ADHD and what next?

Proven content

ADHD is a disease that has been written about, both facts and myths. However, we will take care of the situation when our child has a psychomotor hyperactivity syndrome, i.e. ADHD, diagnosed by specialists.

ADHD – the case of Cuba

Kuba brought a lot of joy to his parents. He was a typical “living silver”, it was full of him everywhere, his mouth was open, he was curious about everything around him. However, the older he got, the more difficult it was to control it. In the lesson, all the teachers’ attention had to be focused on him, when he got up and walked around the classroom, chatting to his classmates, going to the window, answering questions before anyone even finished them. More and more comments concerned the unpreparedness for the lesson: forgetting the outfit for the physical education lesson, losing the notebook, not finishing the work started. At home, sitting down to dinner, he also managed to play with the cat, then see what is happening outside the window and bring his favorite toy. Although if something interested him, he might not be distracted from it. He broke in on the conversation, always had something to say. He did not respond to commands.

This “temperament” of Cuba, as it seemed to parents, was becoming more and more of a problem for them. The school teacher recommended them to see a psychologist or child psychiatrist, suspecting that Cuba had ADHD. On the basis of what the boy’s parents told the doctor, the opinion about him from school, the exclusion of other somatic diseases, the specialist confirmed these suspicions. From that moment on, a long road of coping with ADHD symptoms began for Cuba and his relatives. As it turned out, everything was new to them, and every behavior of Cuba took on a different meaning.

This is a “textbook” picture of a child with ADHD. Often, the disorder is also accompanied by others, e.g. behavioral disorders, mood disorders, specific school difficulties, as well as abuse and addiction to psychoactive substances in older children. This makes timely and proper management of such a child so important.

Understand ADHD

The basic piece of information to start with is that ADHD is not the fault of the parents or the child. Treatment of ADHD is a multi-pronged procedure involving the physician, family and school. Before the whole family starts dealing with the disease, it is worth getting to know your opponent well.

ADHD treatment

The first step in treatment is psychoeducation parents, guardians of the patient, as well as teachers and educators. Information about the disease can be obtained primarily from specialists and thanks to many brochures and guides devoted to it. An important, if not one of the most important, elements of the therapy are workshops for parents of children with ADHD, where they learn to behave differently with their child and deal with its typical problems. Depending on the symptoms and comorbidities of the disorder, patient participation in aggression replacement training, social skills training or cognitive behavioral therapy may also be considered.

As an auxiliary in the treatment of ADHD and aggression attacks, it is worth using Weighted blankets, which you can buy at medonetmarket.pl. There are larger and smaller quilts, with or without patterns. Especially for children, there are cotton duvets on one side and minky fabric on the other, which is pleasant to the touch. We recommend, for example, a 100x135cm FUN cotton weighted blanket + minky fabric with a pattern of cosmos, foxes or a forest family.

ADHD – an innocent child?

It’s important to understand first that much of your child’s behavior is due to ADHD symptoms and not his or her ill will. We cannot punish a child for symptoms any more than someone is punished for having high blood pressure! One should be able to distinguish ADHD symptoms from undesirable, deliberate behavior not resulting from the disorder, eg Cuba has a problem with completing a task, but returns to him when he is attracted to his attention and brought to work. This is a symptom of concentration disorders. However, it is not the behavior in which Kuba does not follow the teacher’s instructions, claiming that he will not do it because he does not want to. This is a deliberate breach of a rule that requires some consequences.

Also read: Modafinil – the first safe brain doping?

“Glasses” for ADHD symptoms

Just as in the case of a visual impairment, we wear glasses that help us see better and “reduce” the symptom of blurred vision, we also wear them in the case of ADHD symptoms. In this case, “glasses” are methods and techniques that facilitate the functioning of a person with symptoms of concentration disorders, impulsiveness and hyperactivity. These methods work when used, just as glasses work when worn on the nose.

We can’t cure ADHD. We can only make the problems associated with the disease much less impair the functioning and life of the child. Cuba’s problem was, inter alia, distraction while doing homework. Kuba’s parents used the “empty desk” technique: they removed all unnecessary items from the desk, from the walls, and from the boy’s surroundings in the place where he is doing homework. And the table itself, which until now stood under the window, was moved to the wall so that what was happening outside would not distract the boy. At school, Kuba was transferred to the first grade, close to the teacher, so that the boy’s attention could focus primarily on the lesson, and not on what is happening in the classroom. Cuba’s parents, when they wanted him to do something, started talking to him with short, single commands. They also had to learn to anticipate situations in which the boy’s impulsiveness might be dangerous for him, such as when cycling along routes near streets. Parents tried to plan activities so that Kuba had plenty of time for physical activity, e.g. at the pool and playing ball. These are examples of wearing “glasses” for ADHD symptoms.

ADHD? Do not panic!

Many symptoms require our acceptance, not fighting them. You may not pay attention to the fact that the child is fidgeting in the chair as long as it does not interfere with our conversation. If he wants to do his homework lying on the floor, why not? As long as the homework is done and the child is working, it is not a problem. It may turn out that this helps him and increases the efficiency of his work, rather than disturbing it. If, while watching TV, Kuba wants to play with the ball at the same time – let him do it. Acceptance means watching your baby calmly, seeing the positive, praising him, not teaching him. As long as what he does not threaten himself or other people, it is worth expressing acceptance to the child by not interfering in his activities.

