make classmates and partners afraid of him, hate him and stay away from him. Because children are not easy to get along with others, it will also cause their rebellious psychology over time, often causing self-injury and wounding behavior.
Learning difficulties.
Because these children don't pay attention, they don't concentrate in class, and the homework assigned by the teacher can't be heard clearly, so they often miss listening, flip over and misunderstand when doing homework.
Some children can read "6" as "9", or read "D" as "B", even left and right. When writing, either one more horizontal line and one less vertical line, or write horizontally. When painting, either the proportion is out of balance or the position is improperly arranged, which are also the reasons for learning difficulties.
This kind of children's test scores fluctuate greatly, and there may be more repetitions in grades 3-4. However, due to normal intelligence, if you can review quickly after class, you can still catch up with your learning progress.
Causes of ADHD
Insufficient amount of neurotransmitters in the brain:
Some people think that the occurrence of ADHD may be a pathological state caused by the lack of neurotransmitters in the brain and the inability to transmit them in time. The decrease of the concentration of neurotransmitters (such as norepinephrine and dopamine) in the brain can reduce the inhibitory activity of the central nervous system and increase children's movements. The chemical structure of drugs for ADHD is similar to that of norepinephrine. After taking medicine, the content of norepinephrine can be increased in various ways to reduce children's movements. Therefore, children with ADHD must take medicine for treatment.
Organic injury of brain tissue;
About 85% of children are caused by the dysfunction of frontal lobe or caudate nucleus, including: (1) maternal diseases during pregnancy: hypertension, nephritis, anemia, low fever, threatened abortion, cold, etc. (2) Abnormal delivery process: premature delivery, forceps delivery, caesarean section, asphyxia, intracranial hemorrhage, etc. (3) Children with central nervous system infection and trauma are more likely to suffer from ADHD within 1-2 years after birth.
Genetic factors:
About 40% parents, siblings and other relatives of ADHD children also suffered from ADHD in childhood. The incidence of ADHD in identical twins is significantly higher than that in fraternal twins, and the prevalence of ADHD in siblings is higher than that in half-brothers and ordinary children. All these indicate that genetic factors are closely related to ADHD.
Other factors:
In recent years, many parents of only children are eager to "make their children succeed". Due to improper educational methods and early excessive intelligence, the pressure of external environment far exceeds the ability of children, which is also one of the reasons for ADHD (inattention and hyperactivity). In addition, eating artificial dyes in food and eating a diet with excessive lead content (not necessarily lead poisoning) can also lead to ADHD.
In addition, domestic data show that among the bad family education methods for children with ADHD, the so-called "strict disciplinarians" account for 6 1.7%, the ones who let themselves drift account for 3.5%, and the ones who overindulge account for 7.05%. Some scholars abroad believe that formal discipline will develop children's symptoms and add new symptoms, such as stuttering, blinking, blinking and so on. However, neglect, indulgence and overindulgence of children often lead to symptoms or aggravate existing symptoms.
How to determine whether a child has ADHD?
According to international diagnostic standards, such children must have three characteristics: inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity.
1, inattention
Have at least the following three items:
1. Things are often finished.
2. I often don't listen in class.
3. Notes are easily transferred with the environment.
It is difficult to concentrate on doing homework and other things that require long-term concentration.
5. It is difficult to insist on playing a certain game or play.
2, dynamic and willful
1. I often do what I want to do.
2. Move from one activity to another too frequently.
You can't do things in an orderly way.
4. Need the supervision and care of others.
I often shout loudly in the classroom.
6. You can't wait patiently for rotation in games or group activities.
3. Too many activities
Have at least the following two items:
1. fidgeting
2. Run regularly.
It's hard to stay in the classroom seat.
4. Lying in bed, always wriggling and tossing.
5. Busy all day, endless.
Hyperactivity started before the age of 6.7.
7. It lasts at least 6 months.
When applying the above diagnostic criteria, the following two points should be noted.
