What to do about lack of attention in children with autism
Nov 20, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhou Xiaofeng
Introduction
Children with autism often have difficulty focusing attention, which can generally be improved by creating a simple environment, using segmented guidance, providing timely feedback, and incorporating their interests to expand engagement. Clear away unnecessary clutter from the child's activity space, reduce distracting factors such as noise and bright lights, and keep only the items needed for the current activity. This helps the child concentrate better on the task at hand and prevents external stimuli from diverting their attention.
Children with autism often have difficulty concentrating, which can generally be improved by creating a simple environment, designing engaging tasks, using step-by-step guidance, providing timely feedback, and expanding activities based on their interests. A detailed analysis is as follows:
1. Create a Simple Environment: Clear unnecessary items from the child’s activity space, minimize distractions such as noise and bright lights, and keep only the materials needed for the current task. This helps the child focus better on the target activity and prevents external stimuli from diverting attention.
2. Design Engaging Tasks: Design tasks appropriate to the child’s abilities and incorporate elements the child enjoys—such as using cartoon images to support learning or turning simple instructions into games. This increases the child’s interest in the task and helps extend their attention span.
3. Use Step-by-Step Guidance: Break complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps. Allow brief breaks after each step before moving on to the next. This prevents loss of focus due to excessive task difficulty or length, and gradually builds sustained attention habits.
4. Provide Timely Feedback: When the child demonstrates focused behavior during a task, immediately offer positive feedback—such as verbal praise, a hug, or a small reward. This reinforces attentive behavior and helps the child understand which actions are desirable.
5. Expand Based on Interests: Start with the child’s interests—for example, if the child enjoys building blocks, use block play to encourage observation and thinking. While the child is engaged in preferred activities, gradually increase the scope and complexity of the tasks to indirectly improve their ability to sustain attention.
Throughout the improvement process, it's important to respect the child’s pace and avoid forcing or over-demanding. Training sessions should be kept short and adjusted flexibly according to the child’s condition. If attention difficulties significantly affect daily life and learning, it is recommended to seek guidance from a professional therapist to develop an individualized intervention plan.
