What Constitutes a Break? In previous posts we refer to the need for children to have frequent breaks to avoid overload. Many of you asked “What constitutes a break”? How long do they have to be, how frequent do they need to occur, and what does a break consist of? A break can be anything that allows the child to escape the demands (sensory, academic, social, etc.) in order to rebound and regroup. What the child does during the break will depend on what sooths the child. Some kids prefer to escape to a quite, isolated area to be by themselves. Some like to engage in soothing self stimulation. Others may prefer to look at books, draw, or listen to music. Some kids need a heavy dose of physical activity (jumping on a trampoline, pushing heavy cart, etc.). Some like to simply go for a short walk. Each child is different, but all have some ways to escape and rebound. How often and for how long, depends upon how demanding the environment is and how taxed the nervous system is. Each child is different in how they handle stress and how many demands they can handle. For very overwhelming activity, the child will need much longer periods of rest or activity. At school a common schedule may be 15-20 minute breaks every 60-90 minutes, or 5-10 minute breaks every 30-45 minutes. This is highly individualized. Not only can it vary drastically between children, it also may vary for the child from day to day, depending on how organized his nervous system is. The child may need more frequent breaks in the afternoon than in the morning or the reverse. He may only be able to handle 10 minutes of writing before taking a break, whereas he may be able to stay in music the whole period without a break. This is where it is important to know the child, what taxes him, and what his early signs of overload are. Once you decide what “breaks” will consist of (which can be a choice of things) then decide how often and for how long the breaks will occur (or simply let the child determine that from moment to moment). In stressful settings like school, I would build in scheduled routine breaks of at least once every 60-90 minutes (more frequently as needed) throughout the school day. Keep the break times consistent so they are predictable for the child. This will allow the child plenty of opportunities to escape and rebound. It allows the nervous system to release some of the stress chemicals it accumulates as it goes through the day. In addition I also like to give the child a break card. With this, any time the child is becoming stressed and overwhelmed, he can present the card to the teacher and immediately take a break. Also, if the teacher identifies the child’s early signs, he can present the card to the child to take a break. This way the child always can feel safe escaping to regroup whenever he feels himself becoming overwhelmed. By using regular breaks to try and prevent overload, and allowing the child to break when feeling overwhelmed, we can help the child feel safe and regulated at school. He can pace his own learning and feel safe regulating his own needs. He feels accepted and validated by those around him. They are that accepting and respecting his vulnerabilities and needed supports. He can tackle new learning and challenges knowing that he is allowed to pull back whenever he needs. He can feel “safe, accepted, and competent” facing the challenges in his day.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 01:54:28 +0000
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