CHAPTER 3: Attention and Learning Problems

Getting It Together No Matter What the Cause

Some points need emphasizing even though you may have heard them many times before. First, look for your strengths. Build on your strengths. Start working with adults who can help you build on these strengths.

Second, turn to adults for help and advice. Adults want you to succeed. You are the next generation. If you ask, you will find adults who will try to help you with your problems. Using their own experiences, they can offer advice about things that worked and things that didn't. They may put you in touch with someone who could help you build on your strengths. They may help you make contacts for future jobs.

Third, use tools that assist you in overcoming your weaknesses. Some people just can't calculate well. They need a calculator. Some can't spell well. They need a dictionary or a spell-checker. Modern technology can help people overcome weaknesses.

Fourth, think smart about school. School is a way society prepares kids for jobs. So look ahead and think about your strengths. Use the classroom work to build upon and shape your natural abilities and talents. Write down your plan for the next few years. Check your plan against what you are doing now. Change your plan as you get a better view of the future and a better feeling about who you are and what you do best. Most importantly, go over your plan with adults you can trust. Listen to what they say. You may not always agree, but always listen.

Finally, remember that "school" is for your whole life. Modern work requires us to learn to grow. ** What ** you learn in school may not be as important as ** how ** you learn in school. School develops certain life skills that are very important. Such skills are learning to ask questions, listening to what is being said, changing your actions if necessary, and checking yourself to see how you are doing. These abilities need to grow with you as you go along.

As an adult, you can bet that you will be taking classes. In the future it may not matter as much if you went to college; it will matter whether you are continuing to learn.

What Might Need Fixing

By now you have been in school for 6-12 years. You have taken tests to see that your hearing and vision are not a cause of school problems. Tests have been performed to see how you do compared to how well the test says you could do. If you are still having troubles, here are several explanations that may be useful.

• You are not ready to learn. Learning is hard work. If you don't do

  at least 10 hours of homework a week, you can not expect success. (Remember, over a period of time a group of steady hard-working turtles, will win over a group of smart, quick rabbits.) And doing home work in a noisy room does not count!

• If you are watching TV or using your cell phone or computer for games for more than 1 hour a weekday night, you will have difficulty doing well.

• You have a job after school. A lot of older teenagers will hold a

  job in addition to everything else. They get too tired and overwhelmed. Quit the job unless the job really will help you get a better job in the future. Your teachers, parents, and school counselors should be informed of your reason for choosing this job.

• You have "school fear". This is a pretty common problem since a lot

  of adolescents have had bad experiences at school or in the classroom. A clue to this is if you miss a large number of days from school because of sickness. The trick here is talk to some one you can trust about this because "school fear" could be a real problem.

• You are bored. Some persons find that school is not a challenge.

  They need to talk to their parents or the guidance counselor.

• You have a true learning disability. Suppose you are really trying

  hard in class and doing homework, but you notice that you:

  • often "forget" what a parent or teacher says
  • take an unusually long time to finish a task
  • have problems organizing work at home and school
  • fail repeatedly to learn facts and information
  • have problems relating with other classmates
  • have trouble paying attention
  • fail to finish projects that require read ing or math skills

Talk to a doctor, your parents or the school counselor about these problems.

Moving Ahead

Schools have a lot of ways to help you. Take advantage of them while you are there.

• Career search programs include tests to match interests and talents with careers. A good program teaches useful job skills.
• Vocational programs teach technical skills, team work, and how to apply for a job.
• Tutors can work with the learning disabled and other kids who just need some help in one of their "weak" areas.
• Counseling by professionals, family, and friends can help you avoid problems and make sure that you stay with your plan.

We have tried to make the How's Your Health error-free. However, those involved in its preparation can not warrant that all of the information is accurate and complete. When you use How's Your Health as a guide for your health and medical care, be sure to discuss any questions about it with your doctor, nurse, or other health care worker.

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Last reviewed: January 2023 © 1997-2023 FNX Corporation and Trustees of Dartmouth College. All Rights Reserved.