Kids With ADHD Need to Move to Learn, Study Says

Ever have those days when you just can't sit still? Or your mind has so much going through it, you are constantly multitasking, not necessarily completing any one task before you have 10 things in motion? I'm the kind of person who can really focus when I settle in and have no distractions, but distractions are everywhere. Now imagine a child with ADHD who has a natural propensity to be distracted, unable to focus who at school is constantly being told to sit still. There's little chance of that child really being able to get much out of the day.

A new study suggests that kids with ADHD need to move in order to learn. Movement can include squirming, fidgeting, tapping toes or leg-swinging. The study also suggests that students performance could be better if they're sitting on activity balls or exercise bikes in the classroom. (Note to self: Try exercise ball at desk as chair.) What researchers found is that children with ADHD, when given a task that requires executive brain-function, suddenly became fidgety. It's like the brain's activity caused the body to start wiggling too. Children without ADHD performed who were given the opportunity to move during the study tests did not perform well.

I love this research that provides a solution to help children with ADHD that doesn't rely on meds. Some people are wired different. It's important to recognize these differences and try to embrace and accommodate rather than try to squish everyone into the same mold.