The Three Main Wiggle-Provoking Scenarios: Tips to Bring Your Student to a Standstill

AcademicAlly, LLC: March 28, 2024

Ants in the pants…nonstop perpetual motion…bounce in the flounce….All of these phrases conjure up images of bodies in motion. No, we are not talking about asteroids, airplanes, or other airborne bodies, we are focusing on those bouncing knees, wandering students, the tapping of a pen on a desk, and the flailing arms that bring a certain level of relief for some and distraction for others. Kids who have ADHD frequently find it difficult to sit or stand still. The mere thought of staying in one place for a given period of time can provoke anxiety for the doer. The inability to remain stagnant is often humiliating. Our ADHD student knows that at some point in class, they will unwittingly steal the spotlight from the teacher or a fellow student who is in the middle of a presentation or question. This will devolve into a wave of unwelcomed laughter and ridicule, which will ultimately result in a reprimand from the teacher, for the second, third, or fourth time in one day. 

At home, the situation is no better as, once again, the poor kid must endure sitting still at the dinner table with the family. Normally, a happy gathering place, for the neurodivergent, this roundtable is frequently the scene of heated interactions about the importance of sitting still so as not to choke or disrupt the family’s one time to gather and reflect on the day. Try as she might, our ADHD child just cannot glue herself to the seat; instead, her little legs wriggle out from underneath the table, and carry her to the fridge to get ketchup, the sink to fill her glass, to the bathroom, to escape an untenable situation.

The evening holds more challenges as now our ADHD friend finds herself ensnared in the confines of her workspace that is the dining room table. The hard wooden chair is no different than a medieval device of torture. No sooner has she seated herself down to type up her spelling sentences, then that little familiar twinge awakens her body. Starting with the feet, the urge to move fills her legs, enticing them to shift uncontrollably beneath the table. Five minutes later, she is on the opposite side of the room, twirling and swaying to her own internal beat. She just cannot sit still.

Parents and teachers alike find it very difficult to assist these wiggly people. Despite their best efforts, inevitably the situation ends with frustrated adults and embarrassed students. You can’t allow a kid to move around the classroom or the dinner table because it will disrupt others, right? Well, let me counter that question with another question: you are attempting to force a child who -through no fault of her own- cannot sit still, right? How is the fallout from this set of circumstances working for you?

Here’s the thing:

your child isn’t wiggling around on purpose. A lot of my students tell me they feel as though some outside force invades their bodies, acts as a puppeteer might pull the strings on a marionette. They experience a total loss of control as their arms flail, their foot bounces, or their head tosses from side to side. Medication may be in order for our really wriggly kids, but it’s important that they learn some coping strategies to wrangle their wiggles. 

If your child is a little squirrely, here are some suggestions for the three most common settings that are most often affected by orbiting bodies:

Homework:

Is it really so surprising that after a full day of being cooped up in a classroom, a student is going to struggle to sit still for homework? Remember Newton’s first law of motion? Objects in motion, stay in motion. A wiggle-ridden kid is going to continue to wiggle, so let’s give him a productive outlet to tap into so he can control himself. Let’s start with the seating arrangement. Working in bed is not an option. Instead, have your child work at a desk, which can either be a traditional seated surface or a standing desk. Having the ability to stand while working allows for more movement. If you choose the former, utilizing a swivel chair or a large exercise ball are incredible options as they allow your student to move in a controlled, but liberal manner as he works. Many of my students love to bounce on the exercise ball as they work! 

Using timers to denote start and stop times is helpful because these demarcations of time provide students with tangible beginning and end points for their concentration, allowing them to see they will not be confined to this workspace forever. 

Breaks are very important for some students. These pauses allow students to get the wiggles out and burn off extra energy that tends to accumulate as they concentrate on their work. Ride a bike, go for a speedwalk, walk the dog, run up and down the stairs, do jumping jacks, the list of options is endless. Not only will exercise run off the energy, but it gets the blood flowing to the brain, allowing for better concentration and focus when he returns to his homework.

Sometimes all a student needs is an opportunity to engage in fine motor movement. Fidgets like spinners, Silly Putty, a marble, or a tennis ball are great facilitators of low-level movement. 

Movement as the student studies is a helpful way to ground your child. Engaging in a light game of toss or pacing around the room as your child recites the facts she is responsible for on a pending exam is helpful.

Dinner:

One might assume that situations revolving around eating naturally invite inertia, but this is not always the case. Just as you incorporate breaks for homework, allow your child to take a break from sitting at the family dinner table. Let him run up and down the steps or step outside to get some fresh air. Give him jobs to do throughout the meal like serving people or getting the beverages of choice for each family member. Perhaps each person can be in charge of sparking a topic of conversation, giving your wiggle worm something interesting to focus on, and increasing the likelihood that his interest can overcome the need to move. When it his turn to bring up a topic, perhaps he can bring an article to the table and read or summarize what he learned.

Classroom:

Teachers frequently worry that allowing one student to move about the classroom will cause distraction for others. Students are perceptive. They recognize when accommodations are warranted for others, and, for the most part, they are willing to go along with it. From a seated position, our squirrely student can always stretch his legs, rotate his ankles, and twist from his waist in both directions. He can also reach down to get a water bottle from his backpack as sometimes a refreshing drink of water can be enough to reset the mind and body. Standing desks or exercise balls may be helpful. Fidgets, similar to those suggested for homework, can be helpful as long as it meets with teacher or school approval. If more movement is warranted, he should be allowed to stand at his seat and stretch. In cases where a student is trustworthy, an arrangement can be made so the student can run an errand for the teacher, get a drink in the hallway, or go to the restroom to splash cold water on his face, all with the understanding that he is expected to return to class in a timely manner.

Having the wiggles does not mean the end of the world. Utilizing these suggestions can serve to ground your wiggly student, empowering them to take control of their body in motion!