How can we help inattentive children focus?

[David Baxter PhD]

How can we help inattentive children focus?
Tue, Jun 22 2010

Whether a child suffers from ADHD, Inattentive Type or simply struggles with sustaining attention at school, these children will appear very disorganized, uninterested in class, spacey, and absent minded. Parents and teachers alike are often frustrated with inattentive children, because they appear to be completely detached and uninterested in school. These children are often very intelligent, however teachers and parents often feel that they are simply ?lazy? and do not want to do their work. Fortunately, there are a number of very ineffective interventions that can help the inattentive child and it is usually the case that these children are simply overlooked in the classroom because they are not disruptive in the classroom setting.

Here are a list of interventions that can help for inattention whether at school or at home:

• Make the child is aware when all assignments are due at school
• Establish eye contact with the child when speaking to them whether at home or school
• Redirect when the child becomes disengaged
• Give clear; concise directions
• Make sure the child sits in front when in class; too many distractions in the back of the classroom
• Teachers should make sure that a classroom schedule of when assignments are due is conveyed to the child?s parents
• Show your child how to effectively take notes in class to help with study habits
• Have a reward system in place for when assignments and homework are done effectively
• Make sure the child loses privileges when assignments are not completed
• Keep all homework assignments in one folder and make sure their backpack is organized and not in disarray
• Teachers and parents should check to make sure assignments are written down and they should have a homework folder

Make sure everyone works together on keeping the inattentive child focused. If everyone, including the child does not do their part, then the child is being set up to fail. Children that are inattentive should always have a regular routine, know what is expected of them and receive feedback when they have succeeded and when they have failed. Above all else, minimize distractions for the inattentive child! We do not watch television or listen to music while we are completing homework and a quiet place to complete homework should be designated. The end result will be a child who is much happier and will be more successful in the classroom setting as well as listen better at home.