How to use refocusing cards
in ADHD sessions?
Complete practical guide — speech therapist's advice for integrating refocusing cards into ADHD management, developing self-regulation, and ensuring continuity between home-session-class
ADHD manifests, among other things, as attention dysregulation that makes managing distractions particularly difficult — at school, at home, and even in speech therapy sessions. DYNSEO's refocusing cards are specifically designed to give the child with ADHD a concrete and autonomous tool to return to their task without relying on a verbal prompt from an adult. This guide explains how to effectively integrate them into your speech therapy practice and the overall support ecosystem for ADHD.
1. ADHD Attention Dysregulation: Choosing the Right Card for the Right Distraction
1.1 The 4 Types of Distractions and the Appropriate Cards
🌀 External Distraction
Attention captured by an external stimulus — noise, object, movement. Very common in class.
→ "5 things I see" card or sensory anchoring💭 Internal Distraction
Attention wanders into thoughts, daydreams, associations. Difficult to spot.
→ "My current task" card or guiding question😩 Saturation Distraction
Attention resources exhausted. The child needs a real break.
→ "Micro-pause 2 min" card or breathing😤 Emotional Distraction
Frustration, boredom, or anxiety monopolizing cognitive resources.
→ Breathing card + emotions thermometer2. Introduction Protocol in Session: The 4 Phases
Phase 1 — Psychoeducation on Distraction (1 session)
Before introducing the cards, explain to the child what happens in their brain when they get distracted — using simple words and without judgment. "Your brain is very curious — it loves new and interesting things. When a task becomes boring, it looks for something more interesting. That's normal — but we will teach it to return to the task with a card." This psychoeducation demystifies distraction and gives meaning to the tool.
Phase 2 — Explore the Cards and Choose (1 session)
Present all available cards and test each strategy during the session. For each card: "Let's try this together — close your eyes, breathe for 4 seconds..." Observe which strategies create a real difference in engagement and which are rejected. Let the child choose their 2 to 3 favorite cards.
Phase 3 — Training in Simulated Session (2-3 sessions)
Intentionally create distraction situations in the session (boring task, intentional distraction) and ask the child to practice the refocusing protocol with their card. Measure the time taken to return to the task before and after using the card. This concrete measure reinforces the child's belief that the card "really works".
Phase 4 — Transfer to Home and Class (ongoing)
Laminate the chosen cards and create a card holder (ring or bookmark) that the child keeps with them at all times. Convey to the parents and teacher the usage protocol in 3 sentences. Debrief each week in session: "Did you remember to use your card this week? When? Did it help?"
Refocusing Cards — Free DYNSEO
Attention self-regulation supports adapted to the specifics of the ADHD brain. Downloadable immediately — to be introduced from the first ADHD session. No registration required.
Download for free →3. The Most Effective Cards in ADHD: Selection Guide
Breathing 4-4-4
Activates the parasympathetic brake. Particularly effective for emotional distraction and saturation.
5 Visible Things
Sensory anchoring in the present. Very effective for external distraction — brings attention back to the workspace.
My Current Task
"What am I doing now?" — the simplest and often the most effective card for internal distraction.
Anchoring Gesture
Feet on the ground + breathing + "I am ready". Kinesthetic — excellent for hyperactive profiles.
Micro-pause 2 min
Allowed pause limited in time. Prevents saturation and reduces guilt associated with taking a break.
Next Small Step
"What is the very next thing to do?" Restarts initiation — very effective for inattentive distraction.
3.1 Adapt to Specific ADHD Profile
⚡ Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD
- Kinesthetic cards as a priority (anchoring gesture)
- Physical micro-pause (stretching, walking for 30 s)
- Active breathing (blowing hard)
- Sensory anchoring (object to hold in hand)
- Immediate reward after successful refocusing
💭 Predominantly Inattentive ADHD
- Cognitive cards as a priority (my task, next step)
- Visible guiding question permanently on the desk
- Associated timer to limit the task
- Very short card (1 single gesture) to avoid overload
- Discreet signal from the adult if distraction persists
Golden Rule in ADHD Sessions: Never use refocusing cards as punishment ("you're not listening, use your card"). The card is a chosen aid — never an imposed punishment. A child who is forced to use the card as punishment will quickly abandon it.
