Tips for Working with a Child Who Is Very Focused

Friends, Family and Home

• Provide her with private space to work on her activities.
• Encourage him to be flexible and willing to change activities when friends want new ones.
• Warn her ahead of time before going on a family outing or asking her to join a family activity.
• Provide pictures and toys in his crib for him to enjoy.

Learning, Childcare and School

• Ask the teacher to remind her about toileting and water breaks.
• Let teachers know that he often needs some notice to be able to stop his activity and move on.
• Read books with more complex stories to her, and ask her questions about the story and pictures.

Activities and Television

• Encourage him in a variety of activities, not just one.
• She may not hear when you call her from TV or activities, so physically touch her to get her attention.
• Provide him with puzzles and activities with more pieces and greater difficulty.

Guidance and Discipline

• If she does not respond to you, go over and touch or face her to get her attention.
• Talk with him about different ways to do things.
• Give her time to think about things before expecting answers.
• Allow extra time for babies and toddlers to eat and experiment with spoons and textures.

Tips for Working with a Child Who Is Easily Distracted

Friends, Family and Home

• Ask that family members not label him as having attention problems.
• Make sure that family members are patient with her.
• Keep mealtime and other family routines short.
• Change a baby’s position and location often.

Learning, Childcare and School

• Have him complete a small part of a project, do something else, and then come back to finish.
• Reward her with breaks or other treats when she finishes each part.
• Provide him with shorter books and books with bright illustrations.
• Remind childcare providers that some babies may need extra time and breaks to finish a bottle.

Activities and Television

• Play games and encourage her in activities away from TV and in a quieter room to lessen distractions.
• Provide him with games and activities that build on his favorite way of doing things, such as using sounds, movement, or looking at things.
• Limit television, as that could decrease her ability to pay attention to other things.

Guidance and Discipline

• Compliment what he does rather than complaining about what he doesn’t do.
• Give her instructions one step at a time, such as “Put the blocks in this box,” rather than “Clean your room.”
• Provide alternatives (quiet books and small toys) to keep him busy during situations where he will have to sit for long periods, such as religious services or appointments.