Date post: | 25-Dec-2015 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | merilyn-hodges |
View: | 219 times |
Download: | 2 times |
Attention: From Confusion to
Control
The Role of Attention in a
Neuro-developmental Model of
Assessment and Interventions
Agenda
Housekeeping
Introduction of Rudolf Stockling
Presentation
Discussion
Introduction of Rudolf Stockling
EDUCATION / MEMBERSHIP MSc (Psych) Wollongong Member Australian Psychological Society (APS) Registered Psychologist NSW Australia
EXPERIENCE Secondary Teacher (4 Years) Educational Psychologist (12 Years) Psychologist in Private Practice (8 Years) Director of Assessment Lexicon Reading Centre Dubai
(at present), www.lexiconreadingcenter.org
The Neuro-developmental Model of Learning
Attention Control Systems
MENTAL ENERGY
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
MENTAL ENERGY
A. Alertness
B. Sleep and arousal balance
C. Mental effort
D. Performance consistency
A. Alertness Regulates the flow of energy Prevents mental fatigue
Look Out for:At home: Difficulty finishing homework Can’t sit still on car trips, at the table, etc.
In school: Yawns Fidgets Contorts the body
B. Sleep and arousal balance Brain’s ability to promote sleep Regulates appropriate alertness during day
Look Out for:At home: Resists going to bed Cannot fall asleep at a regular time; Hard time getting up in the morning
In school: Does not really wake up until late morning; Yawns, Stretches Tired during class
C. Mental effort Supplies the energy required for a student to start,
work on, and complete a task
Look Out for:
At home: Requires heavy prodding to do homework or study
for tests; have to “light a fire” under him to do chores
In school: Late starting work Puts off tasks that are particularly hard or
unappealing
D. Performance consistency
Ensures a steady, reliable flow of energy from moment to moment and day to day
Look Out for:At home: Energy level and interest in tasks are
unpredictable
In school: Inconsistent School work quality and amount
Strategies: Mental Energy
1. Praise attention efforts.
2. Encourage physical activity.
3. Give advance notice.
4. Break up studying time into chunks.
5. Recommend a bedtime routine.
6. Provide breaks with physical activity
Strategies: Mental Energy cont.
6. Help to get started on homework.
7. Identify high mental effort periods.
8. Monitor performance inconsistencies.
9. Use a dry-erase board to organize
homework time.
PROCESSING CONTROLS
A. Saliency determination
B. Depth and detail of processing
C. Cognitive activation
D. Focal maintenance
E. Satisfaction level
A. Saliency determination
• Selects important information for use and puts unimportant information aside
Look Out for:At home When given a list of chores, cannot distinguish which
are more important than others may have a hard time making a decision when
presented with many options
In school Distracted by sights, sounds, or events happening
close- by; Takes detailed notes, without prioritizing
B. Depth and detail of processing
• Controls how deeply students concentrate on details in order to capture the information
Look Out for:
At home: Has to be told directions or information several times
before it “sinks in”
In school: Misses critical details, like operational signs in math
or punctuation in writing
C. Cognitive activation Triggers prior knowledge and experience learning new
information
Look Out for:At home:
Unengaged and disconnected (cognitive underactivation) or
Bounce around seemingly random topics (overactivation)
In school:
Disengaged from classroom discussions or
Disrupts discussion with irrelevant ideas
D. Focal maintenance• Allows a student to focus for the right amount
of time on important informationLook Out for:
At home Jumps from activity to activity without
finishing; may overuse the TV remote In school Stops focusing in the middle of an activity; Is not prepared when class begins a new
subject
E. Satisfaction level
• Controls how deeply students concentrate on details in order to capture the information
Look Out for:At home Only concentrates on things of interest Exhibits an extreme hunger for material
possessions (the “latest” thing)
In school Disrupts other students when bored; does not focus in class unless interested in the
topic
Strategies: Processing
1. Teach scanning or skimming techniques
2. Draw focus to important information.
3. Provide a clear ruler to help your child keep her
place while reading.
4. Use sub vocalization.
5. Connect new information to prior knowledge.
Strategies: Processing cont.
