[blindkid] never stands still

Fri Jun 11 11:10:35 UTC 2010

Thank you Brandy for your adult perspective and the reminder to think 10 years ahead! I try to always think that way but it is easy to get lost in the immediate.

I don't think Richard and I were advocating allowing a child to be rude. Our responses were directed at meeting the need just as you would with a sighted child with sensory issues. Meet the need for the extra sensory input at times when the child is NOT in a wiggle free situation so that the child is able to be centered and wiggle free when they need to. 

All the swinging, bouncing, rocking (in a rocker) etc that Jack does is done in a developmentally appropriate way during playtime/freetime.

Just wanted to clarify. You can meet the need without allowing your child to be rude or out of control. In fact, meeting the need can help your child be more in control.

Marie (mother of Jack born May 2005)
See glimpses of life with my determined son who is developing in his own way at his own time at http://allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com 
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: "Brandy W" <branlw at sbcglobal.net>
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:04:32 
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,\(for parents of blind children\)<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] never stands still

Hi, OK as an adult I still wriggle and move all over the place. The 
important skill to be learned is when and where it is OK to be moving. To 
have the will power or self monitor  to stand still when you are speaking to 
someone for example. I am very pro giving the child opportunities for 
movement, but by 7 or 8 and honestly younger the child needs to be taught 
that not everyone starts spinning while having a conversation. I bit of 
restlessness is one thing, but constant moving is another. I had and in some 
cases still have some small habits that no one dealt with as a child, and 
boy do I wish they had. For being still what seems to have worked is someone 
firmly putting their hand on my shoulder and just applying pressure for 
about 10 seconds. It gets my attention with out drawing attention to me, and 
helps me come back to focus. If I notice I've needed too much support I 
usually excuse myself and take a quick walk to get it out. It is great that 
she has the place to jump, but soon it won't be appropriate to say "Excuse 
me I need to go bounce now." Always think 10 years down the road. Do I want 
my child to need this in 10 years? if the answer is no start thinking of 
alternatives. For now the jumping is great, but in just a few short years 
she will be a preteen and running, weight lifting, swimming as you already 
do are more typical outlets. For those of you with very young children third 
grade or younger try a spin bored if you can't get your hands on a 
trampoline. The suggestions here have been wonderful, but we always need to 
be thinking ahead. For example I was never much of a rocker, but when I 
became sick and was in bed a lot, (Not my normal busy activity.) I began 
rocking. We recognized I had started this out of the blue and tolerated it 
semi when I was very sick. Now if I'm sick and need motion I try to rock in 
a rocking chair like a normal adult. Now these are suggestions on how to 
help the need, but the the question was how to stop the behavior. Well If 
your sighted child jumped or spun out of control or all the time you would 
firmly tell the child enough and insist they stop, and if the didn't your 
consequence method for your house would kick in. Same for blind child. Just 
as you don't allow your blind child to hit, be rude etc. you don't allow 
them to do socially inappropriate things. It feels harsh to say and to read, 
but it is a behavior that needs to go and there for in a loving but firm 
manner the child needs to be taught it won't be tolerated. Please take my 
word for it, as I speak from experience. Not finding out that people think 
it is strange for you to wriggle every where till you are an adult is scary 
and upsetting and one feels betrayed. excusing a child's rude behavior 
didn't stop the rudeness so excusing a child's strange behavior won't stop 
it. It is unexceptable and needs to be dealt s such. So how do you stop it? 
You stop it like you would any other behavior you don't want, and when 
appropriate you find the child an outlet for the need like the jumping, 
spinning on a spin bored, rocking in a chair, squeezing silly puddy etc.

It is wonderful to read all you parents of young children asking now and not 
when they are 12.

Bran

"Families that play together learn together!"
Brandy Wojcik
Discovery Toys Educational Leader
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Holloway" <rholloway at gopbc.org>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 5:46 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] never stands still

> Our 7-year-old still does that occasionally and has done it since she  was 
> probably 2. I used to try to tell her to stop but we had far  better 
> results long term when we redirected her to something else.  Then once we 
> started offering her more and more movement alternatives  the problem 
> decreased greatly. If she's spinning a lot at home now,  we'll usually ask 
> if she needs to go and jump. Generally, she'll stop  spinning with the 
> question and walk straight to her trampoline.
>
> Richard
>
>
>
>
> On Jun 10, 2010, at 6:26 PM, L wrote:
>
>> My daughter does the same thing, she is 3.  SHe will spin in circles  and 
>> makes me dizzy.  We have just told her, stop spinning, most of  the time 
>> she does.  But even while spinning she is holding her  favorite sensory 
>> toy, so I am not sure what to do either!  Thanks  for the question.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: Marie <empwrn at bellsouth.net>
>> To: Blindkid email <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thu, June 10, 2010 12:42:54 PM
>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] never stands still
>>
>> I'm no expert on this but I'm wondering if she is filling a sensory  need 
>> by this constant motion. Does she stop moving when you are  talking with 
>> her or she is otherwise engaged? Perhaps providing her  with other ways 
>> to gain sensory input would help.
>>
>> Marie (mother of Jack born May 2005)
>> See glimpses of life with my determined son who is developing in his  own 
>> way at his own time at http://allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com
>> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Kathy B <burgawicki at yahoo.com>
>> Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:18:43
>> To: <BVI-Parents at yahoogroups.com>; <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [blindkid] never stands still
>>
>> Hi All-
>>
>> My daughter (4), totally blind, has a real hard time holding still.   She 
>> is constantly in motion by fidgeting, wiggling, bouncing, etc.   She 
>> doesn't do a whole lot of rocking but she does need motion.  How  do I 
>> get her to stop.
>>
>> Please help!
>>
>> Oh, the swimming lessons are going great!
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Kathy
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
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