Comprehension and concentration

Does anyone else struggle with comprehension?

For example, I had a conversation with my mum's GP today, and I don't recall anything he said. I did write some stuff down but I got flustered when I realised I wasn't really understanding what he was saying.

This happens a lot when people are trying to explain things to me. I understand if i can read about the subject, but if I am being told something i can't look at the person directly, maybe just past them and act like I am interested or understanding. It is exhausting.

I probably haven't chosen a good example here, but I hope I make some sort of sense.

I was a really good student at primary school, often top of the class in everything, so learning wasn't hard for me. But I found my concentration seriously deteriorated at secondary school from about the age of 13 onwards, due to all the sensory issues I had. I was never part of any group, hated break time when there was so much noise and I had to find another loner to hang out with or just eat alone. I would just focus on my passion which was astronomy. I would turn any school project round to it if I could, which wasn't often.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? 

Parents
  • I can get lost in a conversation and I can watch something on TV like the weather forecast and then say at the end. I don't know what they said.

    I also do it when speaking and half through a sentence can't remember the word I needed, hence why I often use the word 'thing'. I can also rehearse in my mind what I will say then when I say it have forgotten. I often communicate by email as I can read it and correct it before I send it 

Reply
  • I can get lost in a conversation and I can watch something on TV like the weather forecast and then say at the end. I don't know what they said.

    I also do it when speaking and half through a sentence can't remember the word I needed, hence why I often use the word 'thing'. I can also rehearse in my mind what I will say then when I say it have forgotten. I often communicate by email as I can read it and correct it before I send it 

Children