ABSTRACT
This chapter sets the scene for themes and structures more suited to small groups, ideally with one adult for every two to four children, depending on their abilities and needs. The overall aims for group work are to maintain or develop each child's ability to: develop awareness of themselves and their environment, attention and coordination, and relate and communicate with others and learn together. When working in groups, it is useful to consider group dynamics and how this may impact on each individual child's participation. Attention Autism progresses through four stages: the bucket, which stores the items and becomes the focus of attention; the attention builder; turn taking and learning to shift attention; and working towards independent work, where a child can focus, attend and then shift attention and refocus. Attention Autism is often used as a whole-class group activity within schools. A study completed by Morgan showed improved attention levels of preschoolers following participation in an Attention Autism group.
