11 year old with poor focus / absent-minded

Well, what helped my DD was having a 'label' (which we only got when she was 15). So we could all acknowledge that she was trying and found it harder than others.

These are based on my DD only:

• realise she may take more time than others to realise you are talking and to process instructions, so get attention, then one instruction at a time, and repeat back
• don't expect verbal instructions to be remembered, give one at a time
• try to learn to tick off written instructions as you go
• checklists in general
• don't aim to sit down to do 30mins homework. Aim for 5 minutes to start with, then get up and stretch and do 5 mins more
• some exercises help with core stability
• active learning, so pen in hand writing better than losing focus over a book
• or dictating to Mum to free up the brain from writing as well as thinking
• DD1 found learning to touch type very helpful
• school gave out printed notes for her to annotate
• if homework is open ended (pick a historical figure and find out 10 facts) then DD just couldn't do it. But if I said find out A...J about Christopher Columbus then she could.
• much, much more scaffolding than average for age for everything

Just wondering if you have excluded the possibilities of problems with hearing/sight. She may have perfect sight and hearing but it is as well to be certain before further investigation.

Yes, I was going to add that some of the 'lack of focus' and 'unable to get started' could be a specific learning difficulty like dyslexia.

DS was like this all through primary and early secondary. Because he was performing fine and could read we kept being fobbed off with 'he's fine' whenever I questioned the difficulties we saw him having with homework etc. Finally, when he was in Year 10 (!) I decided we were going to go ahead privately and get an EdPsych report and lo and behold he has dyslexia and auditory processing issues/short term memory recall. It was all being masked by a high underlying ability which he was using to cope and compensate.

Agree, have a look at the Dyspraxia Foundation website which breaks down typical traits by age group. There can be overlaps between various conditions including dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, auditory processing disorder etc. Could you access an assessment by an Ed Psych or Occupational therapist , perhaps via your paediatrician or school, to at least eliminate some or all Specific Learning Difficulties.

Other things associated with dyspraxia

• poor body awareness (my DD frequently knocks her arms whilst walking through doorways)
• poor gross motor skills (PE, cycling, swimming)
• sensitivity to taste / texture (very fussy on food, not liking fur/lace/buttons/seams on clothes)
• lack of sensitivity to heat / cold (wants to wear shorts when there is snow on the ground)

Not all traits appear on all children/adults.

If you do suspect dyspraxia find an online checklist and tick it off. The go to school / GP and ask for an assessment. (At least that would be the system in England). Schools can put steps in place to mitigate some effects, others you have to learn to work around, others just to live with.

Does she tire easily even yawn when reading. Or when you show her something close up or present her with a full page of text does she move her head quickly backwards and open her eyes wide . You may have to try this

It might just be her.
It might be dyspraxia:

• appearing not to listen (forgetting the instructions / not taking them in)
• appearing to day dream (can't work out how to get started)
• getting up and wandering around (poor core stability makes sitting at a desk tiring)
• untidy (poor motor skills and not 'seeing' that things aren't lined up neatly)