Daughter with attention problems (ADHD)

I have a young daughter who has just entered 2nd grade. She is extremely bright, gets along well with her teachers and her friends, yet is starting to do really poorly at school. She is more than capable of doing the work, it is just that her focus and attention are all over the place. Currently her math teacher has said that she 'DEFINITELY' has ADHD and has no focus. I have noticed at home she is able to focus for 2 plus hours on video games, so there must be something else to it. Does anyone have any suggestions on getting to focus on her schoolwork when needed, or anything other than the video games? I am really at my wits end and after reading the stories on the different medications do not feel that is a route our family could take.

Re: Daughter with attention problems

Attention issues  do not necessarily have to be related to a diagnosis of ADHD. Often times we see that ,like your daughter many kids can and will focus on things such as video games but not on school work.Althhough it is importatnt to address attention issues with pediatrician and possibly other specialists, it is also important to remember that motivitation is key to having someone's undevided attention.Reward systems otherwise refered to as token economy can play a very positive role in this type of situation, it's the good old "you do,you get".Adults go to work so they can have a paycheck at the end of the week,children will tend to be more motivated to do____ to get _____.This may work even better if you have a visual reminder for your child to look at what he/she is working for(ie.time with video games) and this will only work if those items are only accessible by complying with what has been asked of him or her. Key in using this type of system is to work your way upto it initially asking to complete small easy tasks and then increase the difficulty over time.You may find that with a little help from a tailored behavior modification program you can resolve alot of these problems.

Best of Luck!

Daniela Tricoche

Butterfly Effects,LLC