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Article #91: 15 Strategies For Managing Attention Problems

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






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