Baoding balls & Hacky sacks
sensory fidget strategies for add/adhd
Contents
What is ADD? ⬦Myths ⬦Pathology ⬦Seeking help ⬦ Fidget to Focus ⬦Practical sensory fidgets
5 minute 7 second read
ADD
Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD was formally revised by DSM-III in 1987 and is one of the three categories of ADHD now titled ADHD-Inattention.
Many professionals still reference the term ADD including me, as the imprint of the nomenclature remains on our culture, specifically millennials who were diagnosed as a child. The remaining types of ADHD are Hyperactivity & Impulsivity.
The unique one-of-a-kind individuals that bestowed this developmental disorder have a precarious assortment of traits that may exhibit some of the following:
Trouble staying focused
Excellent starters, not so much with follow-through
Poor timing
Completely disorganized
Often interrupt conversations
Act without thinking
Absolutely can not sit still
Trouble with memory
Procrastination
Poor time management
You’re probably trying to either qualify yourself or someone you know right now. It’s important to note that only a qualified professional can diagnose a person as ADD/ADHD as other psychological disorders mimic the condition.
Myths
Grow out of it
Lazy
Unintelligent
What is ADD
Dr. Roland Rotz, PhD., et al, states the collective understanding is that ADD is an incurable, neurobiological developmental disorder. Research suggests there is a genetic component: and ADD is frequently comorbid with anxiety, depression, and learning disabilities.
If left untreated, persons with ADD have the perception or the realization of perpetual life failures from relationships to job instabilities, improper social skills, behavioral issues, and re-occurring addictions.
Who is affected
9.4% of children are diagnosed with ADHD making it the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children. Statistically, it favors boys however studies suggest girls’ symptoms present differently and may skew reporting.
Genetic statistics
There’s a 15-20% probability of a maternal inheritable element, a 25-30% paternal, as well as a 25-35% chance siblings will have the condition.
Pathology
ADD is systemic deregulation of the prefrontal cortex, frontal, striatal, limbic, & basal ganglia regions of the brain. When we conceptualize the reception of sensory order flow, there is improper processing of sensory data through the reticular activating system at the base of the brain where information is received, then subsequently passed upward to the limbic, & cortical brain structures.
Collectively these areas function for control, planning, & execution of complex behaviors such as:
Inhibition
Arousal
Attention
Memory
Planning
Sequencing
Rhythm
Other neuro facts
Data suggests there is an imbalance of neurotransmitters, thus, a purported treatment modality includes medication.
Neurologists have made groundbreaking research through imaging. PET imaging in ADD individuals suggests lower neural activity with brain areas that control attention. SPECT imaging suggests similar results with normal brain activity while at rest, however, lower activity in the prefrontal cortex while performing tasks involving concentration.
Simply, the physiology of an ADD brain shows reduced executive capacity at moments when this functioning is needed most. Think, test-taking, not reacting fast enough, not thinking of a proper response, etc.
Prognosis
There is no cure for ADD/ADHD. There’s a combination of treatment modalities including medication, behavioral therapy, and recently, the adoption of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) which has shown positive results amongst some participants.
Coping effectively
We become deft at compensating for our conditions over time. An early diagnosis is a key to receiving proper accommodations in grade school when early detection and screening are likely.
The ‘knowing’ is in itself a booster of confidence for a young child who is struggling with learning during an impressionable moment in their life. Accommodations follow through to college and are salient to academic success when coping with this disorder.
Learning to learn. Develop fidget strategies for life.
Remember “if at first you don’t succeed try & try again?” We learn confidence through the repetition of processes. So does our brain via neuroplasticity. Learning to play instruments trains our brain to keep time which aids the ADD brain. Becoming excellent color-coded sticky-note takers trains us to become great at organizing our thoughts & keeping with our daily tasks. Because ADD physiology is different, training needs to be targeted to function properly.
Fidget to Focus
Fidget strategizing is often the single best coping mechanism that behavioral therapists can offer. Dr. Roland Rotz, PhD. has a career clinical focus on the ADD/ADHD condition with success in promoting the theory of fidgeting to focus via targeted arousal strategies. His clinical opinion suggests maximum coping effectiveness for Attention Deficit Disorder is realized through purposefully crafted focus strategies.
Co-author of Fidget to Focus, Dr. Rotz explains that fidgeting is a direct arousal attempt for an unstimulated brain. Rhythmic sensory stimulation is an innate response to an underwhelmed state. What we call ‘fidgeting’ is an active, structured attempt to gain neurophysiological arousal when arousal is low or non-existent.
