Attention Issues / ADHD

Many students have issues with attention. If parents are concerned that their child's attention issues are getting in the way of learning, they can speak with their medical doctor about an evaluation for attention issues. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a medical diagnosis that can be assessed by doctors, psychologists or counselors. Here's a list of counselors and therapists in our area.

I'll start with ideas or activities for helping your child with attention issues. Next are books and websites I recommend on this topic. Lastly, is general information about ADHD.

If your child is struggling with attention issues, here's a general tip sheet: Inattention ADHD Tips for Parents

If your child is struggling with attending to homework, here are some strategies that might help:

* Use breathing & positive self-talk to help them stay calm.

* Maybe fold the paper or cover up part of it with a blank sheet of paper so they can focus on 1 problem at a time. This can make the work look shorter, keeping kids from feeling like there's too much to do or they'll never get done. Again, re-frame any negative self-talk or just breathe to calm.

* Keep a cup of water close to stay hydrated.

* Break work into sections with motor breaks in between (i.e. do 5 problems & then 5 jumping jacks).

Let me know if you have suggestions to add!

Attention Focusing Activities I Use with Students:

Here's a video on Whole Body Listening Larry at Home - good ideas for practicing positive listening with your child. Scroll down for a poster from the information in that book.

Here's a video on Keeping Your Body & Brain focused on group activities that I created during distance learning. Around 2:45 in the video, I show the 2nd Step learner song that I use with students to practice listening and focusing. See what you think :)

I show this Selective Attention video to my older students to practice focusing.

Resources: Below are books and websites I recommend. Please let me know if you have things to add :)

Books: All of these books help kids understand what it's like to struggle with attention issues. They're great resources, especially if your child has been diagnosed with ADHD & you're looking to help them better understand their strengths & challenges. It also lets them know they're not the only kids who struggle with these issues & gives good ideas for continuing their growth.

• "Taking ADD to School" by Ellen Weiner

• "Cory Stories" by Jeanne Kraus

• "It's Hard to Be a Verb" by Julie Cook (she has many wonderful books; see http://www.juliacookonline.com/)

• "Putting on the Brakes" by Patricia Quinn & Judith Stern

• "Putting on the Brakes Activity Book" by Patricia Quinn & Judith Stern

• "The Best of Brakes" by Patricia Quinn & Judith Stern

A fun UTube video to watch with your child: Really focus on how many times the players in white pass the ball. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

Websites:

• Dr. Russell Barkley excerpt on understanding ADHD good info for parents & teachers!

• Fact sheet from MACMH with attention information: http://www.macmh.org/publications/fact_sheets/ADHD.pdf

• http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/ADHDFactSheet.pdf Information on ADHD from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• http://www.pbisworld.com/. is a web page with LOTS of good links for different social work areas. Lots of different ideas for behavior interventions!

• http://booksthathealkids.blogspot.com/ Additional books on a variety of topics!

Additional medical information on ADHD: As with many mental health issues, attention issues are looked at on a continuum: how significant is the behavior, how often does it occur, does it occur in different settings, and how is the behavior impacting their daily life.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has three subtypes:

* ADHD Inattentive Type: fails to follow close attention, difficulty sustaining attention, does not seem to listen, does not follow through, has difficulty with organization, loses or misplaces things easily, easily distracted, and forgetful

* ADHD Hyperactive/Impulsive Type: Fidgets, frequently leaves their seat, moves excessively, difficulty engaging in activities quietly, is "on the go," talks excessively, blurts out answers, impatient, interrupts

* ADHD Combined Type: a combination of the above two

Again, ADHD is a medical diagnosis that can be assessed by doctors, psychologists or counselors.