At Home #6: difficulty paying attention
Problem: The student appears to have difficulty paying attention (focusing, maintaining attention, shifting attention focus, dividing attention) in academic or other domains.
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I. GENERAL MEDICAL POSSIBILITIES
1.Medication Side Effect:Some students may have difficulty attending as a side effect of medication.
2.Medication Interactions:Some students may have difficulty attending as a side effect of medication.
3.Hearing Impairment:Some students may have difficulty attending as a side effect of medication.
4. Chronic Pain: Some students may fail to do what they are told to do as a result of being in chronic pain.
5. Fatigue: Some students may fail to do what they are told to do as a result of fatigue (e.g., insufficient sleep) or hunger.
6. Seizures: In rare cases, lack of compliance may be a result of seizures that may or may not be diagnosed. If seizures have been diagnosed, staff should ask the physician if difficulty persisting in activities is a likely or possible consequence of the seizures. If seizures have not been diagnosed, but are suspected, a seizure evaluation should be recommended. If seizures are diagnosed, the prescribed medication regimen should be followed along with environmental management of the lack of compliance. (See Tutorials on Seizures)
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II. COGNITIVE/SELF-REGULATORY POSSIBILITIES
1.Specific Attention Deficit: Some students may have a specific and isolated problem with components of attention. (See Tutorial on Attention)
2.Initiation Impairment: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of initiation impairment (frontal lobe injury). (See Tutorial on Initiation)
3.Generally Impaired Self-Regulation: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of general difficulty with other aspects of self-regulation. (See Tutorials on Self-Regulation; Self-Monitoring and Self- Evaluating; Organization; Impulsiveness/Disinhibition; Problem Solving)
4.Weak Orientation to Task: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of uncertainty regarding what is required of them. (See Tutorials on Language Comprehension; Organization)
5.Organizational Impairment: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of organizational impairment. (See Tutorial on Organization)
6.Generally Weak Cognitive Functioning: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of excessive demands placed on their memory, organizational ability, academic skill or other cognitive ability. (See Tutorials on Cognition; Memory; Organization)
7. Inflexibility: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of difficulty with change; they may be rigid and inflexible; they may have particular difficulty with novel versus routine tasks. (See Tutorial on Flexibility)
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III. BEHAVIORAL POSSIBILITIES
1.Oppositionality: Some students may appear to have difficulty attending as a result of oppositional behavior. (See Tutorials on Behavior and Behavior Problems after TBI; Behavior Management: Prevention Strategies)
2.Manipulativeness: Some students may appear to have difficulty attending as a form of manipulation (other than oppositional behavior). (See Tutorials on Teaching Positive Communication Alternatives to Negative Behavior; Behavior Management: Prevention Strategies)
3.Attention Seeking: Some students may appear to have difficulty attending as a way to seek adult and/or peer attention. (See Tutorials on Attention; Behavior Management: Prevention Strategies; Behavior Management: Contingency Management)
4.Task Avoidance: Some students may appear to have difficulty attending as a way to avoid specific tasks. (See Tutorials on Noncompliance; Errorless Learning; Problem Solving; Behavior Management: Prevention Strategies; Behavior Management: Contingency Management)
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IV. SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL POSSIBILITIES
1.Depression: Some students may have difficulty attending because they are upset, depressed, and/or lack positive relationships with peers and/or adults. (See Tutorials on Depression; Peer Relationships)
2.Anxiety: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of anxiety. (See Tutorial on Anxiety)
3.Frustration: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of feeling frustrated. (See Tutorials on Self Regulation/Executive Function Routines after TBI; Teaching Positive Communication Alternatives to Negative Behavior)
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