Force4Good White Mug

My son, like many other students, processes the world differently to the 'typical' experience. Throughout his schooling, he has struggled with whole body listening—a practice developed in 1990 that explicitly asks students to sit still, look at the teacher, demonstrate facial expressions showing interest and keep their hands still/in their laps to show they’re paying attention. My son worked so hard to follow these expectations, not because they helped him learn, but because he was afraid of getting in trouble or drawing attention to himself. The effort of looking like he was listening made it even harder for him to actually process what was being said and caused anxiety. When he realised the impact this had on his learning and well-being, he decided to take action - to share his experiences openly and invite fellow neurodivergent children to do the same. He’s written an open letter to school principals asking them to rethink whole body listening and embrace more inclusive methods. He’s inviting other kids, families, and supporters to send this letter to schools on May 4th (because, as a true Star Wars fan, he thinks that would be epic). Why This Matters Whole body listening assumes that there is only one way to listen, ignoring the reality that over 10% of the population is neurodivergent (University of Michigan). But here’s the bigger issue—many neurodivergent kids in schools haven’t even been identified yet. Studies suggest that a huge number of children go through school without knowing they are neurodivergent, meaning they are constantly being asked to do things that feel unnatural or uncomfortable—without understanding why. For these students, being told to "sit still and make eye contact" isn't just a mild inconvenience. It's exhausting, anxiety-inducing, and, in many cases, a barrier to actually learning. Special education research has shown that rigid listening rules can actively harm neurodivergent students by forcing them to prioritise appearance over comprehension. Yet, these expectations remain deeply embedded in many schools. What We’re Asking For It’s time for schools to replace whole body listening with more inclusive listening methods that honor the diverse ways students process information. Education should celebrate individuality, not force conformity - and teach our children to listen to their own bodies and develop their understanding of how they can optimise their own capacity for paying attention and engaging in their learning. A popular alternative to WBL is Bumper the Whole Body Learner and we request schools to consider replacing Whole Body Listening with bumper.