Attention & Concentration

Disclaimer: This information sheet is for education purposes only. Please consult with your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.

What is it?

We use our attention and concentration skills everyday, often with little effort and without really noticing them. These skills help us to select and focus on what is important (eg. what the teacher is saying), ignore irrelevant or distracting things that we don't need to pay attention to (eg. what is happening outside the classroom window), and maintain or sustain our effort or attention over time (eg. concentrate for the whole period). Sometimes we need to pay attention to two or more important things at the one time, and may need to switch back and forth between activities quickly (eg. copy work from the board whilst the teacher goes through the information and explains it ). After an acquired brain injury one or more of these areas of attention and concentration may be disrupted, causing a variety of problems.

Examples of difficulties with attention & concentration

• Poor persistence in activities and problems staying on task independently
• Unable to focus in a busy environment
• Being easily distracted, for example by other children, nearby activity or objects
• Becoming easily overwhelmed by large amounts of information or stimulation
• Difficulty selecting relevant information from a large amount of information, or from a cluttered, full page
• Difficulty following instructions
• Difficulties coping with competing demands or multiple activities
• Difficulties adapting to change and moving between different tasks
• Inability to sit still, being restless and fidgety
• Talking in class, interrupting others, and changing the subject

Strategies that might help

• Schedule important and demanding activities early in the day or after an extended break
• Keep activities brief or structure them into short blocks, provide a clear beginning & end
• Allow for regular breaks, and give the child errands that allow them to move around
• Alternate activities between mentally demanding, and less challenging or physical ones
• Limit information presented and present one activity or idea at a time
• Keep instructions brief or break them down or provide a written copy
• When giving instructions get the child's attention by calling their name & making eye contact
• Reinforce instructions with written cues or instructions on blackboard
• Minimise potential distractions - sit child at front of class and keep their desk free of unnecessary material
• Seat the child near the teacher or with children who will be good role models
• Provide direct prompts to return to task and positively reinforce on-task behaviour
• Simplify and reduce material on worksheets, and the blackboard
• Develop and stick to a daily classroom routine

Who do I see and how is it diagnosed?

Difficulties with thinking or cognitive skills such as these are formally identified by having a neuropsychological assessment and a neuropsychologist can help devise compensatory and management strategies (such as those above) that are suitable for the individual child and their particular cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Another professional who may become involved is the cognitive therapist.

Rehabilitation Department The Children's Hospital at Westmead Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St, Westmead Locked Bag 4001, Westmead, 2145 Tel: (02) 9845 2132 - Fax: (02) 9845 0685 http://www.chw.edu.au/rehabilitation/