What is your four year old's attention span/concentration like?

[ChocolateGirl]

My ds has a Speech Therapist who mentioned that he might have ADD (just mildly). I think she based this "diagnosis" on the fact that we have to encourage and prompt him to concentrate on his speech therapy exercises if we want him to apply himself for any length of time. He sometimes gets up and says "Watch me now" and does a Spiderman pose or something in the middle of our sessions.

I don't know what to think. He seems able to maintain concentration if he is engaged and enjoying the activity, e.g. he would do a jigsaw by himself - but the speech therapy exercises can be quite boring and repetitive so maybe he just loses interest. Certainly he prefers to do an activity with me helping/joining in - but don't all kids?

He does flit from one activity to another when playing and doesn't always finish things he starts. But I just assumed this was "normal" for a four year old. He would concentrate on the Internet for ages if I would let him.

Has anyone got an opinion? I know it is difficult to say when you haven't met my ds, but what are your four year olds like?

Hiya my ds is 5 now but still has the attention span of a newt when he wants to ! Unless its something power ranger related that is .Im sure he is better in school but frankly he cant sit still for a nano second at home .Only becomes absorbed in what interests him .Homework reading is like pulling teeth .I would go with your instincts-sounds like typical 4 year old to me [ well sounds like my ds anyway!]

Sounds like typical 4 year old! My sons' all had to have speech thearpy and it can be quite tedious for a young child, all of them used to get up and run around or try change the subject completely in a session, mostly they just liked using the time to show off to someone new! Normal boy behaviour!

It sounds pretty normal to me, too--my DS is 4 next week.

Mine is like that too, ChocolateGirl. He's turning 5 in July but he sounds quite similar to what the others have described here. Flits from one thing to another a lot of the time and can't stand having to WAIT for anything!! I had to laugh at the "Watch me" followed by a Spiderman pose - that's my ds all over. I don't know how 'normal' it is, perhaps they are a bit more active than other kids or perhaps their little minds are going ten to the dozen all the time.

I just wanted to say that it sounds normal as far as my ds is concerned, anyway.

Message withdrawn

My dd has just turned 4. Unless it's something which she specifically wants to do she has no concentration span whatsoever. I have to frequently prompt and remind her about what she should be doing as she gets distracted.

Completely normal, if you ask me.

Thank you everyone for your responses. I feel much better now.

I had a word with his teacher who reckons he is fine - not the best concentrator in the class but certainly not the worst - so that's good enough for me.

Like yours, my boy will be 5 in July too, Lethal. Power Rangers present, I think... same in your house, I'm sure!

Hi Chocolategirl - My DD2 who was 4 in Jan can focus and concentrate only if she is enjoying ehat she is doing - if repetitive then she would act like your DS...

It's 'The Incredibles' and 'Star Wars' in our house at the moment ChocolateGirl

Basically my ds can concentrate on anything that he's interested in, eg. he can sit still and watch a movie for 90 minutes or so, but if something doesn't hold his attention then it's very hard to get him to concentrate. His teacher told me last year that he would start doing a puzzle but rarely finish it, because he would flit off to do something else. She also said he was also likely to just wander off in the middle of a group activity or something. The only thing that encourages me is that he's a lot better this year than he was last year.. perhaps age/maturity has something to do with it too.