Changing How Alert You Feel

Changing a child's alertness by providing sensory input can really help them succeed at tasks requiring concentration - like most educational tasks require. The following list of techniques be used before or during educational tasks to help fulfill a child's sensory needs.

• Put Something In Your Mouth

  • Eat hard candy (sugarless can be used)

  • Eat crunchy food: pretzels, popcorn, nuts, apples

  • Eat chewy food: gum, raisins, bagels, chunks of cheese

  • Eat sour food: pickles, sour candy

  • Eat sweet food: fruit or candy

  • Drink from a straw: use an "exercise bottle" to drink liquids such as a milkshake, a slurpie (partially thaw a frozen drink, or other drinks

  • Try a combination such as trail mix (crunchy, chewy, sweet), Starburst (chewy, sweet, tart), or chips dipped into salsa (crunchy and spicy)

  • Use green rubber tubing

  • Take slow deep breaths

• Move

  • Do isometrics - push arms on a wall or push hands together

  • Walk quickly

  • Run up and down steps

  • Do an errand for a teacher

  • Shake head quickly

  • Roll neck slowly in a circular motion

  • Jump up and down - try to touch a door frame

  • Play sports - basketball, swimming, baseball, frisbee, etc

  • Do aerobics with a group or at home to music

  • Dance

  • "Doodle" on paper - if not too distracting

  • Use a therapy ball

• Touch

  • Try holding and "fidgeting" with a Koosh ball, paper clips, rubber bands, straw, jewelry, or clay

  • Rub gently or vigorously on your skin or clothing

  • Take a cool shower or warm bath

  • Wash your face with a cold or hot wash cloth

  • Pet or play with an animal

  • Hold or lean up against a stuffed animal or large pillows

• Look

  • Put bright lights on in the room if the child is in low speed

  • Dim the lights if the child is in high speed

  • Clear off the table you are working on if it distracts you

  • Watch fish in an aquarium

  • Read a book or look at a magazine

• Listen

  • Listen to classical type music - even, slow beat

  • Listen to hard rock type music - loud bass, uneven beat

  • Use a personal music player (iPod, CD player) if the music bothers someone else

  • Avoid loud, noisy places if the child is in high speed, or if it bothers them when they are trying to concentrate