The 3 Kinds of Attention and What It Means If You (or your child) Struggles to Focus

The 3 Kinds of Attention Skills

If you or a loved one struggles with attention (or is diagnosed with ADHD), there are 3 main types of attention skills that could be difficult.

• Sustained Attention – this is our ability for prolonged mental effort and tasks we would not choose to do.  That is the key!  We all excel at tasks we enjoy.  Attention issues show up on the tasks we would not choose to do.  This is why some kids have an amazing focus on video games or sports, but struggle to focus on schoolwork.  
• Selective Attention – can you or your child be able to tune out distractions when working on a task they would not choose to?  Do they need it to be quiet?  Are they distracted by every noise or small movement?
• Divided Attention – this becomes more critical as students get older.  Once they enter middle school, this skill enables them to be able to handle the transitions from class-to-class, taking notes and managing multiple deadlines.

Options for Improving Attention Weaknesses

Typical approaches to dealing with attention issues tend to be accommodations like sitting at the front of the class or doing tasks in a quiet area. For those with ADHD, medication is a common accommodation.

The good news is that these attention skills can be trained and improved as they were for Kilian in the video below.  

Kilian was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age and experienced significant academic struggles as a result.  These issues were heightened when he entered junior high and high school.  Along the way, they tried all the usual recommended interventions for those with an ADHD diagnosis – counseling, ADHD coaching and ADHD medication.  Kilian was also receiving detentions when he had missing or late assignments, which were common.  

His mom was very worried about his future and Kilian enrolled in the LearningRx program his freshman year.  His results completely changed the trajectory of Kilian’s life.  His LearningRx training identified and addressed the root cause of his attention issues. As a result of his LearningRx training, Kilian finished high school on the honor roll, was an academic all-start and was accepted to attend the University of Minnesota where he earned a degree in Architecture.  

Why did Kilian experience so much success with the LearningRx Savage program vs. the other ADHD strategies they had tried?  Because LearningRx identifies the root cause of general attention and ADHD difficulties and provides 1-on-1, individualized cognitive skills training to address and strengthen these root causes.  

If you have a loved one struggling due to poor attention or ADHD, there is help that goes beyond accommodations!

Results are from past clients. You or your loved ones may or may not achieve the same outcomes, but you can learn more about our research and results here.