Acting before they think is a common trait of youngsters with attention problems.  This causes them to speak out of turn in the classroom and makes it hard for them to stick to activities — such as games or sports — for more than a few minutes.  They may get bored and leave the Monopoly board just when the action is getting good, to the annoyance of their company.  They may want to jump from one activity to another causing their friends to become frustrated with their ever-changing demands.  Children who are impulsive can to be taught to stop and think before acting as described in blog posts about impulsivity.    Role play where the parent tells the child to do one thing and then changes their mind and tells her to do another can help the child understand her friends’ frustrations.  Impulsive children can be taught how to choose the right games to play – games that don’t take as long as monopoly and games that can keep them interested.

Other children may seem prone to the opposite behavior — they may perseverate on activities — staying with it too long — largely because they can’t switch gears.  They may have trouble in the classroom when the teacher says “put away your spelling books class, and let’s begin the mathematics lesson”.  The child may still be struggling with a spelling word while the rest of class is immersed in long division.  When called upon, he or she may be unable to answer, not knowing what is being covered.  This becomes especially frustrating for the teacher and the child.

Teaching your child how to change gears – to “go with the flow” is challenging.  This is another area where demonstrating the effect of their staying with an activity for too long has a negative effect.  Read my blog posts on making transitions for additional suggestions.

Need help addressing your child/teen’s needs?  Call 817.421.8780 to learn about our research-proven counseling techniques.

See our menu of ADHD and executive functioning solutions. 

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Excerpt from Social Skills for LD Kids (c) 1995, Monte W. Davenport

(c) 2009-2012, Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D.