Fidget Tools for Enhanced Focus and Inclusivity

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Imagine a world where traditional expectations of attentiveness are flipped on their head. Join me, Tracie Corll, as I share personal stories and insights into the transformative impact of fidget tools for individuals with ADHD and autism. Through heartfelt anecdotes, I'll take you on a journey through spaces like my church, where embracing unique needs redefines what it means to respect and be attentive. Discover how these tools are not mere toys but essential aids for enhancing focus, managing stress, and connecting with one's faith across all age groups.

Explore the therapeutic potential of fidget tools and learn why they should be viewed as vital support mechanisms rather than distractions. I unpack their role in fostering environments where individuals of all abilities can thrive and contribute, especially within disability ministry. While acknowledging my own imperfections in this field, my commitment to spiritual growth and inclusivity shines through. Whether it's therapy putty or sensory stickers, find out how these unassuming tools can be game changers in everyday life, helping to manage anxiety, boredom, and agitation while fostering a deeper connection to faith and community.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, my name is Tracy Correll and welcome to
Indispensable People.
I'm a wife, mom, teacher,pastor and missionary, and I
believe that every person shouldhave the opportunity to know
Christ, grow in Him and serveHim with the gifts that he has
given, no matter their ability.
Over 65 million Americans havea disability.
That's 25% of the population.

(00:26):
However, over 80% of them arenot inside the walls of our
church.
Let's dive into those hardtopics biblical foundations,
perceptions and world-changingideas.
Hey, hey, and welcome to thisepisode of Indispensable People.

(00:51):
Today we're talking fidgettools, not toys.
Now, I don't know about you, butI have grown up in an old
school kind of home and in thathome here is the thinking.
I'm just going to lay it outfor you.
Children listen, and if they'relistening, they're looking, and

(01:12):
respect is a great big deal andit comes in the form of a very
specific look, and if it doesn'tlook that way, then it's
disrespectful.
And here's what I can tell you.
Respect is important.
Understanding the situationsthat may not look exactly like

(01:34):
you think they should are really, really important, and here's a
great explanation of whatexplanation or example.
I'm going gonna give you acouple examples.
So, for example, a few yearsback my church and I have shared
this story before.
My church did what was calledthe Passion Play and during that

(01:56):
time I was the stage managersomething fancy name, for I
opened the door when peopleneeded to go in and off a stage
and I kept things calm behindthat stage door before they went
out so that they didn't causechaos or make noise to distract
from the show.
So the particular door that Iwas responsible for.

(02:19):
There were a lot of kids thereand so it was really important
to keep them under wraps, niceand quiet, calm, things in order
.
And the kids did really welland they were excited to be a
part of it.
And so, you know, we used ourwhisper strategies and things
like that to keep things inorder.

(02:40):
And there was a particulargentleman, an adult, who would
be pacing and moving and allkinds of things behind the stage
.
And I said to him hey, jokingly, you're worse than the kids.
And he went on to tell me howhe was diagnosed with ADHD and
it's very difficult for him tostay still.

(03:01):
And he said that if he were togo into service on a Sunday
morning and listen to thepastor's sermon, that he would
struggle if he was sitting in aseat, he said but if he just
stood in the back of thesanctuary and was able to shift
the weight of his body from footto foot, then he would be able

(03:23):
to reiterate everything thatpastor said on that morning.
So that's example number one.
Example number two is a littleguy who is now a teenager.
When he first came to ourchurch, sitting, listening,
focusing, were incrediblydifficult for him.
He's diagnosed with autism andhe just struggled to sit in a

(03:47):
space to be a part of what wasgoing on and to, you know, make
eye contact, listen to thespeaker, all of that kind of
stuff.
After getting to know him andkind of figuring some things out
with him, we made him a box andin this box had a few different
things that he really liked toplay with or enjoy, and in there

(04:09):
were particularly Legos that hewould choose to fidget with
while he was listening.
And one particular day I washis buddy and I sat next to him
and he's in his box doing histhing and while he was in there
the pastor was kind of askingquestions from the stage about

(04:32):
her sermon that she was sharing,and under his breath he's
answering every single question.
He knew exactly what she wastalking about.
He knew the answers to what shewas asking, he was having full
participation.
But an old school person wouldthink he's being disrespectful,
he's not listening to thespeaker, he's not participating
appropriately.
Speaker, he's not participatingappropriately and that really

(04:54):
just wasn't the case.
He required a different way tolisten so that his body could
calm himself in enough way thathe could hear and listen to
receive what was being said.
So here we are, arriving at theconversation about fidgets, and

