Dear Teacher: a video to understand the student with ADHD

Most children with Attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity either ADHD exhibit incongruous behavior: they are smart and cunning, but perform poorly in the classroom, show lack of interest, do not remain in a physical listening position, and even develop attitudes that are not very disciplined and challenging.

In the following interview, Mireia Garibaldi, psychologist and collaborating psychologist at the Institute for Psychological Assistance and Psiquiatrica Mensalus, she presents us with an interesting video about the problems that surround children with ADHD in the classroom. An emotional project that, we hope, opens a reflection on the necessary psycho-pedagogical tools.

Before reading the article, you can watch the video below:

How is the relationship between ADHD and emotional management?

Children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) present significant difficulties in self-regulating and managing their emotions. Something that is not easy for most at first, is especially expensive for them. To be more exact, one of the complicated tasks is the ability to internalize and reserve emotions. For this reason, children with ADHD sometimes express their feelings in an intense and uncontrolled way. What do others end up seeing? An immature behavior ("he is always clowning"), inappropriate, changeable and even heavy (the externalization of the emotion lasts longer than in the rest of the same). It is difficult for adults to understand that this behavior comes, among other factors, due to the difficulty in emotional management, for which reason the common outcome in the classroom is repetitive punishment: sanctions that label the child and place him in a highly defensive.

What is the most common emotion among children with ADHD?

When efforts are in vain, the result is a sea of ​​frustration. With this, the self-concept can be seriously affected. The video that we are presenting today rightly vindicates the importance of "not pointing fingers" at the child with ADHD. In the process of development and maturation of him, it is crucial to avoid actions that make him feel constantly judged. If all fingers are pointing at you on a daily basis, you may grow from an anxious and insecure foundation, and end up forming a very impaired self-concept that results in low self-esteem.

You told us about a defensive framework in which the child is enclosed...

TRUE. A defensive framework resulting from the fear of being hurt again. It is common for the child to challenge the authority figure and to be irreverent. As we said, when this happens, punishment is the main tool (“get out of class”, “today you don't have a playground”) and once again the child is discriminated against and classified as “the bad guy”. The consequence? Frustration reaches unsuspected levels and its management becomes a "mission impossible".

What can happen then?

Before assuming a new failure, one of the most used strategies is lying (for example, lying to justify that you have not brought your homework done). Likewise, it is common for the outcome of difficult emotional self-management to be behavior full of anger and physically visible irritability. (kicks, jumps, grimaces, etc.) and verbally (bad responses to the teacher's guidelines). The child with ADHD is highly dependent on atmosphere. The self-regulation of his emotions and his behavior responds more to the stimuli he receives than to his own thoughts (something that, from the outset, is already common in infants). Be that as it may, the difficulty of doing introspection work and paying attention to your own thoughts keeps you from tools such as event analysis, reflection and goal setting. For this reason, it is essential to help the little one.

How can we help the child with ADHD?

Through the use of more attractive and visual strategies that promote emotional expression and collaborate in said internalization. When the child manages to understand what is happening to him, it is then that he takes the first step towards emotional self-regulation. Training the child in this sense is essential, since, otherwise, he may enter a spiral of sadness and negativity that distances you, not only from academic objectives, but also from the context of friends and companions.

On the other hand, children with ADHD present significant difficulties in motivating themselves. They have serious problems when starting the prescribed tasks and sustaining the activity until its completion. This difficulty is accompanied by a high need to be gratified in the short term (mainly after tasks that are not particularly attractive and do not generate an instant reward). Returning recognition to the child makes it easier for them to remain connected to the context (for example, a game, a sporting activity, a math exercise, etc.)

From Psychopedagogy we advise parents and teachers to establish a recognition system through positive messages. The lack of internal motivation is the main driver of the lack of objectives and self-discipline to achieve them.

That being said, what message could we stay with today?

As the video shows, it is important for children with ADHD to perceive social approval from their immediate environment through messages rewarding, words that bring them closer to the rest and do not brand them as disinterested or other derogatory labels that diminish their sense of ability. They are emotionally dependent on positive recognition and, of course, need adults to make their job easier.

Understanding the child with ADHD is the way for him to do it too.

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