Concentration Cake

Body Layer: Good nutrition, hydration and sleep are essential. Generally, a higher protein, lower carbohydrate diet improves attention. Certain vitamins and minerals are needed for adequate concentration, so multi-vitamins are recommended for everybody. Specific supplements such as Omega-3s and SAM-e are recommended by some healthcare providers. Drinking water throughout the day improves all brain functions including the ability to concentrate. Plenty of restful, high quality sleep is absolutely necessary. Snoring has recently been shown to interfere with quality of sleep and to cause daytime concentration, memory, and behavior problems which can mimic Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity. The ability to concentrate well in school demands healthy eyes, ears, arms, legs and fingers, so be sure your child has regular check-ups with a healthcare provider. Allergies, blood sugar problems, iron deficiencies and thyroid conditions can also cause concentration difficulties and may be mistaken for ADD. Ask your provider for a referral to a specialist if you want further information or simply need to put your mind at ease.

Brain Layer: Poor concentration can be an indicator of a number of difficulties in the brain or in the brain-to-body connections. Mild hearing impairment, auditory processing, visual processing and sensory integration problems can all look like concentration difficulties and can be misinterpreted as Attention Deficit Disorder. It is important to rule out any of these other brain-based difficulties before assuming that a problem with concentration is bona fide ADD. Once these are determined not to be the underlying cause of concentration difficulties, and all possible biological factors have also been addressed, it is likely that the difficulty concentrating is, indeed, ADD. (Some other possible causes of concentration problems are intellectual giftedness, history of brain injury, and child abuse.) If you suspect ADD, you will need to get a medical diagnosis and then begin the process of decision-making about treatment. Many online sources of information exist to help you with this. My particular favorite is the Amen Clinic website.

Behavior Layer: Concentration problems are frustrating for everyone concerned. Often, inability to pay attention looks like unwillingness to behave appropriately. Many teachers and parents may see the outward behaviors and assume a child is being willfully rude or disobedient. Sadly, children are prone to internalizing the judgments of adults, and all too often they begin to feel that they are "bad" if no one is able to tell them they are actually dealing with a biological/neurological problem. Even more unfortunately, a "bad" self-concept can spiral into genuinely bad behavior if the underlying problems aren't recognized and treated appropriately. Understanding the nature of the difficulty and addressing its underlying causes will begin to change behaviors in a positive direction. Older children, and particularly recently-diagnosed adolescents and adults, may need psychotherapy to help re-establish a positive self-concept. Traditional "talk therapy" may work well for some, but alternatives such as art, music or dance therapy, sandtray, or animal-assisted methods are often the most effective treatments.

The Table

The School Environment: Teachers and administrators vary widely in their understanding and acceptance of brain-based explanations for what they may perceive as behavior problems.

It is important to find teachers who are knowledgeable, or are willing to become knowledgeable, about the various possible contributors to concentration problems. They will probably need to modify, at least to a certain extent, their teaching methods or materials in order to help make learning a cake for the student who has trouble concentrating. Appropriate modifications are available in Dr. Daniel Amen's book Healing ADD, at www.ldonline.org or at www.chadd.org. Dr. Mel Levine's website, www.allkindsofminds.org is another excellent source of information.

Leg #1: It is especially important for children with concentration problems to feel safe and secure in their homes. They are often accident-prone and engage in risky behaviors without thinking. "Kid-proof" as much as possible, and build them up emotionally whenever you can. Recognize their strengths. Compliment their efforts. Use a system of rewards and consequences to establish appropriate behavior. An excellent system called EasyChild is available for about $50.00 from EncourageSoftware.com.

Leg #2: Be sure to maintain a positive attitude about school. Speak highly of teachers and of teaching as a profession even if a particular school or teacher isn't fitting well for your current situation. You may need to consider changing teachers, changing schools or in some cases even changing to a home-school setting, but it is important that education itself is held in high esteem. Schedule meetings with teachers and begin on a positive note before bringing up problems. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and dedication so they will be able to more easily take in information from you.

Leg #3: All children, and especially children who have difficulty concentrating, need a regular time and place to study. Let your child have a voice in deciding when to schedule study time. Most kids who have trouble concentrating need 5-minute breaks at least every 20 minutes or so to move around. Using a timer is helpful for this. They also need to have assignments broken down into chunks so they don't feel overwhelmed. Make a daily plan for completing long-term projects. The study space needs to be well-lit, quiet and equipped with all needed supplies: paper, pens, pencils, crayons, markers and highlighters, tape, a stapler, paperclips, scissors, a dictionary and textbooks. (Taking a trip to a discount office supply store with your child to choose his own supplies will help him enjoy the study process more.) Many children who have difficulty concentrating benefit from having a double set of textbooks: one for home and one to leave at school. Stay close enough to the study area to answer questions, but let your child feel as independent as possible. If your child has a computer, be sure it is within your view.

Leg #4: Appreciate effort as much as you appreciate a final product. Children who have trouble concentrating have to work twice as hard as others to accomplish the same amount or quality of work. Be a cheerleader! Reward small accomplishments. We adults don't work for free; kids should get "paid" with praise or with "prizes" of some sort for their work too. Prizes could be anything from additional time with a friend or a fishing trip with Dad to money for completing a school project - no matter what the grade turns out to be.