Benefits of Movement For Neurodiverse Students 

The great thing about saying goodbye to the cold is that we can now say hello to outdoor activities. Incorporating movement into your daily activity as you work with neurodiverse learners can be a game changer for the entire teaching and learning process. Contrary to popular opinion, exercises are not necessarily hectic outdoor activities like football or racing, it can be dancing, hula hooping, going for a walk, and just running around- anything that gets your students moving.

In today’s article, we want to share a few research-backed benefits of movement for learners on the spectrum.

Improved Focus

Many studies have highlighted the benefits of exercise for improved brain function. A study found that regular physical activity can improve focus and boost cognitive activity in children with ADHD and autism. Teachers have observed that short breaks for movement led to the learners being more attentive during the next lesson. Children on the spectrum are particularly hyperactive, and movement can be a good way to channel their energy to

Reduce Anxiety

Movement is also a great tool for keeping anxiety in check. When children engage in exercises, endorphins, also known as natural mood lifters, are released, and this can help reduce their anxiety levels.

It’s a natural way to help children on the spectrum regulate their emotions. As we mentioned, these exercises or movement breaks do not have to be overly sophisticated- a simple walk or fun dance session can help foster a calmer learning environment.

Better Social Interaction

The great thing about group-based activities is that they give learners the opportunity to interact with each other in a more relaxed space. For autistic and neurodiverse learners who struggle with understanding social cues, these activities can help to improve their social interaction skills. As they indulge in it over time, they’ll become more confident.

Tips for Integrating Movement

It doesn’t have to be sophisticated; simple activities can make a world of difference. Start here;

• Have Scheduled Breaks- Short movement breaks for a quick stretch, dancing, or walks can improve their mood and get them set for their next set of lessons.
• Leverage Music- Make things fun by playing soft, happy music during movement breaks to encourage more participation.
• Carry Everyone Along- Find out what works for your diverse student body and try to switch things up regularly to carry everyone along.

Research shows that tailored physical activity can improve motor functions, social skills, and communication in children with autism. The benefits are endless, so now is a great time to incorporate movement into your daily routine. Want to learn more about educating children on the spectrum? Read more on our blog. 

How to Help Neurodiverse Children With Executive Functioning

Executive functioning is an essential set of skills every child needs to function properly in any setting. It is the cognitive process that allows all humans to regulate and organize our behavior effectively.

Executive functioning involves planning, prioritizing, self-control, problem-solving, goal-setting, and breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable pieces. It can be a challenging area for neurodiverse children to master, in part because it requires a high level of sensory processing.

Differences in executive functioning skills can impact following instructions, focusing on their classwork or homework, completing projects they start, or staying organized. There are some proven strategies to help children on the spectrum with executive functioning, and in this article, we will be sharing all the details.

Why do Children on The Spectrum Struggle with Executive Functioning?

Diverse learners may struggle with executive functioning because they have a unique way of processing information due to how their brains work.

• Children with ADHD can struggle with managing time, focusing on one thing, and maintaining attention.
• Autistic children may excel in certain areas and struggle to multitask or adapt to change.
• Kids with sensory processing disorders find it harder to stay engaged with an activity.

Acknowledging their struggle and the difficulty involved will help you proffer the solution more empathetically.

How to Support Executive Functioning in Neurodiverse Children

While executive functioning involves many activities, we will focus mainly on planning, prioritizing, and breaking down tasks.

Planning

•It is essential to teach neurodiverse children how to plan so that they can consistently approach their daily tasks with clarity. Here’s how you can help them plan better;

•Use Visually Appealing Schedules: Organizing their daily routine with visual aids like colorful planners, well-designed digital calendars, or apps can improve their interest and encourage them to follow the plan. Autistic children benefit more from predictability than spontaneity.

•Mini Task Breakdowns: Breaking down their activities into smaller pieces improves their ability and motivation. For example, a task like ‘clean your room’ can be broken down into ‘make the bed,’ ‘pick up your toys, ‘fold your clothes,’ and ‘separate your laundry.’

•Do as I do: Allow them to watch you plan your day and see the plan unfold. It helps them to do the same easily, even when you are not around.

•Checklists: Encourage your children to use checklists with timelines for assignments and projects.

Prioritizing

Prioritizing is necessary to help them determine the urgency and importance of individual tasks. By prioritizing tasks, they can learn to avoid procrastination and manage workloads.

• Maintaining Focus: Teach them how to concentrate on one task before moving on to another. For instance, ‘Finish taking out the trash before you do your homework.’

• Hierarchy: Color-coding tasks by their level of urgency is another way to pique their interest and motivate them. You can use sharp colors like red for urgent tasks and mellow colors like yellow for later tasks.

