Attention Autism
Although the name may suggest it, attention autism is not just for children with autism. It is an intervention which supports any child who is struggling to focus and keep their attention for long periods of time.
It is normally run in groups of up to 8 children and runs for approximately 10 minutes. There are four stages which the children work through as their attention span increases.
The bucket
A bucket is filled with visually engaging toys and the adult presents one toy at a time to the group and uses simple vocabulary to make comments and encourage focus on the object.
The attention builder
Visually stimulating practical activities are modelled to the group whilst the children are encouraged to sustain their attention until the activity is completed.
The shifting attention
A simple practical activity is modelled to the group and then the children learn to shift their attention as they are invited to participate. The children must take turns and learn to wait.
The individual activity
The adult demonstrates a simple practical activity and then each child has the opportunity to complete it themselves independently. This encourages the children to focus their attention during the group work, then shift their attention to their own work and then return to the group.
To watch an example of these sessions please see the videos below:
