How To Help Child Or Youth That Fidgets And Squirms
Fudgets And Squirms A Great Deal
If this goes on for more than a few months, get a medical consultation. Try to find doctors who are familiar with the practices below and follow their advice about which ones to investigate. Without help, fidgeting can slow success intellectually, physically, emotionally and socially. It can lead other people to treat the child or youth inappropriately and often negatively, which decreases self-esteem. Fidgeting and squirming is often a sign of the need for relieving physical and/or emotional pressure. It is often considered to be a major symptom of a number of other conditions such as ADHD/PTSD and others. It can be due to and complicated by a number of factors including: shock; birth trauma (regardless of the age of the child or youth); prolonged stress; lack of exercise, fun and movement; unresolved physical/emotional trauma and accidents; abuses of all kinds; exposure to environmental pollutants; out of balance nutrition and body chemistry; emotional insecurity/anxiety; and a lack of sleep. Sometimes fidgeting, squirming can help children & youth learn easier.
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First, We Would Investigate |
Second, We Would Investigate |
For Long Term Support |
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On Our Own We Would Try: • Replace sodas, juices, sugars, fats, fast foods with water, veggies, whole grains, nuts, protein, fruit, slow food • Long Walks/Hikes • Bedtime Stories and Chats • Wholesome Pleasures • Back Rubs and Foot Massages • Nature • Pets • Less or No TV, Movies, Video/Computer Games |
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For Parents: • Release unresolved shock by playing with the child/teen through encouraging squirming and fidgeting on purpose. • This can help the child or youth become aware of what they are doing. • Getting enough exercise and cutting down on sugars and caffeine by cutting out candies, sodas and chocolate can also help. • Asking the child or youth to pretend that the jiggling part of their body can talk and allowing that part to say what needs to be said is fun and useful, too. |
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Check out: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus.html; www.traumasoma.com/index.shtml (very technical); www.acestudy.org. |