squirming

What’s the harm? To this day one of my feet is constantly in slight motion when I’m sitting. When I stand, I hold a pen and tap the point of it on my other hand. These things are the compensatory mechanisms we develop when we have the excessive physical energies that ADHD vests on people. It’s impressive to me that your daughter is learning those strategies at a young age and on her own.

As Sara mentioned, those things can actually help ADHD kids focus. Some do better doing homework listening to music or even the TV. We tend to have this mainstream idea that they must be visibly focused and the environment distraction free for ideal concentration and, for them, it might be just the opposite.

A worry stone or a bit of playdough might be a less ‘big movement’ release if you want to tone it down.

The pscych who diagnosed my son gives kids a pile of legos while she speaks with them-shes found it makes a huge difference in their ability to open up

Some folks use those therapy balls-Ive even heard it suggested for classroom use-they have to actvely keep balance sitting on them and it keeps them in tune

It makes sense if you go with the theory that ADHD exists because the mind is UNDERstimulated. The person senses that at some level and seeks to provide that missing stim-movement, excitement seeking,excessive talking, risk taking, searching for conflict, etc. Those provide what they are lacking(as do stimulant drugs)

My daughter (7) squirms in bed as she is getting ready to fall asleep. Sometimes she even mentions “I can’t stop moving…I wish I could stop moving”. When she is in the car, she rocks rythmically back and forth in her seat (the seatbelt shoulder harness rolling in and out as she goes)…it makes the whole car surge. I don’t mind if she “squirms”, I just tell her to try to remember where her arms and legs are so she doesn’t accidently hit anyone as she is squirming about. I bounce my leg almost non-stop when I am sitting still…especially at my desk… I find it soothing and it helps me focus. Maybe that’s how ADHD kids feel…soothed by the motion. Maybe she would like to swing during the day to get some of that motion that she possibly needs. My daughter spends hours a day swinging on the swing set…that hasn’t “cured” her bedtime squirming, though. She is always “on the go”.

Best wishes…

This all reminds me of sensory integration dysfunction. The lines between ADHD and SI seem so blurry to me at times.

I found that the combination of providing my son the motion he needed (it is discussed in the book “The Out of Sync Child” as the right sensory diet and interactive metronome made these issues go away.
He doesn’t fidget and does not require as much motion anymore.
He used to be someone who needed to bounce around but will now sit quietly and read. Vision therapy also helped put some of the pieces together for him.

Ah, SI, something new to look up. Thanks

Debra, you’ve probably ruled out Tourette’s right? You seem to be on top of things. I have another child with OCD and Tourettes is related so I’ve just recently been obsessing on it.

My son has rocked himself since he was a little kid. He cried when we got rid of the rocking chair as he had broken it. He still rocks occasionally but not as much now that he is on meds..

Linda,
Good point. I don’t believe SI was ever officially diagnosed…but, she sure has a lot of the SI characteristics. She rocks and hums, she sucks her thumb, she has a very high tolerance for pain, she likes squishy things, she rubs my shirts between her thumb and forefinger to soothe herself, she trips over her own feet constantly, she rubs her body against walls and furniture as she walks and she steps on people and bumps into them on accident ALL the time!

She went to an OT regularly when she was 3-4. Now she has one at school for 30 mins a week (doesn’t seem like much time, but I think it helps).

As far as diagnosis goes. She is officially diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, but the doctor still has the Rule Out ADHD because she has symptoms of both. Well, Asperger’s has ADHD symptoms anyway, but still, sometimes I think she is more severe ADHD because she is very social…she’s just not really good at it!

Terry,

I have heard of Tourette’s but don’t know that much about it. I find that obsessing on my girl’s disorder has caused me to research a LOT, so maybe that’s not such a bad thing!!! Can you tell me a little of what you know about Tourette’s and why you think it sounds like my girl…I would be interested to know.

BTW, her official diagnosis is Asperger’s Syndrome, but the ADHD symptoms are the hardest to deal with…because of the constant motion and loud talking, etc.

Debra,

You might find this interesting. My friend’s son was aspergers but after much remediation diet changes, interactive metronome he moved along the continuum to being considered ADHD. It is all a continuum and there is much overlap. Labels don’t need to stick, they can change.

I really don’t think many would consider my son sensory integration anymore but I still see little things. It is nothing like it was.

Linda

pattim,

My daughter LOVES to rock…and hum! She used to get up in the night and just rock and hum til she felt sleepy again. She, too, rocked in her rocking chair until it fell apart! I guess these kids are hard on rocking chairs! I think now that she’s a little older, the outside swing helps her get rid of some of that rocking energy.

Linda,

I think that is what will happen with my daughter. When she was very young, she was almost autistc, but after much language therapy, she moved right along into Asperger’s. Now, like you metioned, I think she is heading up into ADHD!!! I know ADHD is a difficult thing to deal with, but at least ADHD kids desire the social contact and if supervised and taught…I think they eventually get the hang of it and find their social niche.

The are craving proprioceptive stimulation. Providing the stimulation without overdoing it also helps.

Have your daughter lay on her belly while swinging and try to get a ball into a basket. It sounds strange but it works. Also, try having her jump off the stairs in a controlled manner and get the rolled up socks into the laundry basket.
Make sure when she jumps she lands on both feet with her eyes focused on the basket the whole time.
Also, her chore should be to carry the laundry downstairs for you. Carrying heavy things gives these kids the stimulation they crave. My son loved to do that for me.

We used to do this before homework to improve concentration. It really worked for him.

My son’s first occupational therapy report was all about his need for proprioceptive stimulation the latest report states, “Chris likes the stimulating sensory motor activities available to him in occupational therapy. However he is no longer craving for these and is no longer dependant on sensory motor stimulation for self-regulation as was the case more than a year ago at the beginning of second grade.

Thanks for the suggestions, Linda!

My daughters love to “be” what I read to them. Obviously reading is not a bedtime activity, but they love to act out the story. At bedtime they listen to CD’s with head phones to shut out distractions.

Angela, I’m not going to try to stop it. It’s the end of the day and she has probably been trying to hold things together at school. As long as she likes the reading and is learning, I’m not going to interfere. She isn’t moving enough to hurt anyone physically. Thanks, everyone.