Now that it’s summer are you noticing that if a screen isn’t involved, your child can’t seem to sustain their focus on anything? You’re not alone! But here’s the thing: attention isn’t just about “trying harder,” it’s a complex skill set that occupational therapists are trained for years to address, using science-backed strategies that go way beyond telling your kid over and over again to “focus”.
In occupational therapy, we talk about sustained attention as the ability to maintain focus on a task over an age-appropriate period of time. This is a key piece of what OTs call executive functioning. If your child struggles to stick with a task, complete multi-step activities, or shift their focus appropriately from one task to another, they may need occupational therapy in order to catch up (and stay caught up) with their peers.
What OTs Look For:
- Task Initiation: Can your child start an activity without heavy prompting?
- Task Completion: Do they finish what they start, or abandon it after just a few seconds?
- Impulse Control: Are they easily distracted by every noise, screen, or sibling walking by?
- Working Memory: Can they remember and follow directions, or do they immediately forget step one?
How Occupational Therapy Can Help: OTs use evidence-based interventions to support attention and executive function:
- Environmental Modifications: Adjusting the workspace to limit distractions.
- Skill-Building Activities: Practicing tasks that gradually increase in complexity and length, from simple matching games to multi-step crafts.
- Sensory Regulation: Addressing underlying sensory processing issues that may make it hard for your child to filter out irrelevant input.
- Self-Monitoring Techniques: Teaching your child to recognize when they’re distracted and use coping strategies to get back on track.
Don’t settle for just surviving summer and hoping for the best next year. OTs are here to help your child build focus, independence, and confidence. Ready for an evaluation, or just want to ask in a free screening if OT could help your child? Send us a message, text us, or give us a call!