Raindrops, a tippy chair, or screeching tires may make your child feel irritated, confused, and infuriated, and you may not know why. SPD affects your “prethinking” — and, like ADHD, makes it difficult to attend, focus, stick to tasks, and carry out plans.
Justin Wayland, who contributed to my book, is diagnosed with SPD and ADHD. When he was in middle school, his mom used to have him jump on the trampoline before eating breakfast, to wake up his body. After his stint on the trampoline, he was ready to navigate through the day. Without it, he was spacey and “all over the map.”
Jumping stimulates your body and your brain, and enables the five sensory systems to connect with one another. When many sensations are working together, your brain becomes available for learning. Furthermore, jumping feels good, and it’s fun!Moving quickly and efficiently from class to class is a challenge for many kids with ADHD and SPD. Justin found that noisy corridors overloaded his auditory system, and his body shut down to protect itself. He wanted to fall asleep.
Karly’s second tip is finding another home for books, since there isn’t enough time to go to her locker between classes. “First, make friends with the teachers! Then ask them if you can leave your book for that class in his classroom, if it’s not one that you need to take home. I find carrying a load of books all over school is hard for me.”Chewing gum helps a lot of kids with both conditions stay focused.
As the muscles and joints in your mouth and jaw work, chewing gum also activates your proprioceptive system, improves your speaking skills, and keeps you awake.In middle school, kids have to write more. Writing is hard when you can’t express your ideas on paper due to small-motor-skill challenges. One solution is to learn a typing layout called the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard.
If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD and SPD, he works hard to get through the day. His courage and grit are admirable. I hope that these school tips will help your child get “in sync” and take charge!
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