"But Fidgety Phil / He won't sit still; / He wriggles / And giggles, / and then, I declare, / Swings backwards and forwards, / And tilts up his chair."
- Heinrich Hoffman in "The Story of Fidgety Philip"
As I embark on my first year of teaching, I realize that my class will be quite unique.
Unique in the sense that all of my students have a special need and will come to me for academic and emotional support in the resource classroom. My students will range from grades K5-5 and may have special needs that vary from Learning Disabilities, ADHD, Autism, to other health impairments. I will teach approximately 5-7 children at a time, for 50 minutes.
While I haven't met my students yet, I know in-depth the types of struggles that children with disabilities face through working in special education classrooms. With that being said, most students with learning disabilities, ADHD, and Autism truly struggle with attention, fidgetiness, and sensory issues. This deficit can be aided with simple classroom adaptations, such as the CoreDisk stability cushion, better known as the "wiggle seat".
My Project
The wiggle seats are adjustable with air and allow children to rock and shift. These cushions do two jobs simultaneously, by first, helping children engage their core muscles, and secondly, by decreasing energy levels so they can focus more. Think about it... These cushions are basically an outlet for all that stored up energy, thus leading to a less energized, more focused student!
Also, wiggle seats can help children with ADHD wiggle their way to attentiveness. Dr. Mark D. Rapport, whose focus is children with ADHD and the field of developmental psychopathology, states, “That, just as adults drink coffee to stay alert during a boring meeting, ADHD kids jiggle and wiggle to maintain alertness”.
I know that there isn't a single tool or instrument that will solve every child's struggle in the classroom, but I believe these cushions are a wonderful way to help children with fidgetiness truly focus in a way that does not draw attention to themselves.
In addition, these wiggle seats can be written into Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Please consider funding this project! We would appreciate it so much!!
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Arango and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.