Body Break
The Body Break program is designed to facilitate muscle tone and to help the student re-focus and stay on task. The activities are done for 3-5 minutes daily as needed. Activities which involve co-contracting muscles so that they all work together (deep pressure) is what is desired.
Push on a wall with both hands, feet firmly planted on the ground. Hold for the count of five. For encouragement, tell the student he/she is trying to make the room bigger, or, to move the wall!
Place hands on the student’s shoulders. Ask him/her to push up against your hands. While he/she is pushing up, you push down. Hold to the count of five. Repeat.
Sitting in a chair, ask the student to place his/her hands together, elbows extended. Tell him/her to push hands together as hard as he/she can. Try to pull them apart.
A tennis ball, or, ‘stress ball’ can be used. Have student squeeze the ball 5-10 times with each hand, then, repeat. This will build up hand strength.
Self-regulation throughout the day
A person needs to properly self-regulate themselves throughout the day.
Every part of the day affects the next.
Each part of the day is interdependent: each part of the day depends on the previous part of the day. A good “start up” routine sets the stage for the rest of the day, and a good “wind down” or bedtime routine sets the stage for the next morning. For example, if you have a poor wake up routine, e.g. forget breakfast, forget to bring important things to school or work, then it makes it harder to get through your day. If you then have a poor bedtime routine, and don’t get to bed on time, or forget to prepare things for the next morning, then you will have a rough time the next morning.
The three parts of the day are like the three legs of a stool – if there are problems with one part of the day, it can affect everything else – i.e. it can make the stool fall down!
Examples of After School Routines
Activities for children
Cadets
Scouts, Guides, Brownies
Art classes
Music classes
Dance classes
Sports
Drama classes
Community centre activities
Yoga
School activities
Volunteer activities, e.g. with hospitals, old age homes, social service agencies, or other community agencies
Spiritual activities
Church groups, e.g. youth groups
Examples of Evening Routines
Prepare as much in the night before (school)
Prepare lunches, backpacks, diaper bags
Make sure all permission slips, report cards and homework are loaded into schoolbags at night to avoid squabbles
When you get home from work, get your briefcase/workbag ready for the next day
Fill it with your gas money, public transport tickets/passes or anything else you will need
Consider setting the breakfast table the night before with dishes, or non-perishables such as cereal or bread
Put your briefcases, backpacks, and keys at the same, designated spot
Consider having clothes, outfits picked out from the night before
When kids are old enough, help them develop their own independence by letting them choose
Choosing clothing
They might not have perfect fashion sense, but the most important thing is developing their independence, and they’ll eventually figure it out
If you do not entirely trust their independence, then consider a compromise; hang a few days’ worth of clothing in a designated section of your children’s closet, and let them choose from that more limited selection
Choosing meals
Let kids choose their breakfast or lunch meal
Family scheduling
Consider a big calendar that you can put on the fridge or on the wall
List events, appointments
Consider color-coding by person, e.g. red ink for one person, blue ink for another, etc.