Kids with ADHD NEED to fidget
A study at the University of Central Florida showed that kids with ADHD need to fidget when concentrating on difficult tasks.
They gave them assignments to do and found that the more the kids had to concentrate and use their working memory (the short term memory we use in day to day tasks) – the more the kids fidgeted and bounced around.
So if your kid is having a hard time in school, discuss this with them and explain that this is a valid need that should be addressed.. Together try to come up with a way that your child can move without getting yelled at.
Maybe your child can go out of the class and walk around for a few minutes. Maybe he or she can hold a ball in their hand and squeeze it. Or maybe you can come up with something else that will be acceptable to the school.
These things have been tried before and they have worked.
An ADHD friendly school goes a long way to make your child feel better and behave better. If your school is not ADHD friendly, see what you can do to increase awareness and help them come up with ideas that will help your child and them.
