Following Directions

If you are concerned about your child’s ability to follow directions, it is important to understand that children may struggle with directions for a number of reasons.  They may not be paying attention when the direction is given or they may not understand some or all of the language used.  They might find it hard to see the reason for the direction or perhaps they find it hard to remember what is said or the order of things they are being asked to do.  It may just be that the directions were poor.

How can you help?

If you are concerned about your child’s ability to follow directions, here are some things you can do.

Gain your child’s attention To help, try to remove as many distractions as possible; use a signal if necessary rather than raising your voice; wait until your child or children have shown that they are attending; call your child or children by name; make eye-contact and don’t hand out equipment or other things before giving the direction.

Give clear directions Organise your directions in a sequence to avoid confusion.  Ensure that you give verbal instructions using your child’s vocabulary level not your own.  Include no more than two directions at a time.  Repeat directions as many times as necessary in a calm, positive manner and provide a physical demonstration if necessary.  Routine directions can also be displayed visually.

Check for understanding Ask your child or specific children to repeat the directions and/or demonstrate the directions.

Monitor your child’s progress and provide feedback Keep an eye on how quickly and efficiently your child or children complete set tasks.  If in a classroom situation, keep moving around the classroom, providing continual feedback to groups and individual children.

Remediate if necessary Even with the best directions, there may be children who don’t follow directions for some reason.  Check to see who is having problems and repeat/reteach if necessary.  Help your child complete directions if necessary.

How can Learning Links help?

Children experiencing difficulty following directions may benefit from speech therapy, Our Speech Pathologists can conduct assessments and provide individual therapy to assist in this area.

Speech Therapy 

Helps children with issues concerning eating, drinking, language and listening skills and social interaction.When a child has a delay in development, speech and language are frequently affected. A speech pathologist is often a key team member working with that child and their family. Even before talking starts, speech pathologists look at how a child communicates, and, together with the family, explores way to make communicating enjoyable and rewarding.  Read more