In order for distraction to work as a sufficient alternative stimulus for the child�s brain, the distraction items used must meet the developmental needs of the child.
For the toddler, intense and concrete interventions must be used to capture and keep their attention. Items that have more than one sensory stimulus are best at capturing and keeping the toddler�s attention (Fanurik, Koh, Schmitz & Brown, 1997; Dahlquist, Pendley, Landthrip, Jones & Steuber, 2002).
Distraction can include blowing bubbles, counting, singing, story-telling, pictures, toys (Bishop-Kurylo, 2002), music, puppets and books (McCarthy, Cool & Hanrahan, 1998).
Back-up materials are necessary when using distraction with toddlers as their attention span is so short (Fanurik, Koh, Schmitz & Brown, 1997).
