| The following strategies are offered for | | | | accomplish this task. They will likely need |
| enhancing attention and managing attention | | | | specific instruction, followed by modeling, |
| problems. This listing is by no means | | | | then guided practice, and finally feedback on |
| exhaustive, but rather is meant as a place to | | | | performance. The concept of previewing should |
| begin. The best resources for strategies are | | | | be explained to the students and they should |
| the creative, inventive minds of enlightened | | | | be aware of the fact that the activities they |
| assessment professionals, teachers and | | | | are engaging in will help them develop |
| parents, in partnership with the students | | | | previewing/ planning skills. It is helpful if |
| they serve. Together they can create multiple | | | | they are first given practical examples of |
| alternative strategies. | | | | planning, such as planning for a party. |
| | | | |
| 1. Take the Mystery Away | | | | 10. Use Behavior Modification and |
| | | | Self-Assessment |
| The first and perhaps most important | | | | |
| management strategy is to insure that all | | | | The use of behavior modification and |
| students understand how attention works and | | | | self-assessment strategies can be helpful in |
| identify their particular profiles of | | | | increasing desired behaviors (e.g., task |
| attention strengths and weaknesses. Then, | | | | completion) and/or decreasing behavior |
| students should be taught attention | | | | problems (e.g., impulsive blurting out during |
| management strategies. | | | | class). The specific behaviors that need to |
| | | | be changed should be identified (e.g., |
| 2. Understand Consistent Inconsistency | | | | completes reading classwork; raises hand |
| | | | before answering questions; brushes teeth |
| Teachers and parents should understand that | | | | before going to bed; puts dirty clothes in |
| the inconsistency of children with attention | | | | laundry). The specific consequences for |
| problems is not evidence of a poor attitude | | | | behavior change should also be identified. |
| or lack of motivation. It is a part of their | | | | The consequence for positive behaviors must |
| biologically based attention dysfunction, and | | | | be more rewarding to the student than failure |
| is beyond their easy control. | | | | to complete the positive behavior. For |
| | | | example, if the child is allowed to stay up |
| 3. Explore the Option of Medication | | | | an extra 15 minutes in the evenings, this |
| | | | behavior must be more rewarding than leaving |
| For many children and adolescents, medication | | | | his/her dirty clothes on the bathroom floor. |
| can be helpful in dealing with attentional | | | | Additionally, performance of the targeted |
| difficulties. Medication can improve mental | | | | behavior must be the only way that the |
| alertness and the intensity and duration of | | | | student is able to obtain the reward. In the |
| concentration. In addition, it may diminish | | | | previous example, the child is only able to |
| impulsivity and hyperactivity. The student | | | | stay up the extra 15 minutes at night if he |
| and his parents may wish to explore this | | | | puts his dirty laundry in the designated |
| option with his physician. | | | | place. School-home notes can be used to |
| | | | communicate back and forth between home and |
| 4. Allow for Movement and Breaks | | | | school. In both settings, charts and graphs |
| | | | can be used to monitor progress toward the |
| It is helpful for students who have problems | | | | goal. Students should be encouraged to assess |
| with inconsistent alertness and mental effort | | | | their own behavior in addition to being |
| to be provided with opportunities to move | | | | assessed by the adult. They could be given an |
| around. For example, at school, teachers | | | | additional reward for accurate |
| could ask the student to erase the board, | | | | self-assessment. |
| collect papers or take a message to the | | | | |
| office. At home, parents and/or the student | | | | 11. Discourage Frenetic Work Patterns |
| could schedule regular breaks and change work | | | | |
| sites. That is, the student could work | | | | To help students refrain from rushing through |
| several minutes at the kitchen table and | | | | their work, teachers and parents could avoid |
| several minutes on the living room floor. | | | | making statements such as, "You can go out to |
| Each time the location is changed, the | | | | recess as soon as you finish your assignment" |
| student may experience a burst of mental | | | | or "You can watch television when you finish |
| energy. Additionally, students may need to be | | | | your homework." Offers such as these may |
