Here is your preschooler:
- Can’t seem to focus on anything.
- Constantly distracted (even when the room is quiet).
- Gentle contact doesn’t calm him.
- Even when he begins to get involved with a project, he gets sidetracked.
Why can’t he focus?
Some children are over sensitive to sights, smells and/or sounds… from bright light, too much color on a bulletin board or a good or bad smell they may be unaccustomed to… to low-pitched motor sounds, ticking of a clock or another child’s fidgets…
The potential reasons are practically boundless. Of course, in the perfect world, we would just eliminate all the distractions – but since when do we live in a perfect world?
Then there are the children who are unresponsive when they hear voices or feel a touch – or even pain. This child may seem to be “in his own world.”
Developmental difficulties are tough challenges. Each child is unique and each child may have several issues going on at the same time. And – of course – when they combine they can result in different behaviors.
Are there signals?
A child with difficulty making sense of the things he hears may have trouble getting through directions with several steps.
A child with difficulty organizing what he sees may not need glasses. He may have difficulty even searching his entire room for a missing toy. This child may seem focused sometimes and then not at others and may get easily side-tracked.
A child may have a hard getting dressed on his own because his planning capabilities are not developed. This child may get lost between putting on his shirt and tying his shoes.
What really helps when you start to notice a trend in these signals is to remember that you can’t apply one answer to the question of how to help this child. Each child and each issue or set of issues is unique.
Inability to focus isn’t just a single action. It is made up of several functions that make it possible for us to focus.
This can help you identify where issues originate and what may help the child overcome them.
There are lots of factors that can impact a child’s attention span.
Worries and fears, sensitivity to medications or to foods or chemicals in their environment, sensitivity to noises and commotion.
It is a good idea to look at each of the child’s unique characteristics to try to understand when is going on in his little body. Parents are your best source of information since they know their child’s subtleties the best. You are a team and together you may determine be able to apply common sense in responding to the child’s difficulties and help them overcome challenges. Of course, you may also determine that your efforts aren’t helping the child make progress and that another member should be added to your team – a professional child psychiatrist or clinical psychologist – who understands what behaviors can mean. These professionals can help you put approaches to work that will be best at helping the child develop his skills and overcome his issues.
Regardless of where you are in the process, keeping a positive attitude is critical. Build on strengths. You will not find a single “solution” to “the problem.” So rather than spending most of your time trying to correct a weakness, spend at least half of your time with the child – helping him to see the progress he’s making.
The above are general tips and facts that can help with the frustrations that can come from dealing with children with attention issues in a teaching situation. Please read more and seek out professional resources when appropriate.
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