Concentration Challenges for People with Autism

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects people in many different ways. Because of how differently people may be affected, it’s often referred to as being on the autism spectrum.

At the same time, people who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face some common challenges. This includes difficulty with communication and social interaction, as well as challenges related to sensory sensitivity, restrictive interests and/or repetitive behaviors.

Many people who are on the autism spectrum also have trouble concentrating. While not a diagnostic criteria for ASD, these concentration challenges can have negative effects on a person’s ability to learn, socialize, hold a job and do other things.

Luckily, attention is something that can be approved over time through treatment plans such as applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy.

Below, we’ll discuss these concentration challenges for people with autism and how ABA therapy works to address this.

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Why is Concentration So Important?

If we want to accomplish things, we must be able to concentrate. When we’re able to pay attention, then we can narrow our focus to an individual thing, ignoring some other things in the process.

A practical example is being able to focus on what someone is saying to us, even though we might be in a crowded place where there is a lot of background noise. Not being able to concentrate and narrow our focus in this way would certainly make communication difficult.

Concentration is also a key part of overall learning. Children, for instance, have to be able to concentrate on what a teacher is saying and telling them to do so that they can learn the proper way to do things.

While concentration is an ability that generally improves over time, it’s also something that certain people face challenges with always.

What are Some of the Concentration Challenges for People with Autism?

It’s not easy for young children to pay attention. There’s so much that’s new to them that draws their attention away from what parents, teachers and other authority figures are trying to do.

This is natural, of course, and can be especially prominent if the child isn’t feeling well, isn’t comfortable or is tired and/or hungry.

As mentioned, though, people who have autism might struggle with concentration on a grander scale and for much longer than other people, who often “grow out” of their inability to concentrate.

People on the autism spectrum may face challenges with focus if something isn’t of particular interest to them. This relates back to some of the other challenges mentioned above.

If a child with ASD has very restrictive interests, for example, they might not be able to concentrate on a topic that falls outside of those interests. Some children with autism also might not be able to focus well if the activity in question involves other people because they might face challenges with communication and social interaction.

At the same time, these same children may be able to focus intently on things that they are interested in. In fact, they may have an uncanny ability to block out some other things while they play with a certain toy or read a book about a certain topic.

Can Concentration Be Improved?

With the right support, tools and strategies, children on the autism spectrum can build their concentration ability. With a lot of targeted intervention and practice, they can improve their focus and build their skills to be able to pay attention more.

This, in turn, then helps them in many aspects of their life.

One of the best options for targeted treatment in this regard is ABA therapy. Considered the gold standard treatment options for children on the autism spectrum, it integrates repetition and positive reinforcement to help children with autism build the skills they need to live a happy, healthy and fulfilling life.

ABA therapists will break down large tasks into simpler steps so their patients can more easily grasp what they need to do. Through various strategies and game-playing scenarios, patients can build their attention span, focus and overall concentration.

Blue Gems ABA Helps Children with ASD Build the Skills They Need

Concentration challenges are common for people with autism. There are many reasons why this might be so, but fortunately, it’s a skill that can be improved with time.

At Blue Gems ABA, our team of dedicated BCBAs helps children with autism build the concentration and focus skills they need. By doing so, it will help enable them to learn more and do more.

To learn more, please contact us today.