Concentration
When should I choose this Area of Focus for my Gabadoo?
If your child is having trouble sustaining their attention to a given task (e.g. homework or studying), multiple tasks throughout the day or in a specific environment (e.g. school), completing a Gabadoo can be really helpful to gain support from one of our team.
Children can find it challenging to sustain attention and concentrate for numerous reasons including anxiety, frustration, their sensory needs not being met or executive functioning difficulties. Prior to competing your Gabadoo, read through the information below so you include enough information for our team.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
If your completing a Gabadoo because you are looking for support around your child's sensory needs which are impacting on their concentration (e.g. fidgeting, not able to sit still, constantly touching things) it might be more appropriate to select Sensory Processing as your area of focus. Check out this blog post to learn more.
There are also separate areas of focus for handwriting, fine motor skills and study skills so if you would like more specific recommendations in relation to supporting your child's skills in these areas, selecting the specific skill in the area of focus will result in you being matched to an appropriate member of our team. However, if your child is finding it difficult to sustain concentration across a range of skills including the above, you are choosing the correct area of focus ('concentration')
What information do I need to include in my Gabadoo?
As our Gabadoo Team have never met your family before and know nothing about your child, they can only provide strategies based on the information you provide so be very detailed!
After you have filled in the relevant information in your Gabadoo, go through this checklist to make sure you have included the following:
Family & Home Life:Description of your family structure including pets, extended family that live within the home and siblings. Also include if any other family members also struggle with their concentration and attention. Outdoor and indoor space available including garden, nearby parks, beaches etc. |
Strengths and Interests:What does your child like to do? What games, toys, T.V. programs, characters do they like? What are your child's sensory preferences? i.e. do they like movement, fidgeting, touching different objects, music, quiet spaces, swinging etc. What motivates them? Do they respond to praise from adults? |
Additional Information:What class is your child in at school? What type of schooling do they receive? i.e. homeschooling, mainstream N.S., gaelscoil, preschool, ASD class, Special School. Has your child seen any professionals in the past in relation to their attention? Or has your child ever had a medical review in relation to their attention? What was the outcome? Make sure to include if your child is on any medication to support their attention or sleep or any medication that might impact on their concentration. |
Make sure to include:What would you like to gain from this Gabadoo? Observations of your child's ability to concentrate in different settings i.e. at home, in the playground, in lectures or at school. Observations of your child's ability to concentrate at different times of the day i.e. does your child lose concentration quicker in the evening, in the morning etc. or does it stay the same throughout the day. Are there specific activities that you child can sustain their attention? e.g. favourite toys, interests. Can you child sustain concentration in a conversation or do they lose focus or go off topic? What is your child's level of concentration? e.g. can they focus on a movie, can they focus for one page in a book or a whole book, can they focus for 2min or 15mins of homework etc. Think about activities, homework and/or studying. What do you know about your child's sensory processing? Are they things they seek out doing? Are there things they avoid or dislike? (e.g. certain touch, bright lights, music etc). What have you already bought to support your child's concentration? Inc. toys they liked and disliked, equipment they already use. Does your child ever appear over-stimulated by certain sensory input? i.e. movement, music etc. Next include videos of your child completing activities which test their concentration e.g. homework, reading a book, story-time, playing with a toy, studying etc. This will help our team to determine the correct supports for your child. Also include images if relevant of where your child completes their homework or study and toys you already use to develop their concentration. |
Remember: The more information you give our team, the more individualised and relevant your plan will be.
What support will I receive for my child?
Your information will be reviewed by one of our Gabadoo Experts who is experienced in the area of 'concentration' and will provide you with individualised strategies, support and guidance around the next steps for your child.