Children and Attention Deficit

Attention difficulties can complicate a child's daily life and lessons. We look at the signs, the causes and the supportive exercises you can try at home.

Attention difficulties in children fall within the category of behavioural challenges and can affect daily life. This condition, which makes studying and tasks requiring focus harder, is a subject parents often research. We look at the signs, the causes and the supportive exercises that can be tried at home.

What Is Attention Deficit?

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a condition that makes tasks requiring focus difficult for a person; it can appear together with hyperactivity or on its own. Children who experience attention difficulties may struggle to follow lessons, become distracted easily and, because they cannot focus, answer even familiar questions incorrectly. Over time, this can be reflected in grades and in self-confidence too.

Causes and Signs

A drop in school grades is among the first signs. Difficulty completing focus-demanding tasks such as tidying the room, making eye contact, doing homework, reading and finishing assigned responsibilities is also commonly seen.

Supportive Exercises You Can Try at Home

Speaking with children who experience distraction in frequent, short and clear sentences is important. Alongside this, there are some supportive exercises that can be done at home:

• Observation exercise: A chosen object or toy at home is observed together and talked about. For example, talking about the colour of a doll's hair helps the child hold their focus on that detail.
• Breathing exercises: Regular breathing practice extends attention span and strengthens focus.
• Movement and blowing: A brisk walk, blowing up balloons and making sounds with wind instruments also support concentration.

To support study habits, you may also like to read our article What Should I Do to Help My Child Study?

Gökkuşağı Koleji · Respect for every child's rhythm.