First, when activities are allowed, such as in the following class and after school, no matter how powerful the children's activities are, they have no diagnostic significance. Only when he shouldn't take the initiative, such as taking classes or doing homework, but he still can't restrain himself and keeps moving, can he be diagnosed.
Second, if there is only hyperactivity without inattention, ADHD cannot be diagnosed. On the contrary, if the inattention is obvious and there is no hyperactivity, we should consider the possibility of ADHD, because some children belong to the so-called "ADHD without hyperactivity." In the United States, starting from 1979, according to the most common and prominent symptom of ADHD, ADHD was renamed as attention deficit disorder and divided into two types: attention deficit with hyperactivity and attention deficit without hyperactivity. The latter is ADHD, not ADHD.
The difference between ADHD children and naughty children;
1, the difference of attention
Children with ADHD can't concentrate for a long time in any situation, even reading "picture books" and "cartoons". But naughty children are different. When reading "picture books" and "comics", they can concentrate and hate the interference of other children.
2, the difference between the purpose of action
Naughty children's actions often have a certain purpose and are planned and arranged. However, children with ADHD do not have this feature. Their behavior is impulsive and messy, beginning and ending.
3. Differences in self-control ability
Naughty children have self-control ability in a serious and unfamiliar environment, can behave themselves and stop making noise; Children with ADHD do not have this ability and are often accused of "ignorance".
In addition, with the popularization of ADHD knowledge in recent years, some kindergarten teachers have been able to find the early symptoms of some ADHD children (under 7 years old). If you don't obey the discipline and take a nap, urge your parents to treat you as soon as possible. Naughty children are more active, but they are much better at restraining themselves than children with ADHD.
How to treat ADHD in children?
It used to be thought that ADHD is a self-limited disease of children, which can disappear naturally with the increase of age. Scholars have found (1) that only some children with ADHD can heal themselves, and most children's symptoms can continue into adulthood. (2) There are significant differences in curative effect and prognosis between treatment and non-treatment, early treatment and late treatment. Therefore, the current consensus is that ADHD needs early comprehensive treatment.
Parents and teachers should unify the following points:
First, ADHD is pathological, so we can't discriminate, let alone beat and scold, so as not to aggravate the child's mental trauma.
Second, children with ADHD must be treated with drugs, but drugs cannot replace education. Drugs can provide good conditions for education, and we should correctly understand the functions and side effects of drugs.
Thirdly, to achieve good curative effect, four aspects (children, parents, teachers and doctors) must cooperate with each other.
1, drug therapy
At present, most experts believe that Ritalin is very effective in treating ADHD in children, which can concentrate and feed the symptoms of hyperactivity, thus achieving the purpose of improving behavior. With the improvement of behavior, children's academic performance will also improve, and with the stability of emotions, conflicts with classmates will also decrease. Therefore, the drug also indirectly promotes children's psychological development. But the only disadvantage of ritalin is that it can't eradicate the disease, so it can only be taken.
Ritalin per tablet 10mg, every morning 1 tablet, after meals. If the effect is not obvious after taking it for a period of time, the effective dose of the drug can be increased as appropriate. Parents should always closely observe the reaction with the teacher and discuss its effective dose. If you have anorexia, dizziness, insomnia, etc. Parents don't have to panic, they can reduce it slightly by 2-3. In order to avoid drug resistance, you can not take medicine on Sundays, holidays and when you are not studying, and you can also stop taking medicine in winter and summer vacations. But if you need to study and do your homework during the holidays, you can take ritalin half an hour before studying. Ritalin can only last for 4-6 hours at a time. Therefore, it is only effective if you insist on taking medicine. If you stop taking the medicine at will, the symptoms will reappear. According to the individual's different situation, you can take 1-5 years, but with the increase of age, the situation improves, and the dose can be gradually reduced until the drug is stopped.
2. Educational methods
At the same time, parents should pay attention to education and understand ADHD. Don't blame, blame, discriminate, beat and scold children, educate them patiently and pay close attention. When educating children with ADHD, we should pay attention to the following points:
1). The requirements must be practical. First of all, parents should understand the characteristics of ADHD, and the requirements for ADHD children should not be as strict as those for normal children. As long as their hyperactivity can be controlled within a range that is not excessive, it is ok. You shouldn't be too demanding.
