Self-Monitoring of Attention with Learning-Disabled Children

Abstract

This month's Topical Review describes an intervention technique that appears to be helpful with learning-disabled children who have difficulty sustaining attention to classroom tasks. The review should prove particularly helpful to teachers because it provides an in-depth description of the actual implementation of the technique with several children. Another helpful feature of this paper is that it presents the broad theoretical context for the use of self-monitoring techniques in a way that shows how the method is responsive to the special needs of learning-disabled children.—JKT The primary focus of this article is a review of self-monitoring of attention studies with learning-disabled children. A rationale for the use of this procedure, based upon results obtained from laboratory research in the areas of memory, metacognition, and personal control, is discussed briefly. Following a detailed presentation of two studies conducted at the University of Virginia Learning Disabilities Research Institute, conclusions from the entire series are summarized. Finally, issues related to the use of self-monitoring of attention in a mainstream setting, the question of accuracy in self-monitoring, and self-recording of academic responses are discussed.