| Most students with ADHD do not think about how | | | | television program. |
| much attention it takes to complete a task, but | | | | Have your child think about tasks such as taking a |
| recognizing how much concentration is required to | | | | shower, eating dinner, or riding a bicycle, and using |
| complete an activity is invaluable to obtaining good | | | | the scale of 1 to 10, have him suggest a number |
| results! | | | | that represents the amount of energy needed to |
| The goal of this activity is to show students how | | | | complete that task. Keep at it with other tasks |
| to pay attention and also how to sustain | | | | until your child gets a good sense of the scale and |
| concentration until a task is successfully | | | | really begins to understand that some tasks take |
| completed. | | | | longer and require more energy than other tasks. |
| To give your child an idea of what it actually | | | | Next, have your child apply the technique to |
| means to "pay attention," use a metaphor such | | | | academic tasks such as reading a section in a |
| as adjusting the volume dial on a radio. Using a | | | | textbook or studying for a test. Have your child |
| scale such as 1 to 10, develop reference points so | | | | write down her estimate of the amount of |
| that your child has a basis for comparison. | | | | attention needed to perform the task. Share your |
| For example, a setting of "1" indicates a person | | | | estimates as well. |
| has the volume turned down so low they can't | | | | Try having your child write down the amount of |
| hear what's being broadcast. A "10" indicates the | | | | attention she spent on the task the last time she |
| person can loudly and clearly hear everything | | | | performed it and the grade she received! Help her |
| being broadcast. | | | | compare the energy expended to the results she |
| Paying attention requires that students maintain | | | | obtained and notice how well the outcome |
| differing levels of energy for different types of | | | | matched the effort expended. |
| academic tasks. To increase your child's | | | | If necessary, discuss ways to increase the |
| awareness of the energy needed to perform | | | | amount of attention needed in order to perform |
| different academic tasks, first start by using the | | | | better on the task next time. If distractions get in |
| radio metaphor to help him or her understand the | | | | the way of paying attention, try the Bracketing |
| amount of energy needed for various everyday | | | | Distracting Thoughts technique. |
| tasks such as brushing teeth and watching a | | | | |