In this episode, we talk about how to increase attention span.
I used to get frustrated, thinking I had to hold the toddler's attention to make progress. But here’s the thing: toddlers aren’t made to sit still. Their attention spans develop gradually, and knowing what to expect can make a world of difference in how we approach (and plan) our therapy sessions.
Between 8 and 15 months, babies can maintain attention to a task for up to 1 minute
16-19 months: 2-3 minutes
25-36 months: 5-8 minutes
3-4 years: 8-10 minutes
Basically: a one year old can attend for one minute, two year old for 2 minutes, by 3 attend for at least 5 minutes and by the time they are 4 years old, they should be able to attend to tasks for 10 minutes.
These numbers are based on typical developing toddlers. Meaning no delays, disorders, or other difficulties in their development.
AKA: Not the ones we see in speech therapy for toddlers.
So, if you're having a hard time keeping littles on your early intervention speech and language caseload engaged, take heart, friend! It's normal.
The key is to remember that progress doesn’t always happen in a straight line, and a toddler's ability to attend to tasks increases over time. It may also be parallel with other development they experience.
Here’s the encouraging part: while you might not always hold their attention, there are strategies you can use in your sessions to support and develop their focus over time. Check out this episode for tips on how to see improved attention development in your sessions.
You can read more about attention span in this blog post!
Share this podcast with a fellow SLP that could use some encouragement about the little ones on their caseload! You are not alone!
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