While ADHD can make it difficult for some children to pay attention, there may be other reasons why they can’t focus in school. Many symptoms are similar so is it ADHD or something else? The only way to get to the bottom of it is to discuss the difficulties your child is experiencing with their pediatrician. Before you do that, though, here is a bit of info that can help you prepare for your appointment.
ADHD Inattentive Type
Not all attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses are the same. There are three types of ADHD based on the specific challenges of the individual. A child can be mostly inattentive, mostly hyperactive or impulsive, or a combination of the two. If they can’t focus in school and ADHD is to blame, it is most likely the inattentive type. Symptoms can include:
- Frequently losing things like pencils or their homework
- Being unorganized
- Regularly starting new activities before finishing previous ones
- Difficulty understanding information or instructions
- Making small mistakes often
- Being distracted from tasks easily
Other Causes
Although ADHD is one reason why children can’t focus in school, there are many other causes of distraction both in the classroom and at home. For example, some kids are naturally more distracted by things and this doesn’t necessarily indicate ADHD. Other reasons kids can’t focus in school:
- They don’t understand what’s being covered
- They aren’t be challenged enough by their schoolwork
- They lack the motivation to participate
- They don’t connect with the learning style in the classroom
- They aren’t getting enough sleep
- They have anxiety about going to school (because of studies or not getting along with classmates)
- They are experiencing learning difficulties
How You Can Help
The first step to helping a child who can’t focus in school is to determine the reasons why. There very well be more than one reason. Then, you can work on a plan that works well for you and them to help overcome the distractions. If they are having a hard time understanding schoolwork, you may need to meet with their teachers to find out what you can do to help. Similarly, their teachers may have ideas about how to challenge them if they are getting bored with the current material.
If your student is having trouble in school and you suspect that ADHD may be to blame, call today to schedule an appointment at Pediatric Health Care. We have several locations and offer virtual appointments, making it easy and convenient to get your child the care they need.
