A poster presentation at the 2012 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting researchers reported on a small study using a digital tablet to record precise handwriting metrics of 12 boys with autism, 8 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 12 controls. The tablet measured pen pressure, strokes, speed and precise letter formation while the children […]
Recent research was published in the Journal of Attention Disorders on a pilot study that looked at 17 children, grades K-3, who exhibited four or more hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms on the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale. Each child participated in 26 minutes of continuous moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily over eight school weeks. The effects of response inhibition […]
A new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics recognizes the benefits of exercise to improve academic abilities in children with ADHD. In this study, 40 children total (20 with ADHD 20 without ADHD), ages 8 -10 years old spent 20 minutes walking briskly on a treadmill or 20 minutes reading. This was followed by […]
Pediatrics published research on sleep duration and behavioral and ADHD symptoms in healthy 7-8 year old children. The results indicated that children who had short sleep duration (less than 7.7 hours) had higher hyperactivity/impulsivity scores, higher attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder total scores but similar inattention scores compared with children sleeping 7.7 to 9.4 hours or >9.4 hours. […]
A study to be published in the Journal of Attention Disorders indicates that physical activity helped to improve the coordination, motor skills and ability to process information in children with ADHD. Ten children (9 boys and 1 girl) with ADHD participated in a physical activity training program for 3x/week, 45 minute sessions during lunch, over […]
I recently came across a company, Sensational Teaching, that will be offering free webinars on sensory integration. The first one is January 5, 2012 (tomorrow!). I asked the occupational therapist from Sensational Teaching, Katie Ryzhikov, some questions about the upcoming webinars. 1. Who is the target audience for the webinars – therapists, parents, teachers or […]
Background noise in classrooms can influence a student’s ability to learn. Many children with sensory processing disorder in particular can be distracted by different noises. Frequently classroom seating accommodations are suggested based on the student’s ability to stay on task. Some recent research indicated that students who spent time in louder classrooms performed worse on […]
Recent research evaluated the motor skills of 36, eight to twelve year old boys (12 with ADHD, 12 with Asperger Syndrome and 12 typically developing peers). The Physical and Neurological Examination for Subtle Signs was used to evaluate the boys and the following was examined: 1) total speed of timed activities, 2) total overflow, and […]
The American Journal of Occupational Therapy published research on the use of stability balls in the classroom. Eight children who were highly likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were observed 3x/week for 12 weeks while using stability balls in the classroom. When the data was analyzed it revealed that while using the stability balls […]
Through the use of magnetic resonance imaging, a recent study indicated that 13 preschool children (ages 4-5) with ADHD had smaller volumes in the caudate nucleus than 13 preschool children without ADHD. The caudate nucleus is associated with learning, memory and motor control. In addition, the caudate volumes were significantly correlated with parental reports of […]