Listen to Me!
Children who have difficulty paying attention, who don’t follow instructions, don’t do as they’re told when they’re told, often also have difficulty with social relations.
Maybe they’re outside the group, feeling left out. Maybe they’re not getting on with their peers.
What’s the connection?
Do you find they just ignore you or just don’t seem to be able to remember?
Well, maybe, just maybe, they’re not hearing and taking in everything that’s said to them. So what can we do about it? Obviously get their hearing checked. One boy we knew simply had wax in his ears, that was easily sorted by the doctor.
Consider how you are talking to them. There are ways to make it easier.
- Try and talk to them in an environment that doesn’t have a lot of other distracting noise.
- Make sure you’ve got their attention.
– Call their name, signal them visually, make sure they know you’re there.
– If they are smaller than you, get down to their level so you meet them eye to eye.
- Make your sentences short and leave gaps between them so there’s not too much information to process all at once.
- Use a quiet, calm voice. If you scare them or upset them, their processing speed is going to get worse, not better.
- Sometimes children take in more when they’re in activity: fidgeting or playing with things just to help keep their brain awake. Try also going for a walk, when the situation is right for that.
It always helps to thank a child, and be as patient as you can. People, especially neurodivergent children, cannot always remember and process information. They are probably trying their best. If that effort is not appreciated then they may become uncooperative.
