"…the greatest act of love is to pay Attention".
–Diane Sawyer-
Many cognitive researchers describe Attention as a "light projector". We as operators direct the beam of light to the subject of our interest bringing it to focus. Naturally this much focus doesn't leave room for all the other objects around and so many of them are kept in darkness, sometimes ignored and sometimes even critical information is lost because of that.
But, what happens if this projector is not functioning well,
if there are disturbances to the normal flow of attention and our ability to focus it?
Let's first observe the reasons that may cause a reduction of Attention, the following is only a short list of reasons for the reduction of attention as they may materialize at school:
External reasons
- Interruptions by other students
- General noises in class or outside the classroom
- Sitting at the back of the
- classroom (if visually distracted).
INTERNAL reasons
- Sleeping problems
- lack of motivation / boredom
- Stress
- General illness
- Social problems
Naturally some of the reasons for a reduction in attentional capabilities are related to cognitive deficiencies or Mental disorders. These can include: Depression, Anxiety, learning disability, Autism and ADHD.
For most people refocusing attention is a relatively easy task, as easy as redirecting a light projector, but for others, especially for people with attentional disorders, such as ADHD, this task is extremely hard, and is often a cause of substantial distress.
Neurotech Solutions is a world leader on the field of ADHD diagnosis, if this is a subject of interest for you , additional information can be found on a dedicated site:
www.neurotech-solutions.com
The different skills of Attention:
Attention is in fact far more complex than initially conceived. We know today through the pathology of attentional disorders, that Attention is a collection of abilities. The verdict is still open on whether or not these abilities are stable or if they could be changed, but for sure, a person can learn how to overcome his limitations and sometimes even turn these into advantages, some very successful people, claim to attribute their success to their ADHD.
By applying a simple computerized test in the form of a computer game, AXON-School™, Neurotech's newest product, breaks down Attention to its most relevant components to build an attentional profile for each student, later used to help students identify their short comings and strengths.