Hyperkinetic disorders in children
Dear Parents,
As a certified ADHD/ADD therapist from IFWL, I provide comprehensive insights into this neurobiological disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. My therapy approaches are tailored to the individual needs of each child and are based on collaboration with specialized child and adolescent psychiatrists for precise diagnosis and effective treatment.
Children with ADHD/ADD often struggle with limited working memory, making it difficult to retain information or manage multiple tasks simultaneously. However, they may develop a "hyperfocus" on topics that fascinate or excite them, but may struggle to transfer this concentration to other areas. You may have already noticed at home that your child engages in an activity for hours and wonder how that can be!
Therapeutic Approaches:
I follow a holistic, multimodal approach in my ADHD/ADD therapy.
In close collaboration with you as parents, we design the therapy holistically. Your continuous support is crucial for your child to find structure and stability. An important part is parental coaching, which helps you break any cycles of oppositional behavior. Are you already familiar with the pitfalls associated with homework? Together, we develop strategies to successfully overcome these hurdles.
Procedure of a Therapy Session:
Initial consultation: In the first session, we clarify all essential details such as diagnostics, medical history, expectations, and costs. This is done to establish a common basis.
Appointment scheduling: We choose a time that is relaxing for your child and avoid stressful situations such as immediately before or after sports. A suitable appointment can become a regular one.
Therapy implementation: Therapy takes place where your child usually does their homework, without requiring much space.
Greetings and neurofeedback: I start the session by welcoming the child and begin with neurofeedback. A mobile program is used that allows your child to perform small game units based on their own brainwaves. The game pauses when attention wanes and resumes when focus returns. This phase lasts about 20 minutes.
Cognitive behavioral therapy: After a short break, I conduct individually tailored cognitive behavioral therapy, which also addresses the child's daily condition. This may involve examining the current homework to identify and address difficulties. In addition to concentration exercises, exercises for impulse and self-control may also be integrated, ensuring they are engaging to maintain the child's interest. For younger school children, I work with positive reinforcers such as a treasure chest. My therapy does not replace homework supervision or tutoring!
Use of apps: Additionally, I use the apps "ADHD Kids" or "Jay" for teenagers to support the therapy process.
Feedback to parents - Brief discussion - if necessary, we arrange a separate appointment
Concentration programs used (depending on suitability and needs of the child):
Marburg Concentration Training by Krowatschek
Laut und Schlottke "Training with attention-deficient children"
THOP by Döpfner, "Therapy program for children with hyperkinetic and oppositional problem behavior".
I believe that neurofeedback alone is not sufficient in treating ADHD/ADD! It also does not substitute for pharmacotherapy. However, in my opinion, neurofeedback offers great opportunities to enhance concentration within the immediate context of multimodal therapy!
School Intervention:
For many children with ADHD/ADD, the school day can pose a significant challenge. For example, concentrating in class or completing homework can be difficult. Intervening with the school is crucial for developing individual learning strategies tailored to each child's needs. In addition to the techniques mentioned above, there is also compensation for disadvantages at school, which can further help your child:
Extensions of time: Your child may benefit from additional time for tests or homework to reduce pressure and improve their ability to concentrate and work carefully.
Adjustments in examination conditions: A quieter examination room or the option to give answers orally can enhance your child's concentration during exams.
Use of supportive technologies: The use of recording devices or tablets for notes or listening to audiobooks can facilitate information processing.
Increased feedback and support: Your child may benefit from increased feedback from teachers to better understand and improve the learning process. (Daily feedback, homework book)
Structure and organization: Using checklists, color markings, or special organizational methods supports task structuring and reduces disorganization.
Tolerance for precision: Especially in math and geometry, it is quite common for children to not hit the lines correctly, even though the task was understood and calculated correctly. There are also children who skip calculation paths in math - usually, it is up to the school what and how is granted.