Archive for month: January, 2021
What can be done to improve attention?
- Repeat instructions: When you have given an instruction to a child, encourage them to repeat it back to you to ensure that the child has grasped/understood what is expected.
- Sensory Integration therapy: To addresses attention difficulties that are sensory in nature.
- Eye contact: Get close to the child to ensure they are able to hear you and see your face; get down to their level.
- Simple language: Use clear, specific language when making requests and, if necessary, show them what you want them to do.
- Reduce background noise and distractions: To help a child maintain attention long enough to grasp the information required to complete a task.
- Develop Receptive Language: Improve your child’s receptive language (i.e. understanding of language) so that they are better able to understand expectations and information and are therefore better able to respond to information.
- Alert (Engine) program to promote self-regulation through sensory and cognitive strategies to help improve attention and concentration.
- M.O.R.E program uses physical (motor) components, oral organization, respiratory demands, and eye contact to assist with sensory regulation to help improve attention.
- The Wilbarger Protocol (Deep Pressure Proprioceptive Technique) is a therapy program designed to reduce sensory or tactile defensiveness and assist with sensory regulation and thus attention.
How can I tell if my child has problems with preschool readiness?
If a child has difficulties with preschool readiness they might:
- Get easily frustrated when expectations are placed upon them.
- Struggle to follow instructions in daily activities.
- Rely on parents/teachers to perform self care tasks for them (e.g. dressing, hygiene).
- Not be toilet trained (day time).
- Be socially immature.
- Have poor understanding of simple questions (who, what, where).
- Struggle with formulating sentences.
- Respond in only short sentences to questions.
- Be difficult to understand (due to poor articulation or use of words).
- Have a difficulty understanding consequences of their behaviours.
- Not be interested in looking at books and/or doing sit down activities.
- Not interact well or easily with their peers.
- Have limited play skills (short duration, narrow range, find it difficult to play alone and/or with peers).
- Not be willing to engage in new activities and/or to be guided about how to develop new skills.
