Health in Your Hands - Walking with Children with ADHD
Text: Mr. Chan Man Chun, Social Worker at the St. James' Settlement Wan Chai Integrated Family Service Centre
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are often misunderstood as being "disobedient and unruly." Having ADHD is like the brain's "braking system" not being fully developed, leading to weaker abilities in focus, impulse control, and self-management. From a neurological perspective, this is not a character issue, but rather stems from differences in neurodevelopment, requiring a gradual enhancement of the child's relevant skills through "practice + positive feedback."
Research shows that ADHD is related to differences in the activity and development of areas in the brain such as the prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. These areas are responsible for executive functions, such as planning, focusing, inhibiting, working memory, and self-monitoring. When the prefrontal cortex, known as the brain's "command centre," fails to effectively regulate behaviour, children find it more difficult to wait and complete tasks step by step, and they are also more prone to emotional triggers. Furthermore, an imbalance in neurotransmitters related to attention and behaviour regulation (such as dopamine and norepinephrine) makes children more sensitive to "immediate rewards" and less able to tolerate "delayed gratification." When adults handle situations with blame or by bringing up past issues, children often only receive the message "I am not good," making it difficult for them to activate self-monitoring and learning motivation.
Parenting Discipline Tips
(1) Observe the time, place, antecedents, and consequences of the problematic behaviour to identify the "triggers" (for example, an overly noisy environment or excessive fatigue);
(2) State one step at a time, then give the children about five seconds to respond, avoiding a rapid-fire sequence of instructions;
(3) Monotonous or lengthy tasks can be completed in segments, using an alarm to create a sense of time, and scheduling short breaks to enhance efficiency;
(4) Make more use of specific praise and reward schemes to help children connect 'doing' with 'having good results';
(5) Put away unnecessary items and make good use of prompting tools to enhance children's executive function;
(6) The rules and consequences set by caregivers are consistent, allowing children to learn about expectations and self-control.
When ADHD symptoms affect learning, interpersonal relationships, or emotions, it is recommended to seek professional assessment and training as early as possible. If you need assistance, please feel free to call 2825 4342 to contact the duty social worker at the St. James' Settlement Wan Chai Integrated Family Service Centre.
