What are the best ways to treat attention, concentration, and listening difficulties in children? | Mirror

Concentration and listening disorder is a behavioral disorder that many children suffer from, but it should not be asserted that every child who shows symptoms of lack of concentration or impulsivity necessarily suffers from this disorder.

This disorder affects the child’s academic performance and sometimes negatively affects his daily life. Therefore, parents and teachers should know the causes that lead to poor concentration and deal with them, in addition to following effective methods that help children increase concentration, to improve their performance.

Child and adolescent psychologist Karina Kadi told Al Jazeera Net that listening and concentration disorders are not a stand-alone disorder, and are often accompanied by a number of problems in the child, such as Dyslexiadysgraphia, andDefiant disorder.

What are the types of listening and concentration disorders?

According to Kaadi, disorders of listening, attention, and concentration can be divided into 3 subtypes:

1. Attention deficit disorder: In this type, the child is often very inattentive and suffers from a severe lack of attention and concentration.
2. Overactive hyperactivity disorder: In this type, the child is hyperactive and very impulsive.
3. anxiety Combined attention deficit and hyperactivity: In this case, the child may suffer from both attention deficit and hyperactivity.

It should be noted that children who primarily show symptoms of disturbance in listening and concentration, without symptoms of hyperactivity, are characterized by their calmness and lethargy.

What are the causes of poor concentration?

Kaadi continues her explanation, stressing that there are reasons that lead to poor concentration, the most important of which are:

• Anxiety: Anxiety results from several reasons related to the family or child, such as fear of separation from parents, or fear of being embarrassed.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder: This disorder greatly affects concentration, and often appears in children in primary school.
• Exposure to emotional trauma: Children are sometimes exposed to violence, or go through difficult and disturbing experiences; It creates a feeling of insecurity, and may cause poor ability to concentrate.
  

  

Methods of Treatment

Kaadi explains that behavioral therapy can be adopted, which is based on helping the child Organizing his lifestyle In several ways, namely:

• Maintaining a consistent lifestyle at a harmonious pace: He must be helped to organize the environment in which he lives, and to arrange the tools he uses daily. It is possible for the child to set a daily program for himself.
• Promoting the child’s positive attitudes: This helps him overcome the difficulties he faces, and keep his focus high and directed. It is also important to always show love and kindness to the child.
• Playing games that develop concentration: There are many games that help children increase their concentration levels, including: Memory games for childrenand the beginning.
• Reduce time Sitting in front of the screen: Children’s concentration levels usually decrease when they spend too much time in front of a screen.
• Establish a work schedule: Parents should set a schedule for their children that includes time to do schoolwork, as routine helps reduce concentration problems over time.
• Give the child a period of rest: The guidelines for providing rest periods for the child are not limited only to the home, but teachers should also consider providing a rest period for the child who has trouble concentrating, so that he can regain his focus again.
• The need to save extra time and reduce duties: A child who has difficulty concentrating should be given more time to complete school assignments. Also, you should not eat too much Homeworks On this category of children.
• doctor consultation: If the previous methods do not work, Listening and concentration disorders can be treated with stimulant medications, after medical consultation, which work for a short period of time in 70% of children who suffer from this disorder. An improvement in behavior and mental abilities can be observed when taking these medications. However, the matter varies from one child to another, and therefore The medications can also be completely different, and this is determined by the specialist doctor.

Necessary tips

Psychotherapist Margaret Nickels, director of the Center for Children and Families at the Erikson Institute in Chicago, advises parents to be completely clear with their child who suffers from inattention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a report published by the Parents website. The following tips are provided:

• Dealing with a hyperactive child may be difficult, as he is unstable, moves from one activity to another with unlimited energy, and has difficulty listening or following directions.
• Parents must deal with him with full awareness and patience, as he may perform poorly in school, get the lowest grades, and cause behavioral problems.Therefore, you must insist that the child look at you when you explain something to him, divide the information into small and easy parts, and make him repeat every step after you.
• Writing down instructions can also help a child follow them, as they can refer to the list to help jog their memory.
• Make sure the child understands that he or she is not being punished, and tell him that the place you have assigned him will help him focus and encourage him to participate.
• it is necessary Do not punish the child If he fails to complete a to-do list within a specific period of time, he is given the freedom to complete the tasks in any order instead of starting from the top to the bottom.
• A child with this disorder needs a healthy diet that is appropriate for his neurological condition. He should eat food rich in vitamins and proteins and avoid eating fast foods as much as possible.
• He must get enough time for entertainment on a daily basis, practicing his favorite hobbies, so that he finds time for entertainment and does not feel constant pressure.
• Providing the appropriate atmosphere and removing distractions that may catch his attention, along with time management, which is considered one of the best ways to treat lack of concentration in studying in children, as the child must be helped to organize his time well.
• The mother must help her child Sleep at a fixed time Every day, make sure to sleep 8 to 9 hours a day, so that he gets enough rest so that he can focus on studying in the morning.