Constant Movement Helps ADHD Kids Learn
Constant Movement Helps ADHD Kids Learn – A new study reveals that the leg-swinging, foot-tapping, and fidgeting movements that characterize children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), actually help them learn.
The study, conducted by researchers at University of Central Florida, involved 52 boys aged 8 to 12. Twenty-nine kids had been diagnosed with ADHD, while the remaining 23 showed normal development. Researchers asked the children to perform a series of standardized tasks to see how their “working memory” was functioning. Working memory helps to temporarily store and manage information, which is required to perform complex cognitive tasks like learning, comprehension, and reasoning. Observers used a camera to record every movement as the kids performed the tasks.
Researchers saw that excessive movement was not present all the time but only when the kids needed to use their brains’ executive function, such as the working memory. The study showed that constant movement keeps the kids alert and focused on the task, so, far from being distracting, it’s actually required to help them do better.
The kids who did not have ADHD, also tended to move only when performing the tasks, but the movements had the opposite effect on their performance – making it worse.
Researchers say that the results of this study will have a major impact on treatment for ADHD, as current intervention methods all involve reducing movement in the kids. According to one of the study authors, Mark Rapport, head of the Children’s Learning Clinic, “The message isn’t ‘Let them run around the room,’ but you need to be able to facilitate their movement so they can maintain the level of alertness necessary for cognitive activities.”
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