How can I support my students who struggle with impulse control?
In this video, Dr. Lucas Harrington explain how supporting students with impulse control starts with prevention - reducing temptation, meeting regulation needs, and creating environments that make better choices easier before willpower is ever required.
Transcript
How can I support students who struggle with impulse control? The first and probably most effective thing is just to reduce temptation. So avoid putting the kid in situations where you know that impulsivity is likely to become a problem. This is something that you can arrange for them and also something that you can teach them to do for themselves.
So I have this story that I tell about these honey butter potato chips that they sold at the Japanese market. Or if I bought the chips and I took them home, then I would definitely eat the whole bag that night. And if I saw them then I would definitely buy them, but I could avoid seeing the chips in the first place.
And so deciding not to go down the chip aisle was really my last opportunity where I could be sure of making a better choice. And that planning can be more complex, but much more effective than just trying to resist temptation in the moment. Impulsivity tends to increase when you're dysregulated.
So helping the kid keep a handle on their needs can also really help, like if they're hungry or thirsty or they didn't get enough sleep, or they're overstimulated and they need ear protection or quiet space, or they're understimulated and they need a wiggle cushion or an opportunity to move around. Activities like deep breathing or muscle relaxation can help to calm the system if it's going into overdrive.
Our "Trying New Things" module teaches a list of stress reduction strategies that can be helpful. And finally, you can teach skills to help them pause and think in the moment. But I definitely would not rely on those without preventative supports.
Mindfulness activities like meditation have shown some promise for helping people with ADHD manage their difficulties, and you can teach self-talk strategies. When I was younger, I used to imagine that someone was observing me for a magazine article or an interview and how the reporter would describe my behavior.
And then I drew on that in our newest mini game with the hyperactive character, Seb, acting as his own sportscaster and coach for everyday tasks. You can learn more strategies like these through our professional development at socialcipher.com.
Follow us @socialcipher on TikTok and YouTube for more educator-focused videos about neurodivergence!
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