Hocus Pocus Everybody Focus Easy Strategies Activities and

+ Hocus, Pocus, Everybody Focus! Easy Strategies, Activities, and Techniques to Improve Attention & Executive Function in Children. Liz Parker, School Counselor ewparker 1@henrico. k 12. va. us @DEScounseling Henrico County Public Schools

Changing our minds about attention and executive functions… + Visual Attention: http: //www. pbs. org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/experience s/attexp 1 a. html Auditory Attention: http: //www. pbs. org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/experience s/attexp 2 a. html

+ n “It is the taking possession by the mind in clear and vivid form of one out of what seem several simultaneous objects or train of thought. ” (William James, 1890) n Attention in humans involves the complex mental operations that involve literally the whole brain (from the subcortical brainstem to the neocortex). n Some aspects of attention are present at birth. Others develop as a child’s brain matures. Attention We all know what it is when we see itbut how is it defined?

+ n All learning involves attention! n Children’s brains are unique. Each child differs in the amount of types of stimulation he or she needs to stay focused. n Self-esteem and positive thinking can play an enormous role in a child’s ability to pay attention. n Adults can offer attention training to teach children how to recognize what’s worth focusing on and what they can ignore! Attention Important things to remember…

+ n Research on the brains of children in poverty using EEG Scans indicated that the brain patterns in children from poverty were quite similar to adults who have had strokes and therefore have lesions in their prefrontal cortex. n Most low-income children participating in the study had difficulty identifying the focal point and blocking out distractions, which is a key function of the prefrontal cortex. n Studies have found that these effects on the brain and attention are reversible but need highly intensive interventions. n Most low-income children have these disparities in neurocognitive development: language memory ability, working memory, and executive function. Attention According to the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2009):

+ Executive Function What exactly is that? n Executive function is a set of mental processes that help us connect past experience with present action n Mental Processes include n Organizing n Prioritizing n Shift/Thinking Flexibility n Accessing Working Memory n Self-Monitoring/ Self-Checking

+ Organizing The ability to create and maintain systems to keep track of information or material

+ Prioritizing (Planning) The ability to create steps to reach a goal and to make decisions about what to focus on

+ Flexibility The ability to change strategies or revise plans when conditions change

+ Accessing Working Memory The ability to hold information in mind and use it to complete a task

+ Self. Monitoring The ability to monitor and evaluate your own performance

+ Executive Functioning n n Impacts 3 broad areas: n Learning n Behavior & Emotions n Social Situations & Relationships Examples n Ask for help or information when needed n Make plans n Keep track of time n Keep track of more than one thing at once n Wait to speak until called on n Make mid-course corrections while thinking, reading, writing

What about ADHD? Dopamine tends to limit and select sensory information arriving from the thalamus to the forebrain + Decreased activity level in the prefrontal cortex AD/HD = decreased dopamine activity

+ Attention, Executive Function & AD/HD n Not everyone that presents with difficulties with Attention or Executive Functioning has AD/HD n Most students with AD/HD have difficulties with Attention and/or Executive Functioning Source: CDC

Development & Maturity Executive skills & the ability to attend develop gradually and at different rate for different people + Some students will figure out ways to compensate or strengthen their executive skills weaknesses Others will need extra support to compensate for or develop such deficits

What can we do? + Compensate = Accommodate

+ Accommodations…Beyond chunking work, frequent breaks & timers n Watchminder n Cards n Chew Stixx/Desk Buddy/Necklaces n Resistance Bands n Scented pencils n Doing 2 things at once (ex. Kagan Brain Boosters Music on ipod, etc. ) n Rocking chair/Exercise ball/wiggle seat disk n Velcro strips/sandpaper under desk n Homework stations

Intervention + Develop = Intervention = PLAY!

+ Selective Attention: Either listening or visually attending to a particular sound pattern (ex. verbal directions) or visual target (ex. plus or minus sign in math or written directions) while filtering out all other sounds and sights available (Tignor, 2007). n. Visual n What’s Different (Tignor, 2007) n Change 3 Things (Berger, 2003) n. Auditory n Listen Up Category Word Game (Tignor, 2007) n Secret Word Game (adapted from Tignor, 2007)

+ Attentional Control Switching: The ability to stop performing a task in a particular way in order to perform a new task or to complete the same task in a different way (Tignor, 2007). n. Simon Says (Tignor, 2007)

+ Divided Attention: The ability to pay attention to 2 different tasks performed at the same time (Tignor, 2007). (Ex. eating snack and listening to the teacher, listening to a story being read aloud and completing an activity sheet, listening to verbal directions while completing them. ) n. Bop It (Tignor, 2007)

Were you paying attention? +

+ Executive Functioning: Executive function is a set of mental processes (organizing, prioritizing, flexibility, accessing working memory, selfmonitoring), that help us connect past experience with present action n. Build It – (Balmer, 2012) n. Wish List – (Balmer, 2012)

+ Brain Breaks: Shapiro (2010) suggests that taking periodic breaks will help students feel more alert and better able to concentrate on work. They also work to strengthen self-control, and/or executive functioning (auditory processing, auditory memory, etc. ) n. Robot/Rag n. Pool Doll (Berger, 2003) of Honey (Berger, 2003) n. Questions n. Mirror & Answers (Berger, 2003) Me (Berger, 2003) n“Switch” & “Position Switch”

+ Isometrics: Exercises that can help kids learn to sit still and control their bodies by allowing them to stimulate and put pressure on their muscles without actually moving them (Shapiro, 2010). n. Hands n. Knees n. Desk n. Feet

+ How many times did we say the secret word? Questions/Comments?

References Berger, L. O. (2003). Calm down & play. United States of America: Childswork Childs. Play, Inc. IBSN: 1588150550. Kishiyama, M. M. , Boyce, W. T. , Jimenez, A. M. , Perry, L. M, & Knight, R. T. (2009). Socioeconomic disparities affect prefrontal function in children. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 21(6), 1106 -1115. Payne, R. K. (2009). Research-based strategies. Highlands, TX: aha! Process, Inc. IBSN: 9781934583 -340. Shapiro, L. E. (2010). The ADHD workbook for kids. Oakland, CA: Instant Help Books. IBSN: 9781572247666. + Tignor, B. (2007). Attention games for the classroom. United States of America: Childswork Childs. Play, Inc. IBSN: 1588150828. Balmer, K. (2012). Executive Functioning Activities at Home. Retrieved from http: //nspt 4 kids. com/. Kolb, B, & Whishaw, I. (2001). An introduction to brain and behavior. Worth Publishers. New York, NY. Aastopoulous, A. & Shelton, T. (2001). Assessing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishes. New York, NY. Frank. K. & Smith-Rex, S. (1996). ADHD 102 Practical Strategies for “Reducing the Deficit. ” Youth. Light, Inc. Chaplin, S. C. Executive Fuctioning 101, Prepared by The National Center for Learning Disabilties. Retrieved from http: /ncld. com