The key facts

  • The actress's eldest son Ivan has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Kozhevnikova noted that the diagnosis does not affect the child's intelligence and does not hinder his eagerness to learn
  • The actress is raising four sons with businessman Yevgeny Vasilyev

What the actress said

Actress Maria Kozhevnikova in an interview with Antenna-Telesem magazine said that her eldest son Ivan has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to her, at first she took the boy's difficulties with concentration for ordinary childhood restlessness, and only later it became clear that it was ADHD that was preventing him from focusing.

How it affects the child

Kozhevnikova emphasized that the diagnosis does not affect the child's intelligence in any way: according to her, Ivan has an amazing memory and a clear aptitude for learning, although it is extremely difficult for him to hold his attention and sit through an entire lesson. The actress also cited a comparison she had heard: the brains of children with ADHD work 'like a rocket jet', so, in her opinion, such children cannot be expected to behave the same way as everyone else.

Context

Maria Kozhevnikova, together with businessman Yevgeny Vasilyev, is raising four sons — Ivan, Maxim, Vasily and Alexander. The couple have been together for more than 13 years; their marriage is not officially registered; in 2013 the couple had a church wedding in France. Earlier, the actress explained the reasons for refusing to officially register the marriageand also showed her grown-up sons.