Special Cushion for ADHD Behavior

Learn about a special kind of cushion that is helpful for active kids with ADHD.
Q
My six-year-old moves all the time. The teacher mentioned that he pushes back in his chair, a behavior common in active children. She mentioned a type of cushion or pad that has been recommended for this problem. Do you know anything about this or where I can find one?
A
The kind of cushion they are probably talking about can be found wherever they sell supplies for occupational therapy. One that I found is at http://www.aqtoys.com, but it is described as being for larger children or those over the age of eight. Basically, this is an air cushion that is pumped up before use on a chair. When the child needs to wiggle around in his seat, sitting on the cushion increases the amount of feedback he gets from his movements. Cushions like these are used to help kids to settle down and focus more.
For more than 20 years, Eileen Marzola has worked with children and adults with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders, and with their parents and teachers. She has been a regular education classroom teacher, a consultant teacher/resource teacher, an educational evaluator/diagnostician, and has also taught graduate students at the university level. Marzola is an adjunct assistant professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and Hunter College of the City University of New York. She also maintains a private practice in the evaluation and teaching of children with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders.

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