Anxiety Countdown
Overview
Strategy for reducing anxiety that may cause inattention and zoning out in triggering situations.
Anxiety/Sustaining Attention
Introduce the activity when he’s not zoning out, in a neutral environment in order for him to get a grasp of it before using it as a strategy. When using it as a strategy, use it in a playful manner in order to make a fun activity instead.
This is a calming and grounding technique when in triggering situations. Ask the child to notice 5 things they can see, 4 things they can feel or touch, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell, and 1 thing they can taste. Queue them for him and ask him about each one to grab his attention back to the present moment and stop him from zoning out.