Whether a pupil is under- or overstimulated can be seen by a teacher from the pupil’s visible behaviour. Monique gives several examples.

Recognizing under-stimulation

First, under-stimulation. “When sensory filters are too strict, not enough information gets through. Pupils sit there daydreaming a little and, for example, do not notice that their name is being called, or that other pupils have already started putting away their things and are moving on to another task. As a result, under-stimulated pupils remain under-alert and sometimes stay absorbed in the task they were working on. Or they may be very restless because they are looking for more and stronger stimuli. For teachers, this means that they need to help these pupils become active. You can give such a pupil tasks that involve plenty of movement. For example, a teacher can ask the pupil to hand out exercise books or do chair push-ups. We also often recommend working with standing desks. You use more muscles that way and activate your body more.”

Recognizing overstimulation

And then there is overstimulation: “A teacher recognizes that a pupil is overstimulated when the pupil quickly becomes tense in class, gets angry, has a short fuse and, for example, says ‘the others are driving me crazy’. This behaviour is often the result of overstimulation. The stimuli come through too strongly for these pupils at that moment, meaning they cannot work. A teacher can intervene by moving such a pupil to a quieter place or, when the pupil is working on a task on the computer, telling them that they may put on a hood. When intervening, it is important for the teacher to explain the reason for the strategy to the pupil. This helps the pupil realize that there is room for strategies. The pupil learns to indicate independently when a strategy is needed, for example: ‘May I go somewhere quieter?’.”

Teachers now know how to recognize under- and overstimulation (see also the box below), but do not yet know how to take it into account when teaching. They will learn that in part 3.

BOX

Checklist for recognizing under-stimulation

  • Pupils sit there daydreaming.
  • Pupils do not hear when their name is called.
  • Pupils remain focused on a task while the rest of the class moves on.

Checklist for recognizing overstimulation

  • A pupil quickly becomes tense.
  • A pupil quickly gets angry.
  • A pupil says: “The others are driving me crazy.”