| There are a number of factors that can affect normal | | | | learn how to behave. We give children with a physical |
| concentration and a person's ability to remain centered. | | | | challenge all kids of assistive technology (wheel chairs, |
| Concentration is one of the most powerful mental | | | | communication systems), but when our frustration level |
| tools at our disposal - and yet, so few of us know | | | | has been crossed (which happens very fast around |
| how to use it to its full potential. Essentially, | | | | hyperactive children), we do not supply the tools to |
| concentration is the ability to focus your attention on a | | | | help! |
| task at hand while blocking out other distracting or | | | | A parent asked me a question: "I think my child has |
| unrelated stimuli - this includes insignificant sounds or | | | | ADHD. Can you teach him to sit still, he drives me |
| visual input and most importantly, wandering or | | | | crazy!" There is something wrong with that question. |
| irrelevant thoughts and impulsive movements. | | | | First of all, who is driving who crazy? If you as a |
| Maintaining a balance of physical activity is also | | | | parent "let" your child drive you crazy by acting |
| important for concentration. | | | | unstructured, you allow the child to continue his |
| As a Special Education Teacher and an Educational | | | | impulsive behavior. The unstructured actions or |
| Psychologist, I am blessed to get the change to to | | | | consequences give the child a Maybe It Will Work |
| improve troubled and challenged children's life's on a | | | | Again trigger. On the other hand, you could be driving |
| daily bases. With more than 12 years of experience, I | | | | the child crazy as well, because s/he does never |
| have helped more than 500 children getting their lives | | | | know when to expect certain actions or |
| back on track. Some of those children had severe | | | | consequences. |
| learning disorders, while others struggled with | | | | Second, in my opinion, it is impossible for an attention |
| challenges such as ADHD, ODD, Autism, Anxiety and | | | | deficit child to sit still for a longer period of time. They |
| Depression. None of these children were the same. In | | | | need time to loose energy. They get manipulated by |
| fact, I have never seen two children with exactly the | | | | various impulses which make them move. It could be |
| same type of, for instance, ADHD. While it's often | | | | quite so, that a dining room has been decorated in a |
| treated and medicated as a disease, ADHD is actually | | | | way which makes it impossible for an ADHD child to |
| what is called a "spectrum disorder", just like Autism is | | | | sit still. I once visited a family where two children were |
| part of the "Autism Spectrum Disorder". | | | | diagnosed with ADHD. The mother was a Swiss clock |
| Children with attention deficits are not deliberately | | | | collector. On every wall hang a clock, which was |
| displaying "bad" behavior. Most of the time, they do not | | | | making tik-tak noises constantly. Still, the mother |
| have the power to control their own actions. This is | | | | expected the two boys to sit quietly at the dining table |
| called: lack of impulse control. Of course, all children | | | | when every one was eating. |
| have moments where they choose to act bad. But | | | | It is very important to see to it that ADHD children get |
| that should be seen as normal behavior to try to | | | | the opportunity to be in a room without impulse |
| extent barriers. | | | | triggers. Think of calming colors on the wall, no clocks, |
| When it comes to behavior, people tend to act strict. | | | | restricted tv-hours and most important ... no clutter. |
| The same people forget that children need to be able | | | | How is an unorganized ADHD child ever going to learn |
| to model or mirror appropriate behavior in order to | | | | to be organized when she/he has to live in a mess? |