Unable to focus/concentration problem

[Madratlady]

My ds is 6 and seems to have trouble taking in what is said to him. He’ll ask the same question numerous times but not take in the answer he’s given. You can tell him something or explain something and he’ll not be able to tell you what it is you’ve said (I was explaining something fairly simply about safety and had to go over the basic safety rule a few times before he took in what I was telling him - I often ask him to repeat back to me what I’ve said if it’s important). He’s an enthusiastic reader and seems to understand what he reads, at least the words if not any deeper meaning as he’s quite a literal child, he learns best by being shown things, but the inability to listen/concentrate/take in information is a concern. He’s also very easily distracted unless the task he’s doing really catches his attention. At first we thought he was just not listening to us but we’re starting to worry that there is a problem with taking in what’s said to him as so much just doesn’t go in. He’s also a little behind his peers in terms of social and emotional development as well and struggles a bit in group situations.

So I guess what I’m asking is, is there a reason to be concerned and can anyone recommend any strategies to help him?

Is he the same at school? Can you speak to the SENCo about it?

I should probably have mentioned that he’s home educated, however he’s the same with other adults (family/friends/home ed groups). I initially wondered if he hadn’t quite learned social norms like he would have done in a school setting (sitting still during a talk the other day comes to mind, or raising his hand rather than shouting out although he’s getting better with that) however I have firm expectations of his behaviour at structured activities which he knows, and compared to other home ed children we spend time with at groups and activities he still struggles more to behave appropriately and participate fully. He’s recently started beavers so I’ll give it the rest of the term so he can settle in and ask the beaver leader how he’s coping there. He’s never been to school so I don’t know for sure but I would guess in a class of 30 he’d probably have ended up very behind as he’d not be able to stay on task, given what I’ve observed during sit down learning at home and at groups.

Off topic but out of interest, what are your reasons for keeping him out of school?

Various reasons. I believe 4 is too young for formal education and he definitely wouldn’t have been ready for that at 4, he’s also got a speech delay which would definitely have made things harder if we had sent him. I also don’t think a fairly ‘one size fits all’ education system is ideal although I know it works well for some children (the rate at which the home education community is growing seems to suggest that there are a lot of children for whom it doesn’t work, especially those with SEN) It’s definitely the right decision for our family though, he’s working at the level he would be at school, is an avid reader and interested in everything and he’s very adamant he wouldn’t want to go to school.