| doing something with their hands while | | | | inadvertently encourage students to work too |
| seated. They may doodle, roll a piece of clay | | | | quickly and carelessly. |
| or perform some other manual tasks that | | | | |
| enhance their alertness and arousal. | | | | 12. Get Organized |
| | | | |
| 5. Vary Instructional Strategies | | | | A notebook with three sections labeled "Work |
| | | | to be Completed," "Work Completed" and "Work |
| Teachers should use a variety of | | | | to be Saved" may be used to help students |
| instructional strategies and these should be | | | | organize their assignments. Color-coding |
| changed approximately every 15 to 20 minutes. | | | | notebooks for different subjects may also be |
| For example, they could deliver information | | | | helpful for organizing work. |
| for 15 minutes via lecture. This strategy | | | | |
| could be followed by small group work or | | | | 13. Use Daily Planners |
| cooperative learning for 20 minutes. Next, | | | | |
| students could engage in individual seatwork | | | | A student should use a structured daily |
| or watch a video. | | | | planner to help him organize his assignments |
| | | | and activities. A planner that is broken down |
| 6. Use Signals | | | | by subject within the day and has sufficient |
| | | | room to write all the information he needs |
| The teacher and parents should have a private | | | | would be preferred. ELAN Publishing offers a |
| way of signaling students when they are tuned | | | | number of good student organizers. |
| out. For example, a gentle tap on the | | | | Alternately, he may benefit from using a |
| shoulder may be effective. Also, the | | | | personal digital assistant (PDA). |
| student's teachers and parents may need to | | | | |
| signal him when something important is about | | | | 14. Set Up a Home Office |
| to be stated. Looking right at him, his | | | | |
| teacher or parent could say, "Now listen very | | | | At home, parents should guide their child |
| carefully. I am about to give you important | | | | adolescent with setting up his/her own |
| instructions about tomorrow's test." | | | | well-organized "office." Parents should |
| | | | schedule a weekly time that their child |
| 7. Leverage Interests | | | | adolescent will dedicate to straightening up |
| | | | the office and making sure all office |
| Attention is enhanced when interest is | | | | supplies are well-stocked (e.g., post-its, |
| heightened. Thus, students should be | | | | pencils, pens, highlighters, paper, paper |
| encouraged to read, write and talk about | | | | clips, stapler). The student should find his |
| subjects in which they are interested. | | | | her best time(s) for studying (his/her most |
| Additionally, students' attention is enhanced | | | | alert times of day), and post these times as |
| when information is personally relevant to | | | | his/her "Office Hours." The student should |
| them. For example, if students need to learn | | | | also experiment with different kinds of |
| a chronological timetable, the teacher could | | | | background noise levels that work best for |
| begin with having the students develop a | | | | him/her when doing homework of studying. Some |
| chronological timetable of the important | | | | children/adolescents actually concentrate |
| events in their own lives. | | | | better in a noisy environment or while |
| | | | listening to music while others may need to |
| 8. Minimize Noise & Other Distractions | | | | use ear plugs. |
| | | | |
| Students who are easily distracted should | | | | 15. Allow Time to Wind Down |
| benefit from a structured auditory | | | | |
| environment. They may need preferential | | | | Many students with attention problems have |
| seating near the front of the classroom so | | | | trouble falling asleep at night. It is |
| that noise and distractions from other | | | | helpful for them to have an established |
| students are minimized. | | | | routine for going to bed at night. For |
| | | | example, they could read a book or have a |
| 9. Develop Previewing and Planning Skills | | | | book read to them. They can engage in |
| | | | stretching exercises before getting in bed. |
| Teachers and parents can help students | | | | They could drink a glass of milk or hot |
| develop previewing and planning skills by | | | | chocolate prior to going to bed. They might |
| requiring them to formulate plans for writing | | | | also listen to quiet, easy music while |
| reports and completing projects. For example, | | | | falling asleep. "White noise," such as a fan, |
| when completing a book report, the students | | | | may also be helpful in facilitating sleep. |
| could submit plans for how they are going to | | | | |