Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Psychomotor Overexcitability - DS Age 5 *Updated*

Hello everyone. It's been awhile since I have posted here. Things have been going well. DS was pulled from his PreK 4 class in February and is doing well at home. We have attended a Lego class, some art classes, and Taekwondo. We have done some homeschooling but not much. DS starts Kindergarten at a public school in August.
Reason for post, DS has the Psychomotor OE. A very strong one. Plus he is 5. It's been a hard combination. Both physical movement and mouth movement. He did well in the Lego class and art classes since he had freedom of movement and good teachers. We just pulled him from Taekwondo. He was very unhappy and frustrated. The teachers required a lot of stillness, which he was willing to try, but failed. His self-esteem dropped. I was really hoping this class would help him just a little, but I know it's for the best that he is withdrawn from class. We did go for 5 months, twice a week. I think we gave it a good shot.

For school, how will I keep him somewhat still? I know he can't be completely still or quiet and I know it will depend on the teacher, but I wanted to see if anyone else has been through this situation and could offer some advice. Trying to be prepared before school starts.

Thanks!

Kindergarten teachers expect that children come in not being able to sit still. Your child may be on the extreme end of the spectrum regarding movement, but as a former teacher and having a lot of K teachers as friends (My DS is 4.5 and I'm always hammering these friends with the same questions), you may be worrying about something that will turn out to be not such a big deal. Some teachers totally get that 5 year olds need to move all day and learn in that way. Some don't. Perhaps talk to the principal about your concerns so that they will assign a teacher is gets this.

I have one child who sits for hours focusing on the something and one that can't stop moving! I fret about their school experience all the time.

I've seen kids who REALLY benefited from weighted lap blankets and/or weighted vests. Unfortunately they are pretty pricey, so it's hard to experiment with the weight needed for effectiveness. And obviously the minimum weight needed changes as a child grows.

Good luck!

If you want to experiment with weighted vests, you can start with a decently-proportioned child's backpack filled with soft/cushioned items totaling various weights. You can also try fidget toys (stress balls, koosh balls, etc.), or one of those rubber bracelets with an inspirational phrase on it, or a theraband looped around the legs of his chair (for hooking feet through it, or bouncing).

I have mover too. At 10 he still has trouble sitting for the amount of time his peers do, but it has gotten better. I agree with GGG's advice to talk to your principal. We have had great luck with our school in that DS is carefully assigned a teacher each year who will work with his style. The fact that he's a very bright kid who is very clearly still listening as he's walking around the room helps. On days when his energy level is unbearable, he is sent on errands to the office, the library, etc. or simply asked to go walk up and down the hall a few times to get the wiggles out. The fact that he is allowed to do things that the other kids are not (like get up and walk around the room) does not phase the other kids - they are pretty darn accepting.

I also agree with GGG that many many K kiddos can't sit still. In our school there are frequent movement breaks in the K and 1 school day (some teachers are better than others, but most embrace the need for it). In addition, they have a pretty high tolerance for kids who can't stay put.

Other things that have been tried with my DS and worked (albeit mostly for short periods of time - the best thing has simply been growing up...) include chewing gum during class, the theraband around the chair, weighted belt (at home, didn't take). If you truly are concerned and things don't go well right off, other things that are becoming more accepted are active seating, like the wiggle stools or ball seats where your body is always engaged and shifting to keep balance (not just a stability ball, probably something a little more stable than that for a 5 year old). I also have seen the bike pedals attached to a desk or chair - you can actually buy a relatively cheap version on amazon. If he truly can't not move, it might be a help if the school will allow it (I think mine would if DS really needed something more still...).

Good luck!

Thanks everyone! Nice to know I am not alone in my concerns. Hopefully I will get a teacher I can work with.

Our elementary school has many wiggle seats in every class, especially among the younger kids. (such as http://www.amazon.ca/Wiggle-Inflatable-Sensory-Chair-Cushion/dp/B00JCJ9IYE)

A good teacher will also allow kids who need it to work standing up, which can be a huge help (and for which there is growing evidence, for adults too). I'd echo GGG and ask the principal specifically to match your child with a teacher who is comfortable with a moving body in their class. It's no disruption at all with a teacher who doesn't themselves have a problem with it, but can be miserable for a kid if the teacher misunderstands it as a discipline issue.

My DS is 10 and his teachers just let him do his pacing. Gum helps, chewable necklaces help, but honestly the walking around happens anyway...

Thanks. I am hoping we get a teacher that is willing to work with us. I did fill out an student information sheet during enrollment with my concerns on it.
Platypus, I have seen that seat before. They seem great. I also found some busy toys DS could keep in his pockets. If DS's teacher can keep him busy and interested, we should be ok.

Hello. I wanted to post an update since the school year has started. We already have a parent teacher conference scheduled for tomorrow. Things are not going well. DS is coming bored with simple letter and number work, having social processing problems, listening skills are becoming a problem, and his behavior is overwhelming the teacher. He has left the classroom many times to play in the bathroom, (background: He loves toilets, plumbing, pipes, duct work, fans, motors, etc.)
Is there such a thing as a processing disorder? How can you tell the difference between a disorder problem and a kid that's stuck in his head thinking of something else?

When he is home, he does have some difficulty paying attention but it's mostly because he is thinking of something else.