Hyperactivity

Hyperactivity formally known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ,is marked by inattention, impulsivity, low tolerance of frustration, temper tantrums and a great deal of activity at the wrong time and in the wrong place.



These traits appear to some degree in all children. in about 3percent of school children, hyperactivity is the common problem as it interferes with the child’s daily functioning. Hyperactivity is generally seen before age 4.

Hyperactivity is caused by a combination of genetical, neurological, biochemical and environmental factors.



The disorder generally affects the attention and motor activity. Most of the times hyperactivity tends to run in families.

Hyperactive children are always moving. They have difficulty concentrating on one task, cannot sit for a long at one place, they generally tend to interrupt while talking.



Their motor activities like playing with fingers, pencils or any other object, running away, movement of legs while sitting are extremely high. They have very low tolerance level, they tend to throw things, due to lack of attention and concentration. They are academically poor.



Inattentive children find difficulty to sustain attention during work or play. Hyperactive children are also impulsive in their activity. They show cognitive impulsiveness like hurried thinking or behavioral impulsiveness like touching a stove to see whether it is hot.



Sometimes, hyperactivity is associated with learning disabilities. They are mostly interlinked. These symptoms are generally seen in all children but the difference is in the severity of the problem.

Whatever the cause, hyperactive children do better at home and in a school with the help of parents and teachers.



Parents and teachers are taught to handle the hyperactive child.Firstly,they are taught to understand the child’s problem and then to accept the child’s basic temperament. Children are also taught to break up work into small manageable segments, they are given positive reinforcement to motivate the child for an appropriate behavior, instead of written reports, tape-recorded reports are subscribed. Children and their parents and teachers are taught social skills and cognitive-behavior skills. Hyperactive children are sometimes treated with drugs like stimulants to help children to focus on the task at hand and reduce problem behaviors.

Most hyperactive children grow up normally as adults.Many,however,have higher rates of job changes, marital disruption, traffic accidents, difficulty getting along with other people, drug abuse and conduct disorders. Although hyperactive children are restless, impulsive they generally tend to have positive personality traits like spontaneity, energy and zest.