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Boredom in school

ParentingAutism

Hiya, my daughters senco has just been in touch with me after incidents in school. Basically, we found out that my daughter jumps the school gate, when she's bored to seek stimulation. There is also a feeling she is trying to reach, sort of like adrenaline. I'm not good at explaining things but I hope you get the idea. 

Anyways, the senco emailed me, after doing work with her, and wants to know what the school can do before she reaches the level of boredom or whatever. School is thinking about giving her a squishy since she likes something in her hands but also word searches and some spelling to do, by herself. Her brain needs to be stimulated all the time so I need ideas for the classroom so she doesn't leave. We have also found out that she likes to do graffiti on a bench, she likes to carve things on it during lessons. 

One of the teachers put a film on about Space and like normal, she wouldn't stay in the lesson. She lasted 5 minutes at the end. 

Any ideas on what to give my daughter during lesson before she reaches the level of boredom.... 

Thanks x

  • in reply to ParentingAutism

    Which is why, I would imagine, you should never ask her to paint the same thing twice? Or maybe she just struggles with long projects and lets bite sized art projects. Panels in a comic maybe? And comics are open ended and narative. You can keep the story going on as long as you like. 

  • in reply to Peter

    It may be but I believe that once something goes to plain and she does it over and over again, she doesn't get that excitement and it just turns boring and her brain isn't being stimulated so she is now seeking that... 

  • in reply to ParentingAutism

    Maybe because she feels it's too restrictive? If some one sits you down and says 'paint a bowl of fruit' it can feel very restrictive and boring. As compared to 'paint something fun' Also possibly she finds paint to mess / smelly.

  • in reply to Plastic

    They are going to paint or do something to the wall in the dining hall, and they asked for her opinion on which theme she likes and she chose the subtle colours rather than brighter ones. She has the option to engage and participate in creating it but she doesn't want to.

  • in reply to Peter

    I know that would be a great idea, but she will just refuse to use art supplies, even in other lessons, or in things she enjoys.Teachers usually have to do it themselves if she tells them what to do. Today, she went to 2/6 lessons and the other times she was sat on the bench again and did more carving and they are now calling it '.......Bench' and tell her to put her name on it . The head teacher works really well with her and has given her some colour changing putty to play with which will use her hands, which she loves... 

  • in reply to ParentingAutism
    ParentingAutism said:
    she likes to do graffiti and carve things

    That's often an expression of wanting to take control of their own life - similar to vandalism - proving that you can make a mark on the world for everyone to see.        Is there anything big and creative she can produce to get what's on the inside out into the world?      

  • in reply to O

    again why not give her an easel and some art supplies? Or maybe some clay. She seems very tactile. Something she can engage in with her hands might suit her.

  • in reply to ParentingAutism

    Haha that's cool though I never could draw but I remember in school i used to carve stick men on the benches and plastic chairs with a compass when I was bored.

    Stimming isn't always about physical act of actually stimming it can be a way to focus your mind or distract your self from sensory input that's annoying you that's how it seems to me anyway, thinking back now I remember I used to carve things when ever I escaped a crowded part of school during lunch and break or when class got too noisy 

  • in reply to O

    Sometimes, if a teacher is busy, they will get her to help if it's suitable for her, when she's out of lesson. She is starting to stay on the site today, she sat by the gate but on her favourite bench which she likes to do graffiti and carve things on it. Today, she apparently drew Mount Everest on it lol...

  • in reply to ParentingAutism

    That's at least they are trying to help its hard to find a supplement to just her wanting to leave school, maybe there is something in the school its self she could help with whenever she feels like she wants to leave then at least she won't leave the school grounds I don't know what that could be but just to put it out there.

  • in reply to O

    Thanks O, we do have stim toys for her already but she doesn't use them much at the moment. School have given her squishes in the past for her to play with in lesson, which they will do again.

  • in reply to Peter

    Thank you Peter, that's an amazing idea. She loves colours and being organised so I'm sure that will help.

  • Maybe you can look into buying her stim toys I don't know what to say about her seeking out sensory stimulation I'm not a sensory seeking autistic I get irritated and aggravated sensory wise.

    But stim toys might be a good place to start for her to just keep her hands occupied and get her brain thinking about that rather than on having to escape school for some stimulation.

  • a friend of mine has adhd and autism. Her maths improved when her college teacher insisted her equations have a multi coloured rainbow colour coding. Now she does all of her algebra using a variety of different coloured pens / pencils and meticulously follows the colouring convention they agreed. The stimulation of the multiple colours seemed to help her stay focused on the page, that and the constantly swapping pens.

    Maybe your daughter could be given a wide variety of coloured pens, pencils and highlighters and be encouraged to colour code her work?