Kids with ADHD must squirm to learn, study says


But new research shows that if you want ADHD kids to learn, you have to let them squirm. The foot-tapping, leg-swinging and chair-scooting movements of with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are actually vital to how they remember information and work out complex , according to a study published in an early online release of the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.



The research has major implications for how parents and teachers should deal with ADHD kids, particularly with the increasing weight given to students' performance on standardized testing. The study suggests that a majority of students with ADHD could perform better on classroom work, tests and homework if they're sitting on activity balls or exercise bikes, for instance.



Children were shown a series of jumbled numbers and a letter that flashed onto a computer screen, then asked to put the numbers in order, followed by the letter. A high-speed camera recorded the kids, and observers recorded their every movement and gauged their attention to the task.

Rapport's previous research had already shown that the excessive movement that's a trademark of - previously thought to be ever-present - is actually apparent only when they need to use the brain's executive brain functions, especially their working memory.




Explore further


Citation: Kids with ADHD must squirm to learn, study says (2015, April 17) retrieved 15 October 2021 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-04-kids-adhd-squirm.html

Feedback to editors