Children and families

My child is struggling with attention and concentration

If your child struggles to focus and concentrate at school, we suggest that you trial strategies from our attention and concentration handout:

You should also speak to your child's school to see what they can put in place. The school's Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator should always be the first point of contact.

Making small changes to your child's routine can be easy and make a big difference to their attention and concentration. This works best when strategies are being carried out regularly throughout the day both at home and in school.

What next?

If you have tried the strategies above but you feel that your child's attention difficulties continue to have a significant negative impact on their learning and participation in daily activities, discuss this with your child's school.

We also recommend that you contact the Liverpool ADHD Foundation. They offer a skills building programme for parents and your child does not need to have a diagnosis to access support.

Find out more on the ADHD Foundation website or call 0151 237 2661.

If your child has a diagnosis of ADHD, it is important to remember that this is a lifelong condition. The goal of strategies is to help them participate in daily activities rather than 'treat' their ADHD.

If you feel that your child's attention difficulties are having a significant negative impact on them learning and playing, you may consider raising this with the school's Special Educational needs Coordinator about a possible referral to the Alder Hey ADHD Service.

The service also has some really useful advice and handouts for parents, young people and schools. Visit the Alder Hey ADHD Service website for more information.