It was the first week of kindergarten, and in my child’s folder, there was a single page that to many would seem innocuous.Looking eyes. Sitting criss-cross applesauce. Still body. Eye contact. Facing your teacher. Quiet and still and attentive.
1. Whole Body Listening is culturally insensitive.
2. Whole body listening ignores what psychology tells us about neurodivergent attention
For neurotypical children, a still body may be ideal for attention. However, for neurodivergent children (and adults), movement can be an essential component of healthy attention. Why? For bodies that process sensory input differently, being required to sit still or make eye contact takes up a lot of cognitive bandwidth.
Instead of using that brainpower to listen and understand, the energy goes straight to trying to stay still or make eye contact. This doesn’t mean we should have utter chaos in the classroom. But it is vital, if we want to create environments where all children can learn, that we create behavioral structures that don’t restrict movement or require ableist methods of proving attention is being given.
Fidgets, chewy toys, sensory seats, and weighted/compression vests are all excellent options for different kinds of kids that allow sensory input to regulate during times when focus is a priority, while simply not requiring eye contact is a simple solution for that whole body listening principle.
3. Whole Body Listening teaches neurotypical children that their behavior is preferable to neurodivergent behavior and stigmatizes neurodivergent peers.
Little kids are big on rules. If the rule is to sit still, you bet they will complain if another peer isn’t sitting still. But worse, being told that behavior typically displayed by neurodivergent people is “rude” or “against the rules” teaches the majority of thinkers that their neurodivergent peers are rule breakers or bad community members just for being themselves.
That is stigmatizing and sets a culture of exclusion. Children don’t learn to understand and embrace differences without being explicitly taught. Whole body listening not only fails to actively teach inclusion but also emphasizes conformity, with penalties for failing to comply. Neurodivergence isn’t a moral, social, or academic failure, and should never be treated as such. Furthermore, making exceptions to the rules isn’t a great example, either. Rules don’t need exceptions if they are inclusive in the first place, and allowing some kids to break the rules paves the way for resentment.
4. Whole body listening is hard for all young kids.
What are the alternatives?
Check for comprehension. Do you want to know if students are listening? Looking at you doesn’t tell you that, but a simple check in absolutely can!
Learning about each student’s unique needs and providing options for each class listening rule helps children learn and socialize in the way they do best. My child doesn’t make eye contact when listening, and regularly fidgets to self-regulate. His teachers know this because they have spent time observing him, and this information is now passed year by year to subsequent teachers. If you try to enforce whole body listening, he can’t retain anything you’ve said to him.
Creating a culture where differences are expected and supported is important. Whether it is having a range of seating options in the classroom space, fidgets easily accessible, giving ample movement breaks, or placing paras with kids who have extra sensory needs to ensure they aren’t distracting peers while regulating, the classroom should be a space that supports all students. By fostering a culture of inclusion, we assume that different learners will use different tools.
There are several published alternatives to whole body listening available. While the range of quality varies, using different frameworks that are less ableist is definitely an improvement over whole body listening.
