Attention is a very basic skill for human beings, so basic that we don’t usually talk about it.

Jacky Peile is an occupational therapist who established EarlyLinks at Sutherland Shire, Sydney, Australia in 2010. Today, she leads a team of occupational therapists who support children, teens, and young adults with anxiety and sensory-processing difficulties through practical strategies that make their daily life easier. Jacky has also presented at National Occupational Therapy conferences and is a member of several organizations advocating for greater support and understanding for children who are usually overlooked.

In this episode you'll learn: What exactly is an occupational therapist and why Jacky fits the job well What attention is and how it develops early in life How attention problems arise in childhood How a shift in a child’s social environment (i.e. pre-school to school) affects attention The different subtypes of attention: shared attention, sustained attention, selective attention, alternating attention, and divided attention The relationship between motivation and attention How a child develops divided attention How parents can identify attention issues in their child and when they should get professional help What sensory-processing difficulties are and how they are related to a child's ability to sustain attention The “Purple Mat” technique to teach your child selective attention

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