Community Magazine January 2009

92 Community magazine M ost of us have had the experi- ence of losing our way and having to ask for directions. Your behavior—especially if you are late, have quarreling kids in the car and are run- ning on an empty tank—is one that mimics attention deficit disorder (ADD). You listen as the stranger rattles off direc- tions, desperate to get them straight, while at the same time you’re also listening to the sounds coming from the car— what is that noise coming from the back, isn’t Abe supposed to be watching the baby ? What was that thing just tossed out the window? Armed with directions, you hurry back to the car. But as soon as you pull back onto the highway, the doubts assail you. Did the man say to take a left or right turn after the third traffic light? What did he say about the over- pass going northbound …? What’s wrong with you—why can’t you follow directions? Now meet *Eli, who, after being held back in first grade, is still at the bottom of his class. Reports of Eli’s poor attentiveness baffled his parents who, observing him holding his own with siblings and peers, assumed him to be no less clever than his quick-witted brothers. “Eli is lazy; he lacks motivation,” was his rebbe’s assessment. “Poor concentration, easily distracted,” commented the teacher’s assistant who observed Eli. “Eli in no way is equipped to handle 2nd grade,” advised his first grade English teacher on his end-of-the-year evaluation. His teachers described Eli as creative, capable of generating original ideas and car- rying them out. However, when it came to classroom instruction, Eli was inattentive. He often wore an expression of boredom, and yawned incessantly. He frequently tuned out, lapsing into daydreams that sent him far from the classroom. Eli functioned erratically. There were days when he appeared alert and produc- tive. However, his work in class was below average. The inconsistency was striking when compared with some of Eli’s activi- ties outside class. How could a child who outside of school applies himself with such concentration and diligence, have trouble staying focused in the classroom, his parents asked. When Making The Smallest Effort Takes Too Much Effort Children with weak mental energy con- trol may simply lack the stamina needed to maintain optimal learning. For these children, almost any mental effort seems to require too much! Their mental energy may be difficult to start up, and quickly dissipates. When they try to work they experience mental fatigue similar to the exhaustion one feels after working through the night. Children with weak mental energy “run out of gas” quickly. They may also squan- der energy by assigning it to irrelevant or inappropriate actions. Inconsistent alertness and fluctuating mental effort characterize lack of mental energy control. Unfortunately, children with inconsis- tent alertness are easily misunderstood. They are accused of not trying when they tune out. Because they work only in spurts, they appear lazy or poorly motivated. Actually, the child would like to succeed but simply does not have an adequate sup- ply of mental fuel. Interestingly, children with this problem don’t have trouble sustaining a steady flow of mental effort and alertness for purposes they really enjoy. Things that are fun consume little effort. We have difficulty working when an activity is tedious, while enjoyable work seems much easier. The difference between the effective student and one with attention dysfunction is that the former can and does work diligently even at lower levels of interest. Parents and teachers have significant roles to play in helping children with prob- lems controlling mental energy. Instead of criticizing the child to get him to focus, teachers should express an interest in the child’s inconsistency. The child is baffled by his failure, and needs this validation to be reassured that he is capable of succeed- ing. By offering encouragement, rather than criticism, the teacher may coax the child to make an effort that will bring the kind of success for which every child hungers. *Names and identifying information have been changed to protect privacy. Why Can’t You Just Try Harder? RIFKA SCHONFELD TIPSFORMANAGING ERRATIC M E N T A L ENERGY Children who show inconsistent • alertness and low mental energy need frequent breaks, of at least 10 minutes, when studying. Avoid activities that are too far away from the task at hand. Use strong intonation and • dramatic inflection when giving instructions regarding assignments. Whenever possible, reinforce • the child’s learning through direct experience or exposure to subject matter. Bring dull material to life by connecting it to the child’s everyday reality. Many students need to be • doing something while seated. Doodling or handling an object may keep the child alert. I NSIGHTS INTO EDUCATION