2). Guide too much energy. For such children with excessive activities, we should give them positive guidance and let their excessive energy be brought into play. Parents and teachers should organize them to participate in various sports activities, such as running, playing ball, climbing mountains and long jumping. If possible, they should be arranged to do some outdoor and indoor activities to release their excessive energy. But when arranging their activities, we should pay attention to safety and avoid danger.
3) Strengthen the cultivation of concentration. For such children, we should gradually cultivate their habit of concentration. You can start with reading books and listening to stories, and gradually extend the time of concentration. You can also arrange them in the first row of seats in the classroom, so that you can get the supervision and guidance of the teacher at any time during class. If children make progress in concentration, they should be praised and encouraged in time to help them strengthen.
4) Cultivate regular living habits. Such children should cultivate regular living habits from an early age. Eat regularly and get enough sleep. Children should not be allowed to watch movies and TV late into the night, which will affect their sleep.
5) Cultivate their self-esteem and self-confidence. For such children, we should patiently and repeatedly educate them to help them cultivate self-esteem and self-confidence, eliminate their nervousness and help them improve their self-control ability. Parents should always keep it, help them understand the situation of educating their children, and seek guidance on treatment. If conditions permit, strive for the cooperation of parents and teachers and do a good job in education.
If drug treatment and education measures are properly coordinated, some children can become quiet and focused in a short time and achieve good results.
3. Behavioral therapy
Behavioral therapy is a method to correct children's misconduct by using learning principles. When they have appropriate behaviors in their studies, they will be rewarded in time to encourage them to continue to improve. And seek to consolidate; When some inappropriate behaviors appear, we should ignore or temporarily deprive them of some rights, which will make these behaviors gradually disappear. If the teacher writes down the number of times children twist in class, praise them if they decrease, and bring a report to parents every day. If the number of children twisting is reduced, parents will reward them according to the report. Reward methods can be determined according to the specific situation of each family, such as letting them watch TV at night, or going to the zoo on holidays, or rewarding toys.
4. Diet therapy
Recent studies have shown that a large number of foods containing tyrosine and salicylate, as well as foods contaminated with condiments, artificial colors and lead, will lead to ADHD in children with ADHD genetic tendency, or make ADHD symptoms worse. On the contrary, children with ADHD can obviously alleviate their symptoms as long as they limit this kind of food. Therefore, in the diet should pay attention to the following points:
1). Eat less food containing tyrosine, such as dried noodles and cakes. Eat less food containing methyl salicylic acid, such as tomatoes, apples and oranges. Do not add spicy spices, such as pepper, or use tartar yellow pigments, such as shellfish, scarlet, orange and olives.
2) Eat more foods rich in zinc. Because zinc is a trace element in human body, it is closely related to the growth and development of human body. Zinc deficiency often leads to loss of appetite, stunting and mental retardation in children. It is found that most students with excellent academic performance have high zinc content in their hair. Therefore, eating more foods rich in zinc, such as eggs, liver, beans, peanuts, etc., will help improve intelligence.
3) Eat more foods rich in iron. Because iron is the raw material for hematopoiesis, iron deficiency will cause brain dysfunction, affect children's mood and aggravate ADHD. Therefore, children with ADHD should eat more iron-rich foods, such as liver, poultry blood and lean blood.
4). Eat less food containing lead. Because lead can change children's visual movement, memory feeling, thinking in images, behavior and so on. Children with ADHD should eat less preserved eggs and shellfish containing lead.
5). Eat less food containing aluminum. Because aluminum is a metal that threatens human health. Eating too much aluminum can lead to mental retardation, memory loss, loss of appetite and indigestion. Children with ADHD should eat less fried dough sticks, because fried dough sticks need to add alum to flour, and the chemical composition of alum is potassium aluminum sulfate. Therefore, eating fried dough sticks is not good for children's intellectual development.