Home of Autism-PDD.net To Message Boards Site Map Free Autism Seminars

How to get her to foucs at school?

For the billionth time I had to remind somebody that you can't medicate autism.  While bringing up her math issues, her aide said one of her real problems is focus.  I reminded them she needs a stim at her desk, we've talked about specific tasks to help her refocus.  She's so high functioning I think they tend to forget what her issues really are. 

What do you do to help your child focus at school?  While she probably has ODD along with PDD-NOS, I really don't think she has ADD.  Nobody has suggested that (except my Dad, who wants us to medicate her), but I hear the implication.

I have been giving her s-theanine (an amino acid found in green tea, good for anxiety), and it helps her she says, but isn't helping the focus.  I need to know what to do next.  Tell people to p*ss off or find some natural thing I can start feeding her.  We're also on a modified Feingold diet, she's mostly a vegetarian, and I get a lot of organic food, so her diet is good.

At home when she's "losing focus" I think it's mostly because she doesn't want to do the task at hand.

 

Set up a positive behavior/reward system.  Start with 2 minutes.  2 minutes on task gets her a sticker on a chart. So many stickers gets her some desired activity or item.  Then, slowly, move up the time required to get a sticker.While I don't look to medicines first for issues (we mostly use naturals and vites, etc), Vyvanse has been a miracle drug for my girl. She couldn't learn without it. We tried other things but she needed the meds. No side effects. She is learning to read right now!The last couple of years at school we had the same focus
issues with my son. He is definitely on the severe end
of the spectrum, so this may not relate entirely to your
daughter, but here are some ideas that worked for us.

1) JW is mainstreamed in his classroom, but he does a lot
of work one on one outside of the classroom as well,
especially for subjects like math that are hard for him.
When possible, we moved challenging academics to before
lunch, he seems to be much more willing to stay on task
before noon.

2) Visual Reward System. We keep a chart on the corner of
his desk that has a sticker of the task at hand (read a
book) with the "+" and a sticker of the reward (15 min on
computer). Below it is an "x" version of the task and
reward. It works as a reminder that if he completes the
task, he gets a reward and his aide will refer to it if
he gets off course.

3) No Suprises Timer. 5 minutes prior to transitioning
to a new task/class/activity JW is given a "5 minute"
warning that this is going to happen. The egg timer is
started for 5 minutes. When it goes off, his visual
reward system is updated with the new task, the goals
explained (and usually visually laid out as well) in
addition to setting the timer for the expected amount of
time to complete the task.

4) Singing Break. When JW becomes frustrated because a
task is difficult or he just "doesn't want to do it"
(this happens a lot) and his aides or teachers can see a
"fit" starting, they take a singing break. JW is
nonverbal, but he can sing sounds so they leave the
classroom for 2-5 minutes and sing a song. This normally
calms him and his aides are good about then explaining
they are going back to the same task and what is going to
happen, how much work is left to do, and reminding him of
the reward.

We also use just a little bit of crab apple (bach flower)
drops when he seems to have days where he just won't
focus or even sit still. It's normally used to combat
homesickness (I travel a lot so actually bought it for
myself) but it really does the trick for JW on rough days
at school. Somehow seems to boost his confidence level
equaling JW wanting to complete the task at hand.

Hope some of this helps.To medicate or not to is a really big issue. I completely understand when
parents of Aut/PDD and ADD don't want to or feel it causes further harm.
With that being said, I tried every natural remedy that was available and
NONE of them had any effect with my son (now 16) who was dxs with
autism/ADD. He started school like a wild man who could not sit down
for any teachable period of time nor take direction because he was too
busy moving and stimming to listen. We sought a medicinal solution and
it has helped a great deal, but so has our faith in God, the family
counseling we continue to receive, behavior modification and an
outstanding school community. There is no one singular method or path
to helping our children. But do remember this-early intervention means a
great deal and as an educator (SLP) working with autistic students from 20
months to 22 years old, I know why people continue to mention it--it can
help as I have experienced it first hand, but in the end it's your decision.
Remember that our children cannot help themselves and this is a
neurological disorder. The meds and all the other methods I mentioned
combined have made it more possible for my son to attend to task, assist
in his own decision making, calm down, ask for help, tell me he's mad
instead of throwing things. He is full family participant and a full
participant in life. And by the way, I became a speech-language
pathologist just 4 years ago and it was because of my son I have this
wonderful career. I wanted to help others on the spectrum like my son
was. I want to make a difference.

I am a school shadow for children with ASD. If you believe that it is lack of attention due to lack of motivation, or disinterest in the task at hand (and not actually trouble with attending)...then the task needs to be more reinforcing. For example, if she is zoning out during math...make math the time where she can earn her favorite toy or snack. And you have to first start with small incriments. She did one problem with good attention..BAM! She gets rewarded. Then slowly you move to 5 problems, then 10, then the whole worksheet, etc. Kids get bored with school work (who doesnt?!) So if it's low attention due to boredom....it needs to be more reinforcing for her.

I write a blog about my experience as an ABA therapist, and big sister of a boy with ASD. Check it out if you have a second.

http://anotherangleonautism.wordpress.com/

Keep in mind that motivation or task refusal are not the only reasons for loss of focus. Consider if the material is being presented in ways that are oriented to her strengths (eg. is she a visual learner), or in ways that are hindered by her weaknesses (eg. if auditory processing is an issue, she may 'zone out' during whole class instruction.)

I think our kids succeed best when we do design accommodations that capitalize on their strengths and this is where good differentiation is so needed in today's inclusive classrooms. I'm not saying reinforcements don't have a place, all of us need rewards in life. However, I know my dd succeeds more when she is taught in a way that reaches her strengths. I think we are also finding this out for NT kids as well, that there are many kinds of learners and that kids who learn differently struggle unless we broaden the approaches we use to reach them.
My daughter is much younger, it sounds like. But just as unfocused. Her neurologist has already mentioned a possible adhd diagnosis down the line.

What helps her to focus are sensory items. A bear hug vest is utilized when she craves input or gets "antsy" or "crashy"... we're looking at a seat cushion with nubbies (real scientific, I know) for her chair at school, and different sensory bins, trampoline at home, bean bag chair at home... a tent too..

Different strategies for at school could be as easy as moving her seat near to the teacher, not sitting her near certain kids, giving her breaks or NOT giving her breaks (depends on the kid), having her do heavy work - moving chairs or maybe some theraputty to fidget with... just suggestions. To follow up on what Melissa mentioned as far as the
sensory items go, we have had success using a fitness ball
at home during "mommy and JW sessions" to keep him on task
and relatively still. So much we are going to use a trial
run during summer school of a balance ball chair. Since it
keeps him constantly "moving" just to stay balanced on the
ball it calms that sensation for him to be constantly
moving. And "noise putty" is always a goodie when he
starts fidgeting!
 

Copyright Autism-PDD.net