We cannot count on the fact that if one day we explained to the child that he can play only after he has finished his homework, he will remember it every day from now on. Children with ADHD don’t remember the rules. Let us remember this before we get upset by another situation in which Cuba, the next day after returning from school, will immediately start playing his favorite game, and we will feel that all our efforts are in vain. Children will require you to repeat the rules you have agreed on. And if you follow them, it is worth praising the child for it. Praise is never too much, for every little thing – for us, but not necessarily for a child with ADHD – a well-done activity, fulfilling the order, for what went better than before. The fact that one day we praised Cuba for eating lunch efficiently, does not mean that when it happens to him more often, we can stop doing it and recognize that this is normal behavior. Each time it will be his success that should be emphasized.

ADHD at school

After the diagnosis of ADHD in the child is established, specific recommendations on how to work with the ADHD student should be provided to teachers and educators, which will be developed by the team treating the child. The diagnosis should be clarified and the symptoms to be expected should be discussed. It’s a good idea to give the teacher the ADHD brochure, which you can get from your doctor or psychologist.

Children with ADHD forget what their homework is about when it is checked what to bring to the next art lesson. Such problems are often the reason why they get lower grades and have less success in school. A good improvement in this situation may be the establishment of a correspondence book in which teachers could enter the grades that Kuba received after each lesson, praise (it is advisable to avoid entering comments on negative behavior in the notebook; lack of praise will be a sufficient message for parents), homework assignments, dates and scope of tests and other important information (e.g. dates of class visits to the cinema, trips, school events).

Children and adolescents with ADHD need their parents’ help for a longer period of time than their peers. When your child goes to junior high school, keep helping him, even though it seems that at this age he should be able to cope on his own. And just reminding the child to sit down for lessons is not enough to say that they do their homework together. This, in principle, also requires discipline from the parent – that he should have a set time every day at a specific time to help the child. If this is not possible, it is worth finding someone to help you. Homework should be completed by packing the satchel together and preparing the things needed for the next day for school.

A common question of parents is whether their child with ADHD should go to an inclusive class. This is a good solution, mainly because such classes are smaller than traditional ones and because the class is often accompanied by a support educator. This allows for better control of what happens to such a child during the lesson. However, the reason for this should not be the false belief that it is a serious disease that prevents learning and normal functioning among peers.

Leki na ADHD

ADHD is a disease in which drugs can only play an auxiliary role. They are not a substitute for other, non-pharmacological effects. It is important to remember that receiving a prescription from a doctor does not end your actions. The doctor may decide to start the drug when other methods of therapy and modification of educational methods do not give a sufficient effect, or when ADHD symptoms are very severe at the time of diagnosis.

In the simple sense of the disease, it seems that if a child is hyperactive, he or she needs “sedative” medications. Parents ask whether ADHD medications will “suppress” their children or make them “lethargic” after them. Contrary to popular belief, patients with ADHD do not need “sedative” drugs that will “silence” them or reduce their activity.

Preparations used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are often psychostimulants, e.g. methylphenidate, modifying the level of excitation of the parts of the brain responsible for attention control, inhibition processes and activity. Thanks to them, children are able to do more work, drugs extend the period of attention, and reduce impulsiveness. However, they don’t treat ADHD like antibiotics can treat strep throat. Rather, it is comparable to treating high blood pressure or diabetes, where medications help control symptoms and lower the risk of complications from the disease. Medications in ADHD will help the child, among others it is better to concentrate and work longer, but they will not prevent him from doing his homework.

ADHD – Symptom Relief

These drugs only work when they are administered! Methylphenidate works from 4 to 12 hours – depending on the type of preparation. This has its downsides as the symptoms reappear every day after this time. However, this feature of the drug may also be an advantage. When a child needs help, first of all, in terms of functioning at school, he takes the drug only during school days, with a break during weekends, winter and summer holidays. After the summer holidays, the child’s functioning at school and the occurrence of symptoms are reassessed in the first month of the school year. There may be times when you no longer need to continue your medication because your ADHD symptoms may decrease as your child grows up. The most common side effects of these drugs are: sleep disturbances, decreased appetite, digestive system disorders and headaches.

Another drug registered in Poland for the treatment of ADHD is atomoxetine, used most often in cases of intolerance to MP or presence of contraindications to its use. It differs from MP mainly in that its effect is visible only after about 2 weeks of regular use, and the full effect after 4-6 weeks of treatment. Atomoxetine works around the clock.

The tricyclic antidepressants clonidine, etc. are also used in the treatment of ADHD. Each drug has its limitations, advantages and disadvantages. Your doctor will decide which drug is best for your child.

It is also important to inform about changes in the child’s behavior at school and at home, and how teachers and carers perceive it, at each visit. This will help to tailor the treatment to your needs.

A child with ADHD is a normal child and adolescent. He has his passions, interests and character. That is why it is important that Cuba is still Cuba and not a group of symptoms and problems. It is worth taking some time every day to talk to your child and praise him for specific and even the smallest successes that day. A child’s diagnosis of ADHD can change a family’s life. Children and adolescents with this disorder require much more parental support and care than their peers. It is about building a common relationship and cheering for the smallest achievements. Over time, this will prove to be the most important factor in their success for the child.

Recommended reading about ADHD:

“ADHD – to take the challenge.” Russel A. Barkley

“ADHD – A guide for parents and educators” A. Kołakowski, T.Wolańczyk, A.Pisula, M.Skotnicka, A.Bryńska

Text: lek. Anna Zielińska, Department of Psychiatry of Developmental Age SPDSK in Warsaw

Bibliography:

ADHD – take the challenge. RABarkley

ADHD – A guide for parents and educators. A. Kołakowski, T.Wolańczyk, A. Pisula, M. Scotnicka, A. Bryńska

ADHD – Information for Parents. Artur Kołakowski

Emotional and behavioral disorders in children, edited by T. Wolańczyk and J. Komender