Strategies for Cognitive Overload
If you realize a student is beginning to be overwhelmed by the noise, lights, number of demands on attention, or fatigue, follow these steps.
- The most important step is understanding how to prevent overloading the student with information.
- Request a change in the student’s actions without demanding it, and quietly state choices. If the student is not able to make a choice, then simply state what needs to happen to assist the student in focusing on the task.
- Reduce environmental demands and the environmental input, e.g., sounds (music or noise), visual stimuli, or number of people in the room
- Break problems down into smaller portions in a structured format.
- Provide correct examples of each step.
- Make the work pressure free. Do not emphasize grades or task completion. Simply emphasize accomplishing the next step.
- Focus on completing a specific problem or part of a task, not an entire worksheet.
- Help the student perform the work successfully using as much support as needed, e.g., sheets of words, formulas, keyboard, a scribe, positive support from the teacher, etc.
- Allow the student to request help, and offer help in a preplanned way so your help is not viewed as another irritation.
- If a student prefers to work on only one thing at a time with a single source of input, consider computer-based instruction or groups of one or two at a time for learning.
Adapted from:
DeCaire, M. (Retrieved 11–17-07). Presentation: Assessment of Executive Functioning in Psychoeducational Domains. Clinical Measurement Consultant. Harcourt Assessment/PsychCorp.
