Strategies that can be helpful for managing difficulties with attention
Are you or your child struggling with attention? Perhaps some of these suggestions may help:
Attention tips for parents/carers
Taking breaks regularly, especially for tasks that are more involved or complex
Try introducing content in a way that is more engaging/motivating e.g., linked to interests
Provide additional structure in tasks, this may involve having brief written reminders or pictures to remind the child of the steps to take as memory is significantly linked to attention.
Provide additional time to complete tasks on what you may usually expect, especially for tasks that have multiple steps.
Try to ensure the child’s stimulation needs are met (Tip: each child may have different needs in this area). Many children benefit from external distractions being reduced, however for some children, they will hold their attention better with some background stimuli (e.g music or a TV in the background). Some children may also need to have a fidget object or foot roller in order to get their excess energy out in order to attend to the task they are attempting. Ask your child what would help them to concentrate, and if they are not sure, it might be useful to experiment with some of the suggested methods and see what works best for your child.
Think about the timing of your request. If a child is in the middle of a game that they are very focused on, they will find it difficult to switch attention to what you may like them to focus on. Setting limits around finishing this level, or saving progress if possible within the next 5 minutes rather than trying to get the child to switch of straight away may be a more useful way to direct their attention towards your preferred task.
Most people have more energy reserves earlier in the day, which are then depleted as we use our energy throughout the day. Consider whether your child has the resources to direct their attention to the required task at that time, e.g., they will likely struggle more after a full day at school to sustain attention.
Including movement into breaks can be a useful way to help reset our attention. Stretching or going for a short walk are good options here.
Limit the amount of information provided at once, having too much information to attend to is likely to lead to further forgetting or feeling overwhelmed.
Rather than assuming the child has attended and taken in your instruction, try to check in by asking them to repeat the steps of what they need to do to ensure they have understood each part of the task required.
Give a verbal or physical cue (e.g., a tap on the shoulder) to gain the child’s attention first before giving information and instructions.
Have a visual aid or calendar in a highly visited area to help children to attend to and remember what they need to do each day.
Limit factors that are likely to increase inattention e.g., poor sleep (build a bedtime routine focused on tasks around preparing for bed and winding down) and lack of exercise.
Additional Tips for Adults
Make a checklist of the elements in a task, write down each step. You could brainstorm all steps then order them logically.
Technology is your friend and can help you in many ways! For instance you can utilise this website: https://goblin.tools/ which has a tool that breaks down tasks into steps for you in detail.
Complete more complex tasks at times when your attention is best. Concentration levels wax and wane over the course of a day, e.g. good attention in the morning, a dip in attention after lunch, etc.
Reflect back to others in conversations, this may help you to be able to attend/focus if you know you want to reflect back your understanding.
Plan ahead: Allocate 10 minutes at the beginning of the day or task where you organise yourself for the day. List all things you have to do and look at the previous day’s list. This allows you more time to think and organise and don’t have to rely as much keeping track in your head or flexible thinking.
Routines are likely to help keep you on track, even if you struggle with attention. The tricky part is developing this as it can be hard to develop habits to the point where they become automatic. It can be useful to set up phone reminders or timers to remind you of what you are wanting to do and when (so you don’t lose track of time).
Use the notes app on your phone to jot down notes of things you want to remember, not only do you have a physical reminder, but writing something down increases the probability we will attend to it enough to encode it into our memory.
If you are still struggling to attend after a break, it may be beneficial to change the type of activity you are engaging in. You can always return to an activity later when your ability to focus may be better.
Try to focus on one task at a time. When we frequently switch tasks, or try to do multiple tasks at once, we take time to orientate to the task and attend, costing us precious time when we then need to switch back to the original task and take the time to orient our attention again. Sticking to one task at a time when possible means we only need to adjust our attention to that task once, overall potentially making us more productive.
If you would like further suggestions around attention or would like to discuss assessment around attention, please get in touch.
Josie :)