Behavioral Concerns

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My son is 4 years old and his teacher says that he is a very intelligent child but very restless and he does not concentrate in the work given in school. Please suggest what do I do about his restlessness in school as well as at home and how do I increase his concentration?

Since your son is only 4, four year olds can typically pay attention to a single given task for about 8-10 minutes and are able to shift their attention from the task back and forth to a teacher if/when needed. Most four year olds are not ready to sit for lengthy periods (upwards of 15 minutes) and attend to structured learning tasks without taking a break to get up and move about...which may be why your son is having difficulty. Discuss with your son's teacher what types of activities he is having difficulty with and ask how long he is required to sit and pay attention before being allowed to have a break & run around and play. There are special "toys" and pencils being sold now and used by teachers and therapists to reduce fidgeting in the classroom.

If your son's teacher thinks his lack of focus is more problematic than that of a typical 4 year old boy, then you may wish to have him evaluated by a trained professional for attention deficit disorder. These are some links related to attention span, ADD/ADHD and helping kids focus that may be of interest to you.

• Attention span
• Behavior
• Concentrate

Also, Yoga has been found to be helpful in helping children learn focus and concentration and this article talks about its benefits. 

Back to:  Therapist Questions & Answers - Behavior Concerns

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