Attention Problems

Signs:

• Short attention span
• Distractibility
• Difficulty in attending to one or more things at one time

What to do:

• Be sure you have learners' attention before beginning a discussion or task
• Decrease distractions when working with learners (turn off noises)
• Praise any improvement in length of attention to activity
• Gently refocus learners' attention to the details of activity as needed
• Keep abrupt changes to a minimum
• Ask learners to repeat the information they have just heard to be sure they followed the conversation

Difficulty with Decision-Making - Poor Judgment

Signs:

• Hesitation with decisions
• Inappropriate decisions
• Difficulty reasoning
• Ineffective problem-solving

What to do:

• Help learners explore various options to problems
• Have learners write down possible options in their notebook
• Discuss advantages/ disadvantages of each option
• Simplify new or unfamiliar tasks
• Practice role-playing to prepare learners for various situations
• Encourage learners to "stop and think"