mr. fidget!

[Daram82]

I have a student who will not sit stil! I call him Mr. Fidget, he thinks its so funny...I have tried everything i can think of..squishy balls to hold, rubber disks to sit on, behavior charts, rubber bands on wrists, proximity reinforcement etc....any suggestions??

[CS]

In class the other night i heard about some new type of chair that is supposed to be a help - the bouncy chair - this is used in place of a desk chair. Also, it sounds like he is enjoying the attention he is getting from you for fidgetting, have you tried rewarding others for not fidgeting and ignoring him when he does?

[Amanda Perdue]

My advice would be to make this student your helper. He can pass out papers, calculators, etc. Get him up and out of his seat with a purpose! Hopefully, this will satisfy his need for movement so he can focus on his work.

[Dr. Myers]

Aww, some of my favorite kids are Mr. and Ms. Fidgets. I agree with the comment about making certain that you are not reinforcing the behavior with the cute name and attention. Once you are aware that you arent' contributing to the difficulty, use Mr. Fidget's antziness to remind you that all kids need movement. Make certain that your lessons are not too long, that they are engaging and give as many opportunties for all kids to move, work in a group, take a small break/walk, etc. as possible. This kid is going to need even more opportunities for movement. So, yes, get him to be your helper, get him to pick up papers, move something heavy, erase the whiteboard, etc. If you have a spot for a quiet area (depending on age too), he may do better reading or working on long assignments on a bean bag or one of those workout balls as a seat-make this a reward for increasing his ability to sit and focus. I would teach this student to learn to self-monitor his ability t sit and set goals with him, have him collect his data (maybe even have him make something on a chart across the room every 10 minutes) and then reward him for improvement. Another suggestion is to speak to your school's OT-they know best how to work with kids who are antzy. See if they have any other suggestions. It seems that you are trying a lot of strategies already, but the student may find them too babyish or annoying. Check out:
Fidget to Focus: Outwit Your Boredom: Sensory Strategies for Living with ADD (Paperback)
by Roland Rotz (Author), Sarah Wright (Author)
Key Phrases: arousal strategies, touch strategies, Fidget Strategies, John Ratey, Attention Deficit Disorder (more...)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
for some more adult like strategies.
Also, check out these websites for great fidgets!
Fidget for Grown-Ups
These are sites with fidgets and fun stuff for grown-ups.

ADD Consults
The first and only virtual online ADD clinic. Includes an online store with a selection of fidgets. www.addconsults.com

Micro Egg Timer
From the site: “This unique little timer can help you not to forget the world around you while sitting at the PC. It has a simple and friendly user interface and can be set with just a couple of mouse clicks or keystrokes.” www.mic-ro.com/eggtimer

The Orb Factory
From the site: “The Orb Factory Ltd. is a Canadian designer and manufacturer of innovative toys, craft kits, puzzles, and educational products. Our mandate is to offer our customers a clear alternative to existing toy offerings through the quality of our designs, the play value, and educational content of our products.” www.orbfactory.com

Star Magic Space Age Gifts
The coolest source of fidget toys for adults that we know of. Be sure to check out the "Executive Toys" section! www.starmagic.com

Trainers Warehouse
The "Toys for Learners" section of this site also has good fidgets.
www.trainerswarehouse.com

The most important thing to remember (and why I wrote it last) is that these fidgety kids are actually TRYING to pay attention with their fidgeting. Their sensory systems are set up differently, so when they start to get distracted, bored, or tired, they fidget more. We need to teach the kids acceptable fidgets and reinforce their efforts to participate. This can be tough, especially if we as teachers get distracted by the fidgeting, but remember it is an effort to remain involved for these kids! Good luck!