Can't Sit Still?
Children shouldn’t sit still. It’s part of their development. With increasing regulations in school systems and social norms requiring three-year-olds to present themselves as young adults, maladaptive behaviors are increasing while grades in school are decreasing. When these children fail to thrive in a system that predisposes them to failure, they are grouped under a large umbrella labeled “ADHD”. The percentage of children receiving a diagnosis of ADHD continues to increase, from 7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007 and to 11.0% in 2011 (CDC.gov). There are many children who will benefit from medicinal therapies to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To suggest inhibition of the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD would be a mistake. There are, however, many children who would benefit from intensive occupational therapy treatment to address these issues.
The sensory processing system is a massive spectrum, and is not exactly the same among any two individuals. Even as adults, we subconsciously self-regulate our sensory systems to adapt to the world around us. In children, these self-regulation skills are not yet fully developed. Children are not yet equipped to independently adapt to proprioceptive (brain’s perception of pressure between joints), visual, auditory (hearing), olfactory (smell), tactile (touch), or gustatory (taste) inputs. By creating a “sensory diet”, a structured, customized system of adding and removing sensory stimuli, children are given the ability to self-regulate more independently. Despite the term “diet”, this has nothing to do with food.
When an adult is walking down stairs with their vision occluded (carrying a large box, for example), they sometimes experience a shuffle or temporary loss of balance at the bottom of the staircase. Their brain told them there was one more step to go, but they were already at the bottom. This feeling is what proprioceptive dysregulation feels like to a child. How, then, should we expect a child to sit still in math class if they are constantly trying to regulate? When a child is bouncing in his or her chair, when they flush the toilet and run away because it’s too loud, or when they have a meltdown in the supermarket because of the lights, noise, and smells, it could be an issue of self-regulation of their developing sensory systems. ADHD diagnoses and treatment are sometimes necessary. It is important to discuss with your pediatrician. Many times, however, symptoms that mirror those of ADHD are actually secondary to a dysregulated sensory system.