Lining up - hits others in line

Possible reasons behind what you’re observing:

- if a child has sensory sensitivities the feel of another child brushing up against him might feel intense rather than the light touch we’d expect

- if he has trouble knowing where his body is in space, then he’ll feel unsteady and uneasy in close proximity to others

- he may not know where he’s going, even though it’s been announced and the other children know they’re heading to the gym

Some things to try:

• place him at the back or the front of the line - at the front, he’ll have a good view of where he’s heading but at the back he’ll have the comfort of not worrying about anyone bumping him from behind
• make sure he understands why the class is lining up and where they are going – show him, rather than tell him and don’t assume that just because you’re told the group what’s happening that he will have heard and processed your words

• has he checked his visual schedule so he knows what comes next?
• use a social story to explain what is expected when he is in a line
• would a social story about where he’s going help reassure him and show him what to do?