Help ADHD attention types
Attention Types
Individuals with ADHD may notice differences in their patterns of attention and focus, to neurotypical individuals. While a wide range of individuals can experience different attention types and styles, typical ADHD attention styles can particularly include ‘divided’ and ‘hyperfocus’ attention.
Those with ADHD/neurodivergent individuals may find it particularly challenging to switch between attention types and manage their attention and focus. Often, we need to alternate our attention between things, e.g. thinking, talking and writing; this can be effortful and challenging.
It can also be more challenging for ADHD/neurodivergent individuals to differentiate between different stimuli/information around them and what is most helpful to focus on, or not, in that moment, e.g. sounds, people, visual things and learning/work tasks. This can make focusing on the ‘right’ thing hard!
Divided attention
Divided attention describes when a person’s attention and focus is split across lots of different tasks or activities at one time. This can also be described as ‘multitasking’, as the person is focusing on multiple tasks and/or stimuli at the same time. This is shown in the image below.
- Multi-tasking – Divided attention can be helpful in many situations when you want to do several things at once. For example, when you’re having a conversation while making something, or note taking during lessons.
- Staying alert and monitoring your environment – when you want stay alert of what’s going on around you, and notice lots of different things that are happening at once.
- Processing and retaining detailed information whilst doing something else may be challenging, e.g. listening to someone and taking notes at the same time, or focusing in a busy environment.
- Being easily distracted by one particular thing and going off-track.
- Remembering all the steps needed to complete an activity whilst paying attention to what else is going on in the environment, e.g. driving.
- Remembering all the steps needed to finish a task, resulting in incomplete or incorrect work.
- Listening to, and processing others’ ideas, whilst also expressing your own thoughts and opinions in conversations or discussions.
- Carrying out a task/activity whilst talking to someone, or being in a busy environment.
- Try to focus on one activity at a time. Use timers to set small chunks of focused time.
- Finish all similar tasks before moving to a different task.
- Set clear instructions and expectations for task prioritisation.
- Break larger tasks down into more manageable chunks.
- Minimise distractions, e.g. turn off the TV/music, clear the working space/room.
- Practice routines and activities so that they become automatic, and so need less attention and effort.
- Use alternative means to capture information, e.g. filming/recording rather than writing.
Hyperfocus
Hyperfocus is when someone is extremely focused on a task or activity that lasts for a long period of time. They are so absorbed, and tuned in to what they’re doing that they don’t notice anything else around them. This generally happens when someone is particularly interested and engaged in an activity. Some people may use hyperfocus as a coping mechanism to manage distractibility, for example, intentionally going into hyperfocus in order to get a piece of work finished.
- Problem solving/creativity – you may continue solving problems when others would have given up. This perseverance can lead to creative and original solutions to problems
- Greater productivity – when engaged you may be able to ignore distractions around you and maintain focused concentration for longer/prolonged and intense focus, on a task. This can increase learning, completing work and productivity.
- Greater motivation and engagement – When stimulated your brain is highly motivated to work on/complete the task/activity until it’s finished
- Enhanced/greater learning and memory retention – Hyperfocus can be great for learning new skills, languages, activities or musical instruments
- Enjoyable – being hyper-focused on an interest can be really enjoyable, satisfying and relaxing.
- Breaking off from a task/activity that you find enjoyable or are highly interested in may be difficult and distressing.
- You may be so absorbed in what you’re doing that you don’t notice what’s going on around you.
- Self-care activities, such as eating, drinking and using the bathroom may be postponed for hours, which may affect health and wellbeing.
- Identify what activities/topics lead to hyperfocus
- Be aware of time pressures/demands on your/your child’s time, before potential hyperfocus activities start, e.g. close to bedtime, going out, etc.
- Embrace and enjoy the feeling of hyperfocus but it may help to set an alarm/timer to prompt breaks or other tasks being done.
- Set small and achievable goals in activities and take breaks when the goals are reached.
