Is your child hyperactive?

Hyperactive children tend to be disorganised and can’t concentrate on what is going on around them and hence don’t learn from their activities, writes John Muturi

A child who ‘can’t sit still’ is described as hyperactive. While such children may be quite challenging to parents and teachers, they usually do not require special attention. As they grow, most adapt and function without difficulty.

However, three per cent of the school age population — primarily boys — can be regarded as clinically hyperactive. Their condition is pervasive, exemplified by serious lack of attention and concentration, dramatic impulsivity and being constantly on the move. A hyperactive child is excitable, aggressive and emotionally volatile.

Such children are disorganised and can’t concentrate on what is going on around them, so they don’t learn from their activities. Some have a concentration span of a less than a minute and cannot settle on anything for long enough to enjoy it or profit from it.

They are impulsive, even at an age when other children are starting to think before they act. They get into trouble as a result.

They are also very susceptible to minor accidents and often don’t stop to think that what they are doing is breaking a rule. All this can make for children who don’t get on well with other people.

Theories about the causes of hyperactivity abound, but the actual origins are still unknown. Signs of hyperactivity are often there in the early months of a childhood, and certainly by a child’s third birthday. Such children are unusually active, fidgety, constantly alert and difficult to soothe or to get to sleep.

Therapy

This will depend on the special needs of the child. For many, behaviour modification techniques are effective. Through such techniques, the child is methodically rewarded for desirable behaviour and is thus conditioned to behave in a certain way. Parents can also help by being as calm and consistent as possible. They can encourage their children not to give up in spite of the challenges they face.

Others benefit from special education programmes designed to boost their skills and self-concept. Some may require psychotherapy to deal with underlying stress and conflict.

Diet is also an important factor. Some hyperactive children react to some foods and artificial flavours, colourings or chemical additives. Once such triggers are avoided, the child often feels much better.

While drugs continue to be used to suppress some of the most difficult symptoms of hyperactivity, many doctors are reluctant to use them. No parent should consider the use of drug treatment except with the advice of a specialised paediatrician or child psychiatrist. Apart from unpredictable side effects, there is evidence that some drugs inhibit the child’s capabilities to learn.

Encouragement and support

It is important for parents not to treat hyperactive children as if they were the victims of some incurable disease that spells only failure and an uncertain future. This will further erode the child’s vulnerable self-esteem. Maturation, motivation and inspiration from teachers and friends can turn the hyperactive problem child into a productive adult