What is Reddit's opinion of Wobble Cushion Wiggle Seat – Fitness Balance Stability Sensory Cushion Seat For Kids And Adults with Pump Included?

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My life was changed because a teacher recognized that I wasn't just an overly emotional, distracted, loud, crazy kid. The very fact that you're recognizing that he may have ADHD, and that you're working in a positive light with his behavioral issues will mean more than just him going to the next grade successfully. I just had to say that, because it's incredibly important. Thank you.

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Alright moving on, I'm not sure how much it'll help, since my situation was so different than his, but I'll give you a list of what my teacher did for me that helped so much.

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First, the biggest thing that helped me was that I had a checklist taped to my desk that I went through every day. It listed things I needed, like having a pencil. eraser. paper. binder. backpack away. homework organized in folder. Folder in desk, etc. And let me tell you, checking off every box made me feel very good about myself. I was also younger (2nd grade) so I got a treat after I handed in my completed checklist, such as a small candy or a fancy pencil or a cool sticker. Even now, being a teacher today, I still keep checklists with detailed individual steps on my desk to keep me tuned in. It also turns big boring jobs (like planning the next dance technique testing day) into smaller more interesting jobs.

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I also would sometimes get overwhelmed- too much noise, too much to focus on, why can't I focus, oh look a bird. Sometimes it'd just bring me to tears because it was so hard to focus and it made me feel bad about myself. That's usually when I would run to the bathroom, just to get away from it. Once my teacher caught on, she started having me sit in her seat while she taught and had me hold a little angel stone. So in other words, she had me still be in class, but had me calm down in a way that would encourage me to jump back into learning. Also, that stone was incredibly important to her. Or, at least she said it was. But regardless, being allowed to hold something that someone else treasured made me feel a little more accepted. And knowing that someone cared that much about me made me want to listen to them.

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Moving on to middle school. Ugh middle school. I had some pretty unforgiving teachers, but still had some good things I'll share.

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So for one, this is when I started music and dance. If your student feels the need to move, perhaps you should encourage him and his family to enroll in some sort of sport or even dance? At least with my adhd, and my brother's adhd, we need that extra release of energy. Music also was a break from the hard thinking in a linear way like how my core classes required.

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This was also when I started coming into class early. Again, seeing that a teacher was willing to help me get through my struggles by coming in 30 minutes early and keeping an eye on me while I got ready for the day just made me feel seen and understood. Since my textbooks were getting bigger and I'm extremely forgetful, I was also allowed a second set of books for home when it was available. That way, "I forgot my textbook at school" was never an issue, and it taught me responsibility.

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Then high school. By this point I was mostly under control, but still struggled with sitting still.

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And I had the best Spanish teacher. She noticed I, and a few other students, were struggling to sit still in her classes. So, rather than get annoyed, she made it a game. She had us stand up from our desks at least once in a thirty minute time span and move while repeating words in Spanish. Of course it got us giggling, but I'll never forget the Spanish word for conservative after being in a class of high schoolers pretending to be elephants. This helped me a lot.

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This is also when I got a wiggle seat. This, by the way, may help the most. I guess my old elementary school got them for all the classrooms. Basically, it allows students to wiggle without falling or making too much of a distraction, and doesn't risk the disasters of having a full exercise ball as a seat (7 year old me would've definitely been rolling the exercise ball around). Here's one on amazon that I actually use for core training with my students, but could be used as a seat too. It hasn't popped yet, so I'd say it's good. https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Life-Ideas-Wobble-Cushion/dp/B07HDLB42F/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=excersize+seat&qid=1554407810&s=gateway&sr=8-4

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Ultimately I'll say this. As a high functioning adult with severe ADHD, I owe a lot to my teachers who just took the time to try to help me. You may not see a huge change within the time you have with him. However, the fact that you are making sure he is seen and that you're working with him is so important and not everyone has the energy to keep at it. Eventually, he will see how much energy and effort you are giving him and will most likely appreciate it.