Executive Functioning Skill: Attention

This week the executive function skill I’m focusing on is attention. This is perhaps the easiest one to identify because people are either engaged and are giving their attention or they are not. The interesting thing is that a quick google search for the definition of attention yields the description of “notice taken of someone or something; the regarding of someone or something as interesting or important” or “the action of dealing with or taking special care of someone or something.” Now there’s all different ways to approach how to improve attention with ADHD (medication being a common go to), and I have a different take on how to improve attention with students in general but those with ADHD in particular (yes sometimes medicine is needed, but I think if you don’t also work on skills there medicine is never going to help a student improve academically). People put attention to the things that they are interested in and in fact there’s a flip side to ADHD in which kids will hyperfocus which is where they will eat, sleep, dream and breathe about whatever topic or thing that has caught their interest. The problem sometimes with labels is in how they are internalized which then limit behavior, belief, or identity for students. Instead I prefer to approach more from a place of who am I? What do I want? And what do I need in order to be able to get what I want? By approaching study skills in this manner it allows students to view school as a means to an end (which let’s face it often is the case). If you want to create lifelong learners (which I definitely do) then the way to do that is to encourage growth and exploration. We seem to be stuck in a world of fear at the moment which naturally inhibits people from stretching their wings. Encouraging students who already aren’t performing well in school which then makes them want to put even less time and attention into it requires a different tactic. Learning can, is and should be fun. It also is not relegated to a school building. It can and should happen anywhere. Learning is an important part of living. When they start having fun whether that is in increased grades or an improved sense of autonomy, their attention is more likely to be placed on academics because it becomes a self-fulfilling feedback loop. This is also why some kids are good at school and some aren’t. It comes down to whose attention gets rewarded or rather people put their attention to the things they feel in control over or rewarded by instead of things that make them feel bad about themselves. Attention also requires thought. The things we give attention to are the things we end up thinking about the most. The students who are the most interesting too or rather the best conversationalist are always students with ADHD. Why might that be? Well it’s simple because they love to talk about the things they are interested in and have a natural joy in sharing that information. All you have to do is take what they love and figure out how it’s connected to school related topics. If they can develop the study skills they often go on to be successful in their chosen fields. Again why is that? Because they chose jobs and careers that interest them which sets up a feedback loop that continues to reward them for their attention and interest. This is the secret and magic that can happen. There just needs to be structures put in place so they remember to do things like eat while they're in a hyperfixation spiral. The challenge in life is learning how to manage everything. So when working on how to improve attention, teaching kids the what and why of the behavior you are encouraged often increases the chance of them following through. In fact teaching why we do what we do is always a worthwhile tack to take with any academic skill. It helps them engage and give better attention.