When is a child's activity level considered normal and when is it considered abnormal and labeled hyperactive? This is a question many parents have to answer. Parents who tend to put off facing this dilemma are usually forced to do so by the school system.
That time usually comes when their child is in first grade and they are summoned to school and told he is hyperactive or that he has an attention deficit disorder. This statement can come as a blow to some parents. If this is their first child, parents may not be aware that their child's activity level is higher than other children his age.
Children with this type of temperament, about 10% of the population, usually have difficulty in school.
Parents who live on a farm may not consider the child too active because he is not confined to a small space and can run off all of his excess energy. Other parents may have suspected something was wrong but were not quite sure what and did not know what to do about it anyway. They were hopeful that when the child went to school, the teacher or the routine would settle him down.
All they had to do was try to survive until that time. The problem, and it is a problem, has always been that one person's definition of hyperactivity is not another's.
Some children's temperaments are such that from birth, they are active, do not like to be cuddled, tend to move from one activity to another, and are easily distracted. These children do best in families who accept this temperament and provide situations where they can explore and be successful. This is not easy.
These children take a great deal of time and attention and can wear parents out in the process. However, it is well worth the effort if the child's self esteem is kept intact. In these cases, the child's temperament is considered part of his personality and accepted as such and nurtured. Children with this type of temperament, about 10% of the population, usually have difficulty in school. It is important that parents become their advocates and help the school provide appropriate programs.
It is no surprise that most of these children are male because boys seem to be more active, hands-on, visual learners. School programs, on the other hand, are geared more to auditory learners. It has always been difficult to distinguish the truly hyperactive child, one who would benefit from medication, from the child who can function if given the right training and programs geared to his needs and learning style. Help is on the way to solve this dilemma, and it is a dilemma, because no child who would benefit from medication should be denied it. Investigators at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, found that adults suffering from hyperactivity since childhood display markedly reduced metabolism in brain regions regulating motor activity and attention.
If these investigations prove correct, it would mean that, in some cases, hyperactivity is not a psychological problem but rather a specific neurological problem that is often inherited.
In the future, there might be a safe, definitive test for the disorder. Dr. Alan Zametikin of the mental health institute says that his research might put an end to the controversy of people who say "you should not use medication, that it is a matter of upbringing". Parents who are already suffering from the problems inherent in living with a hyperactive child should be relieved and happy to hear that. In the meantime, I encourage you parents who are faced with this dilemma to keep up with the latest developments in research. Know your child, seek the best solutions for him and be his advocate.
Above all, do everything in your power to encourage him and to keep his self esteem high.
First published in 2001
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