ADHD And Attention Struggles
Training the brain to pay attention and stay focused
Stronger Cognitive Skills Improve Your Ability To Pay Attention And Stay Focused
“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by a prolonged history of inattention, impulsiveness, poor concentration, and variable amounts of hyperactivity, all normal human characteristics.
All of us are forgetful and inattentive at times, become nervous and fidgety, and are somewhat impulsive. ADHD is not the presence of these behaviors, but the degree to which they manifest. People with ADHD have an overabundance of these characteristics.”
Symptoms of ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the umbrella term used to describe people who experience significant challenges with focus, impulsivity or hyperactivity. Though symptoms (and clusters of symptoms) of ADHD differs from person to person - these are some of the symptoms that present most commonly over a prolonged period of time:
-
being easily distracted
-
struggling with inhibitory control
-
taking longer to complete tasks
-
struggling to maintain attention
-
making simple errors
-
not following directions
-
making impulsive decisions
-
avoiding tasks that are complicated
-
difficulty focusing on two tasks simultaneously
-
hyperactivity (in certain cases)
-
focus intensely on things they love for long periods of time (hyperfocus)
What does the latest international research tell us about ADHD?
Research to date suggests that in many instances, the underlying reasons for concentration and focus struggles may stem from specific cognitive weaknesses - those brain functions responsible for how well we pay attention, learn, read, remember, follow instructions and think on our feet.
Here's an example of one such research study, conducted by The Gibson Institute of Cognitive Research and presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, August 2017, Washington, D.C.
The research study is called “Beyond Attention: Memory and Processing Speed Deficits Dominate Cognitive Profiles in ADHD Across the Lifespan.”
Here’s some of the interesting findings:
• Attention was not the weakest cognitive skill among more than 5,000 children and adults formally diagnosed with ADHD
• Across the lifespan, the greatest cognitive deficits in clients with ADHD were Working Memory, Long-Term Memory, and Processing Speed
• Sustained Attention was the fourth weakest out of seven cognitive skills tested
Trajectory Of Cognitive Skills Percentiles From Age 4 To 40 In ADHD
The Good News Is That Attention Skills CAN Be Strengthened
Without Medication
Neuroscientific research has found that attention is a combination of three separate but related skills or abilities: sustained attention (staying on task), selective attention (resisting distraction), and divided attention (splitting attention between tasks).
ADHD is complex with no single treatment solution. Research proves, however, that the best approaches to actually overcome ADHD symptoms must include training exercises that build attention skills while exposing the individual to structured, distracting stimuli - the opposite approach of typical strategies.
Our Programs Strengthen Attention Three Ways
At BrainAbility, while we don’t provide diagnoses, the fact is that many of our clients - children and adults - come to us with previous diagnoses, including ADHD.
Unlike conventional solutions, our cognitive training addresses ADHD at its root cause.
Others treat ADHD with accommodations such as removing distractions, reducing workload, medicating, or isolating people into quiet areas. This is like giving comeone a leg up over a brick wall. It helps temporarily, but does nothing to break down the wall.
Our intense, well researched, targeted cognitive skills training is designed to improve attention skills rapidly. Our programs strengthen the key parts of the brain you need to concentrate and stay focused, and include training exercises that build attention skills while exposing the individual to structured, distracting stimuli.
Results are real and measurable.
Our Results Speak for Themselves
BrainRx is an international premium cognitive skills development program, clinically researched and proven to strengthen weak cognitive skills, including attention skills.
The program is available in more than 46 countries around the world, including South Africa.
Meet ADHD client Luvo and his Mom, an Educational Psychologist who turned to the BrainRx program for help
BrainRx and ADHD
Can BrainRx Really Make A Difference?
The combination of accurate, affordable Cognitive Skills Testing, powerful and researched one-on-one training programs, dedicated Cognitive Trainers, and great client feedback allow us to answer with a confident "Yes!".
What To Do Next
Our Cognitive Assessment can pinpoint strong and weak cognitive skills, and provide you with the information you need to help your child address attention and focus struggles.
The assessment is done in-centre or online from the comfort of your home, is available in English and Afrikaans, and includes a detailed feedback consultation with a Cognitive Development Specialist.