My son has a hard time staying focused at school. Even when he knows the how to do the work, he will just sit and not do it. I’ve spoken with Michelle before and we’ve added breaks for him and it has worked out nicely, but he is still having those days where even taking so many breaks is not working for him. Is there anything else we can do to get him to focus? Also, I can even be talking to him and he will tune out and go into his own world.
Answer:
Thank you for your question.
I would first begin by examining the instructional area where he works at. This area should be associated with plenty of positive reinforcement and is a place that signifies to him that, even though work gets done here, hard work is also rewarded.
It may be beneficial to conduct a reinforcer assessment to determine what your child enjoys and what they can earn for completing tasks. Additionally, consider breaking the time spent on certain tasks into smaller intervals to prevent long periods at the table. You can gradually build up to longer sessions over time.
I would also consider implementing a token economy system where he can visibly earn a specific amount of tokens, that is predetermined, and that can be exchanged for something more substantial, such as time on an iPad to play his favorite game. You might start by having him earn 5 tokens and gradually increase the amount he needs to earn, once he understands the value of earning the tokens. This approach would encourage him to engage in the behaviors we want to promote.
Thank you for your question.
I would first begin by examining the instructional area where he works at. This area should be associated with plenty of positive reinforcement and is a place that signifies to him that, even though work gets done here, hard work is also rewarded.
It may be beneficial to conduct a reinforcer assessment to determine what your child enjoys and what they can earn for completing tasks. Additionally, consider breaking the time spent on certain tasks into smaller intervals to prevent long periods at the table. You can gradually build up to longer sessions over time.
I would also consider implementing a token economy system where he can visibly earn a specific amount of tokens, that is predetermined, and that can be exchanged for something more substantial, such as time on an iPad to play his favorite game. You might start by having him earn 5 tokens and gradually increase the amount he needs to earn, once he understands the value of earning the tokens. This approach would encourage him to engage in the behaviors we want to promote.