Is It really an Attention Problem?

My step-daughter is an only child. When she is at home, she is very relaxed and skilled at entertaining herself. She does not have any attention problems that we can see. It's a different story at school. Her teachers in first grade are convinced that she has an attention problem. We think it is because she is just so excited to be with other children her age. What do you think? -- Worried
Answer: You certainly need to have more information from her teachers than just your step-daughter has an attention problem. Find out from her teachers specifically when she isn't paying attention and whether it is seriously affecting her learning. It would probably be helpful to go to school and observe how she is behaving in the classroom.
One reason that you may not see any attention problems in your home is because there are fewer distractions there than in a classroom with children involved in different activities.
Many young children have to learn how to focus in the classroom and are inattentive at times. You can find out more about the symptoms of attention problems at these two excellent websites: www.chadd.org and www.additudemag.com. Generally speaking, a serious attention problem needs to be manifested in more than one setting.