Ariel is the kid who finds it hard to stop! Her body, mind and tongue are never still. She moves, thinks and talks - CONSTANTLY!! Her exhausted parents and teachers wish she had a switch located at the back of her neck so they could turn her off and get a few minutes peace. Even her friends find it difficult to keep up with the speed at which she moves and thinks.

Ariel often has trouble getting to sleep at night - her mind races around and around! When she is asleep she dreams actively and her body keeps on moving and jerking - she sometimes sits up and even walks in her sleep. Ariel is not the most talented of athletes. She walked early and ran and climbed everywhere as a toddler, but she is not great at being in a team. She loves to control the play and enjoys sports that challenge her at a personal level. Sports such as tennis, swimming, cycling and sprinting appeal the most. She is competitive and wants to win and to be the ‘best'.

Ariel likes to watch TV, but she needs to be moving at the same time. She fidgets with her hair and flicks her fingers. She leaps up at the ad breaks. Ariel finds sitting still almost impossible. When the teacher is talking at the front of the room - she tunes out. There is nothing to look at and nothing to do! She turns to talk to her neighbour, bites her nails, fiddles with her pencil and swings on her seat. Ariel learns best when she is learning in a number of ways. To get her attention the lecturing teacher will need to move, to introduce images and overheads, to write on the board and get the students discussing and interacting. Ariel's best days at school are those that include art, sport and drama. She loves science when there are hands-on experiments to do. She loves Shakespeare when they are watching the latest Baz Luhrman adaptation! She loves maths when they get up and walk about the school to do some measurement and geometry.

Ariel cannot help this formidable level of energy. She can learn to channel it and she can be helped to act appropriately at the appropriate times. Ariel's psychomotor intensity gives her the benefits of unusual levels of physical drive and endurance. She will be able to take the physical risks necessary to climb mountains, dive to the depths of oceans, sail solo around the world. She will feel confident and competent if this intensity is celebrated and nurtured. She will love school when her strength in this domain is perceived positively and used to help her learn.

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