Category: Education

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders in children today. In a classroom full of children, there is bound to be a few children who are correctly diagnosed and medicated accordingly.

ADHD can and does share similar signs to that of sensory processing difficulties, and they can look very similar to the untrained eye. Carol S. Kranowitz called them the “two look-alike” disorders in her book, The Out-of-Sync Child. If a child is frequently, but not always inattentive, one should ask where, when and how often does the inattentiveness happen? What causes the distraction and what is actually happening when the child is concentrating?

In a classroom, a child may have great difficulty making sense of the overwhelming sensory input coming into his body. All his senses are being inundated with information from the environment – sounds, lights, movements, touch, smells, taste and movement. He may not know what to focus on or what to ignore, some input may be bothering him immensely or the input may not even be noticed. Some sensations may be mild irritations and some may be a big distraction.

Noise, posters and other children’s movements will easily distract children with low thresholds. They hate sitting in a ring and avoid being touched by other children. They are likely to have a meltdown when overwhelmed by sensory input.

Children with high thresholds will constantly fidget and move, be impulsive and loud, and wil constantly seek sensory input. Both types of thresholds impact on a child level of alertness. Depending on the need of the classroom, and individual needs, the following strategies can be used for improving concentration in the classroom:

Alerting
• Fidget tools
• Movement breaks (trampoline, run an errand, hand out books)
• Action songs
• Chewing crunchy foods such as fruit and carrots
• Move ’n Sit® Cushion
• Adjusting voice: Speak louder or faster

Calming
• Deep pressure (bear hugs)
• Chair pushups
• Deep breathing exercises
• Tennis balls on the legs of the chair
• Clearing a cluttered desk top
• Drinking through a straw or a sports bottle
• Reducing visual distractions – posters, hanging mobiles, artwork
• Creating a quiet corner in the classroom – tent or cave
• Headphones (no music) to reduce noise

When using fidget tools, explain to the class that they are used to help a person focus on their work. If it does not help, then the child does not need it. If the child misuses it, take it away and only return it when the child is ready to use correctly.

Inattention as a result of sensory processing will not be “fixed” by medication. Understanding a child’s sensory needs will go a long way into helping him cope in the classroom. Adapting his environment and providing him with appropriate coping strategies will help him in concentrating and focusing better.

More reading:
1. The Sensory Child Gets Organized (Carolyn Dalgliesh)
2. The Out-of-Sync Child (Carol Stock Kranowitz)
3. The Out-of Sync Child Has Fun (Carol Stock Kranowitz)
4. Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight (Sharon Heller)
5. Raising a Sensory Smart Child (Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske)
6. The Sensory Sensitive Child – Practical Solutions for Out-of-Bounds Behavior (Karen A. Smith & Karen R Grouze)

Notice how Kim Bevill does not stop moving during her TEDx Talk, The magic that makes the brain learn. Pathways from the brain’s centre of motor control have connections to parts of the brain that are involved in memory, attention and spatial organisation.

Movement also:

• Increases heart rate → increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain → enhances brain activity → enhances learning
• Helps to narrow attention to target tasks
• Is processed by the same part of the brain that processes learning
• Stimulates multi-sensory learning, which promotes information retention
• Movement stimulates multi-sensory learning, which promotes information retention

Why move in the classroom?
“Regularly-scheduled movement breaks throughout the day and movement used within and between lessons results in better-behaved, more engaged students who can more easily focus on and retain what they are supposed to be learning”. Source: Creativity Post

Physical activity + quality instruction = increased brain compatible learning

“Using movement thoughtfully and purposefully at all grade levels and in all content areas provides a valuable opportunity to create powerful learning experiences. From the brain’s perspective there are six critical reasons to add more movement in the classroom. They include:

• The brain is attracted to novelty and is pre-programmed to notice differences. Therefore, using creative and innovative strategies that infuse movement into instruction allows the brain to stay connected for longer periods of time.
• The brain wants the body to move. The brain is stimulated and naturally learns through the movement of its own body. Using movement to teach content creates a very natural and efficient way to learn.
• The brain is a social organ that needs to interact with people. At varying levels, we are all social creatures and crave human engagement and attention. Interactive, cooperative experiences provide the brain with an optimal environment to flourish socially as well as intellectually. Movement activities encourage cooperative learning experiences.
• Learning is primarily an emotional process. When the individual cares about what is being taught, the brain remembers and retrieves information more effectively. We are our emotions; they practically run our lives. Experiential movement is a productive way to create a positive, fun, and engaging classroom environment that enhances the learning process.
• The brain operates from concrete experience. Exposing the brain to “hands-on” learning experiences is critical to memory and retrieval. The brain prefers active, not passive, learning. The more student movements are aligned and connected to instruction, the more profound the learning process.
• The brain is always trying to create a reason for learning. Movement creates increased brain connectivity which enhances higher level problem-solving and critical thinking skills.”

Source: New Jersey Education Association

About Sensory Intelligence®
Sensory Intelligence Consulting was founded by Dr Annemarie Lombard in 2003. She has a PhD in Occupational Therapy and practised with children with learning difficulties for 15 years. She works with a group of esteemed Occupational Therapists and facilitators to deliver Sensory Intelligence® as a training and development tool in South Africa and abroad. Our primary objective is to empower and equip teachers and parents so that our children can learn and develop optimally. With loads of energy, passion and commitment we share our knowledge in a practical, easy to understand and no-nonsense way. We want happy kids, happy families and schools that really nurture learning.