Assessing attention and self-regulation difficulties

Very low attention and inhibitory-control scores warrant closer investigation, but they do not explain the cause or establish a diagnosis. Assess and monitor the pupil's functioning across ordinary school contexts, implement a focused response and review whether the difficulty persists.

Build a rounded picture

Gather:

observations from several lessons, adults and times of day;
examples of starting, sustaining, switching and completing tasks;
the pupil's view of when attention is easiest and hardest;
information from home;
attendance, sleep, wellbeing, sensory and communication considerations;
current attainment, task demand and any previous support.

Describe observable behaviour rather than using labels. “Needed four prompts to restart a ten-minute independent task” is more useful than “poor concentration”.

A one-page grid is enough. Ask three or four staff to fill it in for the same pupil over several weeks, in lessons with different demands. For each entry, note the lesson and task, how long the pupil worked before attention first drifted, how many prompts they needed to start or restart, and what helped. Ask home the same questions about homework and routines.

Ask the pupil directly: When is it easiest to concentrate? What gets in the way? What helps you get going again?

Test a clear hypothesis

Identify the most likely barrier and choose one or two matched adjustments or taught strategies. Record:

the situations in which they will be used;
who will teach and reinforce them;
the expected change;
the baseline and review date.

Use the assess, plan, do, review cycle. Check implementation as well as outcome; a strategy cannot be judged if it was used inconsistently.

Decide the next step

If support leads to meaningful improvement, continue, generalise and fade it. If substantial difficulty remains across settings and over time, bring together the evidence and consider advice from an appropriate professional. The route may involve an educational psychologist or another local pathway, depending on the pattern and question.

A referral should state what the school has observed, tried and learned. It should not be based on the screening score alone.