How does this activity help reading???

[AustinsMom]

My ds has LD, and although fairly proficient at sounding out words, sounds each one out EVERY time, so his fluency is poor. We read together each day (much to his delight ..NOT) and I do odd things to help motivate him. Don't know how this got started the other night, but after he read one page, I would "poke" him once (like in the ribs...he loves to be tickled) and after page 2, I'd do it twice, etc. etc. ad nauseum. Well, I noticed as we went along that his reading fluency got better and better. He was laughing and having fun, but the biggest factor was his anticipatory mood seemed to heighten his attention.

So this is my question....was it only the increased attention that improved his reading?? That doesn't seem quite right, because there are times I feel like he is focused, but doesn't do this well. Could it be that we were promoting some neurotransmitter action?? We had thought the fluency was an issue with POOR working memory (I'm talking 1% on the test). So would increased cortical tone have that big of impact on working memory?

Or my husband's thought, which I think has validity, is that it is one of the hallmarks of ADHD that the harder you try to focus, the less activity in the frontal lobe. So was I merely distracting him, so that he wasn't trying so hard and his brain wasn't shutting down on him? Kind of like the trouble our kids have with confrontational naming...they know something, but when you ask them the question point blank, they just can't retrieve the info under pressure.

Just curious what everyone's thoughts are on this. Guess I can't get it in his IEP that someone periodically "poke" him during the day, huh.

[ohmama]

Austins mom,
I don't have any answers for you but I just wanted to say I love your sense of humor! The thought to put it in his IEP for someone to poke him. I love it! That's exactly what my boy needs.

[Allanque]

*ponders*

They say that kids with ADHD often concentrate better after they argue or fight with someone. I'd say you're probably stimulating the same effect. It's an adrenaline thing.

[catatonic]

Allanque may have a point. I know my boy happily does his homework if I playfully kick his backside all the way to the dining table. He does his math problems faster, too, if I "poke" his ribs each time I pass the table. The other kids would think this is a big distraction and get irritated if I tried it on them, but it doesn't seem to distract Challenge Boy at all. Maybe we should lobby for "poking" as recognized ADHD treatment.

[Sorka]

Ooooh I'm gonna try this.. hehe My son is a sensory seeker and this might just get him going.. hehe

[catatonic]

If it doesn't work, you can try using a stick and poking real hard.