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Attention Training Games

The Games

Attention Training Games Here are five simple games you can play with your child to build visual- and auditory-attention skills.

The games are designed to improve your child's attentional processes by being more specific than other attentional tasks. They may also reveal information that could be helpful in other situations, such as your child's classroom. However, these games are not intended to provide a "treatment program." Attentional disorders are far too complex to be addressed by game-like tools.

What You Need

• Three decks of ordinary playing cards
  
• A stopwatch
  
• A timer
  
• A dual-cassette tape recorder (or two recorders)
  
• Two blank audiocassette tapes
  
• Six 3 x 5 index cards
  

Rules to Play By:

• First, try playing these games with another adult. This way, you will be comfortable with the rules and scoring when you play them with your child.
  
• Not all kids will be able to do all the games. There's no specific age-range for these games. Play only those games that are developmentally appropriate for your child.
  
• Let your child be the guide. Don't force him to continue if the task is too difficult. Play only those games that your child easily understands and is willing to play.
  
• Praise your child's participation and improvements. Even though his performance may be inconsistent, always tell him when he has done better. For example, "You did much better on that game than the last time we played it." Avoid giving negative comments and keep it fun.
  
• If you have ADHD or find yourself confused by, or having difficulty with, some of the game formats, do not play these games with your child. You don't want him to have distorted feedback on his performance because of your own errors. Find someone who doesn't have ADHD to play with your child, like his teacher, school guidance counselor, or a family friend.
  
• Be sure to record your child's performance and then come again to see how your child improves.

To increase the difficulty level, you can:
1. Increase the duration of the game from one minute to two minutes. A maximum of five minutes should be imposed on all games.
2. Play an additional tape in the background of noise from either a typical classroom or a playground.

Focused Attention

Visual

1. Take three decks of cards, remove the jokers, and shuffle them.
2. Deal single cards, piling them in a stack face up so that your child simply has to focus on the top of the stack to name the color.
3. Place the cards at a rate of one per second (for those needing to practice their timing in putting the cards down, remember the traditional way of counting: One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi, etc.).
4. Instruct your child to make a mark in the appropriate place on the recording sheet as soon as a red card comes up.

5. Set the timer for one minute and stop when the bell rings.
6. To figure out the number of correct responses go back through the cards and count the total number of red cards presented until the timer rang. Write the score on the recording sheet. To calculate the percentage correct, divide the number of red cards marked by the total number of red cards presented. Mark it on the performance record.

Auditory

1. Pre-record for exactly one minute a random series of the words "red" and "black" on the tape. To do this, shuffle the three decks and read the color of the cards as you put them down, again at the rate of one per second.
2. Now play this recording to your child and instruct him to put a mark on the recording sheet every time he hears the word "red."
3. Again, you can then count the total number of correct picks (subtract errors for those marked incorrectly) by knowing how many times you said the word "red" on the tape. Calculate a percentage of correct responses.
It should be obvious that this first game is very easy and few children should have trouble with it. However, children with severe attentional impairments may find this game difficult, and others may be challenged when the length of the game is increased.

Sustained Attention Visual

1. Use three decks of well-shuffled cards.
2. Tell your child to mark the recording sheet each time she sees a red card that comes right after a black card.
3. Place the cards face up in a pile as you deal them at the rate of one per second for one minute.
4. Count the number of errors and subtract this number from the total marks to get the number correct. You can also calculate a percentage.

Auditory

1. Make a tape similar to (but different from) the one used in Focused Attention (Auditory) Game, since your child may be familiar with that first tape.
2. For one minute, play the tape for your child.
3. Tell your child to mark the recording sheet every time she hears the word "red" following, or coming right after, the word "black."
4. Subtract errors from the total marks to get the number correct and the percentage of correct responses over the one-minute period.

Selective Attention

Visual

1. To set this game up, arrange some cards in an array of three rows by five columns. You will have a rectangular pattern of cards that will serve as distracters for your child when you lay down each card.
2. Before playing, write down the order of the cards so that you know what the correct sequence is.
3. Tell your child to mark the recording sheet every time a red card follows, or comes right after, a black card.
4. Place each card randomly over one of the cards on the 3 x 5-card array. Your child has to remember the color of the last card and just follow the next card placed without regard to the cards in the background.
5. Again, count errors -- subtract from the total marks to get the number correct, which allows you to calculate the percent correct.

Auditory

Pre-record two tapes for this game. A dual-cassette recorder with separate volume controls is ideal. (Use two other tapes with numbers recorded in very soft and normal, louder voices to teach the difference between the two volume levels before starting this game.) It is most important during the game that when both the Main and Distraction tapes are played, the Main tape be noticeable (stand out) against the background Distraction sounds.

