Keep ‘Em Moving
Several teachers and parents have asked for strategies to help very active youngsters. A colleague sent some ideas that worked well for a 5th grader who was non-verbal, very aggressive, and very active. He tended to bound out of chairs without warning, bounce on the therapy ball with reckless abandon, jump endlessly, and hit people rather hard to get their attention. My friend Gloria introduced two strategies to help the youngster’s sensory need for more movement.
or
continue reading
1. LOTS OF STEPS. Gloria said, “We arranged for all his classroom activities to require at least 20-25 steps to get from place to place. For example, he entered the classroom to find his schedule on the far wall, opposite the door. His schedule directed him to the closet on the opposite side of the room to put away his backpack. Then he had to go back to his schedule across the room to see what was next. His daily activities were purposefully scattered all about the room, requiring many steps.”
2. WALKING BREAKS. Gloria said, “More steps in the classroom helped, but were not enough. So we added frequent walks outside to his schedule. In the middle of the morning, he walked or trotted 30 minutes around the track at the junior high next door. We managed to cover a mile to 1.25 miles each and every morning, rain or shine. We had a protected place with an overhang in front of the building if it was raining too hard for an umbrella or if there was lightening in the area. After lunch, we walked or jogged another 15 minutes. In the middle of the afternoon, we hit the gym in the junior high to walk on the red line that was the boundary for the basketball court for 30 minutes.”
3. THE RESULTS. Gloria said, “What began as a very challenging behavior was soon very manageable. The student actually began sitting or bouncing lightly on the therapy ball during his break times, sometimes looking at picture books or just watching other activity in the room. He began to stay in his seat for circle time, independent work, snack, lunch, music, and therapy sessions. We did have days where things didn’t go as smoothly as others, but, for the most part, adding more movement decreased the aggression as well as the random jumping, impulsive running around the room, and rather dangerous bouncing. This student had a sensory need for more movement, so we planned and scheduled movement for each and every day. As a result, his entire demeanor changed. We got better eye contact, better cooperation, and better work from him.”
We welcome your input about aggressive and impulsive behaviors. Just click on the comments button or send an e-mail to talk@FAQautism.com.
NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me an email with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. Send email to talk@FAQautism.com And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com
No related posts.