Incorporating brain breaks into the school day has numerous benefits for neurosparkly kids, supporting both their cognitive and emotional development. Making a plan to get through a school day for an ND child can be a game changer. Feeling secure and knowing what is expected and what comes next assists in regulating nervous systems in the morning, reminds the child they have something to look forward to and can be enough to get out of the car and through the day. Having planned breaks takes away guilt and shame for students and normalises tuning into the body.
If students or siblings question “why do they get to do that?” I use the words ”that's their program”. Everybody needs different things to learn and everyone needs their own program. You can also create schedules for siblings! It will take some discussion, and you want to have as much buy-in from the child as possible. Listen to their ideas and try to involve as many people as possible, also have a few options available. It’s a plan, but flexibility is key.
Before you decide on the brain break, consider what the student needs. Also consider the different times of day, where your student excels and/or needs extra support. Remember your specialist teachers, they have more flexibility in their day and can be an excellent extra helper. Many ND kids LOVE feeling trusted with responsibility and independence, just keep in mind that you want to set them up for success.
I have included an example for a grade 4 ADHD-er.