1. Record the Distraction Tape. Using the three decks of cards, speak very softly as you name the cards more specifically (for example, "red three," "black king," "red five," "red two," etc.) than you will when you record the Main Tape. Record for one minute.
2. Record the Main Tape in a normal volume of voice, saying only the colors as they come up in the deck (being sure to shuffle the deck prior to this recording so that a different sequence of colors will come up than on the Distraction Tape). For example, the only words on the Main Tape might be: "Red, Black, Red, Red, Black, Red," etc. Record one minute of the Main Tape again at the rate of one card per second.
3. Put both tapes in the dual-cassette recorder to play at the same time (or, use two tape recorders).
4. Play both tapes and direct your child to mark the recording sheet when he hears the word "red" following, or coming right after, the word "black." Also tell him to pay attention to the louder tape.
5. Count the errors as usual and calculate the percent correct over one minute.

Alternating Attention

Visual

Before starting this game, tape three 3 x 5 cards on the table in front of your child, beginning from her left to her right. The first card (#1) should be marked (where you can read it) "R after B," which stands for "Red after Black." The next card (#2) is marked "B after R"; and the third card (#3) is marked "R after B."

1. Shuffle the three decks of cards.
2. Put the cards face up, one per second, for 20 seconds in a pile under Card #1. Tell your child to mark the recording sheet every time he sees a red card following, or coming right after, a black card. Do this for 20 seconds.
3. Then, after a 10- to 15-second break, say that the rule has changed. Now your child should mark the recording sheet every time he sees a black card following, or coming right after, a red card. Place these cards in a pile face up, one per second, for 20 seconds under the card marked #2. Stop after 20 seconds.
4. During the next 10- to 15-second break, say that the rule has changed again. Tell your child to mark the recording sheet every time he sees a red card following, or coming right after, a black card. Place these cards under Card #3 in a pile. Stop after 20 seconds.
5. Check the number of errors written on cards #1, 2, and 3. For each pile, subtract the errors from the total marks to get a total correct and then calculate the percent correct.

Auditory

Shuffle the three decks of cards. Record three rounds of calling out the cards on tape before you begin. Each phase will last 20 seconds. As in the previous game, tape the index cards to the table in front of your child, with Card #1 on his immediate left and marked "R after B"; Card #2 marked "B after R"; and Card #3 marked "R after B."

1. Tell your child to mark the recording sheet every time he hears the word "red" following, or coming right after, the word "black." Round 1 is played for 20 seconds, then stopped.
2. During a 10- to 15-second break, tell your child the rule has changed and now he should mark the recording sheet each time he hears the word "black" right after the word "red." Round 2 is played for 20 seconds, then stopped.
3. During the next 10- to 15-second break, tell your child the rule has changed again and he should now mark the recording sheet each time he hears the word "red" after the word "black." Round 3 is played for 20 seconds, then stopped.
4. Subtract your child's errors from the total marks, then calculate the percent correct.

Divided Attention

Visual and Auditory

Divided attention is when you have to be aware of information from more than one sensory input. For your child, this situation may be one in which she must watch a video, movie, or slides (visual input) and listen to the teacher's comments about what is being shown (auditory input). This game helps your child improve that skill.

1. Pre-record a tape using the randomly shuffled three decks of cards for a one-minute time period. You'll use the same principle (red after black) for the visual and auditory sequences.
2. Give your child a divided page with Visual written on the left and Auditory on the right. Tell your child to mark the left side of the recording sheet when she sees a red card following, or coming right after, a black card and to mark the right side of the recording sheet when she hears the word "red" following, or coming right after, the word "black."
3. At the same time the tape is played, put the cards face up, one per second, in a pile to your child's left with the tape recorder on her right.
4. After one minute, score your child's performance as usual: Count the total number of errors, subtract from the total cards marked, and calculate the percentage correct.

Recording Your Child's Performance1. Use different-colored ink to write down your child's performance of each game.
2. If you haven't done so already, calculate the percentages correct from the recording sheets.
3. Plot them separately for visual and auditory tasks on the Comparative Performance Record. Each dimension of your child's attentional process may be plotted over time to chart his progress.
4. Compare visual and auditory attentional processes across tasks that increase in complexity (from focused attention to divided attention) and record these on the Performance Record.
5. Use these graphs to document your child's improvement and to give feedback on how well he's playing the games. When you point out the improvements over time, he'll be more motivated to continue to play and to deal with greater challenges.

The Point System

Note that for each game, you can set a goal based on your child's performance on the previous games. The key is to set a goal that's just slightly higher than the previous score and not too difficult for him. This will increase the chances of your child's success. Use a point system in which your child gets ten points for meeting or exceeding his goal. Additional points may be earned by the percentage of correct responses on each game. Thus if he gets 50 percent or greater, additional points may be awarded according to the following guide:

50 percent = 5 points
60 percent = 6 points
70 percent = 7 points
80 percent = 8 points
90 percent = 9 points
100 percent = 10 points

Adapted from Power Parenting for Children with ADD/ADHD by Grad L. Flick, Ph.D.