• Talk about it: They may not understand why prioritization is important until you talk to them about it. Explain the importance of putting one task before the other so they can learn the reasoning behind what you want them to do.

Breaking Down Tasks

• Big tasks can be overwhelming even for adults, so it’s not any different for neurodiverse children. Breaking tasks into actionable steps makes the tasks feel more doable.

• Divide and Conquer: Divide their homework or classwork into small projects that they can efficiently finish. For instance, an arithmetic assignment can be broken into ‘addition,’ ‘subtraction,’ ‘division,’ and ‘multiplication.’

• Give Rewards: Celebrating their little wins will spur them to action and help them stay motivated to do more.

• Practical Examples: Use clear examples and templates of people breaking down tasks to give the children an idea of how others do it and how they can do it, too.

These little changes can compound into big strides that improve the executive function of children on the spectrum over time. The key thing is to maintain consistency.

The holiday season is known for heightened activity, peak excitement, and the joy of connecting with loved ones. While it is a time of relaxation for many, it can also stir up unique challenges for neurodiverse children. 

The festivities associated with the holidays can become overly stimulating or overwhelming, especially if there are a lot of changes in their familiar environments. 

As a parent, caregiver, or teacher of children on the spectrum, here are some proven tips to help you navigate this active season so you can provide a supportive and more relaxing environment for your kids. 

Prevent Sensory Overload 

Bright lights, music, crowds, and colorful decor usually accompany the holiday season. This can be overwhelming for children who have sensory sensitivity. To minimize sensory overload, reduce their exposure to loud sounds and intense or flashing lights. As a parent, you can do this by using minimal home decorations. 

If you can’t help their exposure to the bubble that comes with the holiday season, consider introducing them to it gradually. Gradual exposure gives them time to adjust to the festivities and get used to the stimulation that comes with them. That’s how you can prevent meltdowns and keep them comfortable. 

Have a Schedule or Activity Plan 

Having a schedule or a routine helps to prevent stress for autistic children or neurodiverse kids. Unpredictability can become stressful or trigger anxiety, and this can disrupt your entire plan for the holidays at that moment. 

To make things go smoothly, create a pictorial schedule using simple design tools like Canva, to help them understand what they can expect during the holiday season. The predictability reduces the possibility of anxiety while you go about your day. 

Additional tips: 

• Break your day down into simple activities like lunch, rest, movies, visiting friends, or shopping. 
• Assign specific time for rest or time-outs from activities. 

Have an Assigned Safe Space 

While the festivities are going on, it’s important to create a safe space where your child can retreat when things get too overwhelming. Prepare a soft corner in the house or classroom with pillows and some of their favorite things so they can take a break in that corner and regulate when necessary. The safe zone can have these; 

• A weighted blanket 
• Headphones connected to calming music 
• Sensory Fidgets

Remember to communicate with your friends and family about this safe space so they don’t intrude during downtime. 

Prepare Familiar Foods 

The festive season involves new recipes and a lot of unfamiliar dishes, and this can trigger anxiety for children with ADHD or autism. If your child already has a solid preference, stick to it and introduce new dishes gradually to see how they will respond. 

Have their preferred dish or snack on standby when introducing them to something new so that even if they reject it, there will be something for them to fall back on. It’s normal for children on the spectrum to be picky with their food, so try to avoid pressuring them into trying something new. 

Communicate 

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of open communication with neurodiverse children. Ask them what they need, let them know your plans involving them, and help them feel comfortable when they need to speak to you. 

If your child is not able to use verbal communication, you should create a signal that they can use to communicate when they are in distress or need something. This is necessary, especially when you’re out of their familiar space. Ask them questions like; 

• Is the music too loud? 
• Do you want me to turn down the volume? 
• Do you need to take a break from the activity? 

Questions like this give room for straightforward answers. 

Supporting your neurodiverse children is the key to having a smooth holiday season. Set realistic goals and manage your expectations as you plan for the holidays because no holiday is perfect. Celebrate the little wins and enjoy the moment with them. Managing holiday stress for neurodiverse children can be easy if you follow these simple steps.

It’s back to school season and both parents and teachers are faced with the exciting challenge of making sure their neuro-diverse learners have the most memorable academic year. Every neuro-diverse learner has unique needs, so it’s important that learning and any form of support are tailored to this. 

As a parent or teacher, you must prioritize creating a supportive learning environment that helps them feel comfortable enough to express themselves and take risks in the classroom. Let’s take a deep dive into some strategies for building a safe space for learners on the spectrum.

Understanding Neurodiversity in the Classroom

What is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity embraces the differences in our brain function as humans, It includes ADHD, ASD, and dyslexia among other disorders. As a parent or teacher of learners on the spectrum, you must view these differences as strengths to foster an environment that helps them grow into their authentic selves. 

