Although all children, especially very young ones, tend to have shorter attention spans and become more distracted than adults, some have much more trouble focusing and staying on task than others.
Difficulty paying attention. Because it is commonly associated with ADHD, this tends to be the first thing teachers, parents, and clinicians suspect. But there are a number of other possibilities that may contribute to attention problems. To avoid misdiagnosis, it is important not to overlook these other possibilities, which are not always obvious. The area where children with concentration problems suffer most is school life. Here's a checklist of some other issues that may cause a child to have trouble paying attention:
-
Anxiety
A child who doesn't seem to be focusing at school may have chronic concerns that teachers (and even parents) are unaware of. There are many different types of anxiety, but what they have in common is that anxiety “tends to lock down the brain,” making school difficult for anxious children. A child with separation anxiety may be so preoccupied with something bad that happened when their parents are away from them that they cannot concentrate on schoolwork. Some children are extremely worried about making mistakes or embarrassing themselves. They may try to disappear when the teacher calls out to them, they may look down, they may start writing something even if they are not actually writing anything. They may be trying to disconnect from the teacher to avoid things that worry them. Sometimes, when a child takes an unusually long time to finish work in class, it may not be because he or she is daydreaming, but because he or she is struggling with perfectionism, which requires doing things exactly right. Or if he doesn't turn in his homework, it may not be because he hasn't done it, but because he's worried he's not good enough.
-
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Children with OCD, which often begins in the elementary school years, have an additional source of distraction: Not only do they have obsessive thoughts, but they also feel like they have to perform rituals or compulsions to prevent bad things from happening. rler. A child with OCD may compulsively arrange things on his desk or touch his head, or count numbers at regular intervals. Or he may be focused on needing to go to the bathroom to wash his hands.
A child may be obsessed with sitting in class and needing to fix something to prevent something terrible from happening. Then the teacher calls him out, or when he doesn't know the answer to the question, he pretends not to pay attention, but it's really because he's obsessed. Because children with OCD are often embarrassed by their symptoms, they may go to great lengths to hide their urges while at school. To a teacher unaware of OCD, distraction may look like ADHD, but it is not.
-
Stress or Trauma
Children may also They may appear to suffer from inattention when affected by trauma. Children who witness violence or other disturbing experiences may have difficulty paying attention and feel a constant sense of insecurity. Children whose home lives involve acute stress may develop these symptoms and even post-traumatic stress disorder.
-
Learning Disorders
A child can go anywhere If he appears to be looking but has to look through the pages of the book, another possible cause is that he has a learning disability.
Children with undiagnosed dyslexia may feel frustrated or embarrassed that they cannot do what other children can do, and may be determined to cover up this fact.
Are these symptoms really ADHD?
Inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity that fall outside the typical range are one of the three main symptoms of ADHD. Some children show symptoms that are just inconspicuous. But an ADHD diagnosis should not be made based solely on teacher reports or a quick visit to the pediatrician.
To make an accurate diagnosis, a clinician must gather information from several people who have observed your child, including you, other caregivers, and teachers. Parents and teachers should be asked to complete a rating scale to accurately assess the frequency of symptoms. The behavior must continue over a long period of time e should be observed in more than one setting – for example, both at home and at school. And clinicians must carefully rule out other possible causes of his behavior.
It is also important to compare a child's ability to pay attention to those his or her age, not to everyone else in his or her class.
Some Symptoms to Pay Attention to in Focusing Problems
Constantly Gazing Away: Your child constantly looks out the window or into the distance when he or she is supposed to be busy with an activity such as homework or housework.
Failure to Provide a Sequence of Thoughts: When your child tells a story, it is often complex and unknowingly jumps into unrelated stories. If something interrupts the story, your child will have a hard time remembering where the story left off.
Repeating Directions: Your child becomes distracted while performing a task and needs you to repeat instructions to remember what is required of him/her.
A Inability to Focus on One Task at a Time: While studying, your child does small amounts of work on multiple tasks, but cannot focus on a single task until it is completed. Your child may display this tendency as multitasking.
Spending a Lot of Time to Finish ONE Task: Your child takes two or three times the time it takes to complete an activity because he or she is distracted.
"Idiot" or Feeling "Stupid": Your child is constantly angry at himself and feels like he can't do anything. Your child may be blaming himself for dealing with these concentration issues, which can lead to low self-esteem.
Excitement: Your child always has something to do when sitting down to do homework or in class. Even objects such as food bowls, cups or pencils are played with when they are not in use.
Inability to Organize Tasks and Items: Your child gets fussy when he has to organize his time and belongings. He often feels overwhelmed or flustered while getting ready in the morning, constantly loses things, and forgets what he is doing or working on.
Not Appearing to Listen When Spoken: When speaking directly to your child, he or she does not seem to react to what you are saying. Instead, he or she may look at other things in the room while you talk. Your child, you (or others) You sense that he is quickly losing interest in what you are saying to him.
How to Help a Child with Focus Problems?
There are many ways to help your child focus. Taking notes about what you see at home is a good place to start. It can give you a better idea of why your child is struggling. If there's a pattern that continues for a while, you may want to talk to someone. Your child's teacher and healthcare provider are two great sources of information and advice. They may have suggestions on how you can help. Even if you're unsure and focused on what's going on with your child, you can still work on building skills at home. Discover ways to improve your child's focus.
One of the most important things you can do is to let your child know that having trouble focusing is common and nothing to be ashamed of. Remind your child that everyone struggles with something and that's okay. Talk about the strengths your child has. It is also important to be open about the difficulties your child is experiencing. Get tips on how to talk about trouble focusing.
Read: 0