6. Make new information relevant.
7. Encourage eye contact and repetition.
8. Teach your child to prioritize.
9. Teach and model internal standards.
10. Use internal dialogue, or self-talk,
11. Reflect on successes.
12. Cue children to upcoming transitions .
PRODUCTION CONTROLS
A. Previewing
B. Facilitation and inhibition
C. Pacing
D. Self-monitoring
E. Reinforceability
A. Previewing Consider more than one action or response Anticipate the outcome of a choice
Look Out for:At home: Trouble thinking through the possible consequences
of her actions, even when prompted by parents
In school: Does not use outlines to plan a paper or project Difficulty estimating answers to math problems Difficulty in predicting events in or endings to stories
B. Facilitation and inhibition Exercise restraint and not act immediately Consider various options Choose best response or strategy in a situation
Look Out for:At home Does the first thing that comes to mind without
considering possibilities; can’t resist temptation (e.g. sneaking treats before
meal)
In school: Blurts out responses in class discussion Says whatever is on his mind
C. Pacing Adjusts the rate to complete a task; Enables production at appropriate rate
Look Out for:At home Rushes through homework Trouble allotting enough time
In school Does poorly on timed tests Still completing assignments when others are done Finishes tasks far too quickly resulting in errors
D. Self-monitoring
• Allows to evaluate continuous performance• Allows to evaluate completion a task
Look Out for:At home: Does not check his work, Leaving chores unfinished or poorly done
In school: Trouble editing his own work; Doesn’t “get it“ when behaviour is bothering others
E. Reinforceability
• Helps to respond or act on prior experience
Look Out for:
At home • Gets into trouble over the same problem despite past
interventions or consequences
In school Keeps making the same mistakes despite tutoring or
re-teaching Insensitive to punishment and reward
Strategies: Production
1. Engage in “what if” exercises in various
academic, behavioural, and social situations.
2. Build in planning time
3. Model planning techniques for your child by
‘thinking aloud’ while performing a task.
4. Use stepwise approaches.
Strategies: Production cont.
5. Stress the importance of organization.
6. Encourage self-grading.
7. Provide consistent feedback.
8. Create a visual reminder to “hold that thought.”
9. Discuss the lesson or assignment.
Strategies: Basics
General Tips
Home, School and Clinic Collaboration
Involving Children
Strategies: General Tips
Decide which strategies to try
Limit yourself to 1-3 strategies to try first.
If the first few strategies not improve the
child's skills, try others.
Adapt strategies for use with your child’s
age groups
Home, School and Clinic Collaboration
Share observations about your child's strengths and
weaknesses
Discuss where the breakdown is occurring
Share information on issues in other areas
Attention issues often masks other learning issues
Identify your child's strengths and interests
Discuss possible strategies
Acknowledge your emotional reactions
Discuss appropriate next steps
Home, School and Clinic Collaboration, contd
Involving Children
Attention skills are important to succeed with school
work, control behaviour and relate well to others.
Some children give up and see themselves as failures
Others exhibit behaviour problems related to attention.
What to do:
Open non-judgemental discussion of learning profile
Explain that everyone has strengths and
weaknesses.
Create a shared sense of optimism
Explain that learning problems can be managed
Work toward a common realistic goal
Involving Children, contd
Resources: Professional Organizations
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: http://www.aacap.org
Information and Pamphlets
American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org Information for parents of children from birth through age 21.
American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org
The professional organization of psychologists in the USA
Resources: Websites All Kinds of Minds: http://www.allkindsofminds.org
Provides resources to help parents, educators, and clinicians
Learning Disabilities Association of America: http://ldaamerica.org
Provides information on understanding learning disabilities
National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://www.ncld.org
Information about learning, early literacy and learning resources
LD Online http://www.ldonline.org
Learning Disabilities and ADHD Information
CHADD http://www.chadd.org
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
References• Brown, Thomas E. Attention Deficit Disorder: The
Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults.: Yale University Press 2005
• Levine, Melvin D. All Kinds of Minds. Cambridge, Mass.: Educators Publishing Service, 1997.
• Website: www.allkindsofminds.org
• Website: www.DrThomasEBrown.com
Thanks