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