(05:15):
today we're really going totalk about fidgets being a tool
and not a toy, Because I cantell you from experience that a
lot of times when I suggestfidgets to children's pastors,
youth pastors, children'spastors, youth pastors, or even

(05:37):
for adults, On occasion, I getthe eye roll.
Why do I get the eye roll?
Because fidgets have becomesuch a large group of toys and
they have caused disruption anddistraction in those spaces.
So let's really break it down.
What is the actual purpose forfidgets?
Fidgets are therapeutic devicesthat help with focus,

(05:59):
self-regulation and coping withfeelings of anxiety, boredom and
agitation, and they can alsohelp with creative inspirations.
What are the benefits offidgets?
They can provide tangiblebenefits that significantly
impact daily life, and I cantell you from full experience

(06:20):
that that is absolutely true.
They can help with stressmanagement, which my son loves
to keep something in his pocketand when he feels anxious he can
fidget with it.
They boost productivity becauseit allows your body to calm
down and the brain to do what itneeds to do.
It improves overall well-being,provides tactile, auditory and

(06:41):
visual input.
So for those who havesensory-seeking bodies, those
who are looking for that sensoryinput, it gives the body what
it needs to be able to do whatit's supposed to do.
So what are some examples offidgets?
Therapy putty, stress balls,hand loopers, tactile tools,

(07:04):
exercise balls, weighted lappads, coiled key chains and
those are just a few, Some of myfavorite fidgets that I share
and typically give away when wedo church visits or trainings or
any of those kinds of things.
It is a sensory sticker, whichis a great tool, especially for

(07:26):
teens and adults, because itdoesn't look like a toy.
It's actually a sensory stickerthat has, like, some bumps on
it and things like that, and itfits perfectly on, like open and
there's a marble in it.
It's quiet, it's calm, it comesin all kinds of patterns, it

(07:59):
does not make any noisewhatsoever, and so it's a great
tool in that way.
The other thing are fidgetrings.
You can get these super dupercheap Amazon has them or you can
get more stylish fidget ringsespecially there's lots

(08:20):
available for women and girlsand they look like a regular
ring, except there's a fidgetbuilt in.
So I love those ones because,again, they don't bring
disruption.
They look like items that anyperson could have, so it doesn't
make someone stick out if thatis a concern, and they are

(08:42):
really tools that anybody canuse in any atmosphere.
The therapy putty or weightedlap pads or exercise balls are
not necessarily something you'regoing to have in every single
environment, so you want to bethoughtful about how they can be

(09:04):
used, and these are great toolsto put in a sensory bag or a
buddy bag that when anyone comesinto your church, if the need
arises it's kind of like a gobag you can get up and go with
it.
So let's talk about fidgetsbeing misused and how we can be
intentional about setting themup for a positive use.

(09:28):
First, we want to be mindful.
We want to consider whether ornot the person actually needs
the fidget, and here's what willhappen Using the fidget.
Their behavior should becomebetter.
If the behavior becomes worse,the fidget is unnecessary.
Next, don't use it as a toy.
It's not for entertainment.

(09:50):
So only use a fidget to helpwith focus attention or to calm
down.
It should not be a distractionto others.
If the fidget distracts othersor interferes with their work,
use a different one, or maybethey don't need it at all.
In addition to that, you needto be aware of the potential

(10:11):
drawbacks of fidgets.
They can consume, distract orprevent someone from
concentrating on other thingsand again, if that is the case,
then it's actually not a need.
They don't necessarily needthat.
So, again, while fidgets looklike toys, they're actually
therapeutic devices and I thinkusing the word tools fidget

(10:35):
tools as opposed to toys helppeople understand that and it
sets a different perspective sothat they can have them for
proper use.
Make sure that they're notcausing a distraction and that
they are being utilized in a waythat assists or aids someone.
So fidgets are handheld devicesthat help with self-regulation

(10:59):
and focus and allow people tobetter cope with feelings of
boredom, anxiety and agitation.
These are tools that will aidyour Sunday morning ministries,
your midweek ministries.
It will allow individuals to beable to calm their bodies, calm
their minds so that they canhear the message of the gospel

(11:22):
that is being shared.
Do I know everything aboutdisability ministry?
Do I have all the answers?
Have I done everythingperfectly?
I have absolutely not, but weare going to continue this
conversation so that people ofall abilities can have the
opportunity to know Christ, growin Him and serve Him with the

(11:42):
gifts that he has given them.
Bye.