Please note: This is the transcript from the ADHD Done Differently Podcast. You can either listen on Spotify (link below) or read the transcript below – or both!
Hyperactivity
Hyperactivity can be one of the most frustrating parts of living with or working with someone with ADHD. I know in our family, two of my kids have an abundance of activity most of the time – they yell, talk nonstop, jump, climb, play really roughly and never sit still!
I know I also annoy people around me a lot by bouncing my legs up and down when I sit down or pick my nails or excessively talk.
ADHDers don’t do these things on purpose to annoy people. Did you know that an ADHDers hyperactivity actually serves a really important purpose!
Some really interesting research has been done into the activity levels of people with ADHD and amazingly it proves that ADHDers need movement to do their best work and listening.
I can’t tell you the amount of times I hear parents and teachers say “sit still!” to their ADHDers but do you know that when we do that, we are basically setting our children up not to learn and engage with us.
What does Research tell us?
Research tells us that if we want kids with ADHD to learn, they should be moving! Basically the theory behind this is that ADHDers apparently have hypoarousal of their alertness – so basically (in very simplistic terms) they engage in hyperactivity to be able to maintain an optimal level of alertness to engage in activities they find really challenging. The more challenging an activity – or the more we need to use our executive functions (e.g. working memory, planning or problem solving) the more hyperactive we become.
This is why we might see a child being able to sit still while they are doing a computer game – because it’s easy and enjoyable and really they don’t have to rely on many executive functions, but they become hyperactive when they have to do their homework.
It can really look like these kids are “acting hyperactive” because they are avoiding the activity – but what research is telling us is that it’s actually our kids trying to get themselves ready to learn! It’s just not in the way that we have traditionally thought of as “good listening!
Study after study reports that children with ADHD perform better on tests and homework if they are allowed to move while they engage. This can be something like sitting on a wobble stool, standing up to do their homework, or even having a treadmill desk. Every ADHDer will need a different level of activity to stay in their alert state – some kids might be running around the room and others might need to just jiggle their legs or fiddle.
But the take home is that children with ADHD should be allowed to move – so they can learn or perform best.
The REALLY interesting thing research has shown us through study done at the University of California, showed that when neurotypical (non-ADHD) kids engaged in movement to maintain alertness they performed WORSE on tests and homework!
This is another reason why we should not be expecting all kids to learn or perform the same way. Every child needs a unique plan to be able to achieve their best.
So, does hyperactivity go away when we are adults then?
We don’t often see an adult climbing on the table in a restaurant or grabbing things off co-workers – so it’s easy to think ADHDers grow out of hyperactivity. But research supports the idea that hyperactivity doesn’t go away when we get older, but it moves more internally than externally.
So older teens and adults with ADHD often report a feeling of inner hyperactivity – like racing thoughts, agitation, restlessness, talking lots and even risk-taking behaviours – like driving fast and jumping off cliffs!
I wonder if this is a form of masking – where teens and adults have learned not to show their hyperactivity, or been socially molded not to move to appear neurotypical.
What we are doing when we are telling our kids to stop moving, or sit still, is actually stopping their brains from working efficiently.
So how can we support our kids and adults with ADHD around their hyperactivity?
Allow movement – now we know that activity and movement is beneficial – let us move.
No – not run around the classroom or climb onto our coworkers desks (unless they’re ok with that) but allow us to fiddle in class while we listen, stand up at the table to eat our dinner, have an option for a standing desk in the classroom or at the office or a wobble stool. Let us have movement breaks throughout the day.
Again though – no ADHDer is the same so working out what each person needs is going to be trial and error. And remember that the difficulty of the task is going to determine how much movement we might need – if it’s reading a fun story we might just be allowed to wiggle on the mat, but if we are writing a 10 paged report – we might need regular high energy movement breaks or a treadmill desk.
Manage your own frustrations – imagine if you don’t have ADHD – I said to you that you have to read a really intense textbook, but you have to bounce on a minitrampoline while you do it. Chances are you won’t be able to. And research tells us that you will not be as able to do this than if you were sitting still. That’s what we are doing when we tell an ADHDer to stop moving.
Hyperactivity can be annoying sometimes, but rather than making the ADHDer stop the activity, think about how you can move away or attempt to ignore it! This can sometimes be hard, particularly if you yourself have ADHD. I know I get really frustrated by the constant movement around my place when I’m tired or just had a big day.
Can you suggest you go to the local park and they run around, or take the dog for a walk, or take a note to the office for you?
Teach self-advocacy: self-advocacy is so important for ADHDers. Self-advocacy is speaking up for your needs and rights and the things that are important to you. I tell this story often about my son. He was in a maths class a couple of years ago and he was doodling pictures in an art journal while listening to the teacher. The teacher said “If you are not looking at me, and doodling in your book, you are not listening!” my amazing self-advocating son said “actually sir, I have ADHD, and so if I AM looking at you and not doodling in my book, I am not listening!”
What a beautiful example of self-advocacy – but – he got in trouble for being rude. No way – he was respectful and told the teacher what he needed to learn. We need to teach our kids how THEY learn best so they can educate those around them and advocate for themselves.
No two people will listen in the same way!
Of course, younger people won’t always be able to identify how they learn or be able to feel confident to advocate. So write it in your IEP or parents – contact the teacher and educate them. We can also explicitly teach our children what we notice – “I have noticed that when you are thinking, you stand up! What a great strategy!”
Use natural strategies – The last point around hyperactivity is that there are some amazing things we can do that actually reduce our hyperactivity if we do them enough!
The first is exercise – yep I hate it, but research has shown again and again that people with ADHD have less hyperactivity if they routinely exercise than ADHDers that don’t. Make it fun – go swimming, bike riding, take up orienteering. A few years ago we did geocaching for exercise – it was so much fun.
The second is regular blue and green time (so spending time near the water and near nature) is also shown to have amazing benefits for the ADHD brain!
I hope that helps you to understand a bit more about the ADHD brain and how we should always be encouraging our children to listen to their body and do what it needs – not expect our ADHDers to be neurotypical – because our brains are different!
Photo by Vultar Bahr on Unsplash