How to work with children with low attention span

[Yuhua]

My younger boy has improved tremendously for his ability to focus in class and when we teach him at home. He is 7 by the way and we used to scold him plenty cos his eyes & mind will be everywhere except on us when we talk or ask him to do somethings. Sometimes he ignored us completely. We were clueless to how to teach him.

I will give due credit to the children yoga class that I sent him to. The different poses the children do in class actually helps him lengthen his attention span and now, it is alot easier to teach him now.

[Julie_tzl]

Hi Yuhua,

My elder son is the same as yours, he has low attention span, he will do everything, his eyes go everywhere whenever I talk to him or teach him, or completely ignored me. I’ll have to repeat my instruction so many times until I have to drag him. Now he learns to copy my words and that’s really irritate me. Actually he’s a happy and very active boy. He only can sit still when he’s drawing.
Is children yoga class really help him? Where is it?

[Yuhua]

Julie_tzl:

Hi Yuhua,

My elder son is the same as yours, he has low attention span, he will do everything, his eyes go everywhere whenever I talk to him or teach him, or completely ignored me. I'll have to repeat my instruction so many times until I have to drag him. Now he learns to copy my words and that's really irritate me. Actually he's a happy and very active boy. He only can sit still when he's drawing.
Is children yoga class really help him? Where is it?

Hiya Julie,

I totally can relate to that. In the past, sometimes I felt like screaming out aloud because I felt really frustrated. Yes, the yoga classes actually did helped him. I sat in a few classes and monitor cos it was quite disbelieving that a simple class could do big difference. The instructor is really patient and she planned her classes in a way which interest my boys and they were able to focus on the poses for quite a while (boy, it took me by surprise). Through practising for a year now, this boy has really improved in his attention span, now minimumly he will hear me out for a few minutes before he runs off or 'debate' with me.

You can check out the school. Their site is http://www.ohmsantih.com and the amazing teacher's name is war war. :imcool:

[Julie_tzl]

Dear Yuhua,

Wow… thx for the info. I’ll check on the website that you’ve given to me.

[Paulyn]

Hi


My 6-yr old has very short attention span too and always got complaints by his teachers and friends that he was naughty and disturbed pp in class. He once said to me he doesn’t understand why he has to repeat certain things in class when he already knows how to do it.

I started him with archery class and hope it will help his focus.

Ultimately, think lack of motivation is the problem as he is more keen in iphone games and TV. Is there any programmes that will help in this area?

[crystalbelle]

hi,

I am not sure whether my 5 years old have short attention span as he can sit for storytelling session. But the chinese teacher says he like to sit very quietly with his head down when she is having lesson thus she is not sure how his standard is.
Been to kk assessment when he is young and he is all right in medical term…

Lately, he likes to cried for things that he could not get or denied of…
I really could not make up of his character…

[Oppsgal]

jedamum:

yeo88:

Hi Jedamum,


Great to hear your son's progress. Did you do anything diferent to change his behavior? Did you bring your son for assessment?

My daughter is 10 year old and I am thinking of sending her for assessment. But I am not sure where to start. Any recommendation on centre assessment would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

yeo88,
we went to polyclinic to do a developmental assessment at 3yo and then asked for referral letter to see specialist. then they assigned us to CDU@JMC for speech and behavioural support. then behavioural specialist direct us to do a hearing test. after determining at his ear was partially block, we went to GP to flush out the blockage.
i started cutting down drastically (banning initially, but now he enjoys 1hr+ of show a day) on TV and we gave him DHA fishy tablets.
although we are still under the behavioural specialist review list, he ruled out ADHD just saying that he has more energy than regular child. we realised that his short attention at some stuff is mitigated by his intense concentration during that short moment, so academic-wise he is doing fine.
just everynow and then monkey around in class and sits at naughty corner

What is the cost like after referral by polyclinic for the test?

Is it only one centre that can do the test? Or can the polyclinic refer to other centres?

[yeo88]

Hi,

I am not sure about the polyclinic route but sent my daughter to private centre, kids testing & dyslexia centre for assessment, as it is a quicker route.

You may also want to read SPARK, which has lots of information on ADD.

[Oppsgal]

yeo88:

Hi,

I am not sure about the polyclinic route but sent my daughter to private centre, kids testing & dyslexia centre for assessment, as it is a quicker route.

You may also want to read SPARK, which has lots of information on ADD.

Private centre expensive. Go through polyclinic cheaper.

Wonder can polyclinic refer to IQ test too?

[jedamum]

Oppsgal:

jedamum:

[quote=\"yeo88\"]Hi Jedamum,


Great to hear your son's progress. Did you do anything diferent to change his behavior? Did you bring your son for assessment?

My daughter is 10 year old and I am thinking of sending her for assessment. But I am not sure where to start. Any recommendation on centre assessment would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

yeo88,
we went to polyclinic to do a developmental assessment at 3yo and then asked for referral letter to see specialist. then they assigned us to CDU@JMC for speech and behavioural support. then behavioural specialist direct us to do a hearing test. after determining at his ear was partially block, we went to GP to flush out the blockage.
i started cutting down drastically (banning initially, but now he enjoys 1hr+ of show a day) on TV and we gave him DHA fishy tablets.
although we are still under the behavioural specialist review list, he ruled out ADHD just saying that he has more energy than regular child. we realised that his short attention at some stuff is mitigated by his intense concentration during that short moment, so academic-wise he is doing fine.
just everynow and then monkey around in class and sits at naughty corner

What is the cost like after referral by polyclinic for the test?

Is it only one centre that can do the test? Or can the polyclinic refer to other centres?[/quote]with polyclinic referral, our average visit to the behavioural specialist and speech therapist at JMC is between $30-35 each after subsidies (our sessions are not intensive sessions); Hearing tests at NUH is about $50 after subsidy (exclude flushing out of earblockage which was done at GP). subsidies work up to almost 50% each visit.
not sure if can get polyclinic to refer to other centres..you can request/ask them.