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Attention Struggles, ADD and ADHD.
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Attention is simply our ability to attend with focus, clarity, and purpose. Research has found that attention is a combination of three separate but related skills or abilities:
Sustained attention (staying on task) Selective attention (resisting distraction) Divided attention (splitting attention between tasks) Attention Deficit Disorder is characterized by a prolonged history of inattention, impulsiveness, poor concentration, and variable amounts of hyperactivity, all normal human characteristics. All of us are forgetful and inattentive at times, become nervous and fidgety, and are somewhat impulsive. “ADD is not the presence of these behaviors, but the degree to which they manifest. People with ADD have an overabundance of these characteristics.” by Dr. Russell Griffiths |
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Symptoms of ADD or ADHD may include:
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Based on neuroscientific research, attention is a cognitive skill set that can be improved and developed. Many professionals treat ADD/HD with accommodations like removing distractions, reducing workload, or isolating students into quiet areas. This may allow better performance temporarily but does nothing to develop the cognitive skill of attention on the long run. That would be like treating poor vision by having someone read to you instead of getting glasses, contact lenses, or having surgery. Your future would be ill served.
How do You Develop Attention? Neuroscience shows that by targeting and stimulating the under-active region of the brain responsible for the characteristics of inattention (the prefrontal cortex), attention can be strengthened. Therefore, the correct approach is the opposite of the usual accommodations used. Besides, it’s not that the person is not paying attention - they pay attention to every environmental stimulus. Attention develops when a person performs a task requiring attention while exposed to structured distracting stimuli. This designed intensity and distraction is at the core of cognitive skills training aimed at improving attention. Cognitive training alters brain structure to strengthen cognitive function. It is active rather than passive, just like diet and exercise improve health and conditioning. Those with ADD/HD deserve the opportunity to overcome distractions and limitations this disorder presents. Appropriate training, not accommodation, presents that opportunity. Treating the root cause Unlike conventional solutions, our cognitive training ADD/HD addresses attention issues at their root cause. Others treat attention problems with accommodations such as removing distractions, reducing workload, medicating, or isolating students into quiet areas. This is like giving a child a leg up over a brick wall. It helps temporarily, but it does nothing to break down the wall. Our intense, targeted cognitive skills training is designed to improve attention skills rapidly. Our patented programs strengthen the key parts of the brain your child needs to attend. Results are real and measurable. ADD/HD is complex with no single treatment solution. Research proves, however, that the best approaches to actually overcome ADD/HD symptoms must include training exercises that build attention skills while exposing the student to structured, distracting stimuli, the opposite approach of typical strategies. Those with ADD/HD deserve the opportunity to overcome the distractions and limitations this disorder presents—without the ongoing need for medication or accommodation if possible. Appropriate professional skills training provides that opportunity. Our assessment IS the first step in pin pointing your child’s skills and abilities. It will help clear which skills are average, which are above average, and those in need of special attention. Take the first step TODAY and understand the root causes of your child's struggles with our cognitive skills assessment. |