Learners on the spectrum can process the world differently, so here are some things to pay attention to, so you can provide peak support; 

• Social interaction
• Reading, writing, and mathematics 
• Focus and attention
• Sensory processing 
• Time Management and Organization

Here are some strategies you can use to support neuro-diverse learners. 

Supporting Neurodiverse Learners for the New School Year 

Create a Structured Daily Routine 

Creating structured daily routines for neuro-diverse students eases their anxiety and prepares them for the activities ahead. Learners on the spectrum thrive when they can predict what comes next. Uncertainty keeps them on the edge and builds anxiousness. A structured routine can include: 

• Breaks at specific times
• Creating a visual schedule they can see and track 
• Regular brain breaks in between learning periods. 
• Creating quiet spaces 

Use Visual Support 

There are many visual aids for neurodiverse students in the classroom you can utilize to help facilitate learning. Visual support can help your students stay organized and increase their focus, helping them grasp knowledge better. Use color codes, provide step-by-step instructions for tasks, and use clear pictures. 

Sensory Tools and Regular Breaks 

Sensory tools for kids with ADHD and autism are helpful because sensory processing is often overwhelming for learners on the spectrum. Have noise-cancelling headphones, fidget toys, and weighted blankets that they can easily use.

In addition, regular breaks also help these kids to self-regulate and maintain focus all day. Offer them access to a quiet space where they can rest and rejuvenate when they get overstimulated. These little things, make a world of difference. 

Break Down Tasks 

Breaking down tasks into smaller bits makes it more manageable, and less overwhelming. Differentiated instruction is recommended for neuro-diverse learners to ensure that their unique needs are catered to. 

Here’s how you can make a difference; 

• Allow for different ways of expression: creative projects, drawings, or oral presentations. 
• Give enough time for class work, texts, and assignments. 

In summary

Providing support for neuro-diverse learners as they get back to school makes a difference in their individual and collective experiences. It requires you to have patience, and be flexible and understanding so you can empower them to be confident regardless of their differences. 

Whether you’re a teacher with an active classroom of neurodiverse learners or a parent with autistic and ADHD children, these tips can help you provide the support they need to do great in school. 

Autism Friendly Things to Do in Chicago

Chicago is a vibrant city with something for everyone with unique attractions and a diverse culture. There are many places that are working to make Chicago more accessible to autistic and neurodiverse individuals and families. There are so many things to consider when going to public places with neurodiverse individuals. If you’re planning an adventure with your neurodiverse loved ones, we’ve put together a rich list of activities you can enjoy and autism-friendly spaces in Chicago you can visit. 

Visit the Chicago Children’s Museum 

The Chicago children’s Museum is a fun-filled location for children of all age groups. The beautiful museum is committed to inclusivity, so they ensure that their environment is welcoming for children of all abilities. They host many events open to children on the autism spectrum and their sensory garden is definitely one to look out for. The sensory garden is an interactive, yet calm space designed with their neurodiverse visitors in mind. 

Explore the Wonders of the Aquatic World at the Shedd Aquarium 

The Shedd aquarium is a go-to for visitors and locals of Chicago. Upon request, the aquarium provides sensory bags with noise cancelling headphones and small tools to help with fidgeting. 

They allow autistic individuals to explore the aquarium in a more comfortable setting during their sensory-friendly hours on Thursdays by 3:30pm and the last Sunday of every month. Through their Calm Waters program, veterans and guests on the neurodiverse spectrum can explore the aquarium without the usual crowd and enjoy it with lower sensory lights. 

Embrace Drama at the Chicago Children’s Theater

Chicago Children’s Theater is a fun hub dedicated to creating unique and culture inspired productions. They are committed to inclusivity, accessibility, and diversity, and this is evident in every performance that they put together. They offer sensory-friendly performances specially tailored for individuals on the spectrum; the sound, lights, and overall volume of the production is completely modified to make the performance more accommodating. 

Go on a Cosmic Adventure at The Adler Planetarium 

You can explore the beauty of the universe and all its mysteries at The Adler Planetarium. A calm and lovely space perfect for autistic individuals with an interest in space life. The Planetarium also offers sensory-friendly showings to accommodate the unique needs of autistic individuals and their neurodiverse visitors. These sensory-sensitive showings feature some modifications from sound to lighting and how the workers attend to visitors. 

Take a Leisurely Stroll through the Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo is a regular destination for Chicago locals and visitors alike. Admission to the park zoo is free and they show their commitment to inclusivity and accessibility by offering sensory bags for special visitors. The zoo also has a quiet area where you can sit and enjoy the view of wildlife in their different habitats. Explore other modifications and adjustments they make for neurodiverse guests HERE. 

All these locations are spectrum friendly locations that you and your loved ones can enjoy. Which one of these locations will you be exploring soon?