{"id":158,"date":"2019-11-08T14:31:45","date_gmt":"2019-11-08T19:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/?p=158"},"modified":"2019-11-08T14:31:45","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T19:31:45","slug":"why-some-kids-have-trouble-following-directions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/2019\/11\/08\/why-some-kids-have-trouble-following-directions\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Some Kids Have Trouble Following Directions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\n\nBy Amanda Morin\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/p0qf7j048i0q\/7D0FC36B25FF4B6EB18F719EF3E86837\/ff3d5d330e1e83c3a8bcde49f652b713\/i1041987738.jpg?w=1000&amp;h=750&amp;fit=fill&amp;fm=webp\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">At a Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>When kids don\u2019t follow directions, it can feel like they just don\u2019t listen.<\/li><li>Some kids have a real difficulty doing what they\u2019re asked to do.<\/li><li>There are ways to help your child get better at following directions.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When you ask your child to take out the garbage, what happens? Does it go out? Does it make it to the door but get abandoned there? Or does nothing happen at all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child doesn\u2019t follow directions once in a while, you might not think much of it. Kids don\u2019t always do what they\u2019re told to do. But if it happens a lot, you may wonder why your child doesn\u2019t listen to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people might see this behavior and assume it\u2019s due to laziness or disrespect. But you know your child. If you think something else may be going on, learn why some kids have trouble following directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Trouble Following Directions Can Look Like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When kids have trouble following directions, the end result is clear\u2014things don\u2019t get done. But it\u2019s not always clear that kids are struggling to begin with. And in some cases, their struggles may not seem related to following directions. Here are some things you might see kids do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Get easily frustrated or cry when trying to do something<\/li><li>Refuse to do things that seem simple<\/li><li>Agree to do something and then not do it<\/li><li>Walk away from doing homework or a chore<\/li><li>Look away or zone out when you\u2019re giving directions<\/li><li>Get halfway through a task and then stop<\/li><li>Say they did something when they didn\u2019t<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Behaviors like these can be about more than kids just \u201cnot listening\u201d or refusing to follow directions. Keep an eye on what you\u2019re seeing. For instance, if you notice your child gets frustrated a lot, track what you see and when in a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/friends-feelings\/managing-feelings\/anger-frustration\/download-frustration-log-to-find-out-why-your-child-gets-frustrated\">frustration log<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also get some insight from your child\u2019s teacher. The teacher can tell you if the same type of behavior is happening at school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Causes Kids to Not Follow Directions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not following directions doesn\u2019t necessarily mean kids struggle with it. Sometimes they just don\u2019t feel like doing something and choose not to listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But for some kids, it\u2019s not a choice. They have difficulty doing what they\u2019re asked to do. There are a few reasons kids struggle with following directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes it\u2019s a matter of memory or planning out tasks. Kids who struggle with these skills (they\u2019re called&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/learning-attention-issues\/child-learning-disabilities\/executive-functioning-issues\/3-areas-of-executive-function\">executive functions<\/a>) have trouble remembering what you just said or keeping track of the steps involved in big or small tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take this everyday direction: \u201cGo get ready for bed.\u201d It\u2019s a pretty simple task for many kids, but not all. Some kids might get through two steps in the task\u2014brushing their teeth and washing their face\u2014but then forget the rest of the routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Others don\u2019t even get that far. They might go to brush their teeth and then not remember the steps involved for that task alone. And that\u2019s the end of their getting ready for bed. They go back to playing because they don\u2019t know what else to do. Or they might just go to bed without doing anything to get ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another reason kids may struggle to follow directions is that they\u2019re&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/learning-attention-issues\/child-learning-disabilities\/distractibility-inattention\/understanding-your-childs-trouble-with-focus\">not focused on them<\/a>. They may get distracted by the smell of dinner cooking or the TV in the background or even by their own thoughts. These things can make it hard for them to \u201chear\u201d your directions at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For some kids, trouble following directions is really trouble following directions&nbsp;<em>quickly<\/em>. They take&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/learning-attention-issues\/child-learning-disabilities\/information-processing-issues\/processing-speed-what-you-need-to-know\">longer than other kids to process information<\/a>&nbsp;and need more time getting the job done. For others, the challenge is with reading written directions or with processing spoken ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Help Your Child Get Better at Following Directions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Trouble following directions can happen for lots of reason, and it can look different in different kids. But no matter why it\u2019s happening, there are ways you can help your child improve. One helpful way to get kids\u2019 attention is to ask them to look at you before you give a direction. It also helps to give short and simple instructions. Get more tips for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/learning-attention-issues\/understanding-childs-challenges\/talking-with-your-child\/10-tips-to-help-your-child-follow-directions\">helping your child follow directions<\/a>. And find out how one mom&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/~\/link.aspx?_id=5103F899B1F440A7928AD36A7EAA0B24&amp;_z=z\">got her child to listen (without yelling)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find out what might be behind your child\u2019s trouble with following directions, you can ask the school for a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/school-learning\/evaluations\/evaluation-basics\/learning-about-evaluations\">free evaluation<\/a>. Knowing the reasons lets you help your child improve. You can also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Download&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/learning-attention-issues\/understanding-childs-challenges\/simple-changes-at-home\/download-sample-picture-schedules-and-visual-planners\">picture schedules for daily routines<\/a>.<\/li><li>Discover&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/school-learning\/learning-at-home\/homework-study-skills\/8-working-memory-boosters\">tips for building working memory<\/a>.<\/li><li>Check out tips for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/learning-attention-issues\/understanding-childs-challenges\/simple-changes-at-home\/10-tips-to-help-get-your-child-organized\">helping your child get organized<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When a child often doesn\u2019t follow directions, it can be frustrating for everyone. Parents and caregivers can lose their patience or get angry. Kids can feel like they\u2019re \u201cbad\u201d and always getting into trouble. They might also feel like there\u2019s something wrong with them if they can\u2019t get even simple things done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can help there, too. Tell your child you can see that following directions is difficult\u2014and that\u2019s OK. Together, you\u2019ll find ways to make it easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also important to build your child up. Kids who have trouble following directions often get a lot of criticism and need to feel better about themselves so they will keep working hard. Find ways to help your child&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/friends-feelings\/empowering-your-child\/self-esteem\/7-ways-to-boost-your-childs-self-esteem\">develop self-esteem<\/a>. And learn how to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/friends-feelings\/empowering-your-child\/building-on-strengths\/5-steps-for-recognizing-strengths-in-kids-with-learning-and-attention-issues\">recognize your child\u2019s strengths<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Amanda Morin At a Glance When kids don\u2019t follow directions, it can feel like they just don\u2019t listen. Some kids have a real difficulty doing what they\u2019re asked to do. There are ways to help your child get better at following directions. When you ask your child to take out the garbage, what happens? <a href=\"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/2019\/11\/08\/why-some-kids-have-trouble-following-directions\/\">Continue reading &#8594;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":872,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/872"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":159,"href":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158\/revisions\/159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iblog.dearbornschools.org\/charafeddine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}