5 year old can not listen

[Ilovechocolatetoomuch]

I put 'can not' because I know it isn't a choice.
It's mainly at school or any clubs he goes to. Swimming is a nightmare where he is constantly being reminded to listen and pay attention.
At school he is quite bright and goes off into la la Land when it gets boring and misses the instructions then gets all worried as he doesn't know what he is doing.
He is terrible when people come over, like a puppy bounding all over them , even when reprimanded . I can tell him 10x to stop and it's like he can't.
I feel like he changes into a different boy in public.
Any advice would be really appreciated thanks .

If he genuinely can't listen, it might be worth reading up on inattentive ADHD ILove.

Obviously other things could be causing this and I'm not trained but to me it sounds like this could be a possibility.

Thank you. I have considered this as he can focus for hours on things of his choosing like drawing, writing, Lego, small world play etc.
When it isn't 1-1 adult telling him what to do he seems to struggle so much. He also can not wait and will hop around climb on you pester you with endless questions. He never just sits and watches what is going on around him.

How's his sleep, when I was little I would get distracted in class all the time because I was exhausted. Has his hearing been tested. My dd needed a hearing aid and the difference is striking when she wears it.

Very much like Auditory Processing Disorder. There are ways to train the brain into paying more attention. You will need to get a hearing test at hospital and then discuss your DS difficulties with ENT. There is a specialist in Southampton.

I recommend a book called The Out of Synch Child. There are programs like iLS or The Listening Programme that can help although there is not much research many swear by it. You can start with simply telling your DS a story without distractions and asking him to repeat. Each day increase distractions around him with the same exercise. Do this very slowly. He could also take up a musical instrument!

My DS used to do sensory integration therapy. One of the activities was walking forwards and backwards foot to toe (for balance) to the beat of a metronome, reading letters on a chart. This integrated his auditory, with his vestibular (balance) and vision, and is infact very difficult to do!

You can have mild sensory issues or major. No child is the same. But it doesn't have to be attributed to a learning disability. Find the clues where he is struggling most and work from there.