3.2 Measuring Progress: Indicators to Follow
- Time to Return to Task: measure in seconds the delay between distraction and return to task, with and without card
- Spontaneous Use: track the number of spontaneous uses of the card per session — key indicator of ownership
- Number of Distractions per Session: gradually decreases as automation strengthens
- Generalizations Observed: use reported by parents or teachers outside of sessions
“What always strikes me about the refocusing cards is the moment when the child starts using them on their own initiative in the session — without me asking them to. It's a sign that self-regulation is internalizing. For some children with ADHD, it's the first time in their lives that they have a tool to manage their own attention.”
— Freelance Speech Therapist, specialized in ADHD and executive functions4. The DYNSEO ADHD Ecosystem
🧰 Complementary DYNSEO Tools — ADHD
Impulsivity Management Sheet — Free Complementary Tool
To complement the work on attention with impulsivity management — the other major aspect of ADHD — the DYNSEO impulsivity management sheet guides the child in recognizing and managing impulsive behaviors.
Access the sheet →COCO App
COCO offers attention and working memory games for 5-10 year olds — ideal digital complement to the cards.
CLINT App
CLINT maintains the attentional and executive functions of adolescents and adults with ADHD.
Cognitive Tests
The DYNSEO cognitive tests objectively assess specific attentional difficulties to guide the choice of cards.
From Tool to Autonomy: The Path to Self-Regulation
DYNSEO's refocusing cards are the beginning of a path toward autonomous self-regulation. Well introduced in session, they give the child with ADHD something essential: the conviction that they can act on their own attention. Free, adaptable, immediately usable.
Download for free →Impulsivity management sheet
FAQ — Attention Redirection Cards and ADHD in Session
Q1 How to know which card to choose for which child with ADHD?
The best criterion is the session test. Offer 4 to 6 different cards and measure which strategy produces the quickest and most pleasant return to task for the child. What matters is not the "best card in theory" but the card that this specific child will actually and spontaneously use. Some hyperactive children with ADHD respond very well to kinesthetic anchors (feet on the ground, physical gesture); inattentive profiles often respond better to cognitive guiding questions ("what is my next step?").
Q2 Are redirection cards compatible with medication treatment (methylphenidate)?
Absolutely — the two approaches are complementary and reinforce each other. Medication reduces the intensity of attentional dysregulation and makes the use of the cards easier (the child can more easily detect their disengagement and activate the strategy). The cards develop self-regulation skills that persist outside the medication's effective periods (before morning, evening, weekends). A multimodal approach (medication + behavioral tools + rehabilitation) is always more effective than a unimodal approach.
Q3 How to handle the case where the teacher refuses to allow the child to use their cards in class?
This refusal is often related to a lack of information about the nature of the cards. Strategies: propose a 5-minute demonstration in class to concretely show the teacher how the child uses their card (discreet, quick, non-disruptive); obtain a written mention in the PAP ("the student may use their redirection cards during school activities") that makes the accommodation mandatory; invite the teacher to observe a session where the child uses their cards; and choose particularly discreet cards for the classroom context (a "breathing" card visible only to the student, pocket-sized card).
Q4 Can redirection cards be used with a child with ADHD who also has an ASD?
Yes — ADHD and autism are frequently comorbid (20-50% of autistic children also present with ADHD). Redirection cards work in both contexts, with adaptations: for ASD/ADHD profiles, choose cards with very clear and predictable sequences (autistic profiles appreciate structure); avoid overly flexible or ambiguous cards; associate the cards with the alert signal card for moments when disengagement is related to sensory or emotional overload (ASD context) rather than pure attentional dysregulation (ADHD context).
Q5 When to introduce redirection cards in ADHD sessions?
The cards can be introduced as early as the first or second session — they do not require extensive prior work. Early introduction has several advantages: it immediately gives the child a concrete tool for homework and class; it creates a working framework in session (each disengagement becomes an opportunity to practice); and it sends the message that speech therapy provides practical tools usable in real life, not just exercises in the office.
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