Learn About Attention

Children with attention problems struggle to focus their mind on a task. To listen, to absorb information or to control impulsive behaviours and emotional outbursts.

This can impact other aspects of their lives – at school, home, in social situations and, eventually, academic achievement and employment.

Scroll this slider to learn about the four core attention skills.

Selection

Without selection, a child struggles to focus on a task for a long period of time, too easily distracted by flickering of lights, computers humming or someone entering or leaving the room.

Control

When a child equally records everything they observe, hear or feel, information can get muddled and the brain becomes overwhelmed.

But when a child learns control, he or she chooses what to attend to and what to ignore. This way, important information can be prioritised, absorbed and remembered.

Inhibition

If a child lacks inhibition, they tend to act impulsively and struggle to control thoughts and behaviour.

He or she may interrupt others, have emotional outbursts or blurt out answers in class.

This can lead to social problems and an inability to create deep and meaningful connections.

Focus

Without the ability to focus, a child struggles to listen to important instructions, to learn new skills and to absorb information.

When a child masters focus, he or she can maintain attention on a task until completion.