It is said in the moon, it is difficult for him to do an activity for a long time, he stops at the slightest distraction, he chatters in class… For parents, having a child who has difficulty concentrating is not always easy. Without even mentioning possible behavioral difficulties, this can be worrying because you wonder if it’s normal, if it will impact your school results, or even if it could hide something more serious. And above all, we would like to know what to do to help him. We asked Dr. Célia Levavasseur, pediatrician, for her opinion.
Concentration: abilities to judge depending on the age of the child
For our expert, first of all, it is important to remember that a child’s ability to concentrate depends on their age. “How long does an activity last in a small kindergarten section? Around 5 minutes, no more. This corresponds to the concentration capacity of a child. 3 year old child“she explains.
This ability will subsequently evolve and increase gradually, since it is a learning process, while remaining variable depending on the child and his tastes. Thus, the pediatrician invites not to worry too much and to avoid adultomorphismor the fact of thinking that children are like adults: “Just because you want your child to stay still throughout a show that you think is fun doesn’t mean he or she is able to do it.”explains Dr. Levavasseur.
How do I know if my child has a concentration disorder?
For our expert, if there is a concentration disorder, it will most often be detected at school : “A teacher in charge of an entire class is fully able to note if certain students are experiencing difficulties compared to the rest of the group.” This difficulty concentrating may indicate neurodevelopmental disorders, “which affect nearly 10% of children, ranging from attention deficit to autism spectrum disorders“. Underdiagnosed, they can result in behavioral difficulties and are a source of real distress for the child.
If this is the case for your child, the first thing to do is to consult your pediatrician or their general practitioner, in order to be referred to specialists if necessary to carry out speech therapy, neuropsychological, psychomotor and/or occupational therapy assessments. Depending on the results, follow-up may be put in place to help the child. “The earlier neurodevelopmental disorders are caught, the better they can be corrected, or in any case, the more the child can be helped to live with them”insists Dr. Levavasseur, who recognizes that there can be a long wait for support, and that this can be accompanied by financial overruns borne by the parents.
How can I help my child who has concentration problems?
In addition to medical monitoring, certain things can help the child at home, particularly when doing homework. “It is essential to establish a calm and serene atmosphere for the moments when the child is expected to concentrate and not to get upset if he or she cannot do so”, indicates Dr Levavasseur, who reminds us that it is not an illness (otherwise, there would be a treatment!). If it is too difficult, she advises as soon as possible to get help from an outside person (friend, neighbor, etc.), so that there is less emotion.
Finally, certain objects can promote concentration by allowing the child to move their body while concentrating : this is the case for balls or seat cushions, hand spinners or even Pop-it anti-stress plates.
Thanks to Dr Célia Levavasseur, pediatrician.