|
Post by Little Owl on Oct 20, 2013 13:03:42 GMT
Hi,
Having just had one of those mum, dad & son conversations with my son, I am appealing for some ideas...
My son can't concentrate unless he is in someway fidgeting - Neither can I (ADHD). My husband (not ADHD, just has lots of jobs to do) finds sitting still listening a bit tricky.
Son does not want to use fiddling toys (bored with the suggestion) so please, please will you tell me your ideas?
Here are some things my husband or I do: Get up and unload the dishwasher/ wipe down kitchen work surface or other mindless household task, bite my nails, doodle on a sketch pad, take notes of what is being said or decided, try and stop my foot from bouncing, twist a bit as if my back is hurting (which it is sometimes), rub my chin (sagely) or play with my hair, fiddle with the mobile, grit my teeth, deep breath....
What I'd like to do is give my son some ideas. We wouldn't mind him shuffling cards for example; we know he can listen and in fact often listens better if he is fiddling. As he is at home we can let him do things that maybe he can't do at school, but I am hoping you guys will some ideas he can try and maybe adapt for other situations.
In the long term my aim is for my son to develop his own socially acceptable ways of keeping his attention on the conversation but for now he needs lots of ideas to try.
Regards, Little Owl.
|
|
|
Post by jimmymaximum on Oct 20, 2013 13:12:45 GMT
I've always found doodling a good one to do in lessons etc. You could get a small pad especially for the purpose (rather than in the margins of his work, which is what I used to do!). You can buy 'Doodle Books' which give you something specific to do, rather than just being faced with a blank sheet of paper. It's also a relatively discreet thing to do in the middle of class.
|
|
|
Post by cheekybuddha on Oct 20, 2013 13:15:35 GMT
|
|
|
Post by jimmymaximum on Oct 20, 2013 19:10:42 GMT
Also, I've just remembered that I used to fiddle a lot with blutac and paper clips and things like that when I was in primary school (before I knew I had ADHD). In terms of things to do in class, it's really discreet because they're just normal objects! Do you mind me asking how old your son is?
|
|
nomad
Member's posted somewhat
Posts: 61
|
Post by nomad on Oct 20, 2013 20:04:00 GMT
I used to like elastic bands, clicky pens (not ideal), yoyos. A hyperactive woman I used to houseshare with was an expert at baton-twirling a pen around her thumb while working - it looked really impressive Those stress balls that are really satisfyingly squashy are nice.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2013 20:10:25 GMT
Also, I've just remembered that I used to fiddle a lot with blutac and paper clips and things like that when I was in primary school (before I knew I had ADHD). In terms of things to do in class, it's really discreet because they're just normal objects! Do you mind me asking how old your son is? Ha ha! Before I knew I had ADHD, I had an enormous chain of coloured paper clips in my dek drawer. I was a civil servant, and back then, coloured clips were super-exotic - I became obsessed with gathering them up, and then atraching them to my chain in a set pattern...
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2013 0:51:11 GMT
I don't know how I came to be doing it but I use my tongue to effectively 'drum' and 'beatbox' inside my mouth. It is almost completely invisible/inaudible to other people in the room which is handy when you don't want anyone knowing you're a loon. I do forget myself occasionally and start finger drumming on my mouse/desk/table edge; accentuated by delays/lag/my own impatience usually. I try not to foot tap/leg bounce because it's highly visible and a dead give away that 'something aint quite right' I suppose the tongue is a fairly large muscle so as daft as it sounds, prolly burns a few calories
|
|
|
Post by jan on Oct 21, 2013 6:57:41 GMT
I don't know how I came to be doing it but I use my tongue to effectively 'drum' and 'beatbox' inside my mouth. It is almost completely invisible/inaudible to other people in the room which is handy when you don't want anyone knowing you're a loon. I do forget myself occasionally and start finger drumming on my mouse/desk/table edge; accentuated by delays/lag/my own impatience usually. I try not to foot tap/leg bounce because it's highly visible and a dead give away that 'something aint quite right' I suppose the tongue is a fairly large muscle so as daft as it sounds, prolly burns a few calories i an going to restrain myself from commenting on your 'muscular tongue' you may find lot more female members answering your posts now though
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2013 9:50:09 GMT
I'm not sure how useful it would be outside of my mouth with nothing to bang against.
|
|
|
Post by jan on Oct 21, 2013 10:15:01 GMT
michael please don't encourage me to expand we related mun
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2013 14:13:07 GMT
michael please don't encourage me to expand we related mun Pmsl .......I had something sensible to contribute but my thoughts have been derailed ...... something about a toy my hyper nephew likes......I dunno
|
|
|
Post by Supine Incognito on Oct 25, 2013 6:54:20 GMT
How about a ball of wax? It strengthens the hand muscles too. Or as mentioned, blue-tac. I used to have a fist sized ball of it when I was younger, you can also make little sculptures out of it (I used to make little gnomes sitting on toadstools)
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2013 8:49:17 GMT
I have a beard - you're allowed to play with it all day and people think that you're pondering in a professorial manner I also do clicky pens, eh JB? More recently I have taken up thumb 'twiddling' - rotating the thumbs around each other - more of an old persons thing. If possible I like to have stuff in my pockets; old keys, pebbles, string etc that can be played with unobtrusively.
|
|
|
Post by Little Owl on Oct 25, 2013 9:20:08 GMT
Wow, Thank you folks - I am quite astounded by the number of suggestions. I'm going to write a list and pass these to my son as possible things he can do. I won't do them all at once so that I reserve some as he gets older and above all, give him choice. Any further posts are still welcome. Thanks again, Little Owl.
|
|
|
Post by Little Owl on Oct 25, 2013 9:36:38 GMT
Also, I've just remembered that I used to fiddle a lot with blutac and paper clips and things like that when I was in primary school (before I knew I had ADHD). In terms of things to do in class, it's really discreet because they're just normal objects! Do you mind me asking how old your son is? > "Do you mind me asking how old your son is?" Not at all. He is 11 and will today have completed his first somewhat chaotic (surprise, surprise) half term at secondary school. I think we are on our seventh item of P.E. kit that has had to be replaced as they did not make it home. He has (bless him) asked his teachers, gone back and looked in the rooms and looked in the lost property but it is hard when you are the first year and don't want to look stupid.
|
|
|
Post by Kathymel on Oct 25, 2013 22:20:23 GMT
I also do clicky pens, eh JB? I have banned myself from using clicky pens. I have barely escaped with lynching in some lectures because of them.
|
|
nomad
Member's posted somewhat
Posts: 61
|
Post by nomad on Nov 5, 2013 22:11:03 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Little Owl on Jan 15, 2014 13:51:56 GMT
These suggestions are interesting. I like the links to youtube, my son may well be tempted to look at them.
|
|
mnx
Member's not posted much yet
It will all work out...
Posts: 3
|
Post by mnx on Apr 28, 2014 23:42:14 GMT
There's some stuff called Theraputty that my son loves! It's been the best thing so far and was suggested by his OT. You can get it on Amazon.
|
|
|
Post by fuzzywuzzy on Apr 29, 2014 8:02:20 GMT
Lots of good ideas on here..... I think sometimes it depends on the age of the little person.... my daughter is 9, nearly 10, so the school are trying to think long term, in terms of what could she do that she can do anywhere, anytime.... especially looking towards future secondary school.....where she won't look out of place, conspicuous or 'different' doing it....and won't disrupt others or the teacher....so the SENCO has been teaching her to try various simple things rather than actual physical fidget toys....e.g. to play with the seam on her skirt, or the lining on her pocket, or the collar of her school top, or to rub her thumb over her nail cuticles......all things she could eventually evolve and learn to do more subtlety in a work environment
|
|
mnx
Member's not posted much yet
It will all work out...
Posts: 3
|
Post by mnx on Apr 29, 2014 15:09:11 GMT
Sounds like you have a really good SENCO....
|
|
|
Post by fuzzywuzzy on Apr 29, 2014 21:18:13 GMT
Hi mnx she is good.....she definitely would be brilliant....if only she wasn't constrained by the blimmin council!
|
|
|
Post by Andy McQueen on Apr 21, 2015 12:21:01 GMT
Hi, I have found online that putty is very good for sufferers of this condition. it keeps their hands busy.
the best i can see is crazy aarons thinking putty. it comes in loads of colours and there are some cool versions that change colour and glow in the dark and stuff. a new one you can write on with a uv light.
they have a UK website called Puttyworld. i dont think i'm allowed to put a link to the website in here but you will be able to find it easily enough.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 13:00:04 GMT
As long as you don't turn out to be professionally connected links are OK. Puttyworld
|
|
|
Post by blaze on Apr 21, 2015 17:24:05 GMT
Cheap disability aids is a gd website for fiddley toys, chew toys etc all designed for school use, has a variety of things for older kids also
|
|