"When the paper gets wet": Courage and Agency in Moving from Control to Bodily Sense-Making

Children with ADHD and/or autism spectrum disorders (ADHD/ASF) often struggle to meet school demands and experience reduced well-being. As diagnoses rise, there is a need for pedagogical approaches that support agency and meaningful engagement. Despite this, research on movement in education for children with ADHD/ASF is remarkably scarce. Existing studies tend to focus narrowly on physical activity in PE or therapeutic contexts, overlooking
movement as an integrated pedagogical and embodied resource (Munk & Østergaard, 2025). This study investigates how movement—understood as a bodily way of experiencing and making sense of the world—can foster agency and courage in special education for children with ADHD/ASF. We draw on Hartmut Rosa’s theory of resonance and Shaun Gallagher’s enactive approach to cognition. Rosa conceptualizes well-being as meaningful contact with the world, requiring openness and responsiveness (Rosa, 2019). Gallagher (2017) adds a critical dimension: cognition is not rooted in abstract representations but emerges through embodied interaction with the world. Meaning arises in
the dynamic interplay between perception, action, and environment. These perspectives are used complementarily: Rosa explains why bodily resonance matters for well-being, while Gallagher helps analyze how pedagogical practices can either support or inhibit embodied sense-making. This dual lens connects normative aspirations with epistemological mechanisms. A small-scale pilot study was conducted in four Danish special classes. Data include observations and interviews with teachers, analyzed thematically to explore how movement is perceived and practiced in relation to students’ well-being. Findings reveal a paradox: movement is seen as beneficial but often placed outside the “learning
window,” framed as secondary to “real learning.” Teachers’ narratives reflect a desire for control - learning is imagined within narrow, predictable frames. Gallagher’s framework clarifies this: when education prioritizes symbolic tasks and rigid structures, it risks disconnecting from the embodied and sensory experiences that give rise to understanding. To illustrate this tension, we present empirical examples, including a case where staying indoors “because the paper gets wet” demonstrates the consequences of a control-oriented perspective. Stepping outside would embrace embodied engagement and open possibilities for resonance and deeper learning. This pilot study highlights courage as a pedagogical prerequisite: to let go of rigid control and allow resonance through bodily engagement. Supporting enactive sense-making is not merely a method but an ethical stance—it opens space for agency, participation, and meaningful relationships. For children with ADHD/ASF, such courage can transform schooling from a space of constraint to a space of possibility. Presenting this work at NERA is a constructive step toward dialogue and a future study. This study contributes to Nordic educational research by addressing inclusive pedagogical practices in special education and exploring how theoretical perspectives can inform agency and well-being in Scandinavian school contexts.

Munk, M., & Østergaard, T. P. (2025). Kalder alle vogne – Bevægelse i specialklasser for børn med ADHD og/eller autisme. Forum for Idræt (accepted for publication).
Rosa, H. (2019). Resonance: A sociology of our relationship to the world. John Wiley & Sons.
Gallagher, S. (2017). Enactivist interventions – rethinking the mind. Oxford: Oxford University Press.