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joann10
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| Posted: Aug 29 2008 at 4:55pm | IP Logged
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Gracie is 6 years old, and I am sure if she were in school she would be classified as an ADHD child.
I have actually looked up symptoms of this on different web sites, and she basically has every one of them.
Knowing this, I have certainly been trying to plan things with her, knowing that I have to take this into consideration.
But today, I have realized I need to look for different ways to approach this.
We made colored rice today, and she enjoyed pouring and scooping, but she was so "fast" about everything that there was a mess everywhere.(when I say she enjoyed it, she actually used it for over an hour) The littles, 2 and 3 were able to follow directions about taking their time. After a few tries they were filling the glass without overflowing it and were being very deliberate and careful. Grace, on the other hand, I don't think ever stopped pouring in time to avoid going over the top. She spilled rice out of her scoop while she was looking at other things over her shoulder, and the examples go on and on.
Does anyone have practical suggestions for getting her to be more delibrate in her actions? And somehow, to get her to just "slow down", especially since she will have more schoolwork this year.
Thanks for any help you wonderful ladies can offer.
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JodieLyn
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hands on her hands showing how to be slower.. I've had to do this with one child.. he would try and play peekaboo with the baby for instance and the baby couldn't focus on him long enough to make it a fun game. Of course the rewards for slowing down were having baby play so the feedback was immediate.. but he's like that with the moving too fast.. and the helping him physically move slower and more deliberately really helps it click what you're trying to get him to do.. and then once he understands what it is.. verbal reminders (a lot of them each time, and needing them each time for quite a while) will work.. but again.. the next activity you have to do the showing how to slow down again before the command takes on meaning.
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melanie
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| Posted: Aug 30 2008 at 6:47am | IP Logged
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Hmm...I feel for you, we have one of those here. :) He wakes up at 110mph, and he does *everything* so fast. When he was younger he used to actually make himself vomit from eating too fast! Sheesh!
Anyway, hmmm...how about saying something like "pour the rice while you count to ten" or whatever, and then have her see if she can try to not be done pouring the rice until she reaches ten? Or 5, if it's not too much rice, whatever works. This is actually a great skill for her to practice, taking her time at something like this, good for you!
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homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
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Marybeth
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My friend was advised to brush her daughter's back daily with one of those sensory brushes?? I know you could google them. They are used in physical and occupational therapy.
Have you heard of Brain Gym? They specialize in helping students gain focus through exercises. In my old homeschool group,a member gave a presentation on it. Very interesting. Her daughter who was diagnosed with ADD and could not read (4th grade) with very little writing and spelling skills gained tremendous concentration and self-confidence by doing the exercises. You wouldn't even have to tell her what they were for and your other kids could do them too.
This woman explained they did them each morning for 15 minutes..the whole family.
Sorry, to give you more to google and no links.
Mb
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Angi
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Marybeth wrote:
| My friend was advised to brush her daughter's back daily with one of those sensory brushes?? I know you could google them. They are used in physical and occupational therapy. |
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As a former spec ed teacher, I have seen these used in the wrong way, and the result was horrible for the child. If you think your child has any sensory issues, not just adhd, then I would recommend an OT eval. Otherwise, what works for many adhd children is a very strict written/drawn schedule that they can rely on.
HTH
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Waverley
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We too have a mini-tornado at our house!
One thing that has worked for us is to take control over the environment she is in. For example, when it is focus time we turn off the music, dim the lights, talk in slow quiet voices and keep the room free of visual clutter. We talk alot about body awareness - how is my body feeling? When it is focus time we stop and draw attention to our body. Maybe we stretch first, engage is some rhythmic breathing, and take a moment to feel what it is like to have a quiet body (there are also a lot of great resources for finding simple calming techniques you can lead your child through). Establishing this dialogue is also helpful because then the dialogue works as ques. For example, now we just say - "It is time to make our bodies quiet." The kids know what this means.
Visual clutter can also be very stimulating for a child. I am a visual learner and love posters, art, the letter of the week, etc. hanging on the wall. However, this made the room very stimulating and busy. We now have a very simple school room with very little on the walls or out on surfaces. We now hang our art, etc. elsewhere in the house.
One last thing. In addition to talking about quiet bodies and setting a quiet tone, we have time everyday where we have active bodies. We put on dance music, bring out the mini-trampoline, and dance and spin. Again, we talk about how our bodies feel and that this is a good, safe way to get out our wiggles!
Good luck and let us know if you find something that works for you.
P.S. - I agree with Angi that you should consult an OT before using a sensory brush. They can be very stimulating to a child if not used correctly. This could really exacerbate your problem.
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joann10
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| Posted: Sept 17 2008 at 5:39pm | IP Logged
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I really think alot of Gracie's trouble is enviromental. We live in this tiny house-with 12 people, including 2 busy toddlers, no schoolroom, and constant motion. There is no way eliminate all of this, but I am trying to manage it-not very successfully though. 
I love the idea of talking about our bodies, and making them "quiet". I will begin trying this technique, hopefully we will make some progress.
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: very impulsive 6 year old-advice needed
