Still, even as researchers dig deeper, parents and teachers often fail to recognize the condition. Here's what you need to know. Spotting The Struggle Richie Whitman's difficulties began in the third grade. When reading, he couldn't focus on long passages. He was easily distracted, his backpack looked like a trash can, and he often forgot to hand in his homework.
Inattentive kids are in their seats, but they're in another world.
And, significantly, they look like daydreamers. Other kids may call them couch potatoes or airheads. In the past, inattentive kids were often targeted as lazy and unmotivated. But most need a cure, not criticism. And attention troubles are even less likely to be perceived in girls, in part because such problems are assumed to be a guy thing.