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CDL's Attention Deficit Page

Attention is a complex cognitive process that consists of several components. First, attention lets us feel alert and helps us decide what is important to focus on at any given moment. Second, it gives us the mental energy needed to stay focused for the right amount of time when performing a task that requires mental effort. Third, attention helps us ignore things that might distract our focus, such as noises or activities going on around us. Finally, attention allows us to stop and think before we do or say something, e.g., inhibit an impulse to do something inappropriate and think about all of the options and their consequences. For example, when you take a multiple-choice test, you must read and think about all of the choices before selecting the answer. Attention is the first step in the learning process because we must attend to something before we can understand or learn it.

When attention is problematic for a student, he or she may have an Attention-Deficit Disorder. Attention-Deficit Disorders are neurological disorders that are characterized by levels of inattention and/or impulsivity and hyperactivity that are developmentally inappropriate. According to the National Institute of Health, between 3% and 7% of the population in this country are affected by Attention-Deficit Disorders.

There are three kinds of Attention-Deficit Disorders:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Predominantly Inattentive Type, which is often referred to simply as Attention-Deficit Disorder or ADD. However, ADD is no longer a diagnostic category in the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, which is published by the American Psychiatric Association, and has been replaced by this diagnosis.
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Type in which inappropriate levels of both inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behaviors are present.

A breakdown in attention is a common cause of struggling school performance. A student may not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, but may still have difficulty with attention. In either case, the breakdown in attention must be addressed if the student is to perform more successfully in school.

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