Miguel* is an 8-year-old. Every morning Miguel wakes up after a nine-hour sleep. He eats breakfast and gets dressed. His dad reminds him to brush his teeth, because sometimes he forgets. He bounces his leg rapidly as he sits on his seat on his bus as he heads to RCC for school. He uses two pencils to drum a beat on his desk, distracting his classmate next to him. His teacher asks the class a question that he knows the answer to – he yells out the answer, he forgets to raise his hand.
It’s outside time now and Miguel is excited to play with a new ball he spotted in the play yard yesterday. He spots the ball again and just as he runs over to pick it up, a classmate beats him to it and grabs the ball instead. Miguel is frustrated. He forgets to use his words to express his feelings and pushes the classmate to the ground. Miguel feels sad about hurting his friend. Miguel is hurting too but doesn’t know how to make things better.
For Miguel, and so many other children enrolled in the Intensive Treatment Services program at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s (HDGH) Regional Children’s Centre (RCC), a morning such as this one, or one with even more intense behaviours, can be a common occurrence.
Mike McLellan, is a Child and Youth Worker at RCC who cares for children, like Miguel, every day. He recognized that children who come to school with extra energy, sometimes due to an ADHD diagnosis, may have a harder time focusing on their learning, resulting in outbursts or dangerous behaviours. Mike wanted to give those kids an outlet for that energy.
It started with Miguel. Mike invited him to begin morning exercises. After a few consistent days of physical activity when Miguel arrived at school, positive changes could be noticed. Miguel’s bouncing leg subsided, his pencils stayed on his desk, and although he didn’t always remember to raise his hand (or brush his teeth), he was getting better at remembering. His body was feeling more calm. He could focus on his learning.
As other children noticed the change in Miguel and the fun he and Mike were having, they began to join in on the early morning exercises. With limited equipment and growing participation, Mike brought his personal exercise equipment in from home to sustain the new program they had established. But resources were getting tight and some equipment wasn’t well suited for some of the younger children taking part.
Mike knew that in order to provide the best and safest exercise program, he needed to get some child-sized equipment. He approached the leadership team at RCC with a request to purchase additional, appropriate equipment.
One sunny morning, Mike was surprised and overjoyed to discover that his request was approved and new exercise equipment had been ordered and arrived. “This is the best day ever!” he exclaimed when he walked in and saw the equipment.
Weighted exercise balls, dumbbells of various weights, mats, and step platforms will now be used to encourage movement and exercise for the children at RCC through Mike’s Exercise Program.
Exercise is proven to have a direct correlation to a healthy body and healthy mind. Through the Exercise Program at RCC, led by Mike, the children are learning the fundamental skills for keeping themselves healthy and strong, both physically and mentally, not just during the time they are at RCC, but throughout the rest of their lives.
*Miguel is a fictional client based on real client experiences at RCC.