Arousal strategies can be both positive and negative. For example, & notably, ADD individuals have an odd tendency to engage in damaging emotional conflict socially, presenting as a negative arousal strategy. These negative arousal attempts gain enough stimulation through micro-aggressions with others making the strategy appear effective to an ADD individual. People with ADD can also create fabricated interpersonal emotions within themselves. The false emotions represent a purported strong stimulant to the ADD person if it is elaborate enough.
Remember, the ADD brain is in need of significant stimulation for proper executive functioning.
Arousal strategies categorized
Primary sensory arousal strategies are direct actions used to stimulate the desired yet dormant executive function.
Examples include:
Using colored paper, sticky notes
Ambient noise for studying, working
Body movements, pacing while conversing
Hand/foot tapping
Secondary sensory arousal strategies are indirect actions used where discretion is needed & can be utilized in tandem with primary sensory strategies; ie in a classroom, church, work meeting.
Examples include:
Chewing gum
Doodling
Listening to music
Playing with rings with fingers
Non-sensory arousal strategies are subtle and typically include chemical stimulants and emotional manipulation. These have the ability to be negative arousal strategies like pornography, alcohol & drug additions.
Examples include:
Tea & coffee, caffeine intake
Relationship conflicts
Personal thoughts, implicating emotional outcomes
Practical sensory fidgets. A tactical guide to all things tactile.
Hacky sacks
I was thinking of ways to calm apprehensive clients when in session. When designing my office, each item from chair color to acoustic panel patterns was considered for the visual-spatial mood they invoked. Objects that lead to points of touch were selected for soothing qualities. I thought, what about fidget items?
Foam stress balls are surprisingly all made with toxic chemicals so that was out. The fuzzy pillows that adorned the client’s couch didn’t seem like an effective long-term fidgeting device(s) for therapy.
I thought about hacky sacks⸺the American footbag incarnation that fostered the collegiate spirit of the 1970s. I found a great Etsy shop that makes crocheted hacky sacks for an assortment of colorful bags for the sensory relief they provide. Surprisingly, they’ve been welcomed by my clients. A few have even identified specific hackys as their personal therapy guides when we meet!
The hacky sacks appear to be a simple stress-relieving reprieve during therapy. It’s possible it’s an effective fidget for ADD clientele, but I’ve noticed that almost all clients use them.
Clients appear to refocus energy on the fidget. Therapy discourse flows more naturally, or perceivably so, & the fidget appears to function as a receiving mechanism of therapy-related anxiety. Clients can squeeze them, throw them, or gently roll them, as clientele process emotions during conversations.
Baoding balls
Hacky sacks are great stress-relieving devices during therapy. What about a focusing fidget for persons with ADD/ADHD?
Baoding balls date to the fourteenth century during the Ming Dynasty, they were originally made of iron, & were a common meditation practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It’s said their origins are pinned to Baoding, China; thus the name.
Amazingly, these little spheres are still popular today and can be ordered online. Those that practice Baoding balls claim an array of benefits from stress relief, hand dexterity and strength building, mental focus, relaxation, & promotion of mind and body coordination.
I had to try it so I purchased a gemstone pair carved from Jade. The idea is to rotate the pair smoothly in your hand choosing to move slowly at first to gain composure and proper form, then increase speed. The weight of them is noticeable but manageable.
As they move they create a pitchy sound similar to marbles freely rolling across a surface. It’s almost impossible to keep the pair together continuously without a slight space appearing, only then to contract as the pair reconnect and bump into each other. The sound produced by this collision is a little loud & may not be appropriate for a primary sensory fidget, but a secondary one to complement an activity such as reading.
They’re quite beautiful to gaze at. I noticed they appeared to calm my mood and help me concentrate on the task at hand. If anything, Baoding ball practice produces a rhythmic trance-like meditation. I noticed a gradual soothing-to-relaxing wave enveloped me the first time I used them. They even helped me write this blog!
Although proposed benefits are largely anecdotal, it’s important to select sensory fidgets that speak to us. The belief that it helps our life is as powerful as any clinical evidence suggesting it does.
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Create productive fidgets that don’t distract you or others. Living with ADD means learning effective arousal strategies in all aspects of your life.
Be creative and think of your own, or maybe try a shiny pair of amethyst gem Baoding balls.
Find your fidget. See if it works.