|
| A Resource for Teachers, Clinicians, Parents, and Students by the Brain Injury Association of New York State. |
|
|
Click on "MORE" after any of these possible explanations to view suggestions for exploring that possible explanation.
Medical #1: Medication side effect: Some students may have difficulty attending as a side effect of medication. Medical Possibility #2: Medication interactions: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of medication interactions. Medical Possibility #3: Hearing impairment: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of hearing impairment. Medical Possibility #4: Chronic pain. Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of being in chronic pain. Medical Possibility #5: Fatigue: Some students have difficulty attending as a result of fatigue (e.g., insufficient sleep) Medical Possibility #6: Seizures: In rare cases, impaired attending may be a result of subclinical seizures that may or may not be diagnosed. If seizures have not been diagnosed, but are suspected, a seizure evaluation should be recommended. When students with TBI evidence cognitive problems that are unpredictable and incompatible with the student’s normal behavior, consultation with a physician or neuropsychologist may help staff understand the source of the problem. If seizures are diagnosed, the prescribed medication regimen should be followed along with environmental management.
Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #1: Specific attention deficit: Some students may have a specific and isolated problem with components of attention. (See Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #2: Initiation impairment: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of initiation impairment (frontal lobe injury). (See Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #3: Generally impaired self-regulation: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of general difficulty with other aspects of self-regulation. (See Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #4: Weak orientation to task: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of uncertainty regarding what is required of them. (See Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #5: Organizational impairment: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of organizational impairment. (See Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #6: Generally weak cognitive functioning: Some students have difficulty attending as a result of excessive demands placed on their memory, organizational ability, academic skill, or other cognitive ability. (See Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #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 Behavioral Possibility #1: Oppositionality: Some students may appear to have difficulty attending as a result of oppositional behavior (See Behavioral Possibility #2: Manipulativeness: Some students may appear to have difficulty attending as a form of manipulation (other than oppositional behavior). (See Behavioral Possibility #3: Attention seeking: Some students may appear to have difficulty attending as a way to seek adult and/or peer attention. (See Behavioral Possibility #4: Task avoidance: Some students may appear to have difficulty attending as a way to avoid specific tasks. (See
Social-Emotional Possibility #1: Depression: Some students may have difficulty attending because they are upset, depressed, and/or lack positive relationships with peers and/or adults. (See Social-Emotional Possibility #2: Anxiety: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of anxiety. (See Social-Emotional Possibility #3: Frustration: Some students may have difficulty attending as a result of feeling frustrated. (See
LEARNet Copyright 2006, by .Designed and Powered by Camelot Media Group.
|
Problem: The student appears to have difficulty paying attention (focusing, maintaining attention, shifting attentional focus, dividing attention) in academic or other domains.
Please review the list of possible explanations to the problem. Click on a possibility to learn about relevant observations and experiments to further determine the source of the problem There are 4 categories:
MORE...
Tutorial on