For far too long, children with ADHD have been told to "sit still and concentrate!"
But new research by a team from University of Central Florida suggests that for ADHD kids to learn, you have to let them squirm. According to the study, published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, the foot-tapping and chair-scooting movements of children with ADHD are actually vital to how they remember information and work out complex cognitive tasks.
The study at the UCF clinic included 52 boys aged between 8 and 12 years old. Half were boys who had been diagnosed with ADHD and the other half had no clinical disorders and showed normal development. Each child was asked to perform standardized tasks meant to test the "working memory" - they were shown a series of jumbled numbers and a letter and were then asked to put the numbers in order, followed by the letter. What they found was those children with ADHD who moved the most were actually those that performed the best. "They have to move to maintain alertness," said one of the study's authors, Mark Rapport, head of the Children's Learning Clinic at the University of Central Florida. By contrast, the children in the study without ADHD who moved more had the opposite effect: they performed worse.
The research has dramatic implications for the approach to the education of children with ADHD, especially with the increased focus on standardized performance and achievement. The long-term prevailing methods of helping a child focus may have been misdirected.
Occupational therapists have often recommended fidget toys for people with ADHD. One mother (Answer_the_Call on reddit) reports that her pre-kindergarten daughter "learns best while holding smooth rocks in her hands, or while sitting on a nubby inflated chair pad so she can 'fidget' while she learns. It's worked wonders for her." One teacher (proudhussarian on reddit) said "I have a kid who solves rubix cubes while I teach, works well for him". Other examples given included:
- Don't move the child to the front of the class to help him focus. Keep him in the back so he can fidget without disturbing other children.
- Tie an elastic rubber tubing across the front legs of the child's chair. The strap gives bouncy legs something to do.
- Have the child sit on an exercise ball
- (with older children) chewing